Rehabilitation Counseling
Master's Program
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STATEMENT ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND EXPECTATIONS FOR ACCREDITED PROGRAMS |
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Accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education, Inc.
Rehabilitation counseling is a process that facilitates the movement of a person with a disability toward optimal functioning in the three broad areas of living, learning and working, with particular regard for cultural and individual diversity. Clients/consumers of rehabilitation counselors and services usually range in age from late adolescence through adulthood and exhibit intellectual, emotional and/or physical impairments in functioning. Most clients experience substantial difficulty in obtaining or retaining employment and/or independence. Consequently, the usual goal of rehabilitation is the entry or return of the consumer to gainful employment, independence, and the fullest level of functioning in all areas of life. To live, learn and work at the highest possible level of independence is the goal of rehabilitation consumers and practitioners. In some situations, the objective of gainful employment may be a secondary consideration.
The Rehabilitation Counseling Program offers instruction via traditional residential delivery and distance delivery (for qualified applicants), as well as options for students interested in pursuing careers in Deafness Focus rehabilitation. Options are also available for students who wish to pursue coursework required for licensure as a professional counselor in the state of Tennessee. Descriptions of each of the program options follow:
General Rehabilitation Counseling – Residential Study
This option is intended for students who wish to work in general rehabilitation counseling positions in public, private-not-for-profit or proprietary rehabilitation settings. Students who are not employed at rehabilitation agencies or in closely related positions are required to complete degree requirements on campus at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, with exceptions made for specific individual circumstances. Individuals who are not employed in such positions and who wish to complete the program entirely via distance education must receive approval in advance from program faculty.
Deafness Focus Rehabilitation – Residential Study
The Deafness Focus is for students interested in pursing careers in rehabilitation counseling working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Students pursue the same curriculum as those in the general rehabilitation counseling track but are required to complete Orientation to Deafness (Offered by the UT Center on Deafness) prior to entry into the program. Students must demonstrate American Sign Language (ASL) skills at an intermediate level or above on the Sign Language Proficiency Inventory (SLPI) prior to graduation. Finally, all external assignments for rehabilitation courses and all field experiences (Practicum and Internship) must be in an agency delivering services to individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and/or relate directly to subject matter relevant to individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Distance Education – General Rehabilitation or Deafness Focus
Distance Education is available for students who are employed as rehabilitation counselors or in closely related occupations but do not possess the Master's degree. Distance Education courses are delivered through the Saba Centra software system (see http://anywhere.tennessee.edu/de/tech/ for more information). The degree program requires two years of mixed full and part-time study, and cohorts are admitted during even-numbered calendar years with studies beginning in the fall of even-numbered calendar years. Students pursuing the degree through distance education will be required to come to the Knoxville campus for one week during the first summer of their studies for direct instruction in individual and group counseling skills.
For more information, download the following files:
Updated 04/10/2013
Contact Information
Lisa Rimmell
Program Co-Coordinator
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
531 Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: 865-974-8145
Fax: 865-974-0135
E-mail:lrimmell@utk.edu
Steve McCallum, Ph.D.
Program Co-Coordinator
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
526 Bailey Education Complex
Knoxville, TN 37996
Phone: 865-974-8145
Fax: 865-974-0135
E-mail: mccallum@utk.edu
Contact EPC
535 Jane & David Bailey Education Complex
1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-3452
Phone: 865-974-8145
Fax: 865-974-0135