Background: Value change is critical for individuals’ psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability. Although current value change theories facilitate our understanding of this process, limited interventions have been developed based on these theoretical frameworks.

Objective: The purpose of the study is to examine the issues with current value change theories and propose a value change application model.

Methods: A literature review approach was conducted in order to develop a value change application model by merging perspectives from rehabilitation psychology, cognitive dissonance theory, and schema theory.

Findings: The Disability Inconsistency Model is proposed in the present study.

Conclusion: The Disability Inconsistency Model views value from a dynamic perspective and identifies the catalyst to facilitate the psychosocial adaptation process. It also provides implications for the development of relevant interventions.

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.

Background: Little is known in the rehabilitation counseling profession regarding the needs and rehabilitation approaches used with seasonal and migrant farmworkers in the United States.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to provide rehabilitation counselors with awareness of the vocational needs of seasonal and migrant farmworkers. The article also provides best practice approaches to effectively provide vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to this population.

Method: The article presents a first-person narrative by a recently retired rehabilitation counselor with more than 30 years of practice experience with the California Department of Rehabilitation. The bulk of this career focused on meeting the VR needs of migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

Findings: The first-person narrative conveys best practice approaches with outreach, vocational assessment, partnerships, and job placement found helpful with seasonal and migrant farmworkers.

Conclusions: To date, the rehabilitation counseling profession has largely ignored seasonal and migrant farmworkers. We hope the readers of this article will place greater professional attention on meeting the VR needs of this population in funding, program development, and training.

Demographic data projections for the United States indicate a significant increase in the population of older persons with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates community access for individuals with disabilities, including older individuals who are aging with or aging into disabilities. However, there is limited research regarding the knowledge and the use of the ADA among this population specific to their perceptions and experiences regarding barriers and facilitators to community access and participation as mandated under the Act. The purpose of this qualitative focus group study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of a sample of older adults with disabilities regarding their community access, and their knowledge and utilization of the provisions of the ADA to facilitate community participation. Analysis of results identified three predominant themes within this sample of older adults: experiences with structural and attitudinal barriers to community access leading; fear of loss of autonomy and independence in the community, and how they deploy; coping and advocacy strategies to address barriers. Recommendations for improving ADA knowledge, access, and utilization among the population, as well as senior service providers, are also addressed.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) released qualification standards establishing the requirements for appointment as a rehabilitation counselor. The qualification standards represent a conversion of the previous vocational rehabilitation counselor occupational series to the broader discipline of rehabilitation counseling, the establishment of a national certification requirement, and conversion to the Hybrid Title 38 hiring authority to facilitate increased recruitment and retention. This article provides an overview of the new qualification standards and requirements for employment, reviews the occupation in the VHA, discusses internship opportunities, emphasizes how academia can help prepare students for service delivery to veterans, and offers guidance on connecting with a local Veterans Administration Medical Center and applying for federal employment.

Background: Functional independence represents a key outcome for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The burden of TBI on people of color (POC) is evident when examining functional outcomes post-injury. Previous studies have described racial minority status as being associated with poorer functional outcomes. However, little is known about racial disparities related to the rehabilitation care and outcomes of individuals with traumatic brain injury.

Methods: The study used data from the TBI Model Systems (TBIMS) National Database to assess 30-year trends of a total of 17,086 POC and Whites with traumatic brain injuries.

Findings: Trends were noted in rehabilitation length of stay (p = 0.002), total Functional Independence Measures (p = 0.0588) and efficiency scores (p = 0.0843) between POC and White participants. Changing trends were not evident in discharge disposition (p = 0.221).

Conclusion: Our findings show time-based changes in differences between POC when considering time spent in inpatient rehabilitation and degree of disability following TBI. This study reveals significant differences in length of stay between POC and White populations after weighting to account for age at injury and severity of injury. Prospectively, future research should consider the use of weighted analytic approaches to enable valid interpretation and implications of study findings.

The goal of the study was to determine factors associated with domestic violence in menopausal women. This was a cross-sectional study that 350 menopausal women participated. Data gathering used a World Health Organization’s violence against women instrument. Emotional violence was recognized as one of the most experienced types of domestic violence (48%). According to the multivariate logistic regression model, the status of exposure to sexual violence (before marriage) and the partner’s substance abuse was the most robust risk factors for domestic violence, while factors such as employment of women and satisfaction of income were protective against domestic violence. This study has highlighted the factors associated with domestic violence that health program managers need to address.

Hispanic/Latinx individuals disproportionately experience intimate partner violence (IPV) compared to their non-Hispanic/Latinx counterparts, and little is known about IPV among college-aged Hispanic/Latinx students. This study examines the rates of IPV victimization and perpetration and their correlates among Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic White college students by analyzing cross-sectional survey data of 3,397 Hispanic/Latinx and White college students enrolled in seven universities. Compared to their White counterparts, Hispanic/Latinx students reported higher rates of IPV victimization and perpetration. Age, gender, drug use, and adverse childhood experience were associated with both IPV victimization and perpetration, while ethnicity was only associated with IPV perpetration. This study’s findings highlight the urgent need for more culturally sensitive IPV prevention services and responses to support Hispanic/Latinx college students.

On American college campuses, numerous students have died as a result of hazing activities perpetrated in fraternities, sororities, and other student groups. Still, little is known about the common characteristics among these hazing deaths. This study aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding these fatal incidents by examining hazing deaths that occurred at institutions of higher education in the United States from 1994 to 2019. This analysis revealed common characteristics related to the victims, organizations, institutions, incidents, and outcomes of these deaths. The findings support past hazing research, as victims were predominantly males pledging social fraternities. Although hazing deaths were widespread, there was variation among institutional characteristics, region, and size. The perpetrators of these incidents faced legal ramifications, including criminal convictions and civil lawsuits. The recognition of these trends can improve our understanding of the conditions present when dangerous hazing activities occur and the best practices for prevention and response.