Rehabilitation Assistant - Cedar Rapids - State of Iowa : Job Details

The Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services (IVRS) team is accepting applications for a full-time Rehabilitation Assistant role at our Cedar Rapids, IA office. The successful candidate will work on a high performing team dedicated to serving the needs of individuals with disabilities to achieve their employment, independence, and economic goals.Job Description and Responsibilities:As a Rehabilitation Assistant you will provide general agency information at orientations for job candidates to support and schedule intake for new referrals, complete agency referral and application materials to support job candidates as necessary.Facilitate job candidate orientation, Job Seeking Skills Training (JSST), Job Club, and mock interviews through one-on-one contact with job candidates, presenting to small groups, or in writing. Conduct initial interviews with new applicants to gather personal data, complete agency paperwork, and educate applicants rights and responsibilities, and available vocational rehabilitation services.In this role you will develop partnerships with job candidates focusing on employment throughout rehabilitation program; explain employer and rehabilitation team expectations.Instruct job candidates in acceptable social interpersonal, and work-related behaviors to improve success in work environments.Redirect inappropriate or disruptive behavior to improve job candidate success in vocational training. Instruct job candidates one-on-one to perform simple tasks and provide feedback to achieve desired behavior. Provide Job Seeking Skills training to assist job candidates to learn to find employment. Instruct job candidates on jobs and follow up with employers to identify problems and issues; works with counselors, job candidates, and employers to resolve issues.The successful Rehabilitation Assistant will complete monthly progress reviews as requested by counselors and contact employers to develop jobs. You will monitor and update area office employer development account and answers questions about vocational rehabilitation services from the public. Review occupational projections, salary expectations, and labor market trends, research job leads; and conducts research on accommodations/medical information needed as requested by counselors.As directed by counselors, the Rehabilitation Assistant will maintain monthly contact with job candidates who are seeking or in employment (statuses 20 and 22) with ongoing plans to meet goals. Accompany job candidates to job interviews as directed by counselors and provide limited job coaching as directed by counselors.Observe and interact with job candidates and business representatives in diverse and varied work settings. Identify work skills and behaviors needed and provides coaching to candidates.Review job candidate on-job-performance and reports information to counselors and follow job maintenance plans developed by counselor, job candidate and employers.Support clerical processing and workload that includes opening, transferring and closing case records, process and track confidential releases of information and related case data complying with agency standards. Document changes in case record and send notifications to job candidates and assigned team members as applicable.Process Social Security Administration verification requests and enter data into the case management system and maintain files, initiate and track case authorizations for financial purchasing of goods and services for job candidates. This includes creating, amending, canceling, billing and tracking. Type and process letters pertaining to case services.Utilizing USPS or UPS/FedEx services you will process mail and deliveries as needed.Use copiers/scanners to copy, scan, download/upload information into the agency case management system.The Rehabilitation Assistant will work with software, hardware and electronic forms needed for position responsibilities and compose case notes documenting work provided in case record and ensure tasks and assignments are thoroughly completed and performed in a business/professional appearance with special attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation usage, accuracy, fact checking, attention to detail and completed in a timely manner.Assist service staff in adhering to regulatory time frames such as 60 days for eligibility, 90 days for plan development, annual reviews, goal dates and 90 days for stabilization.The Rehabilitation Assistant may serve as front desk receptionist, providing coverage for visitors. Announce arrival of visitors in a timely manner and follow up if visitors have been waiting too long by finding alternate contact.Answer incoming calls politely and clearly to determine nature of the call and routing the call to the appropriate person and route complex issues to area office supervisor or Secretary 2.Take messages from incoming calls, cancel and reschedule appointments as requested by staff and review messages from voice mail and respond when appropriate.Attend agency staff meetings utilizing information provided to support and direct work activities and provide backup coverage for other clerical team members when needed due to absences or work priorities. Support special projects and tasks as needed to meet office/agency needs.The successful candidate must be able to pass a criminal background check conducted by the Iowa Department of Public Safety.Desirable Qualification:Six months of experience working with youths and adults who have disabilities.Essential functions:* Communicate and collaborate with internal and external customers to gather information, explain services, and establish rapport.* Evaluate and determine compliance.* Write and prepare reports, case records, letters, and other documents.* Provide clerical and case management support to Counselors and Associates.* Set up, maintain, and organize office files, records, and indices using computer and applications including email, word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.About Iowa Workforce DevelopmentAs of July 1, 2023, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services has become part of Iowa Workforce Development.Iowa Workforce Development (IWD) is a state agency dedicated to providing exceptional employment services and connecting employers with skilled workers. With a strong focus on continuous improvement and aligning services with workforce demands, IWD offers comprehensive support to job seekers and employers through a statewide network of IowaWORKS Centers.BenefitsJoining the IVRS team and becoming a State of Iowa employee comes with a range of valuable benefits, including:* Excellent health, dental, and vision insurance.* Generous paid time off, including nine paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave with no cap on the sick leave accrual.* Prepare for the future with the IPERS retirement package, as well as an additional optional deferred compensation retirement plan.* Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care.* Free Life and Long-term Disability Insurance with the option to purchase additional coverage.* Employee Assistance Programs and Discount Programs for support.Click here to learn more about all of the amazing benefits the State of Iowa offers.If you're looking for a career with a well-respected organization that values its employees and customers, you've come to the right place!Hours of Work: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm.Our agency uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.e-verify.gov.No applicant for employment with the Iowa Department of Workforce Development can have a current, ongoing overpayment balance with Iowa Workforce Development without a payment plan in place. Select positions will be subject to a criminal background check.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.