Rehabilitation Counseling: A Career Overview - Assignment Example

Rehabilitation Counseling Teacher’s ID Rehabilitation Counseling Profession’s Overview Rehabilitation counselors, as the term indicates, assist individuals experiencing trauma caused by physical and mental disabilities for regaining emotional strength to pursue life independently. Since some disabilities may have a paralyzing impact on patients that would influence them to withdraw from normal human functioning, rehabilitation counselors assist these patients in accepting their disabilities and also adjust their lifestyle accordingly (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics n.p). In order to do so, the profile of patient in terms of their interests, social background, education and health is analyzed by the counselors. In the later phase of rehabilitation, a holistic regime is designed by such counselors. It is important to note that rehabilitation counselors often act as liaisons between medical facilitation agencies surrounding patients’ treatment. While doing so, these counselors consult doctors, physicians, therapists and other psychological counselors to design the whole treatment regime. In addition to that, where clients are unable to get access of other medical facilities, rehabilitation counselors may further help them in this regard. The rehabilitation plans designed to overcome physical and psychological effects of disabilities are designed in accordance with cultural, religious and social beliefs of the patient and also address patients’ goals, values and personal limitations. Where rehabilitation counselors are responsible for providing special counseling to patients that would assist them in adjusting with their limitations, they are also special source of guidance for employers as well. Various national and international laws along with state and community-based practices require employers to provide necessary facilities and resources to disabled employees and also avoid any practice that can be categorized as bias against disability. Where counselors come across any type of disability on which they lack expertise or prior experience, they are required to perform research regarding facilities and community based resources that would allow their clients to function independently. Another important part of rehabilitation counseling is follow-up and monitoring client’s progress and adjusting the treatment regime in the later phase. Also, rehabilitation counselors are expected to represent rights of community they live in by advocating people with disabilities at different forums (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics N.p). There are also several specializations in rehabilitation counseling as well. These specializations may vary from assisting students with disabilities to veterans from military service having experienced physical or mental trauma (Frain and Bethal 13). Also, elderly counseling and patients experiencing disabilities caused by various forms of accidents are also catered by rehabilitation counselors (Careerinfonet n.p). Other specializations may include employee assistance, expert testimony, job placement, life care planning, marriage and family counseling, mental health counseling, education and career counseling, substance abuse counseling, vocational evaluation and rehabilitation (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor n.p).The career of rehabilitation counseling begins with entry level position and progresses to intermediate, experienced, advanced, lead and senior levels especially in state- based jobs (Michigan Civil Service Commission n.p). 2) Knowledge Requirements Some of the basic professional requirements for rehabilitation counselors are therapy and counseling. This entails prior knowledge of theoretical principles and procedures involved in diagnosis of physical and mental disabilities and specific paths of treatments available. Like any other profession, rehabilitation counseling is also customer-centered. Counselors are expected to provide personalized services to their patients and clients after assessing their needs, meeting state specified standards and also evaluate customers’ satisfaction every now and then. Since rehabilitation counseling is all about assessing and responding to human psychology, it is important that such counselors are well equipped with understanding of individual differences in personal interests, motivations, preferences and cognitive functions. Behavioral models regarding cognitive disorders governing these physiological aspects of patients’ treatment are required to be known to rehabilitation counselors. Where such counselors are involved in training and providing professional education, prior knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects, is also required (Careerinfonet n.p). Appropriate command on local language mainly English, is another professional requirement. These counselors are also expected to well-equipped with acceptable use and standards of recent technology and other tools used in professional functioning. This may include necessary web and desktop based computer programs i.e. MS Office, ERPs, mailing software and internet browsers, and other office accessories i.e. photo copiers, fax machines etc. 3) Work Settings & Professional Environment Most of the rehabilitation counselors are employed by government agencies, healthcare and educational institutions. Government agencies also entail a great variety such as correctional facilities as well as government owned hospitals. Also, these counselors are employed by private sector and the non-profit organizations. The parties that rehabilitation counselors usually deal with include clients, related community, clients’ families, physicians, occupational therapists and other medical professionals, government agencies, referral groups and organizations, prospective employers and various non-profit organizations. 