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About the Program

This Rehabilitation Counseling Program is nationally accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education. We prepare professionals who can effectively deliver rehabilitation services to persons with disabilities. The program requires 60 credits the focuses on counseling, measurement & research, specialization areas and clinical studies.

Upon graduation, the student will be eligible to be nationally certified rehabilitation counselors, nationally certified counselors and sit for the State of Florida licensure exam. The program sets no maximum on the number of students accepted each year, but has strict criteria including a personal interview with each qualified applicant. The program admits full-time students and a few courses are offered online.

The admission process occurs in both the fall, spring and summer semesters. Student outcomes are evaluated yearly as part of an overall program evaluation.

Average time to complete the program

The majority of students may complete the program in 2.5 years. The Graduate School policy allows students up to six years to complete their graduate studies.

National Certification eligibility for program graduates and passing rates for Certified Rehabilitation Counseling Examination

Clinical rehabilitation counselors become eligible to apply for national credentials as a result of successful completion of our Rehabilitation Counseling program. Graduates are eligible for national certification as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).

In addition, graduates will also be eligible to become a Professional Vocational Evaluator, to take the CRC exam and become a National Certified Counselor. Students take the CRC exam as the comprehensive examination for our program and graduate as Certified Rehabilitation Counselors.

Mission

Our mission is to prepare competent rehabilitation counselors to fulfill the national critical shortage of diverse and trained professionals who can provide vocational and rehabilitation counseling and services to individuals with physical or mental disabilities in a variety of settings (e.g., vocational rehabilitation, private and public agencies, federal agencies, schools, assistive technology, hospitals, treatment centers, assisted living facilities). Our program trains counselors to meet the challenges involved in working in a multiethnic, multicultural, and urban environment. The second part of our mission is to provide both educational experiences that emphasize practice and theory as well as opportunities for professional and personal growth. Finally, it is our intent to produce ethical and responsible rehabilitation counselors who assist clients struggling with physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities. 

Rehabilitation Counseling Objectives

To prepare competent and ethical rehabilitation counseling professionals who: 

  1. Understand and act according to the ethical principles of the American Counseling Association (2014), the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, and the Florida legal statutes. 
  2. Understand the wide variety of theories, techniques and interventions of counseling with individuals with disabilities. 
  3. Function as program evaluators and interpreters/consumers of empirical research in the field of counseling, consultation and rehabilitation counseling. 
  4. Recognize the value and importance of on-going self-analysis, self-improvement and life-long learning. 
  5. Understand, master, and apply subject matter from the following areas:
    1. Personality and counseling theories and practice
    2. Human development theories
    3. Psychopathology, diagnosis, and treatment planning
    4. Substance abuse
    5. Human sexuality theory and impacts with individuals with disabilities
    6. Group theories and practice
    7. Measurement and appraisal
    8. Research concepts and applications
    9. Career, vocational assessment, and vocational counseling
    10. Crisis counseling and interventions
    11. Legal, ethical, and professional standards
    12. Multicultural and cross-cultural counseling
    13. Medical, psychological, and social issues of individuals with disabilities
    14. Case management and service delivery in vocational rehabilitation counseling
    15. Basic principles, concepts, and procedures in public and private vocational rehabilitation counseling
    16. Transition youth and job placement services for individuals with disabilities
  6. Are able to engage in the pursuit of new knowledge in the profession of counseling and rehabilitation counseling.

Outcomes

Visit Program Outcomes for information on enrollment, retention, graduation, career placement and other metrics. This program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education.

Requirements 

The Rehabilitation Counseling program requires the completion of 60 semester hours of academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree and includes four major components: Counseling Core, Rehabilitation Specialization, Measurement and Research, and Clinical Experience.

Counseling Core (27 credits): These courses are designed to advance the theoretical and practical application of counseling skills and techniques in the areas of individual and group counseling, as well as systems interventions. These courses include:

· EDP 6277 Human Development Across Lifespan
· MHS 5340 Educational & Vocational Counseling
· MHS 5400 Counseling Skills & Techniques
· MHS 6200 Measurement & Appraisal in Counseling
· MHS 6428 Cross Cultural Counseling
· MHS 6511 Group Counseling
· MHS 6630 Program Evaluation & Research in Counseling
· MHS 6700 Legal, Ethical, & Professional Issues in Counseling
· MHS 6802 Personality Theories

Rehabilitation Specialization (21 credits): These courses are designed to provide a focus on topics most pertinent to working with clients presenting with a variety of concerns in the areas of Rehabilitation settings. These courses include:

· MHS 6411 Advanced Counseling & Consultation in Community Settings
· MHS 6427 Adult Psychopathology
· MHS 6470 Human Sexuality Counseling
· RCS 6031 Rehabilitation Counseling: Principles & Practices
· RCS 6080 Medical Aspects of Disability
· RCS 6245 Psychological/Sociological Aspects of Disability
· RCS 6625 Service Delivery & Case Management in Rehabilitation

Clinical Experience (12 credits): These courses occur at the end of the training program and are designed to provide students with the opportunity to practice the knowledge and skills acquired in the program. Interns will participate in activities equal to that of a regular Rehabilitation Counselor but with close university and site supervision. These courses include:

· RCS 6801 Advanced Practicum in Rehabilitation Counseling
· RCS 6821 Supervised Field Experience in Rehabilitation Counseling (Internship)