The option for specialization is explored to address expanding roles for rehabilitation counselors. Several important considerations are identified for Rehabilitation Counselor Education (RCE) program faculty opting for a specialization. Development of specialty tracks in psychiatric and developmental disabilities are offered as viable options for a master's degree program in rehabilitation counseling. Authors discuss a model using a collaborative capacity-building process in response to national and state needs of persons with disabilities relative to rehabilitation counseling specialization.

Rehabilitation research provides the foundation for effective services to persons with disabilities. As a required course by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accreditation standards, the research course in the rehabilitation counseling curriculum remains a difficult one for students, as direct application to practice is not readily apparent. This article provides a review of the CORE standards and recommended curriculum design for the research and program evaluation course. The application of evidence-based practice and program evaluation in rehabilitation counseling is discussed.

The 2004 Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) standards were revised to include Human Growth and Development (HGD) as a knowledge domain. The HGD domain introduces a significant amount of new content to the curriculum, including several topics that have not traditionally appeared in the rehabilitation counselor educational curriculum. Thus, this domain presents both an educational challenge and an educational and professional opportunity. Our purposes in this article are to review the place of HGD in the CORE curriculum and in rehabilitation counseling practice; to describe the HGD knowledge domain and its educational outcomes; and to discuss educational perspectives on this knowledge domain in the preservice curriculum. We propose that the inclusion of the HGD domain provides an opportunity for improving professional practice and for exploring our current and future professional roles.

A national sample of 21 international students in Rehabilitation Counseling Education (RCE) programs was surveyed on their connection to their programs, the stressors they experienced during graduate studies, and their recommendations for RCE programs to better support international students. Participants engaged in limited social activities due to time limitations, cultural and language barriers, and limited social opportunities. Further, participants suggested that RCE programs need to possess awareness and understanding of international student needs and offer assistance with social support, financial resources, career development, language skills, and cultural transitions. Implications and recommendations from the findings are offered.

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) acceptance has been explored by many research teams over the last 30 years. However, none of the prior studies explored the multitude of demographic variables that may influence VR acceptance and the possible interactions of those variables with VR acceptance. Extrapolating demographic variables from the national RSA-911 database of persons who sought vocational rehabilitation services, a Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) and the backwards elimination method of entry were used as the test statistic. Race, education, monthly public assistance at application, and marital status, respectively, were significantly correlated to VR acceptance. Implications for VR counselors and educators are discussed.

An ethics project is described that challenged students to collaborate with disability rights authorities to co-write a code of ethics for a Center of Independent Living. Experiential and reflective assignments analyzed how the construction of knowledge and language is never value-neutral, and people with disabilities need to have a voice in decisions that affect their lives. Insights from the project suggest considerations for teaching students to construct ethical knowledge that is empathetic and respectful to the culture for which a code of ethics will be applied, in this case, the experience of disability from a social model perspective.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 10% of the world's population has some kind of disability (Poverty and Disability, 2000), yet many of the individuals who live in developing nations lack access to rehabilitation services. In this paper the authors share their concerns and rationale regarding the role of the United States in preparing international students. Specific recommendations to promote the growth of international rehabilitation education and collaboration include (a) accelerating collaborative research and training activities, (b) coordinating international scholars exchange and internship programs, (c) advocating disability rights through political activism, (d) encouraging student involvement in non-governmental agencies, (e) emphasizing cultural sensitivity in rehabilitation education curriculum and research activities, and (f) reviving university-based international rehabilitation programs.

This article provides a historical overview of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AAPISIs) and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). A review of the history of MSIs and their inception is covered. Also, trends in federal support for MSIs is provided to gain a better understanding of the importance of these institutions to the field of rehabilitation counseling. A historical perspective of rehabilitation counselor education programs is provided including the role of the Council on Rehabilitation Education. Implications for additional empirical research are provided.

Early definitions of cultural diversity focused primarily on race/ethnicity, with subsequent inclusion of age, gender, sexual orientation, class, religion, geography, and a combination of positionalities. More recently, social justice has resurfaced as a component of cultural diversity to explain experiences of people of color, women, and marginalized groups. This article examines the movement to include cultural diversity and social justice in rehabilitation education, and offers a model for curriculum development in light of the new CORE standards.

A study of rehabilitation educators was conducted to ascertain their publication productivity, defined as number of published refereed journal articles. Participants included 93 faculty members representing 57 rehabilitation education programs. The mean number of total published refereed journal articles over a career was 27.97 for the entire group, 12.61 for assistant professors, 21.33 for associate professors, and 39.76 for full professors. The annual on average publication rate was 2.35 for the entire group, 4.37 for assistant professors, 1.85 for associate professors, and 1.86 for full professors. Rehabilitation educators may use this information to set personal publication goals. Administrators may use this information to evaluate and mentor faculty.