4) Educational for Rehabilitation Counselors Minimum level of education required for this field is bachelors however the scope of employment and services that can be provided by these counselors, are very limited. The counselors with bachelors can only perform diagnosis of issues faced by the patient and also begin the due process of service provision. However, in order to provide appropriate counseling, a Masters degree is a major requirement. Masters programs offered by many state owned and private universities, allow such students to gain grasp of rehabilitation techniques and theoretical models governing these treatments (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. N.p). In addition to mental counseling, rehabilitations counselors are taught to perform patients’ evaluations, various aspects of disabilities and related facilities available against different disabilities. Therefore, a Masters in rehabilitation is preferred. In addition to that, there are several licensing requirements that are required to be fulfilled before commencing any employment related to providing counseling to the clients and patients (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. N.p). However services like students counseling and other vocational rehabilitation services etc., do not require these licenses. These requirements vary state wise and also according to the services required. There are state licensing boards that issue these licenses. Furthermore, there are also annual requirements for license renewal by several state boards. In addition to that, some employers prefer to hire certified rehabilitation counselors (CRC) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. N.p). There are certain education, work and experience requirements that are meant to be followed before taking the test. Also, rehabilitation counselors are also required to operate under clinical supervision and get it documented for licenses and certifications. These certifications also require renewal on annual basis. In addition to educational requirements, there are several core requirements of person-centered approach in rehabilitation counseling including congruence, unconditional positive regard and empathy (Ross 26- 28). All these core conditions are relevant to various therapeutic interventions used in rehabilitation counseling. One of these techniques is narrative therapy. According to Biggs and Hinton-Bayre, “Rather than simply using the clients story as a guide to understanding and treatment, narrative therapy focuses on the clients story or ‘narrative’ as a medium through which change can be effected. During the process of narrative therapy the client is encouraged to deconstruct and critically appraise their story in the search for new meanings client is encouraged to retell their story with new language and new insights. Thus, the implementation of narrative therapy may be construed as a natural extension of taking the clients problem history, where the story told serves as the content foundation for the therapeutic process. (16).” Narrative therapy allows counselors to use congruence as the key core value. 5) Skills Requirement for Rehabilitation Counselors One of the major skills required for rehabilitation counselors is compassion. Being able to sympathize and understand the trauma faced by clients and communicate at client’s level allows rehabilitation counselors to express their ideas in an appropriate manner. This skill is further supported by effective communication skills. These skills encompass oral/ written comprehension and expression along with speech clarity. Another aspect of effective communication skills is active listening. Rehabilitation counselors are expected to take time to listen to and understand patients’ concerns and difficulties faced by them. Active listening also allows rehabilitation counselors to intervene at appropriate times and ask relevant questions. In order to be an active listener, counselors are further required to have social perceptiveness as it allows them to understand patients’ reaction in the light of patient’s history known to them. Conveying information verbally and in written makes an important part of rehabilitation counseling as they would be dealing with clients as well as external agencies on frequent basis. Rehabilitation counselors are expected to be critical thinkers so that they can assess available options for treatment with reference to patient’s case history, evaluate their viability and utilities offered by them and take most feasible treatment measures. In addition to that, evaluating personal performance as well as other professionals’ approach involved in patients’ treatment and also other organizations comes under the umbrella of desired skills for rehabilitation counselors (Careerinfonet n.p). It is important to note that professional rehabilitation counseling is a time taking process that depends on patient’s ability to respond as well as counselors’ professional skills. Therefore, such counselors are expected to have patience to allow patients accept new changes at their own pace. 6) Job Outlook According to U.S. department of labor, the jobs in the field of rehabilitation counseling are expected to increase by 20 percent toll 2022. This median is fairly higher than the other occupations. In addition to that, the need for elderly counseling is expected to be higher in rehabilitation requirements. Given below are the statistics of rehabilitation counseling and its comparison with other professions. 