The Effects of Level of Counselor Education on Client Outcomes in the Public Vocational Rehabilitation System of New Jersey

Abstract

To fulfill the goal of having counselors qualified through the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services in New Jersey (DVRS-NJ) committed to have selected counselors attend a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling (MRC) graduate program. This study examines 14 student/counselors who attended the MRC program while employed by DVRS-NJ and the 3,180 clients they served before, during, and after the attainment of their graduate degree. This research provides evidence that a graduate degree in rehabilitation counseling benefits not only the clients receiving services but also the efficacy and fiscal health of the entire rehabilitation services system. In addition, connection of the student to the profession of rehabilitation counseling during the pursuit of a graduate degree may suggest better outcomes. The evidence points to the value of continuing graduate degree programs, even during periods of fiscal restraint.