Rehabilitation counselors typically do the following:

• Provide individual and group counseling to help clients adjust to their disability
• Evaluate clients' abilities, interests, experiences, skills, health, and education
• Develop a treatment plan for clients in consultation with other professionals, such as doctors, therapists, and psychologists
• Arrange for clients to obtain services, such as medical care or career training
• Help employers understand the needs and abilities of people with disabilities, as well as laws and resources that affect people with disabilities
• Help clients develop their strengths and adjust to their limitations
• Locate resources, such as wheelchairs or computer programs, that help clients live and work more independently
• Maintain client records and monitor clients' progress, adjusting the rehabilitation or treatment plan as necessary
• Advocate for the rights of people with disabilities to live in a community and work in the job of their choice

Rehabilitation counselors help people with disabilities at various stages in their lives. Some work with students to develop strategies to live with their disability and move from school to work. Others help veterans cope with the mental or physical effects of their military service. Still others help elderly people adapt to disabilities developed later in life from illness or injury. Some may provide expert testimony or assessments during personal injury or workers' compensation cases.

Some rehabilitation counselors deal specifically with employment issues. These counselors, sometimes called vocational rehabilitation counselors, typically work with older students and adults.

Rehabilitation counselors who work in private practice must spend time marketing their practice to prospective clients and working with insurance companies and clients to get paid for their services.