For a Rehabilitation Counsellor Emigrating to Australia

Welcome to our guide on the Australian skills assessment process for a Rehabilitation Counsellor. Before we examine the skills required to be recognised as a Rehabilitation Counsellor it may be helpful to explain that the skills assessment is the first step of the emigration process. The skills Assessment of a Rehabilitation Counsellor determines their eligibility to emigrate and the visa options available. Ultimately, it will affect their employment opportunities once they are in Australia.

While we appreciate that each case is unique, we always strive to secure the best possible outcome from the Skills Assessing Authorities in Australia. Experience has proven that efforts and expertise in this area are often the keys to a successful case.

Ensuring Rehabilitation Counsellors Are In High Demand

Every skilled migrant wants to know they will be able to secure a job quickly and easily when they are in Australia. The Australian emigration system ensures that they can.

Each year, State Governments and the two territorial Governments report to the federal government on their local demand for Rehabilitation Counsellors and if they need to bring in Rehabilitation Counsellors from overseas to fill any potential shortage skills gaps. This report states the number of overseas a Rehabilitation Counsellors required in the coming year to fill the skills gap within each region.

The Skills in demand are then broken down into priority lists. These lists range from those skills in high demand across the country to those skills with only limited demand within rural areas.

Curently, Rehabilitation Counsellors are on the STSOL list. Being on this list means a Rehabilitation Counsellor may qualify for one of the following visa streams:

• 186, 189 (PT), 190, 407, 485 (GW),491 (F), 491 (S/T), TSS (M), 494

To read more about the shortage skills list, you can visit the government website here: STSOL

Skills and Experience Required To Be a Rehabilitation Counsellor

Before a person can be accepted in Australia as Rehabilitation Counsellor, their qualification, skills and experience must be independently verified via a rigorous accreditation. The process ensures all skilled migrants can do their jobs to the required Australian standards.

1. Defining the job title a Rehabilitation Counsellor:

The profession “a Rehabilitation Counsellor” can mean something slightly different in Australia to what is referred to overseas. In “official emigration terms”, this profession is aligned within the occupation category “Rehabilitation Counsellor” and is uniquely identified by the code 272114. This may seem weird to some people, but it is a registry system that has been in place since 2006.

2. Key Requirements for a Rehabilitation Counsellor:

For a Rehabilitation Counsellor to be deemed experienced down under, here are the essential skills, tasks, duties and responsibilities they must be familiar with:

General Duties:

Communication and collaboration
• Health and care
• Records
• documentation
• reports and research
• Operating procedures and processes
• Business operations and financial activities
• Teaching and education
• Work activities preparation

Core Specialist Responsibilities:

Verify personal information and maintain records
• Develop treatment plans for patients or clients
• Manage operational budgets
• Monitor and evaluate patient treatment
• Collaborate with health care professionals
• Communicate and collaborate
• Develop and administer testing routines or procedures
• Collaborate and advise on educational and technical issues
• Analyse and evaluate documentation or technical information
• Undertake community development activities
• Provide counselling
• Assist and support clients
• Support diversity and inclusion
• Develop
• implement and monitor educational policies
• standards or programs

Specific Tasks Associated with the Role:

Develop treatment plans for patients or clients
• Refer individuals to educational or work programs
• Manage organisational or program finances
• Collaborate with other professionals to develop education or assistance programs
• Arrange physical or mental health services for clients
• Maintain client records
• Maintain a working understanding of the cultural
• diversity and accessibility needs of others
• and how this applies to the role
• Evaluate characteristics of individuals to determine needs or eligibility
• Confer with clients to discuss treatment plans or progress
• Develop tools to diagnose or assess needs
• Confer with family members to discuss client treatment plans or progress
• Monitor clients to evaluate treatment progress
• Evaluate potential problems in home or work environments of clients
• Support individuals with diverse needs to understand
• access and utilise information or services
• Develop working relationships with others to facilitate program activities
• Evaluate the effectiveness of counselling or educational programs
• Collaborate with other professionals to assess client needs or plan treatments
• Assist clients in handling details of daily life

3. The Australian eligibility criteria for a Rehabilitation Counsellor:

Currently Rehabilitation Counsellor’s are listed on the . This reflects the demand for the profession within Australia.

4. Emigration options:

As the profession is currently listed on the , there are places available. However, demand is high, and Australia will stop inviting further applicants to emigrate once all the places are filled.

Navigating the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services Skills Assessment Process

For Rehabilitation Counsellors, the skills assessing body is “Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services” they are often referred to as the VETASSESS. To visit their site, follow the link: https://www.vetassess.com.au

It is important to note that the primary purpose of the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services is to make a profit and protect their current members from migrants entering Australia, taking their members’ jobs, and driving down standards or wages.

Therefore, the VETASSESS will often look to delay, frustrate and reject cases preventing accreditations wherever possible with those aims in mind.

The result of a candidate’s skills assessment is often a key factor in their success. It is vital that we secure the highest possible skills accreditation.

Find out more

Emigration law is one of the most complex areas of legislation and is continuously being adapted. By definition, emigrating to Australia is a legal process where the individual must prove their case. It is not down to the government to assist in that process. In fact, in legal terms, it is the government against whom we must win our case.

To discover more, complete our online assessment form for your complimentary guide and to discuss your options with one of our friendly experts.