Rehabilitation counseling is focused on helping people who have disabilities achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals through a

counseling Counseling is the professional guidance of the individual by utilizing psychological methods especially in collecting case history data, using various techniques of the personal interview, and testing interests and aptitudes. This is a list of co ...

process. Rehabilitation Counselors can be found in private practice, in

rehabilitation Rehabilitation or Rehab may refer to: Health * Rehabilitation (neuropsychology), therapy to regain or improve neurocognitive function that has been lost or diminished * Rehabilitation (wildlife), treatment of injured wildlife so they can be retur ...

facilities, hospitals, universities, schools, government agencies, insurance companies and other organizations where people are being treated for

congenital A birth defect, also known as a congenital disorder, is an abnormal condition that is present at birth regardless of its cause. Birth defects may result in disabilities that may be physical, intellectual, or developmental. The disabilities can ...

or acquired disabilities. Over time, with the changes in

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

being more psychotherapy-oriented, rehabilitation counselors take on more and more community engagement work, especially as it relates to special populations. Some rehabilitation counselors focus solely on community engagement through vocational services, others in various states qualify as both a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) and a

licensed professional counselor Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) is a licensure for mental health professionals in some countries. In the US, licensed professional counselors (or in some states, "licensed clinical mental health counselors" or "licensed clinical profession ...

(LPC), enabling them to focus on

psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase happiness, and overcome pro ...

History

United States

Historically, rehabilitation counselors primarily served working-age adults with disabilities. Today, the need for rehabilitation counseling services extends to persons of all age groups who have disabilities. Rehabilitation counselors also may provide general and specialized counseling to people with disabilities in public human service programs and private practice settings.AMA (Med Ed Products) Rehabilitation counselor
/ref> Initially, rehabilitation professionals were recruited from a variety of human service disciplines, including public health nursing, social work, and school counseling. Although educational programs began to appear in the 1940s, it was not until the availability of federal funding for rehabilitation counseling programs in 1954 that the profession began to grow and establish its own identity.

Education and training

Though no specific undergraduate degree is required, the majority of rehabilitation counseling graduate students have undergraduate degrees in rehabilitation services, psychology, sociology, or other human services-related fields. As a master's degree is required at a minimum, rehabilitation counselors are trained at the graduate level, with most earning a master's degree, and a few continuing on to the Doctoral level. The Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredits qualifying institutions, though not all programs meet accreditation requirements, prohibiting some graduates from professional certification/licensure. Rehabilitation counselors are trained in the following areas: * Individual and group counseling * Medical and psychosocial information * Problems and community engagement of special populations * Evaluation and assessment * Research utilization * Employment and occupational choice * Case and caseload management * Job development and placement Accredited rehabilitation counselor education programs typically provide 60 credit hours of academic and field-based clinical training. Clinical training consists of at least a semester of practicum and a minimum of 600 hours of supervised internship experience. Clinical field experiences are available in a variety of community, state, federal, and private rehabilitation-related programs.

Professional certification and licensure

The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) grants certification to counselors who meet educational requirements and have passed an examination indicating that they possess the competency and skill to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, (CRC in the United States; CCRC in Canada). A Master's degree is required to obtain certification. Certification as a rehabilitation counselor is not mandated by any state or federal laws, however eligibility to sit for the certification exam is mandated by federal law for those wishing to work for state/federal vocational rehabilitation systems. Some states have Licensed Rehabilitation Counselors (LRC), which places LRCs at the same level as other licensed social service professionals. In other states the CRC qualifies the rehabilitation counselor to obtain the Licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC). Certification is highly desirable to many employers.

Social relevancy

Community service to a culturally and ethnically diverse population, professional functions, critical thinking,

advocacy Advocacy is an Action (philosophy), activity by an individual or advocacy group, group that aims to influence decision making, decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to infl ...

, applied research activities, and ethical standards are integrated throughout rehabilitation counselor preparation and development. Though rehabilitation counselors are adept at understanding medical issues surrounding the disability (as proven by certification/licensure), they are trained in the

social model of disability The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social exclusion (intentional or inadvertent), which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The social mode ...

