Rehabilitation Counselor Education Research Articles

Story untold: A phenomenological study of the lived experiences impacting the career development of Black women in rehabilitation counselor education

AbstractThis transcendental phenomenological study described the lived experiences impacting career development among Black women in counselor education specializing in rehabilitation counseling. Womanism centralize their voices in this inquiry, while social cognitive career theory enabled more culturally informed interpretation of their experiences. The findings facilitate correct placement of this group into the literature on employment, career development, and counselor education, and can inform policy changes, curriculum, and interventions to promote diversity and equity in the field.

Addressing Power, Privilege, and Oppression in Rehabilitation Counselors’ Multicultural Education: A Multilevel Approach

Rehabilitation counselor education must provide students with effective multicultural training to ensure optimal consumer outcomes at different levels; however, the current focus on multicultural competencies is not enough to prepare students to meet the needs of individuals with multiple marginalized identities. Issues related to power, oppression, and privilege need to be addressed through an intersectional decolonization lens. Thus, the article aims to examine current rehabilitation literature and incorporate cultural humility, intersectionality, and decolonization into multicultural training in the rehabilitation field with a multilevel approach. Recommendations are provided at department and program, and individual levels.

Intersectionality in CACREP-Accredited Rehabilitation Counselor Education: An Analysis of Multicultural Counseling Course Syllabi

Though the importance of the inclusion of multicultural and social justice competencies in rehabilitation counselor education has been attended to for years, we know little about the content, concepts, activities, and assignments included in multicultural counseling courses. This mixed-methods study analyzed 25 multicultural counseling syllabi from CACREP-accredited rehabilitation counseling programs. Results indicated that nearly half of the multicultural counseling syllabi analyzed took an essentialist approach to educate future rehabilitation counselors. Very few syllabi mentioned the immigrant and refugee experience, and no syllabi exploredsize diversity and/or anti-fat bias. Class assignments and activities assigned exercises focused largely on students’ racial and ethnic identities. Additionally, results showed a common theme of ethnographic interviews, cultural site visits, and cultural immersion exercises. A call to action for counselor educators is included.

Factors Affecting Retention Plan Among Faculty of Color in Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs

Although many institutions of higher education have become committed to diversity and have made efforts to recruit faculty of color, the counseling profession has had a long history of underrepresentation of students and faculty of color. This study investigated the relationships between demographic characteristics, perceptions of the academic climate, and the employment continuation plans of tenured and tenure-track faculty of color in accredited, rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) programs. Furthermore, this study aimed to identify which factors best predict the employment continuation plans for this population. Participants were administered the Faculty Retention Questionnaire (FRQ) to examine these relationships. The sample consisted of 63 tenure-track and tenured faculty of color employed by accredited RCE programs. A univariate general linear model found that the demographic characteristics (race, ethnicity, gender, country of origin, and tenure status) did not predict the employment continuation plans of tenure-track and tenured faculty of color in accredited RCE programs. Multiple linear regression analysis was utilized to determine if the regression scores for the perception of academic climate components (role as researcher, tenure/promotion opportunities, workplace conditions, social climate, faculty/student relationships, role clarity, inter-role conflict, and person/role conflict) predicted 28.5% of the variance in the employment continuation plans of faculty of color in RCE programs. Among these, inter-role conflict was the only statistically significant predictor. Findings add to the literature pertaining to the retention of faculty of color in counselor education and suggest retention strategies supportive of faculty of color.

The Use of Social Justice Concepts in Rehabilitation Counselor Education: Results of an Exploratory Study

Divisive social rhetoric and prevalent racism make the need for infusing social justice throughout counselor education even more urgent than the decades-long calls for it. There is a dearth of empirical inquiry into the ways social justice concepts are enacted across rehabilitation counseling curricula. The current study used an exploratory survey to collect information about the techniques used by U.S. rehabilitation counselor educators ( N = 71) to infuse social justice across all of their courses, including their pedagogical choices, rates of frequency for updating coursework, and professional development choices. Findings reveal that educators have favorable attitudes about social justice, are more likely to use academic journals and related disciplines in course development, and are more likely to use self-reflection and intuition-based opportunities for social justice professional development. Implications of the findings also include relevancy for supervisors and practitioners, who have the responsibility to and lead social justice education once trainees have entered the field as professionals.

