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A Growing Profession
The profession of rehabilitation counseling
offers a variety of exciting career options. Graduates of
rehabilitation counselor education programs are obtaining excellent jobs
in a diversity of human service settings. There are accredited
rehabilitation counselor education programs throughout the country, and
many have financial assistance available for eligible students.
Many more qualified rehabilitation counselors are needed now and in the
foreseeable future. The rehabilitation counselor, working
with the individual, determines and coordinates services for people
with disabilities during the entire rehabilitation process. A
major goal for the rehabilitation counselor is to assist a person with
a disability to move from a position of psychological and economic
dependence to one of independence. The concept that "it's
ability, not disability, that counts" is fully supported by the
rehabilitation counseling profession. The rehabilitation
counselor is the primary professional who manages components important
in the rehabilitation process and helps prevent fragmentation and gaps
in services. Demand for
Rehabilitation Counseling Services
The consumer demand for rehabilitation
services is enormous and continues to grow at a rapid rate. The
field of rehabilitation is more diverse and complex than ever before.
Rehabilitation services are provided to the older person, the child
with a learning disability, the factory worker with a cocaine
addiction, the inmate in prison, the person with a psychiatric
problem, the executive who abuses alcohol, the nurse with back pain,
the individual with an amputation, and the person with a head injury.
The objectives of rehabilitation may involve employment, transition
services, disability management, employee assistance, mental health /
personal counseling, environmental modification through technology,
and independent living. It is
estimated that over 43 million Americans have physical, mental, or
psychological disabilities that restrict some of their life activities
and prevent them from obtaining or maintaining jobs. Every year,
nearly one million persons with disabilities are assisted through
independent living and public vocational rehabilitation programs to
become working, productive, independent members of society. In
addition, many people with disabilities are helped by private
rehabilitation programs and rehabilitation counselors working in
secondary schools and colleges. Many more qualified
rehabilitation counselors are needed because of this huge demand for
rehabilitation services throughout the country.
Who Benefits From Rehabilitation Counseling
- Rehabilitation counselors work with
many populations such as those with disabilities involving work
related injuries, automobile accidents, hearing impairments, visual
disorders, alcoholism, drug abuse, physical disability, mental
retardation, and psychiatric disabilities.
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- They may also provide general and
specialized counseling to the non-disabled population as
professional counselors in those states that regulate counselors.
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- State rehabilitation agencies follow
the same general procedures for providing services; thus, a
counselor is able to move to various geographical locations
throughout the country with little difficulty finding employment.
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- Industrially injured workers may
also receive services through private rehabilitation companies and
employer's own in-house disability management programs.
Historical Perspective
Initially, rehabilitation professionals
were recruited from a variety of human service disciplines including
public health nursing, social work, and school counseling.
Academic programs to educate rehabilitation counselors began in the
1940s. However, it wasn't until federal funding for
rehabilitation counselor education programs became available in 1954
that the profession of rehabilitation counseling grew substantially
and began to establish its own unique professional identity.
Full participation in American society
for people with disabilities has also been a goal shared by Congress.
Since 1918, Congress has passed much legislation and has
appropriated funds to support numerous rehabilitation programs.
Historically, rehabilitation
counselors primarily served working-age adults. Today, the
need for rehabilitation counseling services extends to children and
the elderly. Rehabilitation counselors may also provide
general and specialized counseling to the nondisabled population in
public human service programs and in private practice settings.
Currently in the United States, there are
approximately 90 accredited master's degree rehabilitation counselor
education programs and 30 doctoral programs with an emphasis in
rehabilitation counseling. There are also about 60
undergraduate rehabilitation services education programs, many of
which provide excellent preparation for graduate study in
rehabilitation counseling. The
rehabilitation counseling profession has been influenced primarily
by the fields of rehabilitation and counseling and, to a lesser
degree, by selected psychology and allied health professions. Two
major national organizations represent rehabilitation counselors:
the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association, which is a
professional division of the National Rehabilitation Association and
the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, which is a
division within the American Counseling Association.
Rehabilitation Counseling Philosophy
The counselor must have knowledge of the
rehabilitation process and a comprehensive set of rehabilitation skills
and techniques. The philosophy of rehabilitation is interdisciplinary,
inclusive, and transcends the ideas of any
individual, group, or program. Rehabilitation is
an empowering process in which persons exercise control over their
lives. The foundation of the
rehabilitation counseling profession is firmly grounded in specific
values and beliefs. Basic philosophical underpinnings of the
rehabilitation counseling profession include the concepts of the
holistic nature of people, rehabilitation goals, wellness, self
responsibility, uniqueness, equal opportunity for health care, and
social and economic involvement.
