The Rehabilitation Counseling Program prepares students for careers in a variety of counseling settings with the primary goal of acquiring and applying the specialized knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to collaborate in a professional relationship with people who have disabilities to achieve their personal, social, psychological, and vocational goals.

REHABILITATION COUNSELING DIRECTOR

Lori A. Bruch, Ed.D. CRC, LPC
McGurrin Room 435   
Email: lori.bruch@scranton.edu
Office phone: 570-941-4308
Department phone: 570-941-4236
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING MISSION STATEMENT

The Rehabilitation Counseling Program prepares students for careers in a variety of counseling settings with the primary goal of acquiring and applying the specialized knowledge, skills, and values that will enable them to effectively assist and support individuals with disabilities throughout the rehabilitation process.  The Rehabilitation Program works towards this goal by creating an environment which encourages a commitment to life long learning, critical thinking, resource development, creative problem solving, the development of a professional network, and appreciation of the skills and abilities of persons with disabilities.
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING OBJECTIVES

The Rehabilitation Counseling program prepares rehabilitation counselors and related Rehabilitation Professionals for entry into and/or advancement in counseling-related positions in public and private rehabilitation agencies, organizations, and systems.

More specifically, the program is designed to: 

1. Enhance knowledge of rehabilitation concepts and practices
2. Provide individuals with the counseling skills necessary for functioning in rehabilitation settings
3. Increase awareness and sensitivity to disability issues
4. Prepare individuals for certification as rehabilitation counselors
5. Enhance individuals' employability in entry-level or advanced clinical positions in rehabilitation settings.

The program offers a learning environment in which the student can acquire the academic competencies of the profession and refine them through supervised practical experience. The program also provides a facilitative process through which the student can increase self-understanding, self-confidence, and personal effectiveness.
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING PROGRAM CURRICULUM

The Rehabilitation Counseling Program is a 48 credit curriculum leading to the Master of Science degree.  Thirty-nine required credits include 33 credits of coursework in principles and practices of rehabilitation counseling, three credits of practicum [100 hours of supervised counseling experience] and three credits of internship [600 hours of supervised field experience].  Nine credits of electives are offered to provide students with opportunities for additional study in individual areas of interest and for development of knowledge and skill in working with specific populations and in specific settings.  Students are strongly encouraged to include coursework in psychiatric rehabilitation, substance abuse, and family counseling.
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The Rehabilitation Counseling program at the University of Scranton, a Jesuit University, is fully accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) through 2015 www.core-rehab.org. The program requires 48 credits and has provisions for a 12-credit Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) to allow students to meet the educational requirements for licensure in Pennsylvania. The program has an option for a 12-credit concentration in rehabilitation counseling /criminal justice. An accelerated program (12 graduate credits) is available for academically talented counseling and human services undergraduate students interested in pursuing a rehabilitation counseling master’s degree. The program seeks to admit a yearly cohort of 15-20 students. The admission process occurs in both the fall and spring semesters.  Student outcomes are evaluated yearly as part of an overall program evaluation. The Program is situated within the Counseling and Human Services department which also has graduate accredited programs in both school and community counseling along with an undergraduate program in counseling and human services. An undergraduate concentration in Rehabilitation is also available.

Currently, there are 41 students in the graduate rehabilitation counseling program. The program has two full-time designated rehabilitation counseling faculty and six adjunct faculty, all are certified rehabilitation counselors. The current grade point average of the students in the program is 3.7. One third of our students come from diverse experiences including disability. A summary of key areas from the 2010-2011 academic year student evaluation process indicated the following: 100% of RC students indicated the expertise of full-time faculty met their expectations with 91% indicating that their expectations were exceeded. 100% of RC students indicated that the seriousness of students met their expectations with 69% indicating their expectations were exceeded. Additionally, 99% of RC students indicated that the adequacy of mentoring met their expectations with 74% indicating their expectations were exceeded. Finally, 100% of RC students indicated that the overall RC program met their expectations with 76% indicating that their expectations were exceeded.

