copyright 2008 Cheryl K. Hosken, BSN, MS Psych.
A rehabilitation counselor belongs to a helping profession. This means giving service to individuals in need of specialized knowledge and skill.
A profession is an occupation that requires specialized knowledge and requires certain credentials that are regulated by an official body. It is a group of practitioners who establish their own qualifications and offer protection and education to those who meet those qualifications. A profession meets public demands for service and expectations and is approved to provide certain services. As such, by simply taking this course, you will not be qualified as rehabilitation counselors, but you will have some basic knowledge of what rehabilitation counselors do professionally.
A profession is a homogeneous group of individuals, but has a number of different work groups within it. All the members share a common role and have similar education, but different functions. Some of the groups within the profession have certain specialties requiring unique knowledge and skills. Some groups within the profession may have more influence, status and power and others are just beginning to emerge.
Another aspect of a profession is that the special knowledge is systematized. It is based on sound research. The professional people must engage in research or verify other research findings in their own practice.
Meditate Word By Word On These Verses:
Is. 35:3-6.
Rehabilitation counseling has its background in counseling psychology. This profession came into being after WWII to meet the educational and vocational needs of the veterans of the war. At that time there was an integration of vocational guidance, psychometrics, personality psychology to help persons in planning their lives. Counseling psychology helps the fairly adjusted person who is seeking growth and fulfillment in life. Clinical psychology is counseling the person who has psychological problems in need of psychotherapeutic intervention. Do you understand the difference of the two types of counseling? Rehabilitation counseling has developed interventions for the needs of the handicapped.
The rehabilitation counselor blends three types of thought in understanding the person who has a disability. First is the medical model - this explains the disability and the therapies needed to restore health, second - the vocational guidance needed for the disabled person to make a job choice and personal decisions, third - mental health that helps the disabled person adjust to society and his family.
Question 1 - Matching:
A. Counseling psychology, - B. Rehabilitation counseling, - C. Clinical psychology, - D. Profession.
1.1. Special knowledge based on research and education,
A,
B,
C,
D.
1.2. Counseling and treatment for a psychological illness,
A,
B,
C,
D.
1.3. Counseling for a handicapped person,
A,
B,
C,
D.
1.4. Helps a person become more mature.
A,
B,
C,
D.
Therefore, total rehabilitation is needed to treat the whole person - it is medical and non-medical treatment. We may spend money to help a person recover from a severe accident, but unless there is a plan for living and working that agrees with his physical and mental condition, the medical treatment is not valuable for the rest of the person's life. For example, doctors may save a man's life through the amputation of his leg following an accident, but if he cannot return to his job or find other work, his life is useless. We need to have something for him to do within the limitations he now has on his body. Otherwise, he experiences feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, and unhappiness. He may become suicidal.
The rehabilitation counselor operates from a psychological base and functions as part of a psychosocial and health-related professional team. The rehabilitation counselor works in the community with a number of different agencies and other professionals. The rehabilitation counselor coordinates all available resources for the handicapped person. Further, the counselor must have a good relationship for successful counseling.
The result of the counseling done by rehabilitation counselors is that:
a. the handicapped person is able to work in a job that is correct for his limitations,
b. there is an increased rate of employment of the handicapped,
c. the handicapped person has satisfaction from his ability to work.
2. Rehabilitation counseling includes:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
mental, physical, and medical assistance,
physical, medical, and financial assistance.
medical, mental, and prosthetic devices.
The work of the rehabilitation counselor is as follows:
a. Help handicapped people with physical, emotional, spiritual, or social disabilities adjust their vocational and personal lives.
- b. Counselors learn about client's interests, abilities, limitations, medical and psychological data.
- c. They use the above information to help the handicapped person evaluate themselves for a suitable type of work.
- d. The counselor and client make a plan of rehabilitation with other specialists as necessary.
- e. The plan is implemented and the client and counselor meet regularly to evaluate progress and resolve problems that happen.
- f. When the client is ready to start work, the counselor helps him find a job and makes follow-up visits to find out if the job is suitable.