, which identifies systemic barriers, negative attitudes and exclusion by society (purposely or inadvertently) that mean society is the main contributory factor in disabling people. Rehabilitation Counselors are often advocates in the community for people with disabilities outside of the workplace, with most doing some form of community engagement. As a good portion of counselors have disabilities themselves, the counseling process often emphasizes self-advocacy skills. Rehabilitation counselors can be found in the leadership of many prominent organizations that support

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

and civil rights for people with disabilities such as

American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities The American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities (ACCD) was, in the mid-1970s to early 1980s, a national consumer-led disability rights organization called, by nationally syndicated columnist Jack Anderson and others, "the handicapped lobby". ...

National Black Deaf Advocates The National Black Deaf Advocates (NBDA) is the leading advocacy organization for thousands of Black deaf and hard of hearing people in the United States. Black Deaf leaders were concerned that deaf and hard-of-hearing African-Americans were not a ...

, etc.

= Notable rehabilitation counselors

= * Antonia Darder Aguilo - Public Intellectual, Leavey Presidential Endowed Chair in Ethics and Moral Leadership in the School of Education at Loyola Marymount University * Bill Copeland - Award-winning Poet * Laurence M. Foley - American Diplomat to Jordan * Patricia Gerard - First female Mayor of Largo, FL * Juan de Dios Ramírez Heredia - Spanish Romani politician *

Al Jarreau Alwin Lopez Jarreau (March 12, 1940 – February 12, 2017) was an American singer and musician. His 1981 album '' Breakin' Away'' spent two years on the ''Billboard'' 200 and is considered one of the finest examples of the Los Angeles pop and R ...

- Grammy-winning Jazz Musician *

Young Woo Kang Young Woo Kang (6 January 1944 – 24 February 2012) was a disability rights advocate, author, and speaker. He was known for his work in developing a braille alphabet for the Korean language. He was the Vice Chair of the World Committee on Disabi ...

- First Korean man with vision impairment to earn a PhD, Creator of braille alphabet for the Korean language * Robert Kelly - Navy Veteran, Film-inspiration * Kathleen Kenna - Canadian Journalist in Afghanistan *

Erin Pac Erin Pac (born May 30, 1980) is a former American bobsledder who competed from 2002 to 2010. She won two medals in the mixed bobsled-skeleton team event at the FIBT World Championships with a silver in 2007 and a bronze in 2008. A native of Farm ...

- U.S. Olympic Bobsledder, 2010 Bronze-medal winner *

Dianne Primavera Dianne I. Primavera (born January 28, 1950) is an American politician who is the 50th lieutenant governor of Colorado. A Democrat, she previously served as the Colorado State Representative for the 33rd district from 2007 to 2011, and again fro ...

- U.S. Legislator for the state of Colorado *

Kathleen Hawk Sawyer Kathleen Hawk Sawyer was the first female director of the United States Federal Bureau of Prisons. She served as director between 1992 and 2003. On August 19, 2019, Attorney General William Barr re-appointed her as director of the Bureau of Priso ...

- Former Director of U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons *

Alberta Banner Turner Alberta Banner Turner (March 17, 1909 – January 31, 2008) was an African American professor and psychologist, and a noted civil rights and women's rights activist in the field of psychology. Professional life Education Turner attended O ...

- First African-American woman to earn a PhD in Psychology from The Ohio State University * Ronnie Mae Tyson - First Miss Black Deaf America

Rehabilitation counseling careers

Careers in the profession

In the United States, many rehabilitation counselors work in a variety of arenas. The predominant placement of rehabilitation counselors are state rehabilitation programs as Vocational Counselors, social service agencies as Administrators, and at the collegiate level as Disability Counselors/Specialists:

State rehabilitation programs

The predominant need for rehabilitation counselors is within federal/state funded vocational rehabilitation programs. While the Veterans Benefits Administration has its own vocational rehabilitation program, the rest of Federal/State Vocational Rehabilitation Programs are funded and regulated by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), a division of the U.S Department of Education. Although policies vary from state to state, rehabilitation counselors who work in the federal/state systems typically must hold a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, special education or a related field, and are required to be certified or be eligible to sit for the certification examination. People accepting employment in the federal/state Vocational Rehabilitation programs do so with the agreement they will meet these qualifications by a specified date to maintain employment.

