One program…with a multitude of opportunities.

Rehabilitation Counselors are counselors first, with a special twist to their preparation. That twist originated almost 100 years ago when we responded to the needs of Veterans returning from WWI navigating a new world in their families and communities as a person with a disability. We have built on what we learned about counseling and providing case management services to people overcoming disadvantages, physical disabilities, substance use disorders and mental illnesses to become the counselors we are today.

We have learned to use our expertise in three critical areas in a multitude of arenas:

• counseling;
• medical, psychosocial and functional aspects of disabilities; and
• vocational issues, career development and the world of work.

Using this expertise, we continue to serve Veterans in Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment programs in the Veterans Administration, people with disabilities in public vocational rehabilitation agencies, people recovering from traumatic incidents or disorders in rehabilitation hospitals, clients in substance abuse treatment and mental health programs, employee assistance programs, to name a few.

Rehabilitation counselors interview people with disabilities and their families, evaluate school and medical reports, and confer and plan with physicians, psychologists, occupational therapists, and employers to determine the capabilities and skills of the individual. Conferring with the client, they develop a rehabilitation program that often includes training to help the person develop job skills. Rehabilitation counselors also work toward increasing the client’s capacity to live independently.

Our future: Rehabilitation counselors, for example, have begun to determine, coordinate, and arrange for rehabilitation and transition services for children within school systems. In addition, rehabilitation counselors are providing geriatric rehabilitation services to older persons with health problems, and workers injured on the job are increasingly receiving rehabilitation services through private rehabilitation counseling companies and employers’ disability management and employee assistance programs. They may also become life-care planners assisting individuals who will experience major long-term disability
– Council on Rehabilitation Education

Mission

The Rehabilitation Counselor Education program at West Virginia University forwards the land grant mission of the University by providing a strong practitioner training program focused on the unique needs of diverse communities. We are committed to preparing entry-level rehabilitation counselors to work competently and ethically within a pluralistic society. Our central organizing approach rests in understanding the unique needs of individuals, couples, families, and groups experiencing disability or other disadvantages across their lifespan in our society, at work, home and play.

A main objective of the program is to prepare counselors with the counseling and assessment knowledge and skills to assist clients with mental, physical and emotional disabilities. In order to accomplish this, our objective is to provide educational and practical experiences that will allow every student to meet the following knowledge and outcome expectations outlined by the Council on Rehabilitation Education.

The objectives of the program that are required to meet this mission are to:

• Graduate qualified rehabilitation counselors to serve people with disabilities in local, state and federal rehabilitation systems;
• Increase the availability of qualified rehabilitation counselors in rural and remote areas who understand the culture of these environments which focuses on pride, heritage, strict family values, and extended families

To learn more about the program, read through the Student Handbook | Student Handbook (Large Print)