Rehabilitation Counseling in the Year 2011: Perceptions of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors

Abstract

In the 2006 Job Analysis of Certified Rehabilitation Counselors, the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification asked counselors where they thought the profession would be in 5 years. A total of 529 counselors gave their opinions about the future of rehabilitation counseling within the context of the sociopolitical environment in which they practice, about general trends in the profession, and about how these might affect the sector in which they are employed. Perceptions included concerns about the aging workforce and client base, the role of assistive technology, counseling skill development to meet the needs of a more complex client population, funding resources, and licensure/certification issues. Implications of their answers within the emerging generational context were explored, as were ideas for future research.