In the field of rehabilitation services, substance abuse counseling requires unique skills. Post-baccalaureate academic certificate programs offer professionals an opportunity to retool or expand their skills and meet licensure needs in this evolving field. East Carolina University's online Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate Program was established to address both changes to the state's certification and licensure requirements and workforce development needs. This article will describe the evolution and refinement of the certificate program.

This paper addresses the topic of assistive technology (AT) to offer a direction for its future role within the rehabilitation profession. A brief overview of the five AT legislative acts to date is provided. Next, future considerations for AT are offered in the context of what we know within the U.S. and global communities followed by the imperative to apply AT evenly to all types of disabilities as well as all groups defined by various demographic dimensions. Recommendations for improving the viability of research efforts for AT are provided along with several strategies for mainstreaming its role within graduate rehabilitation education programs to develop a future workforce that has a more astute understanding of AT and a greater inclination to use it. The current status of AT in producing clinical outcomes is discussed. Finally, frameworks for involving key stakeholder voices to holistically evaluate the success of AT policy as well as measure its impact are provided.

This study is a comparative analysis of the impact of traditional face-to-face training contrasted with a blended learning approach, as it relates to improving skills, knowledge and attitudes for enhancing practices for achieving improved employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. The study included two intervention groups: one participated exclusively in a half-day traditional face-to-face training program entitled Disability is Diversity; the other participated in both the traditional program and also accessed a series of additional online tutorials to reinforce knowledge translation. The pre-/post-analysis of participants indicated a statistically significant increase in knowledge and intentions of improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities across both groups. A six-month post-training follow-up provided important details about the continued impact of training on improving employment for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, participants who participated in the blended learning model were more likely to advocate the use of leading practices compared to those who attended only the traditional program. Thus, use of a blended learning model appears to increase capacity building of practicing professionals as they approach employment issues for people with disabilities as an issue of diversity, leading toward improved employment outcomes.

This paper examines applications of action research to rehabilitation education. An overview of action research is provided, and specific examples of action research in rehabilitation and other professions are illustrated. Emphasis is placed on utilizing action research to evaluate teaching and student learning and develop scientist practitioners who engage in active self-reflection about their practices.

The historical evolution of the rehabilitation profession is addressed, and current issues facing rehabilitation educators and professionals are identified. Clearly, both our practice environments and our consumers are continuously evolving and becoming more diverse. Simultaneously, a need exists to be seen as a stable, unified profession. Specific issues including the continuing development of private rehabilitation licensure and accreditation, increasing consumer diversity, and movement toward evidence-based practices are identified as critical issues for rehabilitation educators and professionals.

This study was an exploratory investigation of the perceptions of current doctoral students and recent graduates from rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation psychology programs on professional identity, professional associations, and recruitment. These three issues were selected based on the likelihood that students and recent graduates would have a different perspective than current leaders who are in the process of addressing these issues and would provide useful information. Participants' professional identities varied, but most felt that a unified identity for the discipline is important; a high percentage of participants held membership in at least one professional association; and most participants reported a willingness to recommend a master's or doctoral degree in rehabilitation counseling to a relative or friend.

The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) has taken a proactive stance on perceived test inequities of the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam as it relates to people who are prelingually deaf and hard of hearing. This article describes the process developed and implemented by the CRCC to help maximize test equity for this target group. Using recommendations from a group of national experts in deafness and rehabilitation, focus groups examined exam items considered linguistically difficult items for people who are deaf or hard of hearing and, from that effort, developed guidelines that could be used to address linguistic complexity concerns for future test items.

Positive and negative rehabilitation experiences as a child and as an adult are examined to assess their effect as a consumer of rehabilitation services and as a rehabilitation counselor educator. The importance of case management, social supports, and use of an individualized treatment approach to rehabilitation are highlighted. This article concludes with a discussion of teachable moments and lessons learned that should be beneficial to both rehabilitation counselor educators and their students.

Current distance learning technological advances allow real and virtual classrooms to unite. In this program evaluation study, focus group, participatory action, and qualitative research strategies (Yin, 1994) were used to explore the quality and benefits of infusing elements of three distance learning modalities into the traditional rehabilitation counseling classroom. Participants were students with multiple experiences in hybrid classes in which in-person instruction was integrated with at least one distance learning modality. The distance learning alternatives involved were interactive television, web-conferencing using a live stream from interactive television, the learning management system (e. g., Blackboard) and/or the collaboration platform or enhancement to learning management system (e. g., Elluminate). Student feedback was generated on the quality and effectiveness of hybrid models, as well as on the benefits and advantages of these models for rehabilitation education in the rural area served. Results indicate that the modalities can be integrated while maintaining discernible quality and learning effectiveness. Most notably, hybrid models may have distinct advantages over the traditional classroom in isolated rural regions and students who for a variety of reasons find it difficult to meet in traditional classrooms. Students with specialized interests can be linked to each other and to needed resources.

