Job Description

Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services – Rehabilitation Services Bureau is looking for a new member to join its Ottumwa Area Office team. We are interested in energetic, action-oriented professionals interested in being part of a statewide team dedicated to serving the needs of employers and assisting individuals with disabilities to achieve employment, independence, and economic goals.

In this role, you will serve as a Rehabilitation Assistant and contribute your experience and knowledge towards fulfilling our Mission – We provide expert, individualized services to Iowans with disabilities to achieve their independence through successful employment and economic support alongside your IVRS team.

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Assistant, you will assist Counselors/Associates by performing direct client service duties in certain phases of the vocational rehabilitation process (i.e., initial intake, case coordination/management, and readiness for employment); increasing employment and advancement opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Vocational Rehabilitation Assistants work in partnership with a Counselor/Associate to help youth and adults with disabilities live fuller, more independent lives by assisting them in securing gainful employment. Through vocational guidance, assistants provide clients with direct services to meet their employment goals, find services and resources, and prepare for employment and job searches. In addition, assistants develop and maintain relationships with community partners, including job centers, schools, service providers and employers.

Duties and responsibilities to include, but not limited to the following:

• 
  Provide direct case service support to empower people with disabilities to achieve their employment goals.
• Assist in coordination of client appointments; including multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Prepares and maintains records and case files, including documentation such as participant's personal information, services provided, medical records, narratives of participant contacts and other relevant correspondence.
• Create and track authorizations for billing and payment related to client services.
• Support individuals with disabilities by maintaining frequent contact to encourage their efforts to obtain and retain employment and monitor cases.
• Provide an explanation of services, facilitating interviews and conducting assessments for career exploration as assigned by counselors.
• Train individuals in job seeking skills and directly assist with their job searches.
• Contact and develop relationships in the business industry in order to provide employment opportunities and placements for participants in a competitive employment setting, while providing services to businesses to assist in achieving their labor goals.

What we offer:

• Excellent affordable benefit packages including health, dental, vision, flex spending https://das.iowa.gov/human-resources/employee-and-retiree-benefits/employees.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) retirement package with employer match.
• Optional Retirement Investors' Club 457/401(a) program is a voluntary retirement savings program with employer match.
• Paid holidays plus vacation and sick leave
• Employee Discount Programs for vision, cellular, fitness, recreation, season passes, travel, counseling, legal, and financial.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.

This position will require travel to contact centers, schools, rehabilitation facilities, businesses and other community locations throughout the Ottumwa Area Office service area with some potential statewide travel and will require participation in staff meetings, special committees and in-service training activities.

The successful candidate must be able to pass a criminal background check conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

• Two years of full-time work experience in a human services field which involved: customer service, contact with the public to either compile or provide information regarding services, the organization/management of confidential information, or the scheduling of appointments.
• Two years of full-time work experience as a legal assistant/paralegal, medical office assistant, or job coach.
• A combination of a total of two years of education and full-time experience (as described in either number one or two), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work equals one year of full-time experience.
• Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work in direct client/customer service in a clerical or administrative support capacity.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description (Download PDF reader).

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We take our responsibilities and the public trust very seriously. We are committed to delivering the services that matter most to the people of Iowa. If you have the skills, the commitment and the desire to make a difference, then we invite you to explore the career opportunities available with the State of Iowa.

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