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The Rehabilitation Programs at GWU
For over 30 years The George Washington University's Rehabilitation Program
has been a vital player in the education of rehabilitation professionals
working with people who have disabilities. GWU's
philosophy is to help prepare professionals to empower persons with
disabilities to help themselves.
GWU's program encompasses the philosophical
foundations of rehabilitation; organizational structure of public,
not-for-profit, and private vocational settings; individual, group and
family counseling theories; behavior and personality theory; human
development; multicultural counseling; attitudinal and environmental
barriers for people with disabilities; rehabilitation services; case
management; medical and psychosocial aspects of disability; job development
and placement and ethical standards for rehabilitation counselors.
What is
Rehabilitation Counseling?
Rehabilitation Counselors are concerned with assisting individuals who have
disabilities with maximizing their potential and their independence.
Rehabilitation counselors work with individuals who have a variety of
physical, mental and emotional disabilities, as defined in the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the 1998 Amendments to the Rehab Act , as well as in the Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA). They assist individuals who have disabilities in vocational,
independent living and educational pursuits.
The current trend for people working in the rehabilitation counseling field
is to obtain a Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or a closely
related field and to obtain national certification as a Certified
Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC). The CRC is administered through the
Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). The MA
degree has recently been affirmed in the 1998 Amendments to the
Rehabilitation Act. Individuals who receive the MA degree in
Rehabilitation Counseling are also eligible for most counseling licensure
exams after taking an additional 3 classes. It is important to check
with the state in which you would like to practice in for licensing
requirements. Individuals who want to become rehabilitation counselor
educators, researchers or administrators need to go beyond the master's
degree and obtain a doctoral degree.
Where are Rehabilitation Counselors Typically Employed?
Rehabilitation Counselors work in a variety of settings, the typical
categories of settings are public, private non-profit, and private
for-profit rehabilitation settings. Typical settings in which
rehabilitation counselors may be employed include:
- State
Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies
- Community-based
rehabilitation agencies (often specializing with populations such as
individuals who have developmental disabilities, chronic mental health
issues, or specific medical disabilities such as HIV/AIDS)
- Private
Rehabilitation Agencies
- Insurance
Companies
- Public School
Systems
- Hospitals
- Colleges/Universities
- Independent
Living Centers
- Employee
Assistance Programs within a corporation
- Job Training
Centers
Rehabilitation counselors may
also be employed in non-traditional settings such as in community
counseling agencies, substance abuse agencies and human resource
departments.
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