For the 2010-2011 academic year, a total of thirteen students graduated from the program. All students passed the clinical requirements in practicum and internship. Seven of the thirteen students sat for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor exam and passed the exam.  Eight of the thirteen students are employed as Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors with the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation. Three are employed in behavioral health settings. One is employed by the Veteran’s Administration.  One student outcome is unknown.

The Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family therapists, and Professional Counselors is the state body responsible for licensing professional counselors. PA recognizes CORE accredited Rehabilitation Counseling programs and the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor exam as part of the requirements for licensure.
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THE REHABILITATION COUNSELING PROFESSION

According to the National Council on Rehabilitation Education, a Rehabilitation Counselor is a counselor who possesses the specialized knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to collaborate in a professional relationship with people who have disabilities to achieve their personal, social, psychological and vocational goals.  The rehabilitation counselor determines and coordinates services for people with disabilities during the entire rehabilitation process, and is the primary professional to manage components of the rehabilitation process.  Rehabilitation counselors assist persons with physical, mental, emotional, or social impairments which may result from birth, illness and disease, work-related injuries, automobile accidents, and the stresses of war, work, and daily life.  Roles and responsibilities of the rehabilitation counselor include:  counseling to assist the individual with a disability to deal with social and personal problems, plan careers, and find and keep satisfying jobs; advocacy to assist individuals as both professional organizations and advocacy groups address environmental, social attitudinal barriers which create obstacles for people with disabilities; evaluation of an individual's capacity for independent living and employment through use of assessment procedures and through arranging for medical, psychological, and vocational evaluations and through consultation with physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, vocational evaluators, rehabilitation engineers, rehabilitation technologists, and other allied health professionals; recommending and arranging appropriate rehabilitation services such as medical care, psychological services, educational services, return to work, vocational training, and job placement; working with employers and other rehabilitation professionals to identify and/or modify jobs and work tasks; and engaging in job development and placement efforts with individuals with disabilities.
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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The U.S. Department of Labor 2012-2013 forecasts that Rehabilitation Counseling  is expected to grow by 28 percent, which is faster than the average for all occupations.  Career opportunities in rehabilitation counseling are excellent.  Rehabilitation counselor education programs are not graduating sufficient numbers of qualified students to fill current and anticipated rehabilitation counseling vacancies.  In addition, in many settings rehabilitation counselors work in positions with other job titles such as counselor, job placement specialist, alcohol and drug abuse counselor, probation and parole officer, mental health counselor,  marriage and family counselor, independent living specialist, case manager, vocational evaluator, trainer, educator, disabled student services coordinator, and administrator.  Employment settings for rehabilitation counselors include:  state rehabilitation agencies, comprehensive rehabilitation centers, universities and other school settings, insurance companies, private-for-profit rehabilitation companies, substance abuse rehabilitation programs, correctional centers, mental retardation facilities, developmental disability agencies, mental health clinics, rehabilitation units in hospitals, veterans administration centers, special education/transition programs, vocational schools, programs for the elderly, independent living centers, employee assistance programs, residential programs, counseling centers, head injury rehabilitation centers, and other human service programs serving people with developmental and/or acquired disabilities. The number of people who will need rehabilitation counseling will increase as the size of the elderly population, whose members become injured or disabled at a higher rate than other age groups, increases and as treatment for mental health related disabilities increases.
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING PROGRAM ACCREDITATION

The Rehabilitation Counseling Program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education [CORE http://www.core-rehab.org/ ], a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation [CHEA].  Hence, graduates are eligible to sit for the national qualifying examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).
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REHABILITATION COUNSELOR CERTIFICATION

The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC http://www.crccertification.com/ ) was established in 1974.  The primary purpose of certification is to establish professional standards whereby persons with disabilities, related professionals, agency administrators, and the general public can evaluate the qualifications of persons practicing rehabilitation counseling and to provide assurances that professionals engaged in rehabilitation counseling will meet acceptable standards of quality in practice.  Certification is the process whereby a profession gives recognition to an individual who has fulfilled certain requirements or standards, as pre-determined by that profession.

