What does a rehabilitation services director do?
A Rehabilitation Services Director ensures that rehabilitation services are provided in compliance with professional and clinical quality standards as well as state and federal regulatory requirements. They oversee the rehabilitation program, departmental staff operations, and the development of the budget.
Rehabilitation services director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real rehabilitation services director resumes:
- Manage a high-volume caseload and organize the daily schedules of physical/occupation therapist, assistants and patients.
- Manage PPS details efficiently to ensure high quality clinical care while maximizing reimbursement for the facility.
- Participate in continuous quality improvement programs, coordination of interdisciplinary scheduling of patients, and budgetary process.
- Collaborate with nursing staff in development and implementation of CNA career ladder program and function as primary rehabilitation trainer for program.
- Provide therapeutic interventions to facilitate independence and increase safety during ADL and IADL completion upon discharge.
- Plan and implement services for a freestanding outpatient facility that provide pre-operative evaluation and testing, lab work and radiology procedures.
Rehabilitation services director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Rehabilitation Services Directors are proficient in Rehabilitation, Patients, and Occupational Therapy. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Communication skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Rehabilitation Services Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Rehabilitation, 19%
Managed a 31-bed inpatient acute rehabilitation unit along with an acute/outpatient therapy services department at UAB Medical West Hospital.
- Patients, 15%
Participated in continuous quality improvement programs, coordination of interdisciplinary scheduling of patients, and budgetary process.
- Occupational Therapy, 11%
Manage and direct physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy services for acute in-patients and outpatient populations.
- Physical Therapy, 7%
Organized daily schedules of Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Occupational/Physical Therapy Assistants.
- Acute Care, 6%
Provide supervision for Social Work/ Counseling staff on 2 acute care units and behavioral health emergency department.
- Speech Therapy, 5%
Decreased cost of providing speech therapy in the voice clinic 40% by transitioning staff from independent contractors to in-house employees.
Common skills that a rehabilitation services director uses to do their job include "rehabilitation," "patients," and "occupational therapy." You can find details on the most important rehabilitation services director responsibilities below.
Analytical skills. One of the key soft skills for a rehabilitation services director to have is analytical skills. You can see how this relates to what rehabilitation services directors do because "medical and health services managers review and evaluate healthcare metrics for ways to improve efficiency and meet goals." Additionally, a rehabilitation services director resume shows how rehabilitation services directors use analytical skills: "managed data based strength and conditioning programs and prehab/flexibility-mobility for all patients. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling rehabilitation services director duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical and health services managers must convey information to their staff, other healthcare workers, and, sometimes, patients and insurance agents." According to a rehabilitation services director resume, here's how rehabilitation services directors can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "direct care provider evaluating and treating residents with a variety of cognitive, communication and dysphagia impairments in the snf setting. "
Detail oriented. rehabilitation services directors are also known for detail oriented, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to rehabilitation services director responsibilities, because "medical and health services managers must pay attention to detail." A rehabilitation services director resume example shows how detail oriented is used in the workplace: "develop and implement team oriented work practices and foster a learning environment to enhance service delivery and staff development. "
Leadership skills. Another crucial skill for a rehabilitation services director to carry out their responsibilities is "leadership skills." A big part of what rehabilitation services directors relies on this skill, since "medical and health services managers hire, train, and direct staff." How this skill relates to rehabilitation services director duties can be seen in an example from a rehabilitation services director resume snippet: "assure appropriate, efficient, and cost-effective therapy coverage, while providing leadership to and managing the rehabilitation therapy staff. "
Technical skills. While "technical skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to rehabilitation services director responsibilities. Much of what a rehabilitation services director does relies on this skill, seeing as "medical and health services managers must stay up to date with advances in healthcare technology, such as the coding and electronic health record (ehr) systems their facility adopts." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of rehabilitation services directors: "managed 50-60 fte's which included clerical as well as technical staff. "
The three companies that hire the most rehabilitation services directors are:
- West Virginia University2 rehabilitation services directors jobs
- Providence Service1 rehabilitation services directors jobs
- Universal Health Services1 rehabilitation services directors jobs
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Rehabilitation services director vs. Nurse manager
The primary role of nurse managers is to supervise the nursing staff in a clinical or hospital setting. They are the ones who are in charge of patient care, setting work schedules, and making budgetary and management decisions. They are also responsible for making personnel decisions, coordinating meetings, and creating safe environments that promote patient engagement and aid the healthcare team's work. Their role is vital in promoting a culture in which team members contribute to professional growth and patient outcomes.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, rehabilitation services director responsibilities require skills like "occupational therapy," "rehabilitation services," "physical therapy," and "acute care." Meanwhile a typical nurse manager has skills in areas such as "home health," "cpr," "customer service," and "surgery." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Nurse managers tend to make the most money working in the health care industry, where they earn an average salary of $90,775. In contrast, rehabilitation services directors make the biggest average salary, $77,631, in the health care industry.On average, nurse managers reach lower levels of education than rehabilitation services directors. Nurse managers are 13.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.9% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation services director vs. Clinical manager
A clinical manager is responsible for monitoring medical procedures and administrative duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations in a healthcare facility. Clinical managers manage the facility's staffing needs, evaluate budget reports, assist healthcare professionals on administering medical duties, and develop strategic procedures to optimize treatments and maximize productivity. A clinical manager enforces strict sanitary and safety regulations for everyone's strict compliance. They also need to have excellent knowledge of the medical industry to promote medical processes and provide the highest quality care.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, rehabilitation services director responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "occupational therapy," "rehabilitation services," "acute care," and "speech therapy." Meanwhile, a clinical manager has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "home health," "quality patient care," and "patient education." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Clinical managers earn a lower average salary than rehabilitation services directors. But clinical managers earn the highest pay in the health care industry, with an average salary of $72,510. Additionally, rehabilitation services directors earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $77,631 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Clinical managers tend to reach lower levels of education than rehabilitation services directors. In fact, they're 8.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.9% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation services director vs. Patient care manager
Patient care managers are executives who are in charge of supervising a clinical team. The managers take responsibility for directing patient care within an organization. Also called health care managers, they protect every patient's safety and health in a clinical setting. They interact with the healthcare team members to maintain open communication. It is also part of their duties to supervise the daily operations in the clinical care units. Managing clinical budgets and maintaining quality health services are also their responsibilities.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, rehabilitation services directors are more likely to have skills like "occupational therapy," "rehabilitation services," "physical therapy," and "acute care." But a patient care manager is more likely to have skills like "home health," "quality care," "substance abuse," and "resident care."
Patient care managers earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $54,278. Rehabilitation services directors earn the highest pay from the health care industry, with an average salary of $77,631.Most patient care managers achieve a lower degree level compared to rehabilitation services directors. For example, they're 11.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 3.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Rehabilitation services director vs. Practice manager
A practice manager is responsible for supervising daily operations, especially on the side of the medical industry. Practice managers monitor staffing needs, train new employees, and evaluate the employees' productivity and performance. They also enforce strict guidelines and procedures, ensuring that the processes adhere to the legal standards and regulatory requirements. Practice managers also maintain budget goals, creating cost estimates and expense reports. A practice manager must have strong communication, analytical, and critical-thinking skills, as well as comprehensive knowledge of the medical industry practices.
Types of rehabilitation services director
Updated January 8, 2025











