Rehabilitation Counseling: Emerging Opportunities in the 21st Century

Abstract

The skillset required to be an effective rehabilitation counselor has become increasingly more complex in previous decades. To meet this demand, rehabilitation counselors (RCs) must establish requisite skills for translating empirically-based methods into clinical application. In the 21st century, there are several specific topic areas in which rehabilitation counselors should be adept. These include the use of a dual customer approach, provision of culturally responsive services to minority populations, provision of services for individuals with severe physical disabilities, familiarity with pertinent legislation at the state and federal level, and an understanding of emerging technology that can assist individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Competency in these areas must come from fieldwork or other applied opportunities, in addition to postsecondary coursework. This article will provide an in-depth look at each topic area.