Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification
The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification is a national certifying organization for professional rehabilitation counselors. Based in Schaumburg, IL, it is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to establish, maintain, and monitor a national certification program for Certified Rehabilitation Counselors, including maintaining a register of all certified counselors and providing certification status for the public. The commission also maintains and updates a Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors under which all certified rehabilitation counselors must practice. The certification program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the accrediting organization of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. The commission has over 15,000 certified rehabilitation counselors. While the majority practice in the United States, some also practice in other countries worldwide.
History
In 1973, the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association and the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association created the Joint Committee on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification as a nonprofit organization to enhance the quality of services for people with disabilities by establishing standards for the rehabilitation counseling profession. It was renamed the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification in 1974. The commission continues to work with the two counseling associations and others to further the profession of rehabilitation counseling. In addition, the organizations also pursue different goals: the AmericanRehabilitation Counseling Association and the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association concentrate on membership association activities such as conferences, professional development, and publications, while the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification concentrates on promoting quality rehabilitation counseling services for individuals with disabilities through certification.
Certifications
Individuals who pass the voluntary certification examination, become qualified as Certified Rehabilitation Counselors. To maintain certification, counselors are required to stay current either through re-examination or by meeting specific ongoing educational requirements every five years.
Qualifying counseling-related major plus a post-graduate advanced certificate or degree with specific coursework
Requisite rehabilitation counseling experience including
acceptable internship under a certified rehabilitation counselor's supervision, and/or
acceptable employment under certified rehabilitation counselor's supervision
A passing score on the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam
Certification is voluntary and not required for supervised or independent practice, although it may be a hiring requirement of certain employers. It identifies rehabilitation counselors who have voluntarily sought and met established standards. It is not a substitute for state-mandated licensure. Many states use the certification exam as part of their licensing requirements, which may provide license portability for rehabilitation counselors who wish to practice in more than one state.
Additional certifications
The commission also maintains additional certifications:
While there are several hundred counselors holding these credentials, they are no longer offered to new applicants.
Job skills and work settings
Rehabilitation counselors are the only professional counselors educated and trained specifically to serve individuals with disabilities. They assist individuals with physical, mental, developmental, cognitive, and emotional disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals by engaging in a complete counseling process. Certified rehabilitation counselors may specialize within many areas of rehabilitation counseling for people with disabilities, including:
