• Community rehabilitation programs (CRPs)

• Hospitals and schools

• State and federal systems of vocational rehabilitation (in Illinois, the Division of Rehabilitation Services)

• Social Security Administration

• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

• Private business and industry

• Insurance companies

• Behavioral health agencies including substance abuse programs and training and evaluation centers

• Private practice

Rehabilitation counselors give guidance to people with disabilities resulting from birth defects, illness, disease, accidents, or the stress of daily life. From a holistic perspective, they help people deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of disabilities. They deal with the "whole person" and work with each client to develop an individualized rehabilitation plan may include training to increase the individual's capacity to live independently and in many cases help to develop job skills, obtain jobs, and the be included in the community. 

Examples of their job duties are:

• Evaluating the strengths and limitations of individuals

• Providing personal and vocational/career counseling

• Arranging for medical and restorative care, vocational training, and/or job placement

Accreditation, Licensure, and Certification
The M.A. in Counseling: Rehabilitation Counseling program is accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE).

The Rehabilitation Counseling degree fulfills the educational requirements for the two levels of licensure as professional counselors in the State of Illinois:  Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). 

The Rehabilitation Counseling degree also meets the educational requirements for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential after passing the necessary certification examination.

Mission
The Department of Counselor Education Rehabilitation Counseling program is committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities by providing qualified (CRC-eligible) professional rehabilitation counselors trained in the current best practices of rehabilitation services to work in public and private agencies serving a diverse state and nation.

Objectives

• To recruit qualified rehabilitation counselors-in-training who are committed to working with people with disabilities from widely diverse cultures, abilities, dispositions, and backgrounds.

• To train future counselors in effective, sensitive strategies and methods of practice to assist persons from diverse background to obtain their maximum functioning in their community including work.

• To retain counselors-in-training so that they may reach their maximum level of competency, preparation, and satisfaction in their chosen career.

• To place competently trained rehabilitation counselors into community public and private agencies serving persons with disabilities ethically, competently, and sensitively respectful of each person's unique background, value systems, and abilities.

• To provide the community with competent and current services and resources that improves the lives of persons with disability and, in turn, enriching the quality of life for all.

Goals
The goals of the Rehabilitation Counseling program are to facilitate the client's maximum functioning and quality of life in their environment of choice, including work.  The program also combines elements of medical, psychological, social, and communication skills and provides graduates with a set of competencies that allows them to function as capable, effective rehabilitation counseling professionals.

Selection into program
The faculty will assess applicants using the following criteria:

• Aptitude for graduate level study

• Potential for success in forming effective interpersonal relationships in individual and small groups (individuals with disabilities, their families, and significant others)

• Openness to self-examination and potential for personal and professional development

• Commitment to working with people with disabilities

Program Information
The program currently receives the Rehabilitation Services Administration Long-Term Training Grant (RSA LTTG).  This five-year grant provides $750,000 in funding to train students and runs through the 2014-15 academic year.