Career in Rehabilitation Career in Rehabilitation CounselingCounseling

Deborah Ebener, PhD, CRC, NCCDeborah Ebener, PhD, CRC, NCC

Coordinator, Rehabilitation Counseling Coordinator, Rehabilitation Counseling and Services Programand Services Program

Florida State UniversityFlorida State University

What is Rehabilitation What is Rehabilitation Counseling?Counseling?

• Specialization within the field of Specialization within the field of counselingcounseling

• Considered both a Considered both a counselingcounseling and and allied healthallied health profession profession

Rehabilitation Rehabilitation CounselorsCounselors

• Assists Assists persons withpersons with disabilitiesdisabilities to to • achieve their personal, career, and achieve their personal, career, and

independent living goals in the independent living goals in the most integrated settings possiblemost integrated settings possible

• become or remain self-sufficient become or remain self-sufficient and productive members of society.and productive members of society.

• Achieve rehabilitation goals through Achieve rehabilitation goals through the counseling processthe counseling process

History of the History of the ProfessionProfession

• Began as an occupation almost 80 Began as an occupation almost 80 years ago serving veterans from years ago serving veterans from World War I and workers injured in World War I and workers injured in industry.industry.

• Major strides in professional growth Major strides in professional growth occurred after 1954 with federal occurred after 1954 with federal legislation allocating training funds legislation allocating training funds for education of rehabilitation for education of rehabilitation counselorscounselors

Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Counseling TodayCounseling Today

• Today there are 13,000 or more Today there are 13,000 or more Certified Rehabilitation Counselors Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRCs) (CRCs)

• Serving the estimated 49 million Serving the estimated 49 million persons with disabilitiespersons with disabilities

• Growing ProfessionGrowing Profession• Employed in diverse setting under Employed in diverse setting under

various job titlesvarious job titles

Values of Rehabilitation Values of Rehabilitation CounselorsCounselors

• Belief in the dignity and worth of all Belief in the dignity and worth of all people. people.

• Commitment to a sense of equal justice Commitment to a sense of equal justice based on a model of accommodation to based on a model of accommodation to provide and equalize the opportunitiesprovide and equalize the opportunities

• Holistic perspective of the individualHolistic perspective of the individual• Belief in self-responsibility and wellness Belief in self-responsibility and wellness

Professional PhilosophyProfessional Philosophy

• Interdisciplinary and inclusiveInterdisciplinary and inclusive• Empowering processEmpowering process• Recognition of the individual’s cultural Recognition of the individual’s cultural

background, psychosocial environment, background, psychosocial environment, and unique assets.and unique assets.

• Facilitation of independence, Facilitation of independence, integration, and inclusion of people with integration, and inclusion of people with disabilities in employment and the disabilities in employment and the communitycommunity. .

How is Rehabilitation How is Rehabilitation Counseling different Counseling different

from other counseling from other counseling professions?professions?

• Focus on disabilityFocus on disability• Specialized training in the medical, Specialized training in the medical,

psychological and social aspects psychological and social aspects of disability of disability

What is a Disability?What is a Disability?

• Physical or mental Physical or mental impairmentimpairment

• Substantially Substantially limits or restricts limits or restricts the person’s in the person’s in one or more one or more major life areasmajor life areas• work, education, work, education,

social, living social, living independentlyindependently

Causes of DisabilitiesCauses of Disabilities

• Birth defectsBirth defects• Illness and diseaseIllness and disease• Work-related injuriesWork-related injuries• Automobile accidentsAutomobile accidents• WarWar• AgingAging

Types of DisabilityTypes of Disability

• PhysicalPhysical• SensorySensory• CognitiveCognitive• PsychiatricPsychiatric• DevelopmentalDevelopmental

Scope of PracticeScope of Practice

• Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment planningAssessment, Diagnosis and Treatment planning• Individual and group counseling focused on Individual and group counseling focused on

facilitating psychosocial adjustment to disabilityfacilitating psychosocial adjustment to disability• Case Management and service coordinationCase Management and service coordination• Consultation and access to rehabilitation Consultation and access to rehabilitation

technologytechnology• Interventions to remove environmental, Interventions to remove environmental,

employment, and attitudinal barriersemployment, and attitudinal barriers• Job development, placement and employment Job development, placement and employment

accommodationsaccommodations• Advocacy for persons with disabilitiesAdvocacy for persons with disabilities

Examples of Job Titles• Vocational Rehabilitation CounselorsVocational Rehabilitation Counselors• Alcohol and Substance Abuse CounselorAlcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor• Case ManagerCase Manager• Transition SpecialistTransition Specialist• Family and Marriage Counselor Family and Marriage Counselor • Forensic Rehabilitation SpecialistForensic Rehabilitation Specialist• Life Care Planning SpecialistLife Care Planning Specialist• Job Placement SpecialistJob Placement Specialist• Mental Health CounselorsMental Health Counselors• Vocational EvaluatorVocational Evaluator

Examples of Employment Examples of Employment SettingsSettings

• State Rehabilitation Agencies (DVR; DBS)State Rehabilitation Agencies (DVR; DBS)• Veteran’s AdministrationVeteran’s Administration• Hospitals (Rehabilitation, VA, Psychiatric)Hospitals (Rehabilitation, VA, Psychiatric)• Substance Abuse Treatment programsSubstance Abuse Treatment programs• SchoolsSchools• Independent Living CentersIndependent Living Centers• Insurance Companies Insurance Companies • Community mental health centersCommunity mental health centers• Private agencies or practicePrivate agencies or practice• Industry Industry

Earning Potential of Rehabilitation

Professionals

• Average annual earnings with a Average annual earnings with a Master’s degree: $42,000Master’s degree: $42,000

• Range $27,000 - $67,000Range $27,000 - $67,000• Varies across settingsVaries across settings

Growing Demands• Career opportunities expected to Career opportunities expected to

increase by 25% between 2006 and increase by 25% between 2006 and 2016. 2016.

