Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

• •• $6,000 SIGN-ON BONUSES ARE NOW BEING OFFERED*

See eligibility for Sign-on Bonus below in the Supplemental and Contact Information section.

This is an itinerant position. Travel is required. This position currently qualifies for a hybrid telework option with routine office and remote workday. Telework options are subject to change at the discretion of management.

This vacancy announcement is for multiple positions in the Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville, and Winston-Salem District Offices.

Graduate students finishing their last year of studies with-applicable degrees listed above, with an anticipated graduation date, will be considered and should submit an unofficial copy of their transcripts. Job offers will be contingent upon completion of their degree and submission of an official transcript.

If there are no qualified candidates in the applicant pool who meet the minimum Education and Experience or Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities required for the position, the agency may consider a trainee who does not meet the minimum requirements. Salary for a trainee will be set at a lower level than the classification salary range and recruitment range that is listed in the posting with the salary being adjusted up accordingly when the trainee has obtained the necessary additional education and experience to fully meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in the classification specification.

The primary purpose of this Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor is to identify blind or visually impaired persons whose disability creates a substantial impediment to employment and enable them to obtain employment. This is achieved through the provision of a planned program of rehabilitation services including job development and placement services and direct interaction with employers in the community to assist the person in achieving employment commensurate with his/her skills, choice, interests, and capabilities. The counselor in this position is primarily responsible for providing and coordinating these services to individuals who are blind and visually impaired.

Job duties include but are not limited to:

 •  Making constant efforts to explain the scope and range of vocational rehabilitation services to potential consumers and to potential r    eferrals sources to include ophthalmologists, optometrists and Departments of Social Services within the counties served

•  Completing the application and preliminary assessment process that includes initial interview and diagnostic study

•  Determining consumer eligibility for services and engaging in Individualized Employment Plan [IPE] development after assisting in setting a job goal that is commensurate with consumer abilities, capabilities and interests

•  Coordinating or authorizing services to promote consumer employment

•  Job development and placement are provided and/or coordinated by the counselor in accordance with consumer job goal

•  Outreach is to be executed in efforts to connect with, educate and re-educate eye care providers and to improve the numbers of appropriate referrals to the agency from various sources in the community

•  Case Finding/Plan Development/Provision of Services is to be executed with appropriate referrals in accordance with federal eligibility criteria.

Since 1935, the mission of the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind (DSB) has been to enable people who are visually impaired, blind, and deafblind to reach their goals of independence and employment.

To see the impact of DSB's involvement in the community, please click on the links below Patricia Turner https://vimeo.com/266201278

Christina Sterling https://vimeo.com/206631523

About NC Department of Health and Human Services:

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) serves the needs of the most vulnerable of North Carolinians and to accomplish this, we hire only the most dedicated and caring individuals. Finding qualified clinical professionals to treat and care for our clients is a continual challenge as demand for services grows and the availability of providers struggles to keep pace. We are seeking a motivated individual who is up for this challenge and is dedicated to our mission of providing North Carolinians with the very best in clinical care.

Compensation & Benefits:

The State of North Carolina offers excellent comprehensive benefits. Employees can participate in health insurance options, standard and supplemental retirement plans, and the NCFlex program (numerous high-quality, low-cost benefits on a pre-tax basis). Employees also receive paid vacation, sick, and community service leave. In addition, paid parental leave is available to eligible employees.

Visit website for State Benefits  

To receive credit for all of your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the application form. Any information omitted from the application form, listed under the text resume section, or on an attachment will not be considered for qualifying credit.

Please refer to the link below for additional information

 https://oshr.nc.gov/work-for-nc/how-do-i-get-job

• Knowledge of or experience in case management.

• Knowledge of or experience working with a team of professionals to help a client meet a goal.

• Experience with working with youth in transition.

Physical Requirements

• Light work:  Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.   The use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.

• Note this position requires spending time walking through different job sites, high schools, and touring college campuses.

Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details.

Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling from an appropriately accredited institution

OR

a master's degree in a related human services field from an appropriately accredited institution

OR

Current certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor by the Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Consideration for this vacancy, all applicants must complete an on-line application using this link, http://www.oshr.nc.gov/jobs/index.html.

If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the posting close date will be evaluated for consideration.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information regarding the status of your application over the phone.  To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. You will either receive a call to schedule an interview or an email notifying you when the job has been filled.

For technical issues with your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at

 855-524-5627. Applicants will be communicated with via email only for updates on the status of their application. If there are any questions about this posting other than your application status, please contact HR at 919-855-3517. 

Eligibility for Sign-on Bonus

Qualified applicants must be selected from the candidate pool of this posting and meet the State policy following requirements:

A newly hired permanent full time or permanent part-time employee who works 20 to 40 hours per week is eligible for a sign-on bonus (this will be prorated for employees working less than 40 hours per week).

An employee is not eligible for a sign-on bonus if:

  (1) the employee has held a position in North Carolina State government, including the judicial system, or the University of North Carolina system within the last 12 months (the employee shall remain ineligible for 12 months from the separation date);

  (2) the employee has previously received a sign-on bonus from any State agency;

  (3) or DHHS has paid any contract placement or recruitment fees.

This Sign-on Bonus is contingent upon budget and final eligibility determination as of the effective date of hire. Additional information regarding the Sign-on Policy can be found here.