A Vision for Rehabilitation Counseling: Appreciative Inquiry Through the Eyes of Our Legacy Leaders

Rehabilitation counseling (RC), which grew out of vocational rehabilitation legislation in 1920, has quietly developed and expanded its range of services for people with disabilities. As a smaller specialty of counseling, RC has faced challenges to being recognized and valued for its diverse expertise within the counseling field, as well as the broader social service and allied health fields. With a changing landscape of accreditation, state licensing, and service reimbursement requirements, there is now a need for guidance, leadership, and collaborative planning to preserve the vitality of the profession. The purpose of this project was to capture the positive history of the profession through its leaders, utilizing an appreciative inquiry framework, to become more aware of strengths and opportunities, to begin drafting a blueprint for the future of RC. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 leaders in rehabilitation counselor education and research. Four main themes emerged: (a) formative influences, (b) threats, (c) current assets, and (d) future direction. Focusing on the influence of threats to the RC profession, a solution-focused response model is presented toward a vision of the future of RC practice, education, and research.

Recommendations for Pre-Service Training in Cognitive Disabilities: Perceptions of Practicing Rehabilitation Counselors

Given an increased prevalence of cognitive disabilities in the United States, and federal legislation aimed to reduce employment disparities among individuals with cognitive disabilities, a greater emphasis on this population is needed in rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) programs. A total of 33 graduates of a Cognitive Disabilities Certificate program were asked to offer recommendations for future training of Master's-level rehabilitation counseling students in the area of cognitive disabilities. A phenomenological approach was applied, using the constant comparative method for data analysis. Analysis resulted in four emergent themes. Participants recommended pedagogical approaches to incorporate cognitive disability-related issues into RCE curriculum; specialized training on cognitive disabilities should be required; and specialized training in other disability populations was also recommended. Lastly, participants discussed the need to provide specialized training on sub-populations such as autism spectrum disorder, military veterans, and persons with co-occurring psychiatric and cognitive disabilities. Implications for pedagogy and research are provided.

Relationship Building in Cohort-Based Instruction: Implications for Rehabilitation Counselor Pedagogy and Professional Development

BackgroundGraduate studies in rehabilitation counseling present a variety of social, academic, and professional demands. To date, previous research has largely neglected the role that relationships among students that can help in addressing these demands.ObjectiveThe present exploratory study examined how relationships formed during a Master's Rehabilitation Counseling Education (RCE) specialization program enhanced the experience of participants both during their studies and following graduation.MethodsA total of 33 graduates of a cohort-based, Cognitive Disabilities Certificate (CDC) program were asked to reflect on the impacts of relationship-building on their experiences as students as well as their post-CDC professional development. Results were examined through phenomenological qualitative data analysis.ResultsParticipant responses revealed relationships as cohort members formed during graduate studies enhanced their student experience with facilitating camaraderie, enhancing learning, promoting student success, and providing employment leads. With regard to professional development, participants indicated their cohort-based relationships enhanced professional development, provided resources, and facilitated professional collaboration.ConclusionThe benefits of cohort-based relationship building that began during graduate education extended beyond into the professional careers of participants. More use of cohort-based instruction in RCE programs may be more likely to facilitate productive and supportive relationships.

