SECTION 5: CLINICAL REHABILITATION COUNSELING

D. CLINICAL REHABILITATION COUNSELING

Students who are preparing to specialize as clinical rehabilitation counselors will demonstrate the professional knowledge and skills necessary to address a wide variety of circumstances within the clinical rehabilitation counseling context. Counselor education programs with a specialty area in clinical rehabilitation counseling must document where each of the lettered standards listed below is covered in the curriculum.

  1. FOUNDATIONS
    1. history and development of rehabilitation counseling
    2. theories and models related to rehabilitation counseling
    3. social science theory that addresses psychosocial aspects of disability
    4. principles, models, and documentation formats of biopsychosocial case conceptualization and treatment planning
    5. neurobiological and medical foundation and etiology of addiction and co-occurring disorders
    6. etiology and effects of disabilities and terminology relevant to clinical rehabilitation counseling
    7. screening and assessment instruments that are reliable and valid for individuals with disabilities
  2. CONTEXTUAL DIMENSIONS
    1. roles and settings of rehabilitation counselors
    2. relationships between clinical rehabilitation counselors and medical and allied health professionals, including interdisciplinary treatment teams
    3. rehabilitation service delivery systems, including housing, independent living, case management, public benefits programs, educational programs, and public/proprietary vocational rehabilitation programs
    4. rehabilitation counseling services within the continuum of care, such as inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization and aftercare, and the rehabilitation counseling services networks
    5. operation of an emergency management system within rehabilitation agencies and in the community in relation to accommodating individuals with disabilities
    6. diagnostic process, including differential diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic classification systems, including the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
    7. potential for substance use disorders to mimic and/or co-occur with a variety of neurological, medical, and psychological disorders
    8. impact of crisis and trauma on individuals with disabilities
    9. impact of biological and neurological mechanisms on disability
    10. effects of co-occurring disabilities on the client and family
    11. effects of discrimination, such as handicapism, ableism, and power, privilege, and oppression on clients’ life and career development
    12. classifications, indications, and contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications for appropriate medical referral and consultation
    13. effects of the onset, progression, and expected duration of disability on clients’ holistic functioning (i.e., physical, spiritual, sexual, vocational, social, relational, and recreational)
    14. transferable skills, functional assessments, and work-related supports for achieving and maintaining meaningful employment for people with disabilities
    15. role of family, social networks, and community in the provision of services for and treatment of people with disabilities
    16. environmental, attitudinal, and individual barriers for people with disabilities
    17. assistive technology to reduce or eliminate barriers and functional limitations
    18. legislation and government policy relevant to rehabilitation counseling
    19. cultural factors relevant to rehabilitation counseling
    20. professional issues that affect rehabilitation counselors, including independent provider status, expert witness status, forensic rehabilitation, and access to and practice privileges within managed care systems
    21. record keeping, third party reimbursement, and other practice and management issues in rehabilitation counseling
    22. professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials relevant to the practice of clinical rehabilitation counseling
    23. legal and ethical considerations specific to clinical rehabilitation counseling
  3. PRACTICE
    1. diagnostic interviews, mental status examinations, symptom inventories, psychoeducational and personality assessments, biopsychosocial histories, assessments for treatment planning, and assessments for assistive technology needs
    2. career- and work-related assessments, including job analysis, work site modification, transferrable skills analysis, job readiness, and work hardening
    3. strategies to advocate for persons with disabilities
    4. strategies for interfacing with medical and allied health professionals, including interdisciplinary treatment teams
    5. strategies to consult with and educate employers, educators, and families regarding accessibility, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, and accommodations

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