- Holistic Nature of People.
The focus of rehabilitation efforts is on the whole person, within
an ecological context, instead of solely on the functional limitations
of disability. A holistic and ecological perspective includes
the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of the person as well as
relationships to his/her family, school, work, and the total
environment. People are seen as more than individual components,
that is, they are not divided into convenient parts such as the
physical, mental, psychological, cultural, and economic for the sake
of evaluation.
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- Rehabilitation Goals. An
important objective of rehabilitation is to help people with
disabilities to achieve the fullest physical, mental, social,
vocational, and economic independence of which they are capable.
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- Wellness.
High-level wellness is a state of complete
physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. People experiencing
optimum health are free from disabling stress and tend to be serene,
calm, creative, vigorous, joyful, and to have a zest for living.
Even though an individual may experience severe illness and /or
disability, the characteristics of optimum health and wellness are
promoted.
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- Self-Responsibility.
Maximizing individuals' self-responsibility for their own healing and
rehabilitation as well as their general health maintenance and
promotion is a basic principle underlying rehabilitation counseling.
A major goal of rehabilitation counseling is to help persons develop
and learn to use their own resources to cope with their total life
situation.
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- Uniqueness.
Rehabilitation counseling emphasizes each person's genetic,
biological, and psychosocial uniqueness as well as the importance of
tailoring counseling and rehabilitation services to meet each
individual's needs. The personal and family reactions to
disability vary from individual to individual. Each person has
unique assets, ways of coping, and goals. These individual
characteristics require counseling approaches and rehabilitation plans
based on each person's needs.
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- Equal Opportunity.
The belief that all individuals, including those with
disabilities, have the right of access to all of society's
opportunities and benefits is firmly grounded in the rehabilitation
counseling profession. The assumption that all citizens
have equal opportunity for health care and social and economic
involvement is a basic premise for rehabilitation counselors. A
primary focus of rehabilitation counselors is development of
opportunities for individuals to obtain meaningful employment in
settings that afford integration with nondisabled coworkers. The
belief that the vast majority of people with disabilities have the
desire to regain or develop abilities and contribute to their families
and society is another fundamental premise of the rehabilitation
counseling profession.
Scope of Rehabilitation Services
To help a person with a disability, the
rehabilitation counselor draws on knowledge from several
fields--psychology, medicine, psychiatry, sociology, social work,
education, law, and the world of work. The rehabilitation
counselor works with the professionals from these areas, marshaling for
the person with a disability the internal or external resources required
for a successful rehabilitation plan. Although other human
services and health care providers may serve people with disabilities,
it is rehabilitation counselors who are uniquely qualified to provide
vocational guidance and psychological counseling to people with
disabilities and their families.
Rehabilitation services may be nonprofit,
public, for-profit, or private. The rehabilitation counselor often
serves as an active member of physical medicine and mental health
rehabilitation teams, as well as a vocational rehabilitation consultant
to insurance companies, industry, educational programs, and other
professionals who provide related rehabilitation services.
Rehabilitation counselors often work
closely with other rehabilitation-related professionals.
Individuals may also need the services of vocational, technical, and
college level educators to gain or retain vocational skills, knowledge,
and competencies. Support from and cooperative relationships with
employers are also important in the rehabilitation process as people
strive to become competitively employed and more self-sufficient members
of society.
Recently, rehabilitation counselors have
begun to determine, coordinate, and arrange for rehabilitation and
transition services for children within schools systems. In addition,
geriatric rehabilitation services are now being provided to older
persons who are experiencing changing lifestyles and health problems.
Increasingly, industrially injured workers are receiving rehabilitation
counseling services through private rehabilitation companies and
employer's own in-house disability management and employee assistance
programs. Persons who have severe disabilities that limit opportunities
for full-time, competitive work may also be assisted through independent
living services, supported employment, and related rehabilitation
services from rehabilitation counselors.
Roles And Responsibilities
Rehabilitation counselors assist people
with physically, mentally, emotionally, or socially handicapping
conditions to become or remain self-sufficient, productive citizens.
