Rehabilitation Counselors

Career summary

Rehabilitation counselors work with patients who have a physical, mental, or emotional disability. Often, they work with people who were born with a disability. They may work with people who, after an accident or illness, have a permanent disability.

Rehabilitation counselors work one-on-one with patients. They design exercises that teach patients how to perform necessary skills. They may train them to do light tasks, such as sweeping and dusting.

They create new ways for patients to complete tasks they used to perform easily. This may mean that a patient may need to learn how to use special tools and devices. Rehabilitation counselors may help patients learn how to use braces and wheelchairs.

Part of rehabilitation counseling is working with others to help patients. When developing treatment plans, counselors often consult with:

• Families
• Doctors
• Social workers
• Other therapists

They also often work directly with a patient's coworkers and managers.

They can advise others on how to work with the patient. They can also identify any potential problems, such as a physical barrier, so that necessary changes can be made.

Related careers

This career is part of the Human Services cluster of careers.

Related careers include:

• Addictions Counselors
• Exercise Physiologists
• Mental Health Counselors
• Occupational Therapists
• Physical Therapists
• School Counselors
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Social Workers
• Special Education Teachers

Military careers

• Caseworkers and Counselors
• Physical and Occupational Therapy Specialists
• Training Specialists and Instructors

Job duties

Task list

The following list of tasks is specific to rehabilitation counselors.

• Prepare and maintain records and case files. Track personal and eligibility information and services provided.
• Talk with clients about their options and to set goals.
• Set up rehabilitation programs and plans that fit clients' needs and abilities.
• Arrange for physical, mental, vocational, and other evaluations.
• Analyze information from interviews, educational and medical records, and evaluations to determine client's abilities and needs.
• Help clients use devices such as wheelchairs and walkers, if necessary.
• Coordinate counseling efforts with other health professionals, such as doctors, psychologists, and occupational therapists.
• Work with clients' families to help client meet rehabilitation goals.
• Monitor and record clients' progress to make sure goals are met.
• Advise clients during job training and placements. Help clients overcome barriers when seeking jobs.
• Work with community and school groups.
• Develop diagnostic procedures to determine clients' needs.
• Manage budgets and authorize payments for services and client materials.

Common work activities

Rehabilitation counselors perform the following tasks. These tasks are common to many careers.

• Organize, plan, and prioritize work
• Assist and care for others
• Establish and maintain relationships
• Get information needed to do the job
• Communicate with supervisors, peers, or subordinates
• Communicate with people outside the organization
• Document and record information
• Evaluate information against standards
• Make decisions and solve problems
• Resolve conflicts and negotiate with others
• Identify objects, actions, and events
• Update and use job-related knowledge
• Coach others
• Monitor events, materials, and surroundings
• Provide advice and consultation to others
• Guide, direct, and motivate others
• Schedule work and activities
• Use computers
• Process information
• Develop goals and strategies
• Coordinate the work and activities of others
• Convince others to buy goods or change their minds or actions
• Develop and build teams
• Perform administrative tasks
• Judge the value of objects, services, or people
• Perform for or work with the public
• Teach others
• Think creatively
• Explain the meaning of information to others

Work requirements

Working conditions

In a typical work setting, rehabilitation counselors:

Interpersonal relationships

• Have a very high level of social interaction. They interact with patients throughout the day.
• Communicate with others by face-to-face discussions, telephone, and letters and memos. They also rely on e-mail, but less frequently.
• Occasionally are placed in conflict situations in which patients may be unpleasant or angry.
• Are responsible for the health and safety of their patients.
• Are greatly responsible for the work done by other workers.
• Almost always work as part of a team.

Physical work conditions

• Work both indoors and outdoors. Outdoor activities are often used to help patients relearn skills or to retrain their muscles.
• Work very near others, usually within a few feet or closer.

Work performance

• Must be exact and accurate when performing their work.
• Make decisions on a weekly basis that strongly impact patients. They make some decisions without talking to a supervisor, but often seek input from others.
• Usually set their tasks and goals for the day with input from a supervisor.
• Must meet strict deadlines on a weekly basis.
• Repeat the same physical and mental tasks.

Hours/travel

• Usually work full time.
• Generally work a set schedule.
• May work days, nights, or weekends.

