Telecommunication offers rural vocational rehabilitation (VR) clients a method of communicating with their VR counselor between face-to-face visits. Unfortunately, certain telecommunication methods may not be available to many rural VR clients or may pose barriers in the rehabilitation process. This article describes findings from an exploratory…

Within the rehabilitation counseling arena, professional disclosure and informed consent are critical concepts for the rehabilitation counselor to understand. Once understood, they become key components of a rehabilitation counselor's daily practice. Counselors need to provide sufficient prior information about their evaluation and services to…

This article describes the recent revision of the "Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors," specifically addressing the Roles and Relationships With Clients ethical standard. A brief historical overview is provided of the terminology and the debate surrounding the outdated dual-relationship ethical rule in rehabilitation…

This study investigated certified rehabilitation counselors' (CRCs) attitudes, knowledge, and comfort in addressing disability and sexuality issues. One hundred ninety-nine CRCs completed a modified version of the "Knowledge, Comfort, Approach and Attitudes toward Sexuality Scale" to determine the effect of knowledge and attitudes on level of…

As the demographic transformation of the U.S. population continues, the challenges of multicultural and diversity-based considerations remain a central focus, as does the need to incorporate cultural competencies into the practice of rehabilitation. The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification's 2010 "Code of Professional Ethics for…

Vocational rehabilitation (VR) clients who leave the system prematurely experience worse employment outcomes than clients who stay in services. The authors conducted this study to learn about factors leading to premature exit by rural VR clients. Results will inform survey development for a large longitudinal study on this topic. The authors…

The purpose of this study was to determine if client-counselor ethnic/racial matches were associated with successful vocational rehabilitation (VR) outcomes. There was no significant difference in acceptance rates for VR services. Client-counselor ethnic/racial matches had a significantly higher rehabilitation rate than client-counselor…

This study explores the impact of counselor alcoholism recovery status on perceptions of recovering alcoholics who are active members of Alcoholics Anonymous. The participants (n = 116) were given a description of an analogue counselor and rated this counselor using the "Counselor Rating Form-Short." There were three forms of the analogue…

Multicultural issues in rehabilitation counseling continue to be a focus of practice and research because of the rapidly changing racial and ethnic profiles of persons with disabilities seeking services in the United States. This study investigated the relationship between vocational rehabilitation client outcomes and the rehabilitation counselor…

Examined the influence of counselor conceptual level (CL), client message complexity, and client disability status on counselor perceptions of client attractiveness. Results indicated participant preference for a low CL message regardless of participant CL or client disability status. No other main or interaction effects were found. (Author/BL)

Preference for an able-bodied v disabled counselor was rated across three problem areas by disabled and nondisabled volunteers. Data demonstrated that nondisabled persons preferred nondisabled counselors, and disabled persons preferred disabled counselors. (Author)

Study looked at the working alliance between rehabilitation counselors and clients. Analysis of survey results indicated that a) employed clients had a stronger working alliance than unemployed clients, and b) the working alliance is related to the client's perception of future employment prospects and his/her satisfaction with the current job.…

Conducted a national survey of certified rehabilitation counselors (N=627) to investigate their experiences with the death of a client. Found over 60 percent had experienced the death of a client between 1982 and 1985. Results suggest that experience of a client's death affects counselor's emotional, occupational, and personal life. (Author/ABL)

This article reviews the literature of professional disclosure and discusses its implications for rehabilitation counselors. The authors discuss the use and content of disclosure forms and practices, including the degree to which mental health professionals actually use such forms and reasons for nonuse. Clinical and research needs regarding…

This article reports the results of a survey conducted in order to determine the professional disclosure practices of rehabilitation counselors in both the public and the private sector. Counselors were surveyed regarding the content, the circumstances, the timing, and the format of their disclosure. They were also asked to share their opinions…