Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for State Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by sections 101(a) and 606 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA.
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
In accordance with the requirements in Section 101(a)(7) of the Rehabilitation Act, the VR agency must develop and maintain annually a description (consistent with the purposes of the Rehabilitation Act) of the VR agency’s comprehensive system of personnel development, which shall include a description of the procedures and activities the State VR agency will undertake to ensure it has an adequate supply of qualified State rehabilitation professionals and paraprofessionals that provides the following:
- i. Comprehensive System of Personnel Development.
i. 3. Standards that are consistent with any national or State-approved or -recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the profession or discipline in which such personnel are providing VR services; and
A. Standards that are consistent with any national or State-approved or -recognized certification, licensing, registration, or other comparable requirements that apply to the profession or discipline in which such personnel are providing VR services; and
B. The establishment and maintenance of education and experience requirements, in accordance with section 101(a)(7)(B)(ii) of the Rehabilitation Act, to ensure that the personnel have a 21st century understanding of the evolving labor force and the needs of individuals with disabilities.
Current Narrative:
To ensure a high standard of competency and credentials for its qualified rehabilitation professionals, WVDRS has established job classifications. The lowest standard for Rehabilitation Counselors requires a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, counseling and guidance, social work, or closely related behavioral science field; or two years of experience as a Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee. Senior Rehabilitation Counselors require: (1) a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or counseling-related field; and (2) two years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid professional experience in vocational rehabilitation counseling.
Certified Rehabilitation Counselors require: (1) a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or counseling-related field; (2) current national certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor or Certified Vocational Evaluator or current West Virginia licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor; and (3) at least three years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid professional experience as a rehabilitation counselor.
WVDRS has established the position of Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee. An employee in this position is under direct supervision and performs work at the entry level in a probationary training capacity, which is intended to qualify the employee for specific duties for this position. The employee may become eligible for the position of Rehabilitation Counselor after two years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in the position of Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee. The minimum qualifications for the Rehabilitation Counselor Trainee position are a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
WVDRS strives to recruit graduates of accredited master’s degree programs in rehabilitation like the one at WVU, but it does not require the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential as the minimum qualification for a new counselor. Graduates of accredited master’s degree programs in rehabilitation counseling are eligible for certification by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), which sets the national standards for quality rehabilitation counseling services in the U.S. WVDRS encourages the achievement of CRC by existing counselors and gives special preference to applicants with the CRC credential and qualified applicants with disabilities and from minority backgrounds. The WVDRS standard is specific to rehabilitation counselors only and is consistent with registration requirements of WVDOP, the WV state hiring authority. WVDOP administers and scores unassembled examinations to potential rehabilitation counselor candidates.
To ensure that counselors and other personnel remain up to date with evolving labor force needs and the needs of individuals with disabilities, WVDRS provides ongoing training opportunities for its field staff in group and individual settings. This occurs through educational activities such as the State training conference, periodic district-level training sessions, continuing education credit opportunities (Certified Rehabilitation Counselor), and training sessions by WVDRS Quality Assurance Specialists and WVDRS Employment Specialists. These activities allow WVDRS counselors and field staff to enhance their knowledge of labor force needs and ultimately better serve individuals with disabilities.
Individuals not meeting the above personnel standards for rehabilitation professionals are ineligible to interview for vacant rehabilitation counseling positions. Classification specifications for each position utilized by WVDRS are available through the WVDOP website: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/wv/classspecs.
When employing new rehabilitation counselors, WVDRS makes no exceptions to its standard and provides the training necessary to meet requirements of the state standard only to existing personnel. These efforts are described later in this section.
Should qualified candidates be unavailable, the WVDRS Director, Assistant Directors, Human Resources Manager, and the Unit Manager or District Manager may reassess staffing/consumer needs and reassign qualified employees to assume duties of the vacant position. Qualified WVDRS retirees may also be rehired on a contractual/intermittent basis until permanent qualified employees can be hired.
The career ladder for advancement within the rehabilitation counseling ranks requires additional experience and credentials as well as increased responsibilities.
WVDRS Requirements for Qualified Rehabilitation Paraprofessionals
In order to more efficiently meet the needs of its consumers, WVDRS upgraded several clerical positions to paraprofessional status. A Rehabilitation Services Associate must be a high school (or equivalent) graduate and have at least four years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in paraprofessional or responsible clerical office support work, which requires familiarity with casework procedures and delivery of direct consumer services in a state vocational rehabilitation services agency. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university may be substituted for the required experience. The WVDOP specification for the Rehabilitation Services Associate position may be accessed at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/wv/classspecs.
A Rehabilitation Services Associate assists qualified rehabilitation counselors in several ways: providing information about the rehabilitation process and services available to interested applicants and members of the general public; obtaining information needed to complete the application process; initiating vocational diagnostic interviews; arranging medical, psychological, and vocational evaluations for WVDRS consumers; and assisting consumers in applying for student financial aid.
WVDRS employed 55 Rehabilitation Services Associates as of November 2023. These paraprofessionals are assigned to WVDRS offices throughout West Virginia. To ensure statewide coverage, at least one is located within each WVDRS district.
System of Staff Evaluation
WVDRS requires that each permanent employee receive an annual job performance evaluation. The work performance of probationary employees is reviewed upon completion of the third and sixth (and for certain job classifications, twelfth) months during a probationary period. This evaluation system enables WVDRS to monitor the job performance of all staff members and identify areas of weakness and skill deficiencies that need training or remediation, as well as areas of strong performance. The evaluation also provides a systematic method of determining training needs for all staff members.