Distance education is constantly evolving and improving. To stay current, effective online instructors must utilize the most innovative, evidence-based teaching methods available to promote student learning and satisfaction in their courses. One emerging teaching method, referred to as blended online learning (BOL), involves collaborative education across multiple university settings. In this article, we describe an inter-university educational collaboration designed to connect students from various academic institutions using the BOL teaching method. The article begins with an overview of the theoretical framework that informs the BOL method, followed by an overview of the method and its key components. Benefits of this collaborative learning effort to students, educators, universities, and the profession are also provided. The article culminates with implications for using the BOL method with rehabilitation educators, including collaborative teaching tips for working in educator and student teams.

The special education and rehabilitation literature is replete with articles examining transition planning, services and supports; however, transition models have typically been developed for the school context and not focused on other transition team members. These school-based models are important; however, models developed from the perspectives of other key partners could provide valuable insight and enhance transition team functioning. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) professionals are often the only link that transition programs have to employment; therefore, VR counselor perceptions of essential competency domains need to be understood by both school and adult agency professionals alike. This study collected data from 291 vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors from three Midwestern states. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify an underlying transition domain structure. Seven transition domains areas are presented and conferred. Implications and proposed directions for future research are discussed.

Applied training of pre-practicum, practicum, and internship are important gateway experiences for rehabilitation counselors-in-training. Counselor educators and supervisors must be aware of requirements and expectations of counselor-in-training supervision and common ethical issues specific to these clinical experiences of rehabilitation counselors-in-training and their supervisors/faculty. The authors identify and discuss the CORE standards for practicum and internship in the preparation of rehabilitation counselors. Information is presented on the preparation phase, mandatory aspects of fieldwork and implications for curriculum standards, as well as supervision, and ethical and legal issues.

We reviewed 11 well-recognized counseling theories, seeking those that best fit requirements of rehabilitation counselors and clients. We looked specifically for methods that were goal-oriented, supported counselor-client collaboration, and were person-centered, brief, and evidence based. Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) fit our criteria on four of five dimensions. We describe these two counseling modalities and illustrate techniques, using hypothetical examples from rehabilitation counseling contexts, and provide specific recommendations for rehabilitation educators.

This article provides suggestions for curriculum modifications that may be necessary to meet the new Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) Standard C.9, Medical, Functional, and Environmental Implications of Disability. Specifically addressed are (a) goals and objectives for meeting the new standards, (b) suggestions for new curricular units, (c) teaching strategies to convey new and revised content, (d) methods for assessing outcomes, and (e) primary resources for instructors and students. A discussion of conclusions and future issues is also presented.

Labor Market Survey (LMS) and labor market analysis knowledge and methodologies are minimum competencies expected of rehabilitation counselors through credentialing and accreditation boards. However, LMS knowledge and methodology is an example of a contemporary oral tradition that is universally recognized in rehabilitation and disability services but that the literature fails to document its use or to offer commonly accepted methodologies. This article proposes a definition of LMS as it is used in these services given the survey of small population censuses or samples as well as to apply the best practices accepted in survey research to offer a 12-step model to assist rehabilitation and disability practitioners to develop more valid and reliable LMSs for vocational exploration, plan development and support, job placement, or in determining employability, placeability, and earning capacity. The 12-step LMS model is the first comprehensive theoretical method offered in the rehabilitation counseling literature that introduces a dynamic and flexible framework of primary data collection of labor market information that could be utilized in clinical and forensic practice with highly heterogeneous population of individuals with disabilities in order to meet the minimum credentialing and accreditation competencies expected of those entering the field of rehabilitation counseling.

The present study explored whether students would be attracted to having an intimate relationship with a wheelchair user if participants were able to first see a head shot photo and later read a short biography of the person. Four hundred and eight undergraduate students were surveyed regarding their interest in potentially being friends, dating or marrying a wheelchair user. Sixty-six percent indicated they would have no problem dating and/or marrying a wheelchair user. A MANOVA revealed significant differences between gender, type of relationship, and experience with a prior disability relationship. Personal characteristics of intelligence, humor and appearance rated most highly. Those unwilling to date and/or marry their selection cited that the partner would be too much work, interaction would be awkward, and the partner would be sick often. Educators may benefit from training counselors about misconceptions regarding sexuality, whereas counselors can role play and provide clients with insights regarding societal beliefs.

