Rehabilitation Counsellor
Social & Community
Counsel individuals to maximize the independence and employability of persons coping with personal, social, and vocational difficulties that result from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, aging, or the stress of daily life. Coordinate activities for residents of care and treatment facilities. Assess client needs and design and implement rehabilitation programs that may include personal and vocational counseling, training, and job placement.
What you'd do all day
The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.
- 1Prepare and maintain records and case files, including documentation, such as clients' personal and eligibility information, services provided, narratives of client contacts, or relevant correspondence.
- 2Confer with clients to discuss their options and goals so that rehabilitation programs and plans for accessing needed services can be developed.
- 3Develop rehabilitation plans that fit clients' aptitudes, education levels, physical abilities, and career goals.
- 4Locate barriers to client employment, such as inaccessible work sites, inflexible schedules, or transportation problems, and work with clients to develop strategies for overcoming these barriers.
- 5Monitor and record clients' progress to ensure that goals and objectives are met.
- 6Participate in job development and placement programs, contacting prospective employers, placing clients in jobs, and evaluating the success of placements.
- 7Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, consultation with other professionals, and diagnostic evaluations to assess clients' abilities, needs, and eligibility for services.
- 8Collaborate with clients' families to implement rehabilitation plans, such as behavioral, residential, social, or employment goals.
- 9Develop and maintain relationships with community referral sources, such as schools or community groups.
- 10Maintain close contact with clients during job training and placements to resolve problems and evaluate placement adequacy.
- 11Arrange for on-site job coaching or assistive devices, such as specially equipped wheelchairs, to help clients adapt to work or school environments.
- 12Arrange for physical, mental, academic, vocational, and other evaluations to obtain information for assessing clients' needs and developing rehabilitation plans.
- 13Confer with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and other professionals to develop and implement client rehabilitation programs.
- 14Manage budgets and direct case service allocations, authorizing expenditures and payments.
- 15Supervise rehabilitation counselors and staff.
- 16Develop diagnostic procedures to determine clients' needs.
- 17Collaborate with community agencies to establish facilities and programs for persons with disabilities.
Also known as
What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.
- EIA
- LPC
- VRC
- PRSC
- QDDP
- Job Coach
- Job Developer
- Rehab Liaison
- Care Navigator
- Client Trainer
How far is this from you?
Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.
1
Entry straight after SPM
2
SPM + sijil / short TVET course
3
Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)
Typical entry
Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)
5
Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route
Subjects that matter here
The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.
What you'd need to know
The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.
- Customer and Personal Service83%
- Therapy and Counseling82%
BiologySports Science
- Psychology79%
- Education and Training79%
- English Language78%
English
- Administrative77%
Business
Tools you'd use
Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.
What the work feels like
Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.
- Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
- Contact with other peopleConstant contact
- Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
- Leading or coordinating othersHigh
- Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
- Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
- Noisy environmentEvery day
- Time spent sittingMost of the time
AI and demand for this job
A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.
Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)
This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.
Pay in Malaysia
We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.
Where to check:
- JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
- DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
- SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post
Check what you may qualify for
Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.
How to get here
Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.
Related careers
If this interests you, these are worth a look too.
About this information
This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.
O*NET occupation: Rehabilitation Counselors
Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org