Rehab Counselors

A Day in the Life

When you arrive at your office every morning, you review the files of clients you will be working with during the day. You prepare the materials you plan to use during your counseling sessions and contact any medical providers, family members or social workers from whom you need information to best assist your client. One of your clients' social workers calls to discuss that individual's eligibility for an independent living program. When you have time, you'll research the specific program and will call the social worker back to talk about whether or not it is a good fit for the client.

Your first client of the day arrives about one hour after you've gotten to your office. The receptionist leads the client to your office and gives you any updated paperwork that the client filled out while waiting to see you. You ask your client how she is doing and offer her water or coffee. After you've gotten daily pleasantries out of the way, you talk with your client about how she is adjusting to her new work training program. By carefully listening to what she says, you identify whether or not she is having difficulties adapting to the program and offer solutions that will help her overcome her physical, emotional or mental disability.

The majority of your client sessions last for about an hour. When you've finished with your session, you make sure that your client knows when she will see you again and show her out. You spend a few minutes updating the client's file. You call the job training coordinator she's working with and discuss a special modification that will help your client adjust to her program.

You see six other clients during the day and help them cope with physical, emotional and mental disabilities. You refer some of your clients to other professionals to help them learn financial and life skills. Before you go home for the evening, you return all of your client files to a locked filing cabinet. You double-check to make sure that you've made all the calls necessary regarding your clients and quickly review your schedule for the next day. You check in with your supervisor, give brief updates on your clients and head home.