Project Title: Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Department: Rehabilitation Medicine Department (RMD)
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Statement of Objective
The Rehabilitation Medicine Department has a need to procure vocational rehabilitation specialist for pediatric and adult patients with a range of medical diagnosis associated with oral motor, speech, voice, language, cognition, and/or swallowing disorders as needed during the duration of the Delivery Order/Task Order within the National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center.
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor who independently and not as an agent of the Government, the Contractor shall provide up to 40 hours per week of Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Services and Clinical Research Support. The Contractor will provide the following tasks:
- Administer vocational testing to explore occupational options based on interests, skills and abilities.
- Provide community based resources for finding employment, on the job training and job re-training.
- Provide description and contact information on community based agencies providing pre-vocational, job coach supportive services
- Help construct resumes with considerations to gaps in employment.
- Research local employers hiring individuals with felony record.
- Provide education, training and practice for job search, filling out job applications and job interviewing skills.
- Educate on entitlement for school and job accommodations by the Americans With Disability Act (1990).
- Educate re. symptom specific job accommodations and writing letter to employer requesting accommodations.
- Assists other allied health disciplines and medical staff/scientists in identifying needs for vocational rehabilitation clinical evaluation and/or collaborative research. Collaborates with other disciplines in the design, administration and data evaluation of vocational rehabilitation research projects. Evaluates the impact of implementation of research findings into vocational rehabilitation services and reports results of research internally and to the community at large. Consults with other disciplines regarding impact on work as related to aspects of medical protocols. Follows guidelines as set forth by CC/RMD for ethical and secure data collection and management.
- Evaluates and assesses the educational/vocational functioning of individuals with a variety of complex organic, medical, neurological, psychological and/or developmental disorders. Develops and establishes a comprehensive vocational assessment program which provides efficient and comprehensive evaluation of CC patients’ vocational interests, skills and aptitudes. Utilizes initial evaluation to determine nature and extent of patient's difficulties and makes preliminary decisions regarding an intervention approach. Assists patients in identifying appropriate and feasible vocational direction/choices in terms of their strength and limitations. Develops short and long term goals that leads to achievement of vocational direction/choices, and identifies steps needed to be taken to achieve those goals. Contributes to the rehabilitation team as a representative of work therapy and vocational rehabilitation in the weekly rehabilitation patient care rounds by providing information on patients' treatment plan, progress and discharge plan. Assists patients in the adjustment process to disability.
- Coordinates with the occupational therapy section in establishing and developing appropriate work therapy placements for patients. Develops community resources at local, national and international level to meet vocational/avocational/educational/training needs of NIH patients through comprehensive post-discharge planning. Writes thorough assessment, follow-up and periodic progress reports on all patients receiving rehabilitation counseling services. Maintains adequate records on all patients treated. Participates and serves as a representative to various RMD QA projects.
- Assesses learning needs of health care professionals and conveys information for continuity of care in meeting both patient/family and staff needs; develops and conducts formal/informal education for staff in area of specialization in response to identified needs and in selected educational programs related to vocational rehabilitation counseling practice.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Skills or Knowledge Required
- Professional knowledge of vocational rehabilitation counseling requiring extensive education or experience to perform advanced techniques requiring in-depth knowledge to apply new scientific/technological procedures in the evaluation and treatment of difficult or complex individual problems. Experience with specific patient problems and protocols; and experience with treatment plans for those with a multiplicity of difficult and complex problems to include physical, psychosocial, and cognitive disabilities.
- Working knowledge to develop multi-disciplinary collaboration around vocational rehabilitation techniques, including assessment tools, planning techniques, and experimental or nonstandard vocational rehabilitation interventions.
- Knowledge and skill to conduct formal and informal teaching with patients and/or families in response to identified needs; and the ability to assess learning needs of patients and/or families utilizing standardized tests and to assist in the development of teaching plans and tools for use with specific patient populations or protocols.
- Knowledge of current legislative issues and policies that impact on the delivery of vocational rehabilitation counseling services.
- Knowledge of Quality Assurance guidelines for referrals to vocational rehabilitation.
- Knowledge of the health care delivery systems.
- Knowledge of regulations concerning the RMD service delivery system to establish programs and their relationship to the diverse state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) programs.
- Ability to analyze, interpret and collaborate with other allied health disciplines to incorporate research findings; and to evaluate the impact of implementation of research findings into vocational rehabilitation services.
- Ability to communicate orally to conduct briefings and presentations, and participate in lectures in institutions; and to communicate with staff specialists/consultants and families in response to identified needs.
Skill Set Requirement and Certifications
- Have 2-4 years of clinical experience in healthcare setting
- Possess a valid state professional license to practice in the State of Maryland
- Certification in Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor services
- Possess current CPR certification
- Be in good standing within the state licensure board
- Have no felony or conviction
- Determined fit for duty as documented by medical examination
Deliverables
- Annual work plan, to be developed in consultation with the Chief of the Occupational Therapy
- Patient care evaluation/treatment and documentation in the electronic medical record system, (Clinical Research Informatics system, CRIS) according to guidelines set by RMD and the Joint Commission
- Monthly statistical reports via the CRIS and RMD Activity Management System (AMS) to OT section chief
- Documentation of compliance with RMD Quality Assurance and Clinical Center competencies and mandatory training
- Outcome measurement deliverables as appropriate to protocol participation
- Monthly statistical reports as outlined above shall constitute progress status reports. Additionally, the Contractor shall meet with the Section Chief of the Physical Therapy section on a monthly basis to receive technical direction on work performance, including overall evaluation of performance and technical appraisal in conjunction with the contracting agency.
Emergency Personnel Status
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors are considered emergency personnel, so the contractor will need to come to work on scheduled days even when the government is closed to non-emergency personnel. In addition, the contractor may be called in on non-scheduled work days in the event of an unscheduled Government shutdown; Work schedules during such times will be determined by the Chief of the Occupational Therapy Section, Rehabilitation Medicine Department. The vendor is responsible for communicating to the personnel that they are in fact emergency personnel. The vendor and personnel can look up government status on www.opm.gov for government operating status·.
The contractor shall provide these services with appropriate technical direction from the Government, including the Section Chief of the Recreational Therapy Section of the RMD.
The contractor is required to adhere to all clinically related policies of the Clinical Center. Travel and training to meet program objectives is the responsibility of the contractor.