Perceived Career Impacts From Specialized Instruction in Cognitive Disabilities: A Phenomenological Study

PurposeFocused instruction in cognitive disabilities addresses a need for training with populations growing in prevalence and public awareness in the United States. This is especially relevant in rehabilitation counseling given the poor employment outcomes found among persons with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, specific learning disability, and acquired brain injury. This study focused on the perceived career impacts of participation in a Cognitive Disabilities Certificate (CDC) specialization program.MethodA total of 33 graduates of a CDC program were asked to reflect on the career impacts of their specialized training in cognitive disabilities. Results were examined through phenomenological qualitative data analysis.ResultsFindings suggest participants had specific motivations for joining the CDC. Participants were able to achieve the goals set forth when applying such as skill development and expanding career options. Participants were able to achieve career outcomes they directly attributed to their CDC training.ConclusionsProviding students with an opportunity to specialize in an area of professional and personal interest not only enhanced their rehabilitation counseling training, it benefited their careers and clients. Implications for rehabilitation counselor education are discussed.

Preliminary Establishment of the Dispositional Development Scale: Incorporating the Working Alliance in Professional Disposition Assessment

This article discusses the initial development of an instrument which was designed to aid educators in assessing professional dispositions in rehabilitation counselor education students, in accordance with the 2016 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Standards. Furthermore, the development of the instrument was embedded with the concept of the working alliance (Bordin, 1979). The current study leads to the introduction of the Dispositional Development Scale (DDS), which was created using a two-phase approach, including content validation by Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (n = 148). The implications for using DDS in rehabilitation counselor education are significant and include a systematic, more transparent method of evaluating students' nonacademic competencies.

How do supervisors assess and develop professional dispositions among counselors in vocational rehabilitation agencies? A qualitative inquiry

ABSTRACT Evolving accreditation standards have prompted interest in the role of professional dispositions (PDs) in rehabilitation counselor education and practice. The purpose of this study was to explore (a) how rehabilitation counselor supervisors assess counselor PDs in field settings, (b) how supervisors facilitate the development of necessary PDs, and (c) which PDs supervisors perceive as difficult to influence. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted using transcripts from interviews of 14 experienced supervisors. Supervisor response themes included the sources of evaluation data (informal/formal), evaluation uses, PDs-related supervision strategies, dynamics affecting PDs development, and the identification of PDs that are resistant to change.

The Conceptualization and Assessment of Professional Dispositions in Rehabilitation Counselor Education

Newly adopted accreditation standards within rehabilitation counselor education require the assessment of knowledge, skills, and a set of characteristics known as professional dispositions (PDs). PDs may be regarded as individual characteristics like values, beliefs, attitudes, or interpersonal ways of being that influence professional behavior. Yet, this remains an abstract construct that eludes simple definition and measurement. The purpose of this article is to review existing literature related to PDs in order to assist rehabilitation counselor educators in understanding (a) the conceptualization and identification of PDs, (b) the assessment of PDs within a program evaluation process, and (c) contextual dynamics that may influence the assessment of PDs. To this end, the article explores existing PD definitions; common factors related to counseling outcomes; and the guiding philosophies, codes, and values for the field of rehabilitation counseling. Additionally, the role of PDs are discussed in relation to accreditation standards, the development of standardized instruments, student assessment, and program evaluation. Finally, the assessment of PDs are considered in relation to multicultural dynamics, students with disabilities, and distance education.

The Study of National Qualification System, Education and Training, and Role of Rehabilitation Counselors Toward Tasks of Rehabilitation Counseling in South Korea

