Rehabilitation counselors are certified through the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). Being a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) indicates that a counselor has a higher level of education and training within the field. Certified Rehabilitation Counselors have a thorough understanding of key competency standards, adherence to the Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors, and have a commitment to continued education (CRCC, 2015). In order to work as rehabilitation counselor an individual does not have to be a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor or hold professional licensure. According to McCarthy (2014), many public vocational rehabilitation counselors do not have a CRC or a counseling license. …show more content…
Public sector VR works with clients with disability through both state and federal levels. Federal VR programs work only with disabled veterans within the Veterans Administration. While state- federal rehabilitation counselors work with all persons with a disability, including veterans. According to Zanskas and Strohmer (2011), 26% to 30% of all master’s degree rehabilitation counselors obtain employment in the state- federal VR program. VR counselors assist clients to minimize their barriers to employment and maximize their opportunities. Barriers to employment are decreased through services that address psychological, vocational, social and behavioral issues (O’Sullivan & Bates, 2014). Moreover, services include, but are not limited to, psychological and vocational assessments, individual and group counseling, training, job placement, and assistive technology. Public sector rehabilitation counselors are known to work with more severe disabilities and …show more content…
VR agencies are funded through RSA with the state matching funds. The Federal/State vocational rehabilitation program authorized under the Rehabilitation Act empowers people with disability to maximize employment, economic self-sufficiency, independence, inclusion and integration into society. RSA was established for the purpose of improving program management and effectiveness of VR services. It evaluates all programs authorized by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and its subsequent amendments (RSA, 2014). RSA conducts evaluation studies regarding the impact of services based upon section 14 of the Rehabilitation Act. RSA’s 911 database is information designed and used by state VR agencies that are responsible for collecting data. The information is collected by state agencies across the country and archived annually (Chiu, Chan, Bishop, Cardoso, & O’Neil, 2013). For any given fiscal year, the RSA 911 data contain records of demographics, vocational related services, and employment outcome information on all individuals that exited the VR Program (closed cases) in that given year (Stapleton, Honeycutt, & Schechter, 2010). In addition, RSA conducts longitudinal studies that track VR participation and post VR experiences for up to three years (RSA, 2014). This information is vital because it allows the