Young Adult Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Salary : $56,118.40 - $85,467.20 Annually

Location : Des Moines - 50309 - Polk County, IA

Job Type : Full-time

Job Number : 26-01095

Agency : 131 Iowa Department for the Blind

Opening Date : 10 / 27 / 2025

Closing Date : 11 / 6 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Central

LinkedIn Tag : #LI-POST

Point of Contact : Ambrose Ball-Harney ambrose.ballharney@blind.state.ia.us

To Apply : All applications must be submitted through the State of Iowa job application site at Applicants are strongly encouraged to attach both a cover letter and resume to their online application.

Job Description

This is a non-merit position. Candidates must follow the instructions in the "To Apply" section. Positions in this class are exempt from the screening and referral requirements of the Iowa Department of Administrative Services - Human Resources Enterprise.

Only applicants who meet the Minimum Qualification Requirements and meet all selective requirements (listed below) will be eligible.

The Department for the Blind (IDB) is searching for experienced candidates for the position of Young Adult Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. As a member of a team of 3 young adult vocational rehabilitation counselors, this position can be based in the state of Iowa and travel to serve and manage a caseload of Pre Employment Transition Age Students (Pre-ETS) aged 14-21 who are blind or have low vision in a regional third of the state.

Following successful completion of the orientation and training activities, the position will be housed in the state of Iowa. The training for this position is a minimum of 14 weeks and is completed in Des Moines, Iowa. If individual can demonstrate existing skills and supervisor and training instructor agree, the individual may be able to test out of certain aspects of training.

This position is responsible for assisting students of the Iowa Department for the Blinds Pre-ETS programs to identify employment goals. The position provides counseling and guidance and ensures that clients receive training in the alternative techniques of blindness in order for the individual to successfully pursue their vocational goals. This position will also be responsible for educating and offering students information regarding Pre-ETS programs that are applicable to them. Ideal candidates will have a solid understanding of career development, employer engagement and instruction strategies. The successful candidate will also have experience developing plans, partnering with service providers and education professionals, and providing access to work-based learning experiences including job shadows, informational interviews, and volunteer, paid, and unpaid work opportunities. In addition, strong documentation, collaboration, organization and time management skills are essential to the position.

Duties and responsibilities include the following areas :

Case Management

• Independently prioritize workload to maximize effective utilization of time, resources, and agency assets. This position covers a territory of several counties in a third of Iowa and requires frequent travel.
• Submit necessary reports, case recordings, authorizations, and correspondence in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintain client files and other records in an organized and specified format

Application and Eligibility Determination

Plan Development / Counseling and Guidance / Plan Implementation

Public Awareness and Education

It is the policy of the Department for the Blind to conduct background checks on all finalist candidates prior to any offer of employment.

Selectives

752 Vocational Rehabilitation :

6 months experience, 12 semester hours, or a combination of both that specifically relates to employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. That knowledge base will include an awareness of the unique needs of this population, laws relating to discrimination or reasonable accommodations, assistive technology, and an understanding of employment and training systems and services, especially as provided in Iowa.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

OR

OR

an equivalent combination of education and experience, substituting the equivalent of one year of full-time professional work experience for each year of the required education to a maximum substitution of four years.

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