Blind Rehabilitation Specialist

Description:

• responsible for intake, problem-based needs assessment, capabilities and limitation, setting SMART goals and treatment planning for individuals with visual impairment caused by injury or disease.
• Serves as team coordinator for one or more assigned Veterans during the Veteran's episode of care.
• Responsible for developing and coordinating the Veteran's Interdisciplinary Plan of Care (IPOC) with input from the Veteran and all team members.
• studies visual and non-visual barriers and related processes that result in activity limitations, participation restrictions, loss of vocational and avocational opportunities, and psychological distress. In providing direct services, they use foundational and evidence-based practice
  knowledge and skill sets to determine diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and instrumentation to identify and resolve or minimize these barriers to independence and safety.
• develops a treatment plan in conjunction with an interdisciplinary team to improve the quality of life for blind and visually impaired Veterans through the development of skills and capabilities needed for personal independence, emotional stability and the successful integration into community, family and environment.
• works with family members and/or significant others to educate and counsel about the ramifications of visual impairment. Family members are taught to recognize and change behaviors and behavior patterns that impede blind and vision rehabilitation progress and how to cope with the psychological and social issues and their own individual caregiver stress.
• serves as a subject matter expert for other medical and allied health staff by providing counseling to healthcare providers and professionals on the nature of visual impairment and blind and vision rehabilitation.