- g. The counselor works with the handicapped person's family and other professionals to increase his knowledge and educate them.
- h. The counselor may specialize in working with a particular group of people - handicapped people, alcoholics, addicts, etc.
- i. The counselor is part of his/her professional organization and may help local universities with research.
- j. The counselor is careful to document his/her work and keeps statistics.
The basic education for a rehabilitation counselor is a B.A. in health sciences, psychology, education, or rehabilitation. A Master's degree in Rehabilitation Psychology is necessary for professional status. The counselor must write a licensure examination in order to be qualified to practice. Usually, a specialization in alcohol, mental illness, etc. must be preceded by 2000 hours of practice in the specialty.
3. The rehabiliation counselor is successful when:
(Only one of the following answers is correct.)
a client lives without problems,
a client is able to live independently,
a client lives a fulfilled life.
Related Occupations in Rehabilitation
- These occupations are related to rehabilitation counseling and may or may not have the same educational base.
- a. WORK EVALUATOR - identifies the client's vocational potential and rehabilitation problems. They evaluate clients by real or simulated work activities.
- b. EMPLOYMENT COUNSELOR - interviews the job seeker, arranges testing, and helps to identify possible jobs in the handicapped person's neighborhood.
- c. JOB PLACEMENT SPECIALIST - demonstrates to prospective employers that the handicapped person can do the job in their business. The placement specialist may re-engineer a work place so that the handicapped person can work.
- d. DISABILITY EXAMINER - determines whether the handicapped person is truly handicapped to receive services for rehabilitation.
- e. REHABILITATION TEACHER - teaches skills to the handicapped such as communication, personal care, home management, and leisure activities.
- f. ORIENTATION-MOBILITY TEACHER - teaches understanding of the physical environment about him (i.e. his neighborhood) and how to get from one place to another.
Question:
3. Which of the above interests you most about the profession of rehabilitation counseling?
Question:
5. Is specialized higher education necessary for a professional rehabilitation counselor?
yes /
no.
Professional Functions of a Rehabilitation Counselor
There is a difference between the role and function of anyone's profession or occupation of time.
A role is what a person assumes when he/she is in a certain place at a certain time. A role can be professional or non-professional. For example, when you are in class you have the role of a student. When you are with your parents or wife you assume the role of adult child or husband/wife.
A function is what you do in that role. As a student, you are to listen attentively and learn. As a husband or wife, there are certain things that each role does depending on agreement between the couple. For example, the wife may cook and her husband may shop in the market for food. As an adult child, your parents may ask you to do certain things for them depending on their age and needs of the family. There is a difference between role and function.
Question:
6. What role could a non-professional play in rehabilitation of a handicapped person?
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
None at all.
Help on a team with a qualified leader.
Visit handicapped people and provide basic care.
What is the difference between "role" and "function"?
A. "Role" is my job description, and "function" is my activities.
B. "Role" is my position at a given time and place, and "function" is what I should do in that position.
C. "Role" is my activities at a given place, and "function" is my ability to perform them.
The goal of the rehabilitation counselor is to put the handicapped person back into society as soon as possible. To participate and to give to life are the highest forms of therapy. The rehabilitation counselor is a totalist in that he/she has autonomy, many types of methods for rehabilitation, and coordination of various services. For example, a handicapped person needs to know the various agencies that help various disabilities. He/She may contact the local sports program for the mentally retarded child so that the child gets exercise. Perhaps the mentally retarded person is an adult who needs recreation. The client can call the local theater group in Moscow that works with mentally retarded persons to produce simple plays.
Question:
7. The rehabilitation counselor's goal is to:
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
help a handicapped person return to society as soon as possible,
be a professional with diverse skills,
have the function of providing information and counseling,
have a medical education.