Assessment represents a foundational component of rehabilitation counseling services. The revised Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) standards implemented in 2004 resulted in the redesign of the knowledge and outcomes under the Assessment standard. The author reviews the current CORE standard for training in assessment within the context of rehabilitation counselors’ roles as informed consumers of assessment. Further, the author reviews current educational practices and evaluation methods intended to develop competency in assessment. An alternative framework for providing training in assessment is provided.

This study examined which of two training models delivered through the internet led to better cultural competence in resolving ethical dilemmas with a sample of rehabilitation professionals. One type of training involved teaching a transcultural integrative model of ethical decision-making while the other training involved using the same transcultural model plus providing additional multicultural counseling theory concepts. Results showed that while both models resulted in significantly higher competence in resolving ethical dilemmas over time, there was no difference in competence ratings between training programs. Theoretical and practical implications are provided.

This article describes direct and applied applications of Council on Rehabilitation Education standards across the educational continuum, including undergraduate studies in rehabilitation services, master's degree programs in rehabilitation counseling, doctoral programs in rehabilitation counselor education and rehabilitation psychology, and professional development and continuing educational programs.

In 2007, we offered an innovative blended graduate level rehabilitation counseling course. The course was delivered online and in Hong Kong. It included readings, PowerPoint presentations and discussion board features on Blackboard, as well as face-to-face lectures and guest speakers in a classroom context at the City University of Hong Kong. Additionally, students were required to visit various psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health programs throughout Hong Kong, and participation in the 2007 World Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health. Two faculty members and 13 students spenta total of 10 days in Hong Kong. The authors discuss the development and delivery of the course including course design, content, delivery methods and logistics. Implications are explored for teaching innovation in rehabilitation education.

This study examines 137 state vocational rehabilitation (VR) counselors' perceptions of the value of having the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential. While almost 53% of this sample included persons who were certified, the majority who were not indicated that the two major reasons for not currently having this designation were: (a) it was not required to be employed as a state VR counselor and (b) they planned to get it. In terms of perceived encouragement by master's degree program faculty to pursue the CRC credential, results reveal that for this group of vocational rehabilitation counselors, this influence did not have a substantial impact on CRC obtainment. Implications for the rehabilitation counseling field/education are discussed.

The Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) CORE revised the standards for rehabilitation counseling master's degree program accreditation in 2004. These standards seek to promote effective rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities in both private and public programs (CORE, 2008). This article focuses on the new CORE standard knowledge domain C: Employment and Career Development and its application for rehabilitation counselor educators. The issues of employment and career development have been major factors in the professional practice of rehabilitation counseling from its inception. As a key knowledge domain in the new CORE standards, competence in this domain is integral to preparation for the CRC exam and essential to incorporate in existing rehabilitation counseling graduate programs.

Individuals with disabilities have lower rates of workforce participation and lower earnings than their nondisabled peers. This article traces the history of the U.S. workforce development policy framework, including the Workforce Investment Act of 1998; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; and the impact of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act of 1999 on both of these policies. Reviewing literature and administrative data, we discuss how these policies have impacted current rehabilitation practice and identify remaining service delivery gaps. We conclude with a set of recommendations for enhancing the current workforce development policy and practice environment.

The Working Alliance, consisting of building bonds, establishing goals, and developing tasks, has been deemed the cornerstone of helping professions, and has been found to significantly and reliably predict client outcomes. The importance of client characteristics and perceptions of working alliance has been established in the literature. Less is known about service provider qualities that impact the working alliance. This study utilized 104 rehabilitation service providers to assess the impact of education, work experience, and disability category on working alliance efficacy. Results indicate that rehabilitation service providers with more education had significantly higher working alliance efficacy pertaining to clients with physical disability. This suggests that master level rehabilitation service providers have greater confidence to build bonds, identify goals, and structure tasks when working with clients with physical disabilities. No differences were found between education groups on working alliance efficacy for psychiatric disability. Work experience was found to relate to working alliance efficacy for physical disability, not psychiatric disability. The results of this study provide initial support for the notion that rehabilitation service providers with more education and more work experience demonstrate a more effective working alliance in their efforts with clients who have physical disabilities. The non significant differences in psychiatric disability working alliance scores among service providers with varying education levels and work experience may be indicative of provider stigma or burnout when working with this population.

Assistive technology (AT) benefits many individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The appropriate application of accommodation solutions, whether they involve the use of AT or not, can be a complex process involving a team of people with various backgrounds. This article describes an in-service AT training program that was developed for case managers (CMs) serving individuals with IDD. The article goes on to describe results of the course evaluations designed to measure participant knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors relating to the application of AT in developing accommodation solutions for individuals with IDD. Results indicate that CMs saw limited financial resources as a significant barrier to obtaining appropriate accommodations. However, CMs also felt better equipped to identify appropriate AT accommodation solutions and were more likely to apply AT solutions following completion of the training program.