7) Limitations Faced by Rehabilitation Counselors In order to follow standards set for rehabilitation counselors, incumbents applying for this field are ensured to have complete command over most spoken language, which in case of United States is English. However, the demographic composition of United States includes a high percentage of immigrants and individuals from various ethnic groups having different languages as means of communication. In reality, it is very difficult for rehabilitation or any other kind of counselor to have command over linguistic and cultural values of all the clients. Since ability to communicate well is one of the most important requirements for rehabilitation counseling as a profession, catering the needs of all the clients at optimum level can be difficult to manage. Secondly, rehabilitation counselors are expected to keep their own beliefs and values intact to themselves and avoid any kind of transference and transfer of their own beliefs in clients’ philosophical approach (Rudnick n.p). Since some rehabilitation counselors may have pre-determined attitude towards a certain ethnicity, they are required to ensure that these beliefs do not compromise the quality of service provided by them. Also, any kind of political and religious beliefs must not interfere in the course of treatment. Furthermore, a philosophical approach should be developed by rehabilitation counselors that address needs of diverse groups instead of their own self- interest. Hence, such counselors are required to keep clients’ welfare in the centre of treatment and learn to dissociate their own beliefs from it. Neglect of cultural variables may have critical repercussions for rehabilitation counselors. According to Wong-Hernandez and Wong, “They include lack of contact and experience with other cultures, the need to simplify rather than complicate perceptions within a cultural context, fears which lead to stereotyping others because of cultural backgrounds, ethnocentric bias, and equating diversity with elitism. These factors are often at the root of much emotional conflict within and between individuals (103).” Lack of knowledge about clients’ culture and pre-existence of cultural bias may lead to compromised treatment quality. Since rehabilitation counselors may come across different segments of clients having differences other than culture, development of skills catering to needs of multiple clients’ segments is a time taking process. Requirements for vocational rehabilitation can be different than those dealing with elderly patients. Also, change of industry i.e. government, private and non-profit, may also have its impact on types of services offered by a rehabilitation counselors. Therefore, it is important that specializations of interest are well considered before taking certification ((Frain and Bethal 15). Like any other profession, rehabilitation counseling is also surrounded by a code of ethics defined by governing bodies like American Rehabilitation Counseling Association. It is essential for counselors to have complete command over and understanding of this code and they understand relevance of these principles to their routine practice as well as exceptional circumstances. Works Cited Biggs, Herbert C., and Anton D. Hinton-Bayre. “Telling tales to end wails: Narrative therapy techniques and rehabilitation counseling.” Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling 14.1 (2008): 16-25. EBSCOhost. Web. 25 February, 2014. Ross, Crisp. “Person-centered rehabilitation counseling: Revisiting the legacy of Carl Rogers.” Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling 17.1 (2011): 26-35. EBSCOhost. Web. 25 February, 2014. Career One Stop. “Rehabilitation Counselors.” Career Info Net. U.S. Department of Labor, 2014. Web. 25 February, 2014. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Rehabilitation Counselors.” Occupational Outlook Handbook. Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projections, 8 January 2014. Web. 25 February, 2014. Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. “Rehabilitation Counseling.” N.p, 2014. Web. 25 February, 2014. Michigan Civil Service Commission. “Rehabilitation Counselor.” Michigan.gov. N.p, n.d. Web. 25 February, 2014. Rudnick, Abraham. Ethics in Rehabilitation. In: JH Stone, M Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation, 2010. Web. Wong-Hernandez, Lucy and Daniel W. Wong. “The effects of language and culture variables to the rehabilitation of bilingual and bicultural consumers: a review of literature study focusing on Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans.” Disability Studies Quarterly 22.2 (2002): 101- 119. Frain, Michael P. and Mary Bethal. “A roadmap of rehabilitation counseling to serve military veterans with disabilities.” Journal of Rehabilitation 76.1 (2010): 13-21. Read More