The rehabilitation counselor creates links between the often-isolated world of the handicapped and their community, between the things a handicapped person can do and the opportunities available for rehabilitation. The rehabilitation counselor provides information so that the handicapped person can identify his/her own goals and values. For example, the handicapped person must think about what is important to him. If he is crippled, does he want a wheelchair to get outside of his house or does he feel more comfortable staying all of his life in his apartment? My husband talked to a man who felt more comfortable staying alone in his apartment than participating in life outside his house. Therefore, he did not want any help to learn how to use a computer and have access to the outside world. He would be too uncomfortable doing something different with his life and to make him change would be a shock to him.
Question:
8. The rehabilitation counselor:
(One or more of the following answers may be correct.)
makes a plan with the handicapped person for rehabilitation,
works with other professionals to make the plan complete,
is always successful,
may plan a sport program to strengthen the handicapped person.
There are skills (learned methods), knowledge, and duties that a rehabilitation counselor must master. The skills are these:
- a. Establishing a healthy counseling relationship with a client.
- b. Understanding and accepting the handicapped person's behavior.
- c. Understanding that environment contributes to motivation of a client.
- d. Evaluation of the client's personality dynamics, skills, abilities, interests, and capacities throughout the rehabilitation process.
- e. Assessing the objective of the client and making plans to achieve that objective.
- f. Understanding the ways in which jobs are procured in the community.
- g. Understanding the community and its resources.
- h. Working well with others in the community to help the handicapped and educate the public about handicapped persons and their needs.
The Necessary knowledge is:
- a. Human psychology for understanding personality, social, and vocational adjustment.
- b. Significance of client aptitudes, skills, interests and educational history.
- c. Federal, regional, and city laws relating to rehabilitation and how the rehabilitation agency works.
- d. Effects of handicaps on personality related to community and emotional adjustment.
Necessary duties:
- a. Collecting, analyzing and evaluating data about the client.
- b. Arrangement of a medical diagnosis.
- c. Integrating information into a comprehensive program for rehabilitation.
- c. Helping the client learn new techniques for coping with life and daily problems.
- e. Assisting the client to find work and knowing what work is available to him and that he can do.
- f. Following the client through adjustment to work for at least 6 months.
The essential characteristics of a rehabilitation counselor and pastor are:
- a. A strong desire to help.
- b. A strong commitment to life.
- c. A realistic view of life.
- d. Ability to communicate effectively.
- e. Sensitivity to others' problems and burdens.
- f. Patience and perseverance.
- g. Ability to get along with different types of people.
- h. Imagination, creativity, and initiative.
Question:
9. Who may make a good counselor?
The rehabilitation counselor is constantly confronted with heavy burdens of others. Since he/she meets so many problems, he/she must have a good sense of what can be done for the handicapped person and have strong personal values. Counselors must work hard at personal growth and understanding of all aspects of the human experience.
A counselor may find a situation that is extremely difficult to solve. For example, an acquaintance met two children in a Sunday school in a church in Moscow. She saw at once that they were being beaten by their stepmother. She wondered what to do and asked for advice. She could simply give them love and consideration every Sunday or she could report the mother to the authorities. If she reported the stepmother, the children would be sent to an institution like an orphanage. The children might suffer other physical and emotional problems in the orphanage. What should she do?
Question:
10. What would you do based on your beliefs and the good of the children?
There are times when the problems of the work you do and the rehabilitation counselor does are too difficult to bear. The counselor and pastor must realize that there are things, which he/she can do nothing about, but perhaps pray. Also, during those times of stress, it is wise to try and find some place or time where one can commune with God and let Him take the burdens and refresh the soul.
Culturally, your country may have a variety of people from many ethnic backgrounds. It is important that we do not refuse to help those who are not within our culture group if we have the time and resources to do so. Since God made rules for the Israelites to leave some food in their fields for the foreigner, we must also recognize that there are others, not of our nationality, who may need temporary help. Jesus himself was not afraid to talk to the Samaritan woman and from the conversation with Him, many in Samaria understood the kingdom of God. Paul says in Galatians 3:28 that the sons of God are all one in Christ Jesus. Therefore, we need to "do good to all people, especially to those who are of the household of faith" - Galatians 6:10.