Rehabilitation Counselor

Overview

The Rehabilitation Counselor 2 duties include coordinating rehabilitation and psychosocial services, ensuring compliance with recordkeeping requirements, and supporting treatment planning and program development for patients within the Family Care Unit and rehabilitation department.

• Screen, evaluate, and approve all referrals.
• Match and assign patients to appropriate daily programs.
• Monitor tracking system and rehabilitation program tracking.
• Assure patient records are maintained as outlined.
• Coordinate treatment planning with rehabilitation department and treatment teams.
• Complete progress notes and referrals written by rehabilitation staff, assuring compliance with recordkeeping requirements and standards.
• Complete a comprehensive evaluation of rehabilitation and social needs of patients and develop patient goals and programming to meet patient needs.
• Review policies and procedures with staff; review rehabilitation programs available to patients; coordinate development of goals and programs with staff and treatment teams.
• Participate with the Treatment Team Leader in policy meetings, long-term program planning, and review meetings to update, improve, and maintain programs which meet client needs and use current evidenced-based practices.
• Evaluate and identify patient needs to determine the advisability of referrals to other specialists; communicate judgments to patients and referral sources.
• Coordinate services, interact with significant others, place patients and follow up, monitor progress, and solve problems.
• Determine changes resulting from a planned program by comparing actual changes with desired changes and identify the program’s contribution to those changes.
• Act as rehabilitation liaison for services provided by the rehabilitation department.
• Arrange for psychosocial, educational, and/or vocational services.
• Provide inpatient treatment teams with objective information concerning a patient’s performance across residential, social, and daily living skills; interpret, report, and document ongoing patient progress; assist patients with interpreting daily activities and their impact on rehabilitation.
• Match and assign patients to inpatient treatment programming; monitor rehabilitation program tracking system and the delivery of rehabilitation programming; ensure documentation is maintained as outlined.
• Complete incident reporting and conduct investigations.
• Document findings and recommendations to ensure treatment team members receive accurate and timely information; coordinate person-centered service plans with recipients; monitor progress and modify plans as needed; participate in treatment team meetings with recommendations and input.

• Supervise and monitor the work performance of Home Liaison and Residential Habilitation staff; oversee documentation and gatekeeper functions; ensure caseload assignments and coverage as needed.
• Monitor TABS entries and assist with reviews of habilitation service documentation and activity code recording (TABS).
• Ensure Home Liaisons attend annual and semi-annual Life Plan meetings; formulate annual/semi-annual Staff Action Plans and Safeguard Summaries with progress notes.
• Review documents for current accuracy and timely submission; ensure monthly visits to Family Care Homes to monitor health and safety compliance with state and federal regulations.
• Align activity codes in TABS with habilitative service documentation; review discrepancy reports and implement corrective actions.
• Conduct formal and informal Family Care trainings and Res. Hab. trainings; maintain OPWDD compliance regulations.
• Complete mandated annual courses and update trainings (e.g., PRAISE, Fire Safety, PROMOTE, CPR, SLMS trainings); adjust schedule as needed for emergencies.
• All other duties deemed necessary by the Treatment Team Leader or Administration.

Promotion: One year of permanent service as a Rehabilitation Counselor 1 AND a qualifying bachelor's or higher degree
* and reachable for appointment on the current Civil Service Eligible List for this title.

• Qualifying degrees include:
  Applied Psychology, Art Therapy, Audiology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Psychology, Counseling, Rehabilitation Counseling, Social Work, and related fields listed in the original text.

Open Competitive: A bachelor’s degree in a human service field and three years of professional experience providing vocational, psychosocial, or rehabilitative/habilitative services in an agency serving individuals with developmental disabilities, mental illness, or addictions.

Substitution: A master’s degree in a related field can substitute for one year of specialized experience.

Transfer: See the original transfer details and eligibility notes; visit the Career Mobility GOT-IT website for information.

This title is part of the New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS). HELPS program titles may be filled via a…