To be eligible to sit for the CRCC examination, applicants must meet all requirements in one of 10 categories.  The two categories most relevant for students in the rehabilitation counseling program at the University of Scranton are:

Category A:  For persons having a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from a Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredited program with an internship of 600 clock-hours supervised by a certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).

Category G:  For students working towards a Master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.  In order to be eligible, a student must [a] be enrolled in a Master's degree program in rehabilitation counseling that is fully accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE); [b] have completed 75% of the coursework toward a Master's degree by the application date for the CRCC examination for which he/she is applying; and, [c] have completed an internship in rehabilitation counseling of 600 hours supervised by a CRC by graduation.

A student who applies before the appropriate deadline and qualifies under Category G may sit for the CRCC examination on the scheduled administration date.  However, the individual's examination results, profile, and certificate will be released only when CRCC received an official transcript showing Master's degree in rehabilitation counseling was granted.  The "CRC" designation may not be used by these individuals until they have received their examination profiles indicating that they passed the Certification Examination.  Applications are available on-line at the CRCC website.
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CERTIFICATE OF ADVANCED GRADUATE STUDY (CAGS) IN REHABILITATION COUNSELING

The Department offers a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Professional Counseling (CAGSPC) which is designed to meet the legislated educational requirements of Pennsylvania Act 136 of 1998 - The Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act.  The Certificate allows students to obtain a minimum of 12 additional graduate credits in professional counseling that can partially fulfill requirements for counselor licensure in Pennsylvania.

A minimum of 60 graduate credits in professional counseling must be attained before the CAGSPC is granted.  Each student will design a plan of study in conjunction with his/her Program Director that addresses licensure education requirements and the student's unique needs. Specific course work and clinical instruction requirements are subject to modification by the State Board.  Further information is available in The College of Graduate and Continuing Education Catalog.
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ACCELERATED B.S./M.S. DEGREE PROGRAM

Undergraduate Human Services majors with outstanding academic records may be eligible for early admission to the Community Counseling graduate program through the Accelerated Baccalaureate/Master's Degree Program.

Interested students must commit to this program no later than the end of their junior year of academic study, adhere to the time frame for application as outlined in The College of Graduate and Continuing Education Catalog, and meet specific admissions criteria. Visit the Accelerated B.S./M.S. Degree website for more information.
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REHABILITATION COUNSELING PROGRAM COMPUTER TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The computer requirements for using the University's Course Management System are:

Tips:

• Disable pop-up blocker software. (You NEED to disable pop-ups in order for chat/virtual classroom to work.)
• Remove spyware.
• Check firewall settings (if applicable) to make sure settings aren't blocking the system you are trying to connect to.  Depending on your access location, this could be on your computer, on a network or through your ISP.
• Your browser may need to be set to check for newer versions of stored pages every visit. 
  • In Internet Explorer 7, go to the "Tools" menu and choose "Internet Options".  Under "Browsing history", choose "Settings".  Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages", check "Every visit to the page".  Click "OK", then "OK" again. Top of page

EDUCATIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS

The University's Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence (CTLE) is located on the 5^th floor of the Harper-McGinness Wing in St. Thomas hall.  The mission of the CTLE is to provide academic support services for students and opportunities for faculty to enhance teaching and learning. The CTLE offers services to assist graduate students to achieve academic success.   The CTLE can assist graduate students in improving their reading comprehension and retention, writing and enhance overall learning skills.  Peer-tutoring is available to graduate students free of charge.  Students may also work with CTLE staff in learning how to use instructional technology that is available on campus.  Workshops are offered in the area of time management, organizational skills, effective study techniques and learning styles.

Graduate students with disabilities, who are registered with the CTLE, receive academic accommodations such as extended test-taking time, note taking and computer use for examinations.  Individual consultations with the CTLE Reading Enrichment Specialist, Learning Enrichment Specialist and Writing Consultants are encouraged to assist students with physical and/or learning challenges achieve academic success.

To learn more about the CTLE's programs and services for students and faculty visit their website or call (570) 941-4038.
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PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

Individuals interested in our programs may find additional information in the Graduate School Catalog. Please feel free to contact rehabilitation counseling program director if you would like to speak with someone about the program directly.
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