• Expanded opportunities in pediatric Expanded opportunities in pediatric and geriatricsand geriatrics

• Critical shortage of rehabilitation Critical shortage of rehabilitation counselorscounselors

• Federal funding for training Federal funding for training programsprograms

Professional Standards• Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation CounselingMaster’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling

• 48-60 hour graduate program48-60 hour graduate program• Courses in counseling, rehabilitation, and disabilityCourses in counseling, rehabilitation, and disability• Clinical Training (practicum and internship)Clinical Training (practicum and internship)

• Certification as a Rehabilitation CounselorCertification as a Rehabilitation Counselor• State Licensure as a Professional Counselor State Licensure as a Professional Counselor

may be needed in some settingsmay be needed in some settings• Other certifications: National Counselor Other certifications: National Counselor

(NCC), Vocational Evaluation (CVE), Life Care (NCC), Vocational Evaluation (CVE), Life Care Planning, Addictions, Case ManagementPlanning, Addictions, Case Management

Accreditation and Certification Accreditation and Certification of Rehabilitation Counselor of Rehabilitation Counselor Programs and ProfessionalsPrograms and Professionals

• Primary credentialing body for Primary credentialing body for Rehabilitation Counseling Profession Rehabilitation Counseling Profession • Commission on Rehabilitation Commission on Rehabilitation

Counselor Certification (CRCC)Counselor Certification (CRCC)• Council on Rehabilitation Education Council on Rehabilitation Education

(CORE)(CORE)• Students with Master’s Degree in Students with Master’s Degree in

Rehabilitation Counseling are eligible Rehabilitation Counseling are eligible for certification as a rehabilitation for certification as a rehabilitation counselor (CRC)counselor (CRC)

Critical Shortage of Rehabilitation

Counselors• Federal funding of graduate training Federal funding of graduate training

programs in rehabilitation counselingprograms in rehabilitation counseling• Increase number of rehabilitation Increase number of rehabilitation

counselors working in or in conjunction counselors working in or in conjunction with the state/federal vocational with the state/federal vocational rehabilitation program.rehabilitation program.

• Rehabilitation Services Administration Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) scholarships provide tuition and (RSA) scholarships provide tuition and stipends to graduate students majoring in stipends to graduate students majoring in rehabilitation counseling at certain rehabilitation counseling at certain universities.universities.

What’s the Catch?• Students accepting RSA Students accepting RSA

scholarships MUST o work after scholarships MUST o work after graduation in a state, non-profit graduation in a state, non-profit rehabilitation agency, or related rehabilitation agency, or related community-based agency for two community-based agency for two years per year the scholarship is years per year the scholarship is accepted. accepted.

• After the “pay back” period then no After the “pay back” period then no longer obligated to work in those longer obligated to work in those settings.settings.

SummarySummary

• Growing profession with excellent Growing profession with excellent occupational outlookoccupational outlook

• Offers a diversity of work settings, Offers a diversity of work settings, roles, functions, and clientele.roles, functions, and clientele.

• Employment opportunities in public Employment opportunities in public and private sectorand private sector

• Scholarships available for graduate Scholarships available for graduate educationeducation

For More InformationWeb Sites

Council on Rehabilitation Education Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) (CORE)

http://www.core-rehab.org/http://www.core-rehab.org/

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC)Certification (CRCC)

http://www.crccertification.com/http://www.crccertification.com/

Rehabilitation Services Administration Rehabilitation Services Administration ScholarshipsScholarships

http://www.ed.gov/students/college/aid/http://www.ed.gov/students/college/aid/rehab/scholrsp.htmlrehab/scholrsp.html

Professional Professional AssociationsAssociations

American Rehabilitation Counseling American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) http://www.arcaweb.org/Association (ARCA) http://www.arcaweb.org/

American Counseling Association (ACA)American Counseling Association (ACA)

http://www.counseling.org/http://www.counseling.org/

American Psychological Association (APA) – American Psychological Association (APA) – Rehabilitation PsychologyRehabilitation Psychology

http://www.apa.org/about/division/div22.html http://www.apa.org/about/division/div22.html

National Rehabilitation Association (NRA)National Rehabilitation Association (NRA)

http://www.nationalrehab.org/ http://www.nationalrehab.org/

For Further InformationFor Further Information

Dr. Susan Miller or Dr. Deborah EbenerDr. Susan Miller or Dr. Deborah Ebener

Rehabilitation Counseling and ServicesRehabilitation Counseling and Services

School of Teacher EducationSchool of Teacher Education

Florida State UniversityFlorida State University

205 Stone Building205 Stone Building

Tallahassee, FL 32312Tallahassee, FL 32312

(850) 644-4880(850) 644-4880

smiller@coe.fsu.edu or debener@fsu.edu smiller@coe.fsu.edu or debener@fsu.edu