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by Jay Thomas, LMSW
I had a client who had been a home maker for four decades. She raised two daughters—one now a medical doctor, the other a psychologist. She put their dreams ahead of her own after losing her husband when they were young. And then, when they were grown, she finally gave herself permission to chase her calling.
At 60 years old, she earned her bachelor's degree. By 63, she had earned her Master of Education and was licensed to teach K-12. Just when she thought things were going well for herself, life knocked hard. She had a stroke, and shortly afterward, she was diagnosed with kidney failure, and a new medication would suppress her immune system. When she walked into my office, she wasn’t just grieving for her health; she was also grieving for her future. Her eyes didn’t say, “Help me get a job.” They said, “Tell me I’m still needed.”
As a vocational rehabilitation counselor (VRC), I sat with her pain, but I didn’t stay there. I called doctors, gathered medical records, consulted with stakeholders, and built a team around her. Together, we reshaped her career plan, turning it toward online education and nonprofit instruction where her immune system could stay protected, and her passion for education and still being able to reach children could still be achieved.
Vocational Rehab Is an Extension of Our Code of Ethics
The primary mission of the social work profession is “to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty” (NASW, 2021). If that is not the daily goal of vocational rehabilitation, then what is?
VRCs work where disability, identity, and self-sufficiency join. We serve individuals with physical, psychological, and cognitive barriers to employment. We work to ensure our clients have access to opportunity with dignity. We are change agents who understand how trauma and socioeconomic status impact employability and the quality of an individual’s life. We uphold the same ethical standards and operate within the same frameworks as our colleagues in other types of counselor or case management fields.
The Skills Transfer Is Seamless—If You Know Where To Look
Social work education trains us in communication, documentation, goal setting, cultural competency, systems theory, person-in-environment perspectives, and trauma-informed care. All of these skills are necessities in the vocational rehabilitation process. When we assess readiness for work, we are also assessing self-worth, mental health stability, access to transportation, housing security, and familial support systems and stressors.
We coordinate with our clients’ physicians, employers, family members, job coaches, and benefit administrators. We interpret medical notes and diagnostic reports. We write plans of care and we do it with empathy, patience, and advocacy at the core of what we do.
Work Is More Than a Paycheck
Work represents more than just wages. For our clients, many of whom have been out of the workforce because of injury, disability, or trauma, employment is a return to identity. It is structure. It is social interaction. It is freedom. It is power.
But not everyone can return to the job they once had, and not everyone feels confident navigating the process alone. That’s where we step in—not just as career advisors, but as belief builders. We help people reimagine what’s possible.
Training and Educational Pathways
Although a bachelor's degree may open the door to certain vocational roles, many positions in rehabilitation counseling require or strongly prefer a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, social work, psychology, or a related field. The Commonwealth of Virginia requires vocational rehabilitation counselors to have at least a master’s degree. The reason for this is that graduate training prepares professionals to assess client needs, design effective job placement strategies, and understand the medical and psychological facets of disability (Psychology.org, 2024). This level of preparation mirrors the rigor expected in master’s-level social work practice and above.
Social workers who enter the VR field bring added value, because they’re already trained to think systemically, intervene ethically, and advocate. This blend of education and practice is exactly what makes VRCs uniquely positioned to serve complex, high-barrier populations.
The Overlooked Role Within Social Work
Vocational rehabilitation doesn’t always make it into social work education or career tracks. But it should. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024) lists rehabilitation counseling as a fast-growing field, and many of its core competencies mirror the NASW Standards for Social Work Practice.
The Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (2024) offers a clear model: counselors helping individuals with disabilities secure and maintain employment, regain independence, and achieve a higher quality of life. It’s time more social workers recognize this as valid, vital, and rewarding work.
Final Word: This Is Social Work
Vocational rehabilitation is not a detour from social work. It is a powerful, specialized lane within it. As social workers, we’re trained to meet people where they are and walk with them toward where they want to go. In VR, we get to do that every day.
We are not just job developers. We are identity restorers. Legacy igniters. System navigators. Advocates.
And above all, we are social workers.
Jay Thomas, LMSW, QMHP, is a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Commonwealth of Virginia, a licensed master social worker, mental health professional, a published author, and the founder of Thomas RVA Counseling and Consulting Services. A combat veteran and doctoral student in social work, Jay integrates resilience, advocacy, and legacy into every aspect of his professional and personal life.