Inside Rehabilitation Counseling

Since the late 1970s, the Pittsburgh Public School system has hired Certified Rehabilitation Counselors to provide services for students with disabilities, ranging from ensuring accommodations are in place to providing transition services that prepare them for life after high school. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 7.5 million, or 15% of all public school students, receive special education services. Because these services are so vital, Pittsburgh Public Schools prioritizes ensuring that qualified, highly trained professionals deliver them by hiring Certified Rehabilitation Counselors as part of the interdisciplinary team working in the special education program at their schools. One of...

According to the World Health Organization, around 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, making it one of the most common neurological disorders globally. One of the challenges of epilepsy is that folks experiencing the disorder can’t always get a precise diagnosis. On top of that, many people misunderstand epilepsy, leading to stigma and a lack of public awareness of how to help someone experiencing a seizure. That’s where organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia come in.

The Epilepsy Foundation of Georgia serves over 110,000 residents facing epilepsy and seizure disorders, and Dr. Courtney Dean, the Director of P...

An increasing amount of research is exploring the connection between work and wellness. This includes mental wellness and physical health, both of which can be positively impacted by having employment, particularly for those navigating a disability. Simply put, work is more than just a means to earn a living or spend a significant portion of your week. 

For veterans who return to work after service, it can be tricky in general. When you combine the return to civilian life with a disability, it’s important to have the right people in your corner helping you to navigate tha...

Since the early 1980s, Community Partnerships has worked to create new opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Serving over 1,100 people a year, their cross-functional team includes job coaches, consultants, trainers, and of course, Certified Rehabilitation Counselors – two of whom I had the pleasure to talk to for this episode of the podcast.

Lindsay Prenoveau, Community Partnership’s Brain Injury Support Services Program Manager, and Rachel Weber, a Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapist, walked me through the ways in which their organization prioritizes individual-tailored care and case management, as well as the strategy of educating the public on the...

Nobody gets more questions here at CRCC than our Certification Department. Certification Supervisor Jen Marcu works with her team to answer questions, clarify steps in the process, and connect with thousands of certificants and future CRCs across the US. 

Jen is our guest this week, and we will explore some of the questions she hears most from students and test-takers. We made a list of the top 10 most frequently asked questions about the CRC Exam and tackled them one by one to hopefully help any of you out there preparing for test day.

Helpful Links D...

Traumatic Brain Injury is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with an estimated 5.3 million Americans living today with the disability. Of all types of injury, those to the brain are among the most likely to result in death or permanent disability, making research and a deep understanding of how to navigate services for those impacted by TBI vital.  

Shannon Juengst, PhD, CRC, is a Senior Scientist and Clinical Investigator at TIRR Memorial Hermann and an Adjunct Associate Professor of PM&R at UT Houston Health Sciences Center. 

On this episode of the Inside Re...

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Institute for Rehabilitation and Employment Research (IIRER) is a hub for innovation and discovery that addresses vocational behavior, community integration, career development, and employment. Partnering with communities in Illinois and around the world, IIRER is continuously innovating ways to enhance the skills of rehabilitation professionals. 

On June 20th, the institute will host its Symposium on Mental Health and Work, providing a unique opportunity for professionals in Illinois and surrounding areas to enhance their knowledge and skills in serving clients with mental health and other health conditions. 

The in...

Joseph Young is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, an LRC in Massachusetts, and owner of JOSEPH YOUNG CONSULTING, L.L.C. 

In this conversation, Joe shares his perspective on the importance of credentials, his journey with an invisible disability, and how CRCs who want to start their own private practice can begin their journey to working for themselves.

Link to Joseph's Business Website: https://josephyoungconsulting.com/

CRCC Job Board: https://crccertification.com/joblisting/current-job-postings/

If you are interested in submitting a position to the CRCC Job Board, please click here.

Pietrina Probst is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and Director of ADA, Student Access & Disability Services at Elgin Community College. In this conversation, Pietrina shares insights into the unique considerations community colleges consider in providing disability services and why cross-departmental collaboration is a blueprint for success in expanding services for students with disabilities.

Elgin Community College Student Access & Disability Services webpage

Elgin Community College Accessibility webpage

Information on Northern Illinois University Being a CRCC Center of Excellence

Taylor talks to Charles McCaffrey, MBA, and Genia Hachenberg, CRC, MS at the Paralyzed Veterans of America about their Veterans Career Program. The program employs CRCs located all over the country to provide free employment support and vocational counseling assistance to all veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, and caregivers.

