DOE/DVR - SENIOR VOCATIONAL REHAB COUNSELOR - 48004384 - LARGO 1 (Pinellas County)

Requisition No: 837735 

Agency: Department of Education

Working Title: DOE/DVR - SENIOR VOCATIONAL REHAB COUNSELOR - 48004384 - LARGO 1 (Pinellas County)

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 48004384 

Salary:  $2,943.10 - $4,106.27 per month 

Posting Closing Date: 01/05/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION

LOCATION: Largo, FL (Pinellas County)

SENIOR VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION COUNSELOR

Position Number: 48004384

This advertisement may be used to fill current and future vacancies in Pinellas County for up to six months.

• Preference may be given to applicants possessing a current CRC Certification and or are eligible to sit for the CRC exam.  For information about CRC:  https://www.crccertification.com
• Preference may be given to qualified applicants with fluent bilingual skills in English and Spanish.

For your application to be considered:

• Each field must be complete (accurate dates of employment periods, supervisor name, phone numbers, addresses, etc.),
• Gaps in employment that exceed three (3) months must be explained during that time period (unemployed, caretaker, etc.) and,
• List employment history in chronological order by date with the current or the most recent employer first.

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) is a federal-state program that helps people who have physical or mental disabilities get or keep a job.  VR is a committed to helping people with disabilities find meaningful careers.  Our Mission is “to help people with disabilities find and maintain employment and enhance their independence.”  Our Vision is “to become the first place people with disabilities turn when seeking employment and a top resource for employers in need of qualified employees.”

This position works in the Largo Unit 14A as a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

Minimum Requirements:

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in a social, behavioral or rehabilitative science, education, or related field, and minimum of two years of professional experience in counseling or in a public vocational rehabilitation program; or a master's degree from an accredited college or university in a social, behavioral or rehabilitative science or education program can substitute for one year of the required counseling experience. 

For each year of work experience required in the qualifications, an applicant shall have 12 months of full-time work experience to receive credit for an entire year.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The employee must be productive under tight timeframes, balance multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance sometimes under stressful conditions.

The employee must provide quality customer service and exhibit the positive qualities of teamwork, responsive communication, initiative, flexibility and adaptability. The employee’s performance and behavior must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit. 

Attendance at work is an essential job function.

The employee must be productive under tight timeframes, balance multiple and competing priorities and maintain goal-directed behavior and performance sometimes under stressful conditions. The employee must provide quality customer service and exhibit the positive qualities of teamwork, responsive communication, initiative, flexibility and adaptability. The employee’s performance and behavior must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit.  Attendance at work is an essential job function.

This position is responsible for providing independent professional vocational rehabilitation counseling to identified individuals with disabilities, which may include those identified as potentially eligible Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) youth customers ages 14-21, to support the overall goal of employment. This includes providing and coordinating complex services and providing technical assistance on vocational rehabilitation internal and external stakeholders and requires accessing client information, maintaining case records, tracking open authorizations and other case-specific activities and reviewing caseload data regularly. Provides technical assistance to internal and external stakeholders.

• Maintains active and meaningful engagement throughout the life of the VR case.
• Meets with the individual to review referral and complete the application and Initial Interview for VR services in compliance with federal regulations and/or documents a good faith effort to meet the requirements.
• Assesses medical, psychological, and vocational information to determine eligibility for services.
• Accurately determines and documents eligibility for VR Services, at the earliest point possible, in compliance with the federal regulations, unless an extension is completed per policy.
• Provides information to assist individuals with disabilities in making informed choices, consistent with federal requirements, regarding services, service providers and employment outcomes.
• Provides support and services to assist VR customers in obtaining successful and quality employment outcomes.
• Authorizes, coordinates and/or negotiates services leading to successful employment outcome. 
• Actively collaborates with VR Customers regarding plan development.
• Engages customers timely in their planning process to identify an appropriate vocational goal and services to develop an IPE, in compliance with the federal regulations, unless an extension of time is completed per policy.
• Documents the comprehensive assessment in compliance with policy requirements.
• Implementation of services and service delivery:

• Provides reasonable and necessary planned services.
• Demonstrates quality standards in implementation of the customer’s Individualized Plan for Employment.

• Manages resources to ensure all activities, including programmatic counseling and financial, are tracked and occur according to state and federal regulations and policies.
• Devises job placement opportunities through job placement activities, including job analysis, job development, and labor market information to assist individuals with disabilities to obtain appropriate employment outcomes.
• Develops employer contacts and serves as liaison with employers.
• Utilizes the resources of community rehabilitation providers in securing appropriate job placement for eligible individuals with disabilities.
• Coordinates or collaborates with others in other placement activities.
• Provides support to guide customers appropriately to and through the credential attainment process to support quality employment outcomes.
• Provides timely follow up and monitoring in employment phase leading to successful outcomes.
• Documents and tracks post-employment supports and services.
• Closes cases in alignment with policy.
• Manages VR Services and applies sound decision making and best value purchasing principles to customer purchases.
• Ensures that all purchases are in alignment with purchasing policies.
• Tracks and communicates regulations, laws, and rules specific to financial and payment timelines and requirements like period of performance, open authorizations, allowable expenditures, appropriate use of coding for authorizations, etc.
• Collaborates with community partners to assure appropriate use of available resources.
• Participates in training experiences designed to enhance professional competency in vocational rehabilitation.
• Performs other duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of the theories and practices in vocational rehabilitation guidance and counseling; interviewing techniques; medical and psychological aspects of disability groups; principles and techniques of effective communication; employment resources and vocational rehabilitation resources; and, methods of compiling, organizing and analyzing data.

• Ability to compile, organize and analyze medical, vocational and psychological data; administer tests and analyze results; provide counseling and guidance in the area of career planning; develop individual vocational rehabilitation programs and place clients in appropriate vocation; communicate effectively; and, establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to use and analyze information from the management information system.
• Ability to interpret state and federal vocational rehabilitation regulations and policies.
• Ability to devise employment strategies for individuals with disabilities.
• Ability to use automated systems.
• Skill in the development and use of community resources and comparable benefits.

State of Florida Career Service Employee Benefits:

• State of Florida Retirement - 3% Employee Contribution Required
• 10 Paid Holidays annually
• Employees with up to 5 years of creditable service earn 8.667 hours per month, with 5 to 10 years earn 10.833 hours per month and those with over 10 years of service earn 13 hours per month.
• Career Service employees earn 8.667 hours of sick leave credits per month
• Health Insurance for Individual or Family Coverage – State pays 80% of premium
• Life Insurance – State pays premium for $25,000 basic term life insurance for full time employee
• Additional supplemental insurances available, i.e., dental, vision, cancer, and short-term disability
• Tax Deferred Medical and Child Care Reimbursement Accounts available
• Tax Deferred Savings Program available through payroll deduction

Benefits information can be found on the following website: http://mybenefits.myflorida.com/ 

Background Screening Requirement:

It is the policy of the Florida Department of Education that applicants for employment undergo level 2 employment screening in accordance with the requirement of Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, as a condition of employment of being permitted to serve as a volunteer.

All applicants for employment or to volunteer who are selected for an interview will be provided with the Consent to Background Screening form for level 2 screening, the Affidavit of Good Moral Character, and the Notice of Rights.  The leading candidate for employment or to volunteer will be required to execute the Consent form and Affidavit, report to a designated location, and submit fingerprints for level 2 screening.

No applicant for a designated position will be employed or permitted to volunteer until the level 2 screening results are received, reviewed, and approved by the Department.

Level 2 background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for statewide criminal and juvenile records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and federal criminal records checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and may include local criminal records checks through local law enforcement agencies.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.