Physical demands

Rehabilitation counselors frequently:

• Sit for long periods of time.

It is important for rehabilitation counselors to be able to:

• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Understand the speech of another person.
• See details of objects that are less than a few feet away.

It is not as important, but still necessary, for rehabilitation counselors to be able to:

• See details of objects that are more than a few feet away.
• Use fingers to grasp, move, or assemble very small objects.
• Use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects.
• Use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods without getting tired.
• See differences between colors, shades, and brightness.
• Hear sounds and recognize the difference between them.
• Focus on one source of sound and ignore others.
• Coordinate movement of several parts of the body, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving.
• Keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position.
• Be physically active for long periods without getting tired or out of breath.
• Use muscles to jump, sprint, or throw objects.
• Choose quickly and correctly among various movements when responding to different signals.

Skills and abilities

Rehabilitation counselors need to:

Communicate

• Listen to others and ask questions.
• Understand written information.
• Write clearly so other people can understand.
• Understand spoken information.
• Speak clearly so listeners can understand.
• Read and understand work-related materials.

Reason and problem solve

• Combine several pieces of information and draw conclusions.
• Analyze ideas and use logic to determine their strengths and weaknesses.
• Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Use reasoning to discover answers to problems.
• Recognize when important changes happen or are likely to happen in a system.
• Judge the costs and benefits of a possible action.
• Recognize the nature of a problem.
• Identify what must be changed to reach goals.
• Follow guidelines to arrange objects or actions in a certain order.
• Think of new ideas about a topic.
• Understand new information or materials by studying and working with them.
• Think of original, unusual, or creative ways to solve problems.
• Develop rules that group items in various ways.

Manage oneself, people, time, and things

• Check how well one is learning or doing something.
• Manage the time of self and others.

Work with people

• Be aware of others' reactions and understand the possible causes.
• Look for ways to help people.
• Change behavior in relation to others' actions.
• Solve problems by bringing others together to discuss differences.
• Persuade others to approach things differently.
• Teach others how to do something.
• Use several methods to learn or teach new things.

Work with things

• Analyze needs and requirements when designing products.

Education and training

Educational programs

The programs of study listed below will help you prepare for the occupation or career cluster you are exploring.

Programs of study directly related to this occupation

• Rehabilitation Counseling

Other programs of study to consider

• Counseling Psychology
• Mental Health Counseling
• Occupational Therapy
• Orthotic and Prosthetic Therapies
• Social Work

Training

To work as a rehabilitation counselor, you typically need to:

• have a high school diploma or equivalent;
• have a bachelor's degree;
• have a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling; and
• pass an exam.

Education after high school

The most common way to become a rehabilitation counselor is to complete a master's degree. Thus you must complete a four-year bachelor's degree program and a two-year master's degree program. Your undergraduate degree usually is in a field such as psychology, nursing, or social work.

In graduate programs, you study psychology, physiology, and public policy. You also learn various types of therapy techniques and skills, including individual and group work as well as vocational therapy ideas. You also spend time working with clients, while supervised by a licensed rehabilitation counselor.

Work experience

Volunteer experience in hospitals or nursing homes is helpful when applying to college. Some employers prefer counselors with one to two years of work experience in a particular area.

On-the-job training

Many employers offer short-term, on-the-job training to orient you to procedures and policies. This training usually lasts a few months or less.

Military training

The military is a good source of training for this occupation. Military training includes classroom instruction and work experience applying rehabilitation therapy techniques.

Helpful high school courses

In high school, take classes that prepare you for college. A college preparatory curriculum may be different from your state's graduation requirements.

You should also consider taking some advanced courses in high school. This includes Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses if they are available in your school. If you do well in these courses, you may receive college credit for them. Advanced courses can also strengthen your college application.

Helpful electives to take in high school that prepare you for this career include:

• Computer Applications
• Introduction to Health Care
• Psychology
• Probability and Statistics
• Sociology

The courses listed above are meant to help you create your high school plan. If you have not already done so, talk to a school counselor or parent about the courses you are considering taking.

You should also check with a teacher or counselor to see if work-based learning opportunities are available in your school and community. These might include field trips, job shadowing, internships, and actual work experience. The goal of these activities is to help you connect your school experiences with real-life work.