Learn more about the PVA's Veterans Career Program.

Share your story or invite a client to share a story about working with a CRC here.

In this preview of the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Taylor talks to Charles McCaffrey, MBA, and Genia Hachenberg, CRC, MS at the Paralyzed Veterans of America about their Veterans Career Program. The program employs CRCs located all over the country to provide free employment support and vocational counseling assistance to all veterans, transitioning service members, spouses, and caregivers. Look forward to the full episode next week!

On this episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Sarah Price Hancock joins us to discuss her journey as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Following a misdiagnosis of “treatment resistant” mental illness, Sarah received 116 bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments resulting in Delayed Electrical Injury’s Myoneural Disorder.

Sarah joins us to share her journey to becoming a CRC and provides important insights into treatment for ECT recipients as well as why frameworks like Emotional Self Reliance can be transformative for individuals with disabilities.

Show Notes:

Sarah's San Diego Union-Tribune Op-Ed

The Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Providers

D...

In this preview of the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Sarah Price Hancock joins us to discuss her journey as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Following a misdiagnosis of “treatment resistant” mental illness, Sarah received 116 bilateral electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatments resulting in Delayed Electrical Injury’s Myoneural Disorder.

Sarah joins us to share her journey to becoming a CRC and provides important insights into treatment for ECT recipients as well as why frameworks like Emotional Self Reliance can be transformative for individuals with disabilities.

Certified Rehabilitation Counselors can explore a wide variety of job settings thanks to their credential. With many options and areas of focus available to them, CRCs can find themselves stuck while considering where they want their career to take them. The most common question we hear from CRCs is how do I navigate my options in private practice? 

Dr. Aaron Mertes is a CRC and professor at the University of Montana Billings. On the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, hear about Dr. Mertes' career, and learn about why he recently wrote and self-published a book on c...

Certified Rehabilitation Counselors can explore a wide variety of job settings thanks to their credential. With many options and areas of focus available to them, CRCs can find themselves stuck while considering where they want their career to take them. The most common question we hear from CRCs is how do I navigate my options in private practice? 

Dr. Aaron Mertes is a CRC and professor at the University of Montana Billings. On the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, hear about Dr. Mertes' career, and learn about why he recently wrote and self-published a book on c...

The Certified Vocational Evaluator certification, or CVE, is a high-demand specialty within rehabilitation counseling. CVEs possess unique, comprehensive, and holistic proficiencies in evaluation, career assessment services, and job placement cases. The CRC-CVE dual certification can also provide clients and employers with higher success rates and overall better client outcomes.

Lisa Byrne was instrumental in the revitalization of the CVE certification under CRCC, and on this episode, she shares with us the scope of the specialization and why it’s important for clients and employers.

Learn more about the CVE Certification and apply for the February 2024 co...

On the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, we explore the Certified Vocational Evaluation Specialist (CVE) credential and how it compliments the CRC in serving individuals with disabilities. Our guest is Lisa Byrne, MA, CRC, CVE, LCPC, an integral reason that the CVE was revitalized as a credential for rehabilitation counseling professionals. 

The value of the CRC credential is a common topic of conversation on Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, and Ryan Bruce, Director of Client Solutions at New York Life Insurance knows it well. 

At New York Life Insurance, Ryan has worked in long-term disability claims, stay-at-work programs, and now his role is to tell the story of how the 45 CRCs on staff strive every day to help people navigate short or long-term disability. Ryan says the same disability accommodations that employers struggled with a decade ago are still challenges they're encountering today, and having a CRC in an organization c...

The value of the CRC credential is a common topic of conversation on Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, and Ryan Bruce, Director of Client Solutions at New York Life Insurance knows it well. 

At New York Life Insurance, Ryan has worked in long-term disability claims, stay-at-work programs, and now his role is to tell the story of how the 45 CRCs on staff strive every day to help people navigate short or long-term disability. Ryan says the same disability accommodations that employers struggled with a decade ago are still challenges they're encountering today, and having a CRC in an organization c...

One of the most well-known companies in the world, The Walt Disney Company, has long been a case study for exceptional return-to-work procedures thanks to their Transitional Duty Program. Melannie Rodriguez, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist for the Walt Disney Company, is a CRC who just recently celebrated her 23rd anniversary in Orlando at Walt Disney World. 