Counselor education programs across the country often fail to attract, enroll and graduate students in proportion that reflects the diversity of the nation. As our country's demography changes, the impact of race and ethnicity within the client-counselor relationship is likely to have greater importance and, as such, counselor education programs must ensure a diverse group of students and graduates. Accordingly, counseling programs must recruit, retain and graduate minority students. This article reviews information concerning (a) the increasing diversity within the country and, in particular, student enrollment in post-secondary educational programs; (b) the importance of having a diverse counselor education student body; and (c), a minority student recruitment and retention model currently being used by a Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredited program.

The Affordable Care Act includes many new provisions for long-term services and supports (LTSS). Among these are several new options, improvements, and incentives within Medicaid to balance service systems and expand access to home and community-based services. In addition, the Affordable Care Act authorizes the establishment of a new voluntary national long-term care insurance program, the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Program. This article discusses some of the major provisions and implementation. It also examines how the major principles of rehabilitation counseling are central to advancing LTSS policy and how rehabilitation counselors can play a key role in ensuring quality LTSS services for persons with disabilities.

This research extends the Constantine et al. (2008) study which identified racial microaggressions against Black faculty working in counseling and counseling psychology programs. Semi-structured interviews and qualitative analyses were used to: (1) ascertain the existence of racial microaggressions among African American faculty employed in CORE-accredited rehabilitation counselor education programs; (2) examine the effect of racial microaggressions on the experiences of these faculty members, and (3) discuss strategies that may be used to challenge racial microaggressions. Seven themes were identified. Recommendations are offered to improve the work environment in support of retaining Faculty of Color.

Racial-ethnic backgrounds of rehabilitation counseling clientele have become increasingly diverse. Additionally, the current emphasis on globalization and international rehabilitation in diverse communities requires educators to examine teaching methods and strategies to best train rehabilitation counselors working within these complex diverse populations. Rehabilitation counseling training programs have begun to embrace multicultural practices as they are implemented in accreditation standards; however, implementation of multicultural practices in educational programs is still unclear. The purpose of this article is to define multicultural education and its role in rehabilitation counselor education. A multifaceted approach to multicultural education in rehabilitation counseling education is presented. Implications for rehabilitation counselor education programs is discussed.

The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) contains several important provisions that make postsecondary education more accessible and affordable for young adults with disabilities. This is particularly true for students with intellectual disabilities, as the law created new comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs and provided access to federal student aid to this population for the first time. This article presents a brief summary of the original Higher Education Act of 1965, as well as a detailed summary of the HEOA. Portions of the legislation specific to students with disabilities are highlighted, and specific implications for rehabilitation counselors and pre-service students are presented.

Simultaneous calls have been issued for reflective thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration in the teaching and the practice of rehabilitation counseling. This article introduces a learning tool, Fanciful Reflections, which can serve as a stimulus in such endeavors. Classroom and in-the-field applications of “fanciful reflecting” are provided to enhance the exploration of new paradigms and the further development of interdisciplinary theories, tools, and practices.

Rehabilitation practitioners are faced with a variety of complex ethical decisions in a dynamic, changing world. Attention to principle ethics, virtue ethics, critical thinking, and creativity are essential for best practice. This article presents one tool (DECK - Decision-Making that Enhances Counselor Know-How) to facilitate such ethical decision-making that utilizes the Tarvydas Integrative Decision-Making Framework of Ethical Behavior. The use of the DECK is demonstrated through sample scenarios and in a variety of rehabilitation counseling contexts.

The academic field and the professional practice of rehabilitation counseling focuses on one aspect of social justice, assisting individuals with disabilities to attain full community inclusion. Nonetheless, social justice focuses on many marginalized groups and in the related fields of counseling and psychology, those with disabilities are rarely considered to be a group experiencing social injustice. Therefore, rehabilitation counseling focuses on a single marginalized status, disability, while counseling and psychology tend to ignore disability. The goal of this article is to argue for more comprehensive training in graduate rehabilitation counseling training programs. To this end, four topics are presented: (1) a review of the social justice literature; (2) possible explanations for the findings of this review; (3) obstacles to the inclusion of social justice in the rehabilitation curriculum; and (4) recommendations for incorporating social justice into the graduate rehabilitation curriculum.

This study reports on an investigation of barriers that prevent Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) from fully participating in the federal disability and rehabilitation research and development (R&D) agenda. The Delphi technique was used to examine panelists' perceptions on the importance of contextual R&D barriers ensuing from policy/systems issues across 13 different categories. The findings provide information about what Federal research entities (e.g., National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research) and HBCU administrators can do to more effectively address the Section 21 Legislative Mandate of the 1992 Rehabilitation Act Amendments and stimulate competitive R&D participation across the HBCU community.

