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Rehabilitation Counselor Education

Course of Study

Coursework in the program can be grouped according to the following major domain areas, as described by CORE:

CORE Domain Area RCE Courses covering Domain area (all classes are RC prefixes unless *otherwise specified)

C.1 PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY 576. 607, 611, 620, 650, 660

C.2 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY ISSUES 532, 590 (*RCD required), 611, 620, 631, 633, 634, TPD 584 (*RCD required)

C.3 HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 531, 611, 612, *SpEd 672

C.4 EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT 613, 620, 621

C.5 COUNSELING AND CONSULTATION 609, 610, 611, 612, 613, 620, 621, 630, 631, 633, 634, 660

C.6 GROUP WORK 630

C.7 ASSESSMENT 522, 625, 613, 662

C.8 RESEARCH AND PROGRAM EVALUATION 625, 650, 660

C.9 MEDICAL, FUNCTIONAL, ENVIRONMENTAL 522, 532, 609, 610, 634, 650

AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF DISABILITY

C.10 REHABILITATION SERVICES AND RESOURCES 609, 610, 611, 613, 620, 621, 660

D.1 REHABILITATION COUNSELING PRACTICUM 609, minimum 9 credit hours

D.2 REHABILITATION COUNSELING INTERNSHIP 610, minimum 18 credit hours

The program is currently accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) which attests to the program's meeting standards required of all certified rehabilitation counselor education programs throughout the United States. Please refer to Appendix F which presents a matrix that, displays the relationship between the Rehabilitation Counselor Education curriculum and the required CORE standards. A complete description of the CORE standards can also be found in Appendix F .

Summer Certificate program -

Rehabilitation Counseling with Deaf and Hard of Hearing Adults (RCDHHA)

Western Oregon University offers the RCDHHA, four-week intensive training each summer to professionals working in the field of rehabilitation and students studying rehabilitation. This program is an orientation to those who are new to working with individuals who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing or Deaf-Blind in rehabilitation settings. Newly admitted RCD student will attend this training the summer before the beginning of the first fall term of the RCE program. This 9 credit program includes: *TPD 584, Introduction to Deaf and Hard of Hearing Studies; RC 590, Professional Issues: Rehabilitation Counseling with Deaf clients; as well as an American Sign Language intensive course. These courses meet the elective requirements in the RCE Plan of Study. Students in the RC cohort are encouraged to apply for this intensive training. For more information students can access the web page for the RCDHHA program at www.wou.edu/rrcd.

Class schedule and course sequencing

Generally, classes during the first fall, winter and spring term, as well as the second fall are held two full days per week with a few evening, half-day, or all-day classes. Each term is 10 to 11 weeks long. (The first summer term is required for RCD students and is explained above.) The second summer term requires attendance of all RCE students three days a week over a shorter term (six-weeks only). Winter and Spring terms of year two generally requires students attend two, on-campus, internship classes visits per term. Internship requires full time participation (32-35 hours per week). Year two students take 9 credit hours of RC 610 Internship both winter and spring terms. All classes listed below are 3 credits unless otherwise specified.

WARNING: Due to the intensity of full-time graduate coursework and assignments, students are asked NOT to work more than 20 hours per week their first year of study. Internship (winter and spring terms of year 2) requires 32-35 hours per week to successfully complete 600 clock hours including 240 direct client contact hours.

Courses normally taken during the first fall term are:

RC 532 Psychosocial and Environmental Aspects of Disability

RC 611 Introduction to the Helping Profession

RC 620 Professional Orientation to Rehabilitation Services and Resources

RC 625 Rehabilitation Counseling Research

Courses normally taken during the first winter term are:

RC 609 Practicum

RC 612 Counseling Theory and Techniques

RC 621 Job Development, Placement, and Retention

RC 633 Social and Cultural Diversity Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling

Courses normally taken during the first spring term are:

RC 522 Medical and Functional Aspects in Rehabilitation

RC 609 Practicum

RC 613 Lifestyle and Career Development

RC 634 Diagnosis/Treatment of Mental Illness in Rehabilitation

Courses normally taken during the summer term are four mornings per week:

RC 630 Group Work (2 credit hours)

RC 630L Group Lab (1 credit hour)

RC 631 Family, Disability, and Lifespan Development

RC 662 Measurement and Assessment Procedures in Deafness and Rehabilitation

Courses normally taken during the second fall term are:

RC 607 Seminar: Portfolio

RC 607 Transition and Self Determination in Rehabilitation

RC 609 Advanced Practicum

RC 650 Ethical Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling

RC 660 Case Management

Course normally taken during the second winter and spring terms :

RC 610 Internship (9 credit hours)

NOTE : One-credit seminars are offered on a rotating basis specific to RC issues, (e.g., Assistive Technology/Worksite Modification; Rehabilitation Counseling with Special Populations such as Dual Diagnosis and Ex Offender; Self-Employment) and includes student participants who are employed as rehabilitation counselors.

Graduate Interns are expected to apply all of their knowledge and skills within the context of a full-time internship (RC 610) in a rehabilitation setting with clients who represent a variety of disability groups. RCD students are expected to complete their internship in a setting serving Deaf and Hard of Hearing clients. This will allow generalization of skills learned the first 6 terms, into a rehabilitation organization.

Educationally focused practicum

Approximately one-third of the program is comprised of practical/internship designed to give the student a clinically based experience with rehabilitation and independent living services designed for clients with various and severe disabilities. An excellent relationship exists through the program's advisory structure with the Oregon Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (OVRS), the Washington State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (WA DVR), the Oregon Disabilities Commission, consumer groups, and CARF accredited community rehabilitation programs in Oregon . The program faculty adheres to CORE practicum standards and actively maintains contact with a variety of programs serving persons who are Deaf or have disabilities such as:

•  state offices of vocational rehabilitation;

•  state training schools and rehabilitation centers;

•  commission for the blind;

•  culturally (economically) disadvantaged populations;

•  disability consumer organizations;

•  veteran's administration vocational rehabilitation counseling;

•  independent living centers and/or agencies;

•  secondary and post-secondary offices that provide services to students who are Deaf and/or have mental or physical disabilities.

Prospects after graduation

Over the past five years, 96-100 percent of our graduates were employed in appropriate professional fields within six months of graduation. Retention in the field of rehabilitation remains at 94 percent up to five years after graduation.

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Division of Special Education Western Oregon University
345 N. Monmouth Ave.,
Monmouth, OR 97361
503-838-8322
e-mail: specialed@wou.edu