본 연구는 장애인재활상담사 국가자격제도, 양성교육 현황과 역할에 관한 고찰을 토대로 우리나라 재활상담 분야의 과제를 제안해 보기 위하여 실시되었다. 구체적으로 본 연구를 위하여 장애인재활상담사 국가자격제도의 현황, 회원교 양성교육과정의 운영 현황 및 업무역할에 관한 문헌고찰이 이루어졌다. 연구결과, 장애인재활상담사 양성교육과정은 미국의 대학원 중심의 CRC 양성교육과정과 차이가 있었다. 우리나라 장애인재활상담사의 역할은 미국 CRC의 주요 업무역할에 관한 영역들과 비교적 유사하였으나, 업무의 특성, 교육과정의 운영방식 및 윤리적 실천면에서는 다소 차이가 있었다. 본 연구는 장애인재활상담사 국가자격제도 시행 이후, 회원대학의 전문가 양성교육과정 운영 현황과 업무역할에 관한 문헌고찰을 토대로, 향후 재활상담 분야의 발전과제를 제시했다는 점에서 의미가 있다. 독립단체로서 한국직업재활학회와 장애인재활상담사협회의 역할정립을 위한 과제 등이 제시되었다.This study is to review national qualification system, the education and training, and the role of rehabilitation counselors in order to suggest the tasks of rehabilitation counseling in South Korea. To fulfill the purpose of the study, articles and conference materials were reviewed comprehensively, specifically focusing on the overview the process of the national qualification system witnessed by Welfare Law for the Disabled, the status of university education and training, and the role and function of rehabilitation counselors. The results of the study were as follows: Korean rehabilitation counselors were found to have no huge differences to CRCs’ roles in knowledge and skill domains, however differences were found in the operation of educational practice, internship programs, and the utilization of the ethical standards in education and training programs. This study gives suggestions for the tasks of rehabilitation counseling in the future, which have been based on the research findings of Korean rehabilitation counselor education and training programs since the initiation of the national qualification examination for Korean rehabilitation counselors in 2018. Tasks for the establishment of professional identity were suggested.

Impacts of Experiencing Social Injustice on Infusing of Social Justice in Rehabilitation Counselor Education Curriculum

Purpose:To examine the extent to which rehabilitation counselor educators understand and are committed to infusing social justice in their curricula, and impacts of personal and social injustice experience along with demographic factors on their infusion of social justice into the rehabilitation curricula.Methods:A quantitative descriptive design using multiple regression was applied. The participants included 101 rehabilitation counselor educators who completed an online survey: Social Justice and Rehabilitation Counseling Questionnaire.Results:The study revealed that the majority of participants deemed integrating of social justice as important and used various infusion strategies. In addition, the study found the impacts of social injustice experiences, along with age, significant in predicting the perception of infusing social justice into rehabilitation curricula.Conclusions:Personal experiences of social injustice of rehabilitation counselor educators along with age influenced the level of perception of importance of infusing social justice into the rehabilitation curricula. The field should focus on training on the awareness and impact of social justice for faculty to ensure students receive the education needed to effectively counsel the rehabilitation consumers.

VR Online in Rehabilitation Counseling Preparation: An Integrative Pilot Initiative

This collaboration involves VR Online research at Wright State (WSU) and the Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling (VRC) Long-term Training Project at University of Southern Maine (USM). The NIDILRR-funded VR Online research team developed and piloted online resources for vocational rehabilitation (VR) consumers and counselors using an online portal to meet consumers via videoconference. To address VRC shortages in state VRs and community rehabilitation providers, the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) funded Northern New England VRC project which provides graduate education to VR employees in order to increase the number of qualified VRCs throughout the rural northeast. This article will examine a partnership of these two projects to provide training and technical assistance to VRC students during internships, which includes: use of tele-rehabilitation technology in delivering VR services; integration of video conference technology into rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) graduate level curriculum during internship; trainee supervision and preparation applying HIPPA compliant, webbased, video-conference technology; and assessing benefits and limitations using advanced technologies in internship experiences and process considerations to improve VR Online application in practice.

Responding to an Emerging Need in Rehabilitation Counselor Education: Development of a Cognitive Disabilities Certificate Program

Overview:The article describes the development of a Cognitive Disabilities Certificate Program (CDC) in a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program accredited Rehabilitation Counselor Education (RCE) program. Specific areas addressed includes the CDC’s administrative foundations, curriculum design, student outcomes, sustainability activities, and future directions.Methods:The CDC program was established in 2009 with a training grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration. The CDC requires 18 units of post-baccalaureate coursework and training activities focused on cognitive disabilities.Results:From Spring 2009 through Spring 2017 semesters, 42 students attained the CDC certificate. CDC graduates currently work in settings serving persons with cognitive disabilities in the State/Federal Vocational Rehabilitation System, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, post-secondary student support offices, and community-based rehabilitation provider agencies.Conclusion:The CDC program provides RCE programs a model approach for establishing specialized training to meet emerging rehabilitation needs among persons with cognitive disabilities.