Historically, distance education applications served a select group of students through self-paced technical short courses that required scant to little interaction with their instructors. Today's 21st century distance education focuses on a) reaching underserved prospective students within a social justice framework, b) global recruitment, and c) interactive technological applications and interactive teaching strategies that promote the creation of cyber-learning communities. This paper provides the reader with an overview of current distance education and modified traditional course delivery modalities followed by the application of the DIPCO model to rehabilitation education.

Rehabilitation counselor education is experiencing an explosion of knowledge, which is becoming increasingly difficult to organize and disseminate to students. Communities of practice, a form of social learning, provide a way to organize and disseminate information. Distance-based education programs are increasing within the field of rehabilitation; however, due to structural restraints, these programs face unique challenges in facilitating collaborative learning among students. This article provides rehabilitation educators with a conceptual overview of communities of practice and discusses how they impact students in distance rehabilitation education programs. Recommendations are provided for facilitating distance-based, student-oriented communities of practice.

Veterans with disabilities have gained national attention in recent years because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This study examined certified rehabilitation counselors’ (CRCs ) knowledge and preparation for working with veterans with disabilities on their rehabilitation. Results indicate that CRCs report low levels of preparation in some of the areas deemed important by veterans and professionals. However, CRCs report high knowledge in many important areas to work effectively with veterans with disabilities.

National campaigns promoting the use of the term intellectual disability (ID) have culminated in the recent U.S. congressional passing of Rosa's Law. Rosa's Law changes how ID is referred to in federal disability programs by removing all references to the term, “mental retardation” (U.S Government Printing Office, October, 2010). Little is known about how the change in language will affect rehabilitation counseling practice and education. Accordingly, this article addresses the following: (a) history of the descriptors of ID, (b) the stigmatizing effects of terminology, (c) eliminating the use of the r-word through Rosa's Law, and (d) implications for the rehabilitation counseling profession.

A review of vocational rehabilitation (VR) data from a Midwestern state was conducted to identify predictors of rehabilitation outcomes for African American consumers. The database included 37,404 African Americans who were referred or self-referred over a period of five years. Logistic regression analysis indicated that except for age and disability type, none of the other demographic variables were significant predictors of vocational rehabilitation for the individuals in the sample. However, as the amount of money spent on a case increased, the probability of gaining employment increased. Recommendations for VR practice with minority consumers are suggested.

Often, the aim of distance learning (DL) is to enhance individual learning, not to change workplace practices. Changing organizational policies, practices and behaviors related to disability calls for a different DL approach that engages users and contextualizes knowledge. In the disability arena, there is a need for programming that brings about disability inclusive workplace practices by reaching more deeply within workplace cultures. Mid-level managers are key arbiters of disability inclusiveness and workplace practices, yet they are difficult to reach. We have designed and piloted a Just-in-Time (JIT) approach to reach managers that includes two phases: Phase I engages a core group within the organization, and Phase II focuses on a JIT toolkit.

The purpose of this white paper is to re-visit the call for unification of the professional associations representing rehabilitation counseling. The current status and issues associated with the multiple associations representing the discipline will be briefly reviewed. A brief history of collaborative efforts between these organizations, salient issues and trends, and observations about the critical need to unify our national professional associations will be included and discussed. Finally, a set of specific actionable steps will be recommended to move the discipline to unify and establish one professional association that represents all rehabilitation counselors both nationally and internationally.

The Internet has become an integral part of the practice of rehabilitation counseling. To identify potential ethical issues regarding the use of the Internet by counselors, two studies were conducted. In Study 1, we surveyed a national sample of rehabilitation counselors regarding their use of technology in their work and home settings. Results suggested that all counselors use email and find information on the Internet, and some also use the Internet to socialize. Some online activities in which counselors engage raise ethical concerns. Study 2 was a content analysis of ethical codes of three national counseling associations and three states that license rehabilitation counselors for the amount of guidance these codes provide regarding Internet activities. Results indicated that although the ethical use of technology has been identified in the codes, there are still areas in which the guidance is only indirect at best.

Unifying the field of rehabilitation counseling appears to be a daunting task. Many researchers have investigated this phenomenon and have also written position papers arguing for a specific identity perspective: either as a counseling specialty or as a separate profession. The current study examined beliefs about the field of rehabilitation counseling among trainees and investigated factors that influenced these beliefs. A scale was developed to collect data about perceptions of master's-level students in Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)-accredited training programs. Data were collected from 67 participants in 12 programs. Results indicated that two-thirds of trainees believed that rehabilitation counseling is a counseling specialty. Previous work experience of the trainees was most likely to influence this position.

