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Rehabilitation Counsellor

Rehabilitation Counsellor
ANZSCO Code: 272114 / Group A

Assists physically, mentally and socially disadvantaged people to reintegrate into work and the community.

Occupation description

Assists physically, mentally and socially disadvantaged people to reintegrate into work and the community.

Occupations not considered under this ANZSCO code:

  • Drug and Alcohol Counsellor

Rehabilitation Counsellor is a VETASSESS Group A occupation

This occupation requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation.

Group A - October 2025

The information below describes the available pathways for a Skills Assessment under Group A. Please note that in order to achieve a successful Skills Assessment Outcome, a positive assessment for both qualifications and employment is required.

Pathway 1 

This pathway requires a qualification assessed as comparable to the education level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree and in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. 

Bachelor degree or higher degree includes AQF Master Degree or AQF Doctoral Degree.

In addition, it is essential for applicants to meet the following employment criteria:

  • at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level, undertaken in the last five years,
  • working 20 hours or more per week, and
  • highly relevant to the nominated occupation.

Qualification & Employment Criteria

Qualification

Highly relevant major fields of study include: 

• Rehabilitation Counselling / Rehabilitation Studies / Rehabilitation Science
• Behavioural Science 
• Psychology

Qualifications in Allied Health disciplines and Nursing would not usually meet the requirements.

Employment Criteria

Highly relevant tasks include, but are not limited to: 

  • Consulting with clients to develop rehabilitation plans, taking account of vocational and social needs

Additional tasks may include: 

  • Consults with clients to develop rehabilitation plans taking account of vocational, social, medical and psychological needs
  • Assists clients with employment placement and matters relating to education and training, through negotiation with community agencies, employers, unions, education and training authorities, government representatives and insurance companies
  • Provides information and advisory services to organisations assisting the disadvantaged
  • Refers clients for medical examinations, psychological or psychiatric evaluation and vocational assessment
  • Evaluates the effectiveness of resettlement and recommends further action
     

Get Support

Help with a Skills Assessment

Skills Assessment Support (SAS) services are for migration agents, legal practitioners and prospective applicants who are yet to submit their Skills Assessment application to VETASSESS.

Help with an urgent application

For general and professional occupations, priority processing can be used to fast-track urgent applications

How to apply

If you're a professional choosing to migrate to Australia, chances are you're likely to be assessed by us. We assess 361 different professional occupations, assessing your skills, experience and qualifications.

1

Find

Find the VETASSESS occupation that most closely fits your skills and experience. 

2

Match

Match your skills and experience to your chosen occupation.

3

Prepare

Get ready to apply by preparing all the information and documents you need. 

4

Apply

Apply online when you’re ready. If you’re still unsure, skills assessment support is available when you need it.

Start your online application