Join some groups, try some hobbies, or volunteer with an organization that interests you. By participating in activities you can have fun, make new friends, and learn about yourself. Maybe one of them will help direct you to a future career. Here are examples of activities and groups that may be available in your high school or community.

Things to know

Employers look for applicants with a master's degree in the field. They also desire counselors who have patience and strong interpersonal skills. Patience is important because many clients may not show rapid progress. Counselors must be prepared for that challenge. In addition, counselors need understanding and compassion when dealing with clients facing health problems. Employers also look for creativity and imagination. They prefer applicants who can inspire trust and respect in their clients. Rehabilitation counselors must be able to develop new activities to meet patients' needs.

Most rehabilitation counselors must be nationally certified.

Costs to workers

Workers may want to join a professional organization, which may have annual dues. Those who wish to be certified by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification must pay an application and exam fee of $405. The certification must be renewed every five years by continuing education or examination. Renewal fees are $395 for the continuing education option or $595 for renewal by examination.

#Checked exam/renewal fees which are still the same 3/22/12 lh & 3/25/15 cj. couldn't find renewal fee amt. 3/23/16 lh. Updated exam fee & added renewal fees as found them again, 1/23/17 cj. Updated exam and renewal fees 3/18/19 cj.

Licensing/certification

Rehabilitation counselors who work with certain state and federal agencies may need to be registered or certified by those agencies. Counselors who do work for federal programs, such as the Veteran's Administration, must have a master's degree. Rehabilitation counselors are often nationally certified by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).

Requirements for the most common route to certification include:

• a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling or a closely related field;
• a 600-semester hour internship supervised by a certified counselor;
• passing a national examination; and
• completion of 100 hours of continuing education, 10 of which must be in ethics, every five years for certification renewal.

Other routes to certification are available; contact the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification .

#Checked info 2/11/20

Job listings

Listed below are links to job categories from the National Labor Exchange that relate to this career. Once you get a list of jobs, you can view information about individual jobs and find out how to apply. If your job search finds too many openings, or if you wish to search for jobs outside of Washington, you will need to refine your search.

• Rehabilitation Counselors 

To get a listing of current jobs from the WorkSource system, go to the WorkSource website .

Wages

Wages vary by employer and area of the country. The counselor's level of experience also affects wages.

Counselors who work full time usually receive benefits. Typical benefits include sick leave, paid vacation, and health insurance. Some employers also provide a retirement plan.

Employment and outlook

Washington outlook

The table below provides information about the number of workers in this career in various regions. It also provides information about the expected growth rate and future job openings.

National employment

Major employers:

• Vocational rehabilitation services
• Nursing and residential care facilities
• State and local government agencies

National outlook

Strong job growth in this occupation will be due to the needs of the aging population. Growth will also occur as there are more veterans and disabled people who will need services to help them adapt to living independently.

Other resources

ADARA: Professionals Networking for Excellence in Service Delivery with Individuals who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing 
6522 Calm River Way
Louisville, KY 40299

American Board of Vocational Experts 
3121 Park Avenue, Suite C
Soquel, CA 95073
831.464.4890

American Rehabilitation Counseling Association 

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification 
1699 East Woodfield Road, Suite 300
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847.944.1325

Explore Health Careers: Rehabilitation Counselor 

International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals 
1926 Waukegan Road, Suite 1
Glenview, IL 60025
888.427.7722
847.657.6964

International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals Washington Chapter 

National Council on Rehabilitation Education 
1099 E. Champlain Drive, Suite A, # 137
Fresno, CA 93720
559.906.0787

References

Career cluster

• Human Services

Career path

• Social

O*Net  occupation

• Rehabilitation Counselors (21-1015.00) 

O*Net job zone 

• Job Zone 5 - Extensive preparation needed. Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience.

DOT occupations

• Coordinator of Rehabilitation Services (076.117-010) 
• Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant (094.117-018) 
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (045.107-042) 

Strong Interest Inventory

• Rehabilitation Counselor
• Social Worker

Holland occupational cluster

• Social/Investigative/Artistic

COPSystem

• Business Professional
• Service Professional