Knowledge of group dynamics and leadership activities is a component of the CORE Standards for the Master's degree curriculum in Rehabilitation Counseling. A group experience is often included as a learning activity in rehabilitation counselor education curricula as an instructional method of imparting knowledge of group dynamics. Group experience pedagogy may include process-observer methods, T-groups, demonstration groups, role-play groups, and activity groups. The choice of group experience method must balance the needs of the counselor-in-training with protection of the public and fellow trainees from harm. Harm can be reduced through the choice of a method congruent with the type of groups rehabilitation counselors are expected to lead.

Purpose: Reported use of and satisfaction rates of vocational rehabilitation (VR) services among a small sample of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons living with various chronic illness and disability (CID) conditions in the United States were explored.

Method: Data were pulled from a larger data set that was collected via the Internet. A quantitative research design using descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests were used to analyze the data.

Results: Sexual minorities living with various CID conditions are presenting to VR for vocational services. Sexual minority women- and bisexual-identified persons were more likely to report dissatisfaction with VR services than gay men.

Conclusions: LGBT persons are experiencing an array of CID conditions and using VR services. More consideration of LGBT issues in rehabilitation counseling is necessary.

Purpose: To conduct a content analysis of the rehabilitation counseling literature to identify articles published on aging.

Method: To determine the number of articles that were published on aging in rehabilitation counseling journals, a content analysis of articles from 2000 through 2012 was performed. For purposes of this review, only full-length, peer-reviewed articles (i.e., research studies, literature reviews, and program descriptions) with abstracts were included for analysis.

Results: The prevalence of articles addressing aging in the mainstream rehabilitation counseling literature is limited over a 13-year period. Since 2000, only 24 (l.3 %) articles in rehabilitation journals account for content on aging.

Conclusion: Several facts are clear regarding older individuals, including their increased life expectancy, extended stay in the workplace, and living with a disability. Given those realities, the field of rehabilitation counseling must be poised to respond with evidence-based research to address the needs and demands of the aging population with disabilities in the workplace, around quality of life issues, and within a sociopolitical context of globalization.

Purpose: In this article, we describe how four recent models of psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID) could be fruitfully conceptualized and compared by resorting to the general framework of Lewin’s field theory—a theory frequently regarded as a precursor and the primary impetus to the development of the field of somatopsychology.

Method: Based on a comprehensive literature review and theoretical integration, we have provided the reader with a brief review of Lewin’s field theory and its applications to rehabilitation and psychosocial adaptation to CID, highlighted the main components of the four models of psychosocial adaptation to CID, and reviewed the models through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s theory.

Results: Lewin’s field theory provides a robust and viable theory to conceptualize psychosocial adjustment for CID. Research and clinical implications to practicing rehabilitation counselors and researchers based on the conceptual and practical synergy formed through the understanding of psychosocial adaptation to CID within Lewin’s theoretical framework have also been provided.

Conclusions: Lewin’s field theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding research and clinical implications related to psychosocial adaptation for individuals with CID.

This study examined the impact of positive psychological traits (positive coping, self-efficacy, and self-esteem) on the relationship between seizure severity and life satisfaction among individuals with epilepsy. Hierarchical regression analysis and correlation techniques were used to test a hypothesized tri-mediation model of life satisfaction for individuals with epilepsy. Results indicated that seizure severity and positive human traits, including positive coping, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, were indeed associated with overall life satisfaction. Self-efficacy and self-esteem (but not positive coping) fully mediated the relationship between seizure severity and life satisfaction, lending support for a dual-mediation model. These findings suggest there may be considerable value for rehabilitation psychologists and counselors to develop specialized intervention programs that focus on capitalizing these positive human traits to promote life satisfaction and well-being for clients with epilepsy.

This study examined the types of social injustice experiences rehabilitation counselor educators reported, and the relationship between different levels of social injustice experiences and infusion strategies of social justice into the curricula. The participants in the study included 101 rehabilitation counselor educators recruited from the listserv of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. A quantitative content analysis method was used. The findings showed that social injustice experiences reported by the participants tend to be multidimensional. Participants who reported a high level of exposure to social injustice experiences were more likely to infuse social justice into their curricula at a higher level than participants who reported a low level of exposure to social injustice experiences. The study revealed that gaining an understanding of social injustice in educators' personal and professional lives may foster their efforts to integrate social justice into the curricula, which in turn, may potentially enhance the social justice competency for trainees. Implications for research and practice were discussed.

While the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (MCC) can be used for all populations, there is a gap between Awareness: Attitudes and Belief, Knowledge, Skills, and Application. As many underrepresented groups are increasingly becoming a major part of the demographic transformation, being culturally competent is critical. We examined the cognitive, behavior/action, and application categories in both the 1996 and 2016 MCC. Thus, we discovered more cognitive and behavioral/action than application statements in both the 1996 and 2016 MCC. Recommendations and implications are discussed.

