3.1 Roles and function of the Vocational Rehabilitation Professional

Study Guide: Roles and Functions of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals

Historical Context

• Early Philosophy: Focused on economic return by employing individuals with disabilities to reduce costs and increase income.

• Modern Philosophy: Shifted to a disability rights philosophy emphasizing inclusion, independence, empowerment, and quality of life.

• Canadian Human Rights Act: Prompted evidence-based service delivery, promoting employment as a human rights issue.

Client Involvement and Informed Choice

• Client-Centered Approach: Goals are better achieved with maximum client involvement in developing and using rehabilitation services.

• Informed Choice: Professionals assist by:

  • Providing options (e.g., job development, vocational evaluation).

  • Offering recommendations and professional opinions.

  • Explaining policies and procedures.

Roles and Functions

Time Allocation (Muthard and Salamone Study)

• Three Key Areas:

  1. Counselling and guidance.

  2. Clerical work, planning, recording, and placement.

  3. Professional growth, public relations, resource development, and administrative duties.

Contemporary Job Functions (Leahy et al. Study)

Seven major functions are central to modern vocational rehabilitation practice:

1. Vocational Counselling and Consultation:

   • Includes job development, career counselling, employer consultation, and vocational planning/assessment.

2. Counselling Interventions:

   • Involves individual, group, and family counselling, building client-professional relationships, and addressing psychosocial issues.

3. Community-Based Rehabilitation Services:

   • Tasks include researching resources, advocating for clients, benefits counselling, and marketing services.

4. Case Management:

   • Activities include obtaining client progress reports, networking with other professionals, reporting progress, and financial decisions for case management.

5. Applied Research:

   • Focuses on applying research to practice, such as reviewing rehabilitation literature.

6. Assessment:

   • Includes standardized testing and ecological assessments.

7. Professional Advocacy:

   • Involves applying disability-related policies and legislation to daily practice.

Daily Activities

• Most frequent: Case management, professional advocacy, and counselling.

• Followed by vocational consultation, assessment, community-based services, and applied research.

Quiz: Test Your Knowledge

1. Fill in the Blank:

The shift from an economic-return philosophy to a _______ philosophy focuses on inclusion, empowerment, and quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
a) Financial
b) Disability rights
c) Medical

2. True or False:

Vocational rehabilitation professionals aim to minimize client involvement in developing vocational rehabilitation services.

3. Multiple Choice:

Which of the following is NOT one of the seven major job functions identified by Leahy et al.?
a) Vocational counselling and consultation
b) Financial auditing
c) Professional advocacy
d) Community-based rehabilitation services

4. Short Answer:

Name two ways vocational rehabilitation professionals assist clients in making informed choices.

5. Matching:

Match the following functions with their descriptions:
a) Case Management
b) Applied Research
c) Counselling Interventions
d) Professional Advocacy

1. Applying disability-related policies and legislation to daily practice.

2. Reviewing clinical rehabilitation literature.

3. Developing client-professional working relationships.

4. Obtaining progress reports and managing finances.

6. True or False:

The professional advocacy function includes tasks like selecting and administering standardized tests.

7. Short Answer:

Explain how the Canadian Human Rights Act influenced the role of vocational rehabilitation professionals.

Answer Key

1. b) Disability rights

2. False

3. b) Financial auditing

4. Providing options, offering professional recommendations, explaining policies and procedures.

5. a) 4

   • b) 2

   • c) 3

   • d) 1

6. False

7. It emphasized employment as a human rights issue, leading to evidence-based service delivery focused on inclusion, empowerment, and quality of life.

4o