On this episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Melannie shares her career pathway to becoming a Cast Member at Disney and how her knowledge as a CRC helps ensure every employee at Walt Disney World Resorts can continue working through their rehabilitation. 

One of the most well-known companies in the world, The Walt Disney Company, has long been a case study for exceptional return-to-work procedures thanks to their Transitional Duty Program. Melannie Rodriguez, Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist for the Walt Disney Company, is a CRC who just recently celebrated her 23rd anniversary in Orlando at Walt Disney World. 

On the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Melannie shares her career pathway to becoming a Cast Member at Disney and how her knowledge as a CRC helps ensure every employee at Walt Disney World Resorts can continue working through their r...

The field of rehabilitation counseling was legislated into existence over 100 years ago. As you can imagine, some elements of the profession have changed quite a bit since its inception. Dr. Kate Kline spends time in both the classroom and private practice to keep up with all adapting elements of the field to best prepare students for what's ahead.

In this episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Dr. Kline explains why she introduces herself as a "counselor, but mainly a servant." Dr. Kline explains her background, shares insights on virtual counseling, and the ways in which competitive hiring practices...

The field of rehabilitation counseling was legislated into existence over 100 years ago. As you can imagine, some elements of the profession have changed quite a bit since its inception. Dr. Kate Kline spends time in both the classroom and private practice to keep up with all adapting elements of the field to best prepare students for what's ahead.

In this preview of the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Dr. Kline explains why she introduces herself as a "counselor, but mainly a servant." Tune in to the full episode next week as Dr. Kline explains her background...

Where can CRCs work in the private sector? It's a question that crosses many newly certified rehabilitation counselors' minds. Dr. James McNeil, PhD, CRC, NCC spent a good portion of his career working for Lowe's, Prudential Financial, and Amazon before becoming an educator. 

In this episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Dr. McNeil puts it plainly: "wherever people with disabilities are, that's where CRCs need to be." Hear some of Dr. McNeil's insights into his time in the private sector and how CRCs can become "pioneers of the profession" to pave new career paths. From search terms to s...

Where can CRCs work in the private sector? It's a question that crosses many newly certified rehabilitation counselors' minds. Dr. James McNeil, PhD, CRC, NCC spent a good portion of his career working for Lowe's, Prudential Financial, and Amazon before becoming an educator. 

In this preview of the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Dr. McNeil puts it plainly: "wherever people with disabilities are, that's where CRCs need to be." Tune in to the full episode next week for Dr. McNeil's insights into his time in the private sector and how CRCs can become "pioneers of the p...

In the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Kyle Walker, MRC, CRC, CRL, CPM & Russ Thelin, M.S., LVRC, CRC, CRL, speak with CRCC Executive Director Pam Shlemon about the National Training Center for Transformational Rehabilitation Leadership Program (TRL) a collaborative partnership between the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMASS Boston, the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. 

Kyle and Russ talk about the need to redefine leadership in rehabilitation counseling, and how the CRL certification will shape the next 100 years of the profession. 

In the next episode of Inside Rehabilitation Counseling, Kyle Walker, MRC, CRC, CRL, CPM & Russ Thelin, M.S., LVRC, CRC, CRL, speak with CRCC Executive Director Pam Shlemon about the National Training Center for Transformational Rehabilitation Leadership Program (TRL) a collaborative partnership between the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMASS Boston, the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. 

Kyle and Russ talk about the need to redefine leadership in rehabilitation counseling, and how the CRL certification will shape the next 100 years of the profession. 

In the first episode of this new podcast from The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), Dr. Susan Sherman speaks with CRCC Executive Director Pam Shlemon about her career in rehabilitation counseling. Dr. Sherman's insights stem from all chapters of her professional life, including time running a State VR Agency, running a rehabilitation counseling program at East Carolina University, and her time as President of the CRCC Board of Directors.

In the first episode of this new podcast from The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), Dr. Susan Sherman speaks with CRCC Executive Director Pam Shlemon about her career in rehabilitation counseling. Dr. Sherman's insights stem from all chapters of her professional life, including time running a State VR Agency, running a rehabilitation counseling program at East Carolina University, and her time as President of the CRCC Board of Directors.