Rehabilitation Manager

Rehabilitation facilities come in all shapes and sizes. They exist for drug or alcohol problems, mental illnesses, physical issues—even criminals have rehab centers. As a Rehabilitation Manager, you oversee the day-to-day operations of the center or clinic, and keep things running smoothly.

As a Rehabilitation Manager, you have a lot of the same responsibilities any Manager has. The Rehabilitation Manager has the ability to hire, fire, and train new employees or volunteers; make work schedules; handle any problems that come up; and keep track of the budget and any money that comes in during the day.

Beyond these basic duties, your daily activities can look widely different. If you’re working in a physical therapy office that specializes in geriatrics, for example, you have different concerns than if you’re working in a mental health ward. Wherever you work though, you need to be certified, whether in speech, physical, or occupational therapy. This gives you the specialized knowledge that you need in order to work with clients and keep an eye on their rehab.

You might observe clients during their therapy time or while they do assigned exercises, evaluate them, then report back to their Physicians about their progress. These more complex duties require specialized training specific to the population you’re working with, and most facilities ask Rehabilitation Managers to have years of experience in one type of rehab.

A big responsibility of your job is to make sure the facility you work in follows all rules, laws, and regulations. In order to ensure compliance, you need to stay updated on the most recent changes, keep your staff informed, and make new policies as needed.