Validation of Rehabilitation Counseling Accreditation and Certification Knowledge Areas: Methodology and Initial Results

Abstract

The purposes of this article are (a) to describe the methodology of an ongoing study to validate and update the knowledge for rehabilitation counseling accreditation and certification, and (b) to describe initial results of one facet of the study. The ongoing study uses descriptive, ex post facto, and times-series designs and uses three sampling frames, which are related to the certification and accreditation processes. Participants in the facet of the study reported herein were 1,025 counselors who renewed their certification in 1991. Validity of the knowledge standards of rehabilitation counselor certification and accreditation was supported by the finding that 52 of the 55 knowledge standards were rated as at least moderately important to professional practice.