This article presents an overview of multiple sclerosis (MS), one of the most common neurological disorders in the western hemisphere. Medical and psychosocial aspects of the disease such as causes and risk factors, diagnosis, incidence and prevalence, symptoms, courses, and treatment are described. Existing research regarding the employment outcomes and concerns of people with MS, especially the factors associated with labor force participation, is reviewed. Intervention strategies to enable individuals with MS to retain their employment are discussed such as early education on the nature of MS, advocacy-supported disclosure, and accommodation techniques for symptom management at the workplace. Important workplace accommodations include flexible work hours and work breaks, ergonomic changes in equipment to address upper and lower body limitations, and job simplification or other compensatory strategies to minimize the impact of cognitive problems on job performance.

Purpose: The purpose of this inquiry was to examine the research skill building and career development lived experiences of a Native American who is blind serving as a disability and rehabilitation researcher at a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR)-sponsored Rehabilitation Research and Training Center based at a historically Black college/university. Acknowledging that growing as a researcher is a lifelong process, this autoethnography presents challenges, lessons learned, and strategies for overcoming obstacles that may confront ethnic minorities with disabilities seeking to improve their research skills and develop research careers in the disability and rehabilitation field. Methods: Through the method of autoethnography, self-reflective stories and narratives were examined to expose marginalized position as an ethnic minority with a disability in terms of research skill enhancement and participation barriers. Results: Emerging themes and skill building factors included familial and postsecondary educational supports, assistive technology, professional and community engagement opportunities, and peer-to-peer mentorship. Skill building challenges were also presented. Conclusions: Autoethnographic style is appropriate for not only presenting the lived research skill building and career development experiences of a minority early career investigator but also exploring factors that could be important in helping ethnic minorities with disabilities desiring to become disability and rehabilitation researchers.

Purpose: To construct and validate a new self-report instrument, the Clinical Judgment Skill Inventory (CJSI), inclusive of clinical judgment skill competencies that address counselor biases and evidence-based strategies.

Method: An Internet-based survey design was used and an exploratory factor analysis was performed on a sample of rehabilitation counselor educators’ (n = 126) ratings of clinical judgment skill importance for effective rehabilitation counseling practice.

Results: New knowledge of 7 empirically supported clinical judgment skill areas of debiasing techniques (scientific attitude, cultural bias, cognitive complexity, memory bias, confirmatory bias, negative bias, and evidence-based practice) was generated.

Conclusion: The 35-item CJSI has initial empirical evidence to support its reliability and validity and to assess clinical judgment skill competencies (debiasing techniques) of master’s students in rehabilitation counseling programs. However, follow-up studies and use of confirmatory factor analysis are needed to further test and substantiate the CJSI’s content and construct validity.

Although research supports a relationship between work and psychological factors, one area not studied is the relationship between preferred career value and psychological factors. This study investigated the relationship between preferred career values and psychological problems for individuals with disabilities. Career values have been shown to have an important impact on vocational outcomes. The results indicated that a preference for Independence, Recognition, Achievement, and Relationships were associated with clinical levels of psychological problems. Implications for rehabilitation counselors are discussed.

Purpose: Psychiatric rehabilitation is recognized as a field with specialized knowledge and skills required for practice. The certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner (CPRP) credential, an exam-based certification process, is based on a regularly updated job task analysis that, in its most recent iteration, identified the new core competency domain of “supporting health and wellness.” This article explains the relevance of this domain to the current practice of psychiatric rehabilitation.

Methods: We present a multidimensional foundation model of wellness that describes the job tasks highlighted in the newest CPRP competency domain and examines implications for rehabilitation educators and practitioners who do not hold the CPRP credential but still provide rehabilitation services to individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Results: The health and wellness competencies identified for CPRPs may not translate directly into competencies needed by service providers in other roles; however, practices that involve experiencing personal goal setting and action plan implementation, especially around wellness goals, can be included across service domains.

Conclusion: Attending to the health and wellness of people with psychiatric disabilities is imperative. Rehabilitation practitioners who embrace the multidimensional foundation model of wellness can effectively provide services that are holistic and promote recovery and achievement of rehabilitation goals.

Purpose: Research on employment for people with disabilities has focused on the perspectives of people with disabilities and service providers. Empirical evidence about employer practices and their outcomes would inform the development of more targeted interventions.

Method: Scoping review was conducted of literature discussing employer-focused research.

Results: Research heavily concerned with employer attitudes and culture. Reports of studies of attitudes and behavior are primarily being published for an audience of service providers and advocates; much less is targeted at employers.

Conclusions: Results point to need for empirical evidence of employer practices and behaviors and publication outlets reaching broader employer audience.