Preparing Rehabilitation Counselors
Rehabilitation counselor education programs have been charged with the responsibility of providing curricula that are adequate to professional training needs of rehabilitation counselors. The present curriculum areas advocated by the Council of Rehabilitation Education provide sufficient knowledge and skills for those counselors offering direct human service care. Yet, as rehabilitation counselors, especially those with master's degrees, advance up the career ladder, they encounter management responsibilities that their training did not prepare them to perform. As a result, rehabilitation counselors are often confronted with administrative responsibilities beyond their level of expertise which may cause high anxiety and stress and be a contributing factor to professional burnout. A modification of rehabilitation. counselor education program curricula is recommended which incorporates coursework in Principles and Practices of Rehabilitation Administration and Supervision.