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Location: Polk County, IA
Salary Minimum: $51,854.40
Salary Maximum: $78,977.60
Job Type: Full-time
Agency: 131 Iowa Department for the Blind
Job Number: 23-02447
Post Close Date: May 11, 2023
Point of Contact: Keri Osterhaus
To Apply: All applications must be submitted through the State of Iowa job application site at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/iowa. Applicants are strongly encouraged to attach both a cover letter and resume to their online application.
Job Description:
This is a non-merit position with the Iowa Department of the Blind. Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be placed on the eligible list.
The Department for the Blind (IDB) is searching for experienced candidates for the position of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. As a member of a team of 10 vocational rehabilitation counselors, this position will be based in Des Moines and travel to serve and manage a caseload of approximately 45-55 individuals who are blind or have low vision in a regional area of the state.
Following successful completion of the orientation and training activities the position will be based at the Iowa Department for the Blind in Des Moines, Iowa. The training for this position is a minimum of 14 weeks and is completed in Des Moines, Iowa.
This position is responsible for assisting clients who are blind or have low vision to obtain, maintain or advance in employment. The position provides counseling and guidance and ensures that clients receive training in the alternative techniques of blindness in order for the individual to make a positive adjustment to blindness and successfully pursue their vocational goals. Ideal candidates will have a solid understanding of vocational rehabilitation services, including career development strategies, be able to conduct interviews and observations, in addition to developing plans, partnering with service providers, employers and education professionals and providing access to successful job placement. In addition, strong documentation, organization and time management skills are essential to the position.
Duties and responsibilities include the following areas:
Case Management
- Independently prioritize workload to maximize effective utilization of time, resources, and agency assets. This position covers a territory of several counties in central Iowa and requires frequent travel.
- Submit necessary reports, case recordings, authorizations, and correspondence in a timely and accurate manner.
- Maintain client files and other records in an organized and specified format.
Application and Eligibility Determination
- Interview applicant, consult with family, and contact other sources such as ophthalmologists, community partners, and employers to procure visual, medical, psychological, social and educational information.
- Determines eligibility for services, assesses vocational, social and medical needs through appropriate testing and medical reports.
Plan Development/Counseling and Guidance/Plan Implementation
- Provide guidance and counseling regarding client’s personal and vocational adjustment throughout the rehabilitation process.
- Assist clients through informed choice in determining appropriate vocational goals and serves as a resource for clients seeking information regarding employment and employment goals.
- Maintains a working knowledge of assistive technology and reasonable accommodations.
- Assist clients to obtain an employment outcome using a variety of job development and job placement strategies including contacting employers, assessing employers’ needs, and providing resources and education to employers and clients.
- Counsel and guide clients in the establishment of self-employment goals.
Public Awareness and Education
- Advocate, consult, advise, educate, mediate, and intercede with service providers, employers, and the general public.
- Develop and maintain referral sources by providing information and resources through personal contacts, written communication and presentations.
It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment.
Selectives
752: Vocational Rehabilitation
6 months’ experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both that specifically relates to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. That knowledge base will include an awareness of the unique needs of this population, laws relating to discrimination or reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, and an understanding of employment and training systems and services, especially as provided in Iowa.
AND
257: Career Development Counseling
6 months’ experience at the high school or college level or in the public or private sector such as Iowa Workforce Development or an employment agency. In the case of the latter, must have experience analyzing and assessing applicants’ work and education history and applying it to career goals.
• Must possess broad knowledge of postsecondary education and/or job training infrastructure. • Must be able to communicate with program participants of varying academic and vocational abilities.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in human service-oriented sciences, education, marketing or business and experience equal to three years of full time professional work;
OR
the equivalent of three years of full-time experience as a rehabilitation counselor or teacher shall be considered as qualifying provided the employee has successfully completed training to meet the certification criteria established by the agency;
OR
an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting the equivalent of one year of full-time professional work experience for each year of the required education to a maximum substitution of four years.
For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description. (Download PDF reader)
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