Social service agencies and the corporate sector

Rehabilitation Counselors can work in the non-profit/corporate sector in various ways. Though the majority start as counselors, specializing in career counseling, most rehabilitation counselors that work in the non-profit arena rise to the administration level, either in supervising staff or directing programs for people with disabilities. Others supervise staff that work in case management programs that serve people with disabilities. Some rehabilitation counselors work with Independent Living Centers, doing community engagement, advocacy, outside referrals, and social service provision for people with disabilities. Entrepreneurial rehabilitation counselors also work as consultants, establishing their own private service agencies. Counselors in working with corporations focus on community relations or corporate service, serving as liaisons between companies and charities or service programs.

College disability counselors and specialists

By law all

community college A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an "open enrollment" for students who have graduated from high school (also known as senior sec ...

s, colleges and universities are required to make reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. To satisfy this requirement most collegial settings have a Disability Resources Center, a Special Needs Coordinator or a similar office. Staff are responsible for coordinating services that ''may'' include but are not limited to: advocacy/liaison, computer access, counseling (academic, personal, vocational), equipment loan, information/referral services, in-service awareness programs, notetakers, on campus orientation and mobility training for visually impaired students, priority registration assistance, readers, scribes, shuttle (on-campus), sign language interpreters, test proctoring/testing accommodations, and tutors. Some adaptive technological accommodations ''may'' include but are not limited to: Adaptive computer technology (including voice activated and speech output), Assistive listening devices, Films/videotapes about disabilities, Kurzweil personal reader, Large print software, Print enlargers (CCTV), Raised-line drawing kit, Tactile map of campus, Talking calculators, Tape recorders/APH Talking Book Machine, TDD for hearing impaired, Wheelchair, Wheelchair access maps. Students who have documentation proving their disability status and the staff are trained to access or have knowledge of the necessary services according to the students' unique need. As the college level is different from the primary school system, the same services that a student may have received within a special education program in high school may not be required at the collegiate level. A wide variety of students with disabilities can be served, some examples are individuals with: learning disabilities, sensorial disabilities (hearing loss, vision loss, etc.), physical disabilities (cerebral palsy, etc.) and psychological disabilities.

Forensic rehabilitation counselors

Forensic rehabilitation counselors can work as consultants, serving as witnesses and advocates in the legal profession. Forensic rehab counselors serve as legal advisors with specialized information on disability in the areas of higher education access, Social Security, marital dissolution, personal injury, and Worker's Compensation. According to a survey of 1,220 Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC) conducted by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CORE), CRCs working within a forensic/expert witness job function have the highest annual salary ($93,000) of all job functions analyzed. Furthermore, when average salaries were analyzed by primary work setting, CRCs working within business or industry have the highest annual salary ($78,000) of all settings listed, which is $30,000 more than CRCs working in state/federal rehabilitation agencies. High annual salaries in the forensic area may be a key attraction for CRCs seeking to transition from the public sector. Academic programs require a graduate degree from an accredited rehabilitation counseling program, and enable the student to: learn about the role that counselors provide within the legal system; gain expertise in the ethical standards expected of expert witnesses; learn about the processes followed within legal cases when testifying on one's expert opinion; gain an understanding of the business aspects of a forensic counselor's work that breed success in this area of specialization.

Growth of the field

Job outlook

As of 2010 there were 129,800 working in the field. Jobs for rehabilitation counselors are expected to grow by 28 percent, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
/ref>

Professional development

There are several professional organizations Rehabilitation Counselors and other rehabilitation professionals belong to, including the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, National Rehabilitation Counseling Association, and American Rehabilitation Action Network. Though there is no nationwide union or lobbying organization supporting rehabilitation counselors (such as is the case with social workers, or psychologists), the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) does a lot of work in organizing rehabilitation counselors that pursue the professional advancement of the young field.

References

External links

{{external links, date=March 2015
Rehabilitation Counseling Program at The University of Iowa

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification

American Rehabilitation Counseling Association

National Rehabilitation Association

National Rehabilitation Counseling Association

NIU Rehabilitation Counseling - Deafness/Deaf-Blind Specialization

Michigan State University Rehabilitation Counseling Program
Counseling