The Council on Rehabilitation Education at its meeting of the Commission
and CORE Council in July 2003 has approved new standards for master's
degree programs in rehabilitation counseling. Mindful of licensure
standards in the states, CORE has developed curriculum standards
that are parallel to the Council on Accreditation of Counseling
and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) 2001 standards.
The curriculum standards that are parallel to CACREP are as follows: C.1 Professional Identity; C.2 Social and Cultural Diversity Issues; C.3 Human Growth and Development; C.4 Employment and Career Development; C.5 Counseling and Consultation; C.6 Group Work; C.7 Assessment; and C.8 Research and Program Evaluation. Two additional specialized rehabilitation counseling standards are: C.9 Medical, Functional, Environmental and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability; and C.10 Rehabilitation Services and Resources.
These new standards are based on studies of practicing rehabilitation counselors who are certified by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). The new CORE standards are designed to prepare students for the CRC examination and for meeting educational standards common in licensure regulations.
State counseling licensure boards would be interested in knowing that CORE also approved a minimum of 48 semester hours (or equivalent) for master's degree programs in rehabilitation counseling, but for those states requiring 60 hours, twelve additional semester hours "shall" be identified for those desiring state licensure. The basic minimum is the same as previously, but now those universities in states requiring 60 hours must have those courses available beyond the master's degree.
Of significance is also the ACA resolution approved in March 2003, reasserting parity of CORE and CACREP. The 2003 CORE Standards will be posted on www.core-rehab.org web site in late September 2003.
Questions can be addressed to:
Don Linkowski, Ph.D., CRC, LPC,
Executive Director
E-mail: dclink@wans.net or
Phone: (571) 216-4990.