Assistive Technology in Pre-Service Rehabilitation Counselor Education: A New Approach to Team Collaboration

Purpose: Recognizing a perceived lack of assistive technology/adaptive equipment (AT/AE) competence on the part of counselors and educators (Kuo, 2013), this article provides an overview of assistive technology concepts and accreditation standards, and introduces a training model intended to improve rehabilitation counselor readiness to address client AT/AE needs.Method: Drawing on the extant literature, professional scopes of practice, and interdisciplinary clinical experience, the authors conceptualize AT/AE service delivery along a biopsychosocial continuum.Results: The resultant model of AT/AE team collaboration can be taught by counselor educators and understood by students without specialty certification or preexisting knowledge of AT. The model spans the continuum of care from medical to psychosocial, details the roles of rehabilitation disciplines, and offers a pedagogical tool for infusing AT concepts across the curriculum.Conclusion: Ultimately, this article advocates for increased rehabilitation counselor engagement and entry-level competence in addressing the psychosocial aspects of AT/AE. Future research should be conducted to validate the constructs of this model.

Changing Attitudes Toward People With Disabilities Using Public Media: An Experimental Study

This study explored the change in viewers’ explicit and implicit attitudes toward people with disabilities (PWDs) after they watched person-centered videos, which focused on real-life experiences of PWDs and/or their perspectives toward disability. Fifty-three undergraduate students were randomly assigned to two groups. In the control group, participants had their explicit and implicit attitudes measured before and after three body-scan sessions. In the experimental group, participants took the same tests before and after watching three videos. The results showed that participants’ explicit attitudes became more positive, and implicit attitudes became more negative in the experimental group, while there was no change in attitudes in the control group. These results have unique implications for using person-centered videos to change attitudes toward PWDs in undergraduate education and rehabilitation counseling education. Suggestions for future research are provided.

Recruitment, Retention, and Mentoring for Diversity Among Rehabilitation Counselor Educators

Purpose:In this article, the authors discuss best strategies for recruitment and retention among faculty of color, international faculty, and women to diversify rehabilitation counselor education faculty.Method:Based on a comprehensive literature review, we have provided the reader with a brief review of the status of faculty of color, international faculty, and women in academia, issues in recruitment and retention, and strategies that may be beneficial in diversifying rehabilitation counselor education faculty.Results:Researchers in higher education have shown that a diverse faculty is not only beneficial to academia, but to communities as well. The authors have provided recruitment and retention strategies that have been used in other disciplines. Coupled with a sincere commitment by university administrators, faculty, students, and communities, these strategies may be beneficial in increasing diversity among the faculty ranks in rehabilitation counselor education programs.Conclusion:In order to increase diversity in our training and education programs, it is imperative that recruitment and retention plans are created and implemented. Various recruitment and retention strategies were discussed in this article that have been shown to be effective in other disciplines. Future research should explore the presence and use of recruitment and retention plans in rehabilitation counselor education programs. In addition, qualitative research is warranted to explore the experiences of faculty of color, international faculty, and women.

Recruiting for Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs: Twenty Years Later

Purpose:To examine changes in recruitment procedures over the past 20 years and the effect of these changes on the number of students entering rehabilitation programs at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA).Method:The authors reviewed recruitment practices at CSULA and student enrollment of graduates and undergraduates in rehabilitation programs in 1993 and compared the recruitment practices and student enrollment in rehabilitation programs in 2014.Results:Some of the methods used in 1993 are still in use today. However, the establishment of technology has created new opportunities for recruitment with positive effect. The undergraduate program has grown from 100 students in 1993 to 450 students in 2014. The graduate program has increased from 15 students to 28 students accepted annually, turning away two-thirds of potential graduate students who have applied for admission to the program.Conclusion:To enhance recruitment, it is important to reach as many students as possible, which can be done with the creative use of technology as well as retaining effective recruitment practices used in the past.