Rehabilitation Specialist (Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm)

Vocational Guidance Services (VGS) changes lives and strengthens our communities through services that educate, empower, and provide the opportunity to earn a paycheck! VGS is a highly acclaimed, successful, private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) vocational rehabilitation agency with over 130 years of dedicated experience serving persons with disabilities or other barriers to employment. We are currently seeking to hire a Rehabilitation Specialist to assist individuals referred from CCBDD and Medicaid funding sources to meet their basic living skills goals. The Rehabilitation Specialist will be responsible for performing the following duties.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned depending on area, individuals' personal needs, and agency needs.

• Develop and implement programming designed to increase daily living skills, personal and social behaviors.
• Assist in ensuring that individuals develop and understand important job keeping skills such as attendance, punctuality, planning, grooming and hygiene and activities of work and daily living.
• Assist individual in engaging in programming designed to increase daily living skills and personal and social adjustment.
• Maintain a positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a professional manner that gets along with customers, vendors, individuals, co-workers, and supervisors. This also includes guardians/parents, caregivers, providers and any other agencies you may have contact with.
• Collaborate with co-workers to design and execute individual's person-centered plans.
• Develop vocational training curriculum and/or adult day activities, depending on individuals' program of service, areas of interest, and person-centered plan.
• Develop, implement, and document community engagement and vocational activities (i.e. outings in the community) weekly and/or bi-weekly dependent on the ISP and person-centered plan for individuals supervised.
• Must drive an agency vehicle to take individuals on outings in the community.
• Ensure and advocate for individual rights of the participants on a daily basis.
• Recognize and respect individual differences/preferences.
• Using electronic record keeping system to write and develop detailed, accurate, and SMART goals and case notes on activities for each individual assigned to your supervision. Electronic records must follow Medicaid and CARF requirements.
• Document Unusual Incidents/Major Unusual Incidents (UI/MUI) in case management system. Notification to Rehabilitation Supervisor, family, Support Administrator, and others identified required within compliance requirements.
• Maintain a caseload of up to 12 individuals including case notes, ISP revision dates, documentation, recommendations for transition to next opportunities etc. and keep supervision up-to-date regarding individual progress. Caseloads are built based on acuity, agency needs, and individual's skills and interests.
• Communicate regularly with individual's Support Administrator through phone calls, email and meetings; keeping the Support Administrator apprised of the individual's activities and progress in the program. Ensure all communications are documented in the case management system.
• Communicate effectively to Rehabilitation Supervisor and Support Administrator when span dates are approaching expiration. This should be communicated approximately 30 days prior to expiration to avoid no payments for providing services.
• Act as liaison to referring Support Administrator, family, guardians, and other individuals who are actively involved in the individual's life.
• Write monthly reports regarding an individual's progress.
• Participate in annual and/or quarterly ISP meetings for all individuals supervised.
• Participate in department Program Evaluation activities.
• Attend and participate in Department, Program, and agency meetings.
• Recommend and implement program improvements.
• Maintain documentation and case files in accordance with Medicaid and CARF accreditation.
• Continue professional development (membership in organizations like ORA or NJSST, workshops, and seminars). Minimum requirement of 15 hours of professional development per year outside of in-service dates. Requirements can be met through RELIAS training modules as well.
• Maintain regular attendance according to VGS Policy.
• Maintain a safe work environment and follow agency safety policies.
• Ensure that individuals are paid under contract and license of federal, state, or county agency or by piecework according to contract, and enters required documentation related to payroll.
• Ensure that the participant is kept clean and unsoiled, and in the case of an accident, assist the individual in clean up and changing of their clothes if necessary.
• Supervise lunch and break activities, aid in using the restroom, feeding, and other activities for all those individuals supervised or requested by supervisor.
• Maintain department area in accordance with all safety task force requirements.
• Monitor transportation for all individuals enrolled in the program.
• Must be willing to travel to other VGS locations and/or departments to assist in providing services to individuals as needed; specifically community group and voc hab sites, and other career and activities centers as requested by supervisor.
• Other duties as assigned.

• GED or high school diploma is required; associate degree and 2 years of experience or an equivalent combination of the two is preferable.
• Previous experience with the DD population is preferred
• Must maintain Medicaid requirements including passing a BCI and FBI checks.
• Experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook preferred.
• Strong communication skills both verbal and written are required.

Vocational Guidance Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Disability & Veterans.