Disabilities may result from birth defects, illness and disease,
work-related injuries, automobile accidents, and the stresses of war,
work, and daily life. Rehabilitation counselors help individuals
with disabilities deal with societal and personal problems, plan
careers, and find and keep satisfying jobs. Rehabilitation
counselors may also work with individuals, professional organizations,
and advocacy groups to address the environmental and social barriers
that create obstacles for people with disabilities. A
rehabilitation counselor builds bridges between the often isolated work
of people with disabilities and their families, communities, and work
environment.
An individual's potential for independent
living and employment can be evaluated by the rehabilitation counselor
and arrangements make for medical and psychological care, vocational
assessment, training, and job placement. Counselors interview and
advise individuals, utilize assessment procedures, evaluate medical and
psychological reports, and consult with family members. They also
confer with physicians, psychologists, and occupational therapists about
the types of work individuals can perform. They may recommend appropriate
rehabilitation services, including specialized training to help the
individual with a disability become more independent and more
employable. Because employment success is an important rehabilitation
goal, rehabilitation counselors work closely with employers to identify
and /or modify job opportunities and work tasks and possible training
options that may be desirable.
Professional Preparation
- Graduate students generally have
undergraduate degrees in rehabilitation services, psychology,
sociology, or other allied health and human services fields.
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- Academic background and related work
experience are taken into account in planning a program of study.
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- To obtain the master's degree, most
educational programs require 18 months to two years of academic
coursework and 600 hours of supervised clinical experience.
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- Graduates are typically trained in
counseling theory; counseling skills and techniques; principles of
psychiatric rehabilitation; case management and rehabilitation
planning; issues and ethics in rehabilitation service delivery;
technological adaptation; vocational evaluation and work adjustment;
career counseling; job development; and placement.
Career Opportunities
- Various job titles given to the
rehabilitation counselor may include: job placement specialist,
alcohol and drug abuse counselor, mental health counselor, marriage
and family counselor, case manager, vocational evaluator, educator,
disabled student services coordinator, or administrator.
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- Rehabilitation counselors may work in
a wide variety of counseling and human service settings including
state rehabilitation agencies, alcohol and drug programs, hospitals,
independent living centers, educational settings, private
rehabilitation companies, halfway houses, rehabilitation facilities
and mental health centers.
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- The average starting salary in the
public sector is estimated to be over $23,000 with a range from
$16,000 to $32,000; the average is considerably higher in the private
sector.
Certification and Licensure
- Certification.
At the national level, professional rehabilitation
counseling groups established the standards for individuals to qualify
for certification as rehabilitation counselors. The Commission
on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) is a nonprofit,
independent credentialing body incorporated in 1974. The CRCC
certifies rehabilitation counselors throughout the United States and
several foreign countries.
The purpose of the CRCC is to provide assurance that
professionals engaged in the practice of rehabilitation counseling
have met established minimum standards at the time of entry into the
profession and have maintained these standards throughout their
careers. Each applicant for certification must meet educational
and work experience requirements, demonstrate knowledge of the field
by passing a national examination, and maintain certification by
completing 100 hours of acceptable continuing education credit every
five years.
Approximately 9,000 of the estimated 18,000-20,000
rehabilitation counselors in the United States are certified
rehabilitation counselors. Those who have become certified
demonstrate a special commitment to their profession and to quality
services to persons with disabilities. All certified
rehabilitation counselors (CRCs) subscribe to a Code of Ethics which
guides the practice of rehabilitation counseling. The CRC
credential is often required by employers, especially private
rehabilitation companies.
Additionally, graduates from rehabilitation counselor
education programs may be eligible for certification in other types of
counseling, including general counseling {NCC), alcohol and drug
abuse counseling (CADAC), career counseling (CCC), Clinical
mental health counseling (CCMHC), and as insurance
rehabilitation specialists (CIRS), upon completion of appropriate
supervised clinical experience and coursework.
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- Licensure.
A counseling license is a credential authorized by a
state legislature that regulates either the title, practice, or both,
of professional counselors. Professional counselors with master's or
doctoral degrees in rehabilitation counseling are prepared to provide
assessment, clinical counseling, and other rehabilitation services to
persons with disabilities. Rehabilitation counselor education
programs provide course work and skill training in general counseling
as well as specialized training in working with people with
disabilities.
Because of this generic counselor education and specialized
rehabilitation counselor training, rehabilitation counselors are
eligible for licensure registration, or certification as professional
counselors. They must however, pass an examination, acquire the
necessary supervised counseling experience, and in some states,
acquire specific additional coursework.
Resource:
National Council on Rehabilitation Education Inc. Brochure
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