Professional identity underlies many occupational considerations in rehabilitation counselling including standards for practice and conceptualisation of self in current or anticipated professional life. Rehabilitation counselling is an allied health specialist profession that operates within a vocational rehabilitation framework to assist people with disability and injury to maximise independence and inclusion in the community (Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors (ASORC), 2017). Further, rehabilitation counselling necessitates specialised knowledge of disabilities, the disability experience, and contextual factors that impact this demographic (Jenkins, Patterson, & Szymanski, 1992). However, a closer examination of the profession
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The period after World War I marked the Australian Government’s first formal attempt to remedy social disparity related to health impairment in the form of repatriation and employment placement services for returned serviceman (Rothwell, 1984). By 1948, this service grew into the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS), whereby multidisciplinary teams were with the objective of reintegrating recipients of invalid pensions back into the community by placing them into employment (Walker, 1999). The mid-1980s saw the broader notions of rehabilitation incorporated into the CRS objectives when CRS services were expanded to all people of working age who would benefit from rehabilitation services, including for those for whom employment was not a realistic objective (Walker, 1999). Further, it cemented the occupation as a distinct profession and the role of rehabilitation counsellor (RC) as a specialist one aimed at maximising individual independence and inclusion in the community (Rubin & Roessler, 2001). It is interesting to note whilst the profession evolved in accordance with the prevailing economic, political, and sociocultural conditions, the nexus between social policy and meaningful activity remained at its …show more content…
According to Leahy et al. (2003) the major job tasks central to the contemporary practice of rehabilitation counselling include: (a) vocational counselling and consultation; (b) counselling interventions; (c) community-based rehabilitation service activities; (d) case management; (e) applied research; (f) assessment; and (g) professional advocacy. Industry sources confirm that frequently performed roles fall under the functional domains listed, for example, counsellor, consultant, and labour market specialist (Griffith University, 2015; La Trobe University, n.d.; Taylor, 2015). However, the concentration on functional domains and the forms the roles embody are dependent on the jurisdiction of the work setting (Biggs & Flett, 1995; Griffith University, 2015; Taylor, 2016). For instance, an RC working at a Disability Employment Service may focus primarily on case management and job development and placement whereas an RC with a career in academia may devote a greater portion of their time to research activities (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, 2014; Piazzale,
The period after World War I marked the Australian Government’s first formal attempt to remedy social disparity related to health impairment in the form of repatriation and employment placement services for returned serviceman (Rothwell, 1984). By 1948, this service grew into the Commonwealth Rehabilitation Service (CRS), whereby multidisciplinary teams were with the objective of reintegrating recipients of invalid pensions back into the community by placing them into employment (Walker, 1999). The mid-1980s saw the broader notions of rehabilitation incorporated into the CRS objectives when CRS services were expanded to all people of working age who would benefit from rehabilitation services, including for those for whom employment was not a realistic objective (Walker, 1999). Further, it cemented the occupation as a distinct profession and the role of rehabilitation counsellor (RC) as a specialist one aimed at maximising individual independence and inclusion in the community (Rubin & Roessler, 2001). It is interesting to note whilst the profession evolved in accordance with the prevailing economic, political, and sociocultural conditions, the nexus between social policy and meaningful activity remained at its …show more content…
According to Leahy et al. (2003) the major job tasks central to the contemporary practice of rehabilitation counselling include: (a) vocational counselling and consultation; (b) counselling interventions; (c) community-based rehabilitation service activities; (d) case management; (e) applied research; (f) assessment; and (g) professional advocacy. Industry sources confirm that frequently performed roles fall under the functional domains listed, for example, counsellor, consultant, and labour market specialist (Griffith University, 2015; La Trobe University, n.d.; Taylor, 2015). However, the concentration on functional domains and the forms the roles embody are dependent on the jurisdiction of the work setting (Biggs & Flett, 1995; Griffith University, 2015; Taylor, 2016). For instance, an RC working at a Disability Employment Service may focus primarily on case management and job development and placement whereas an RC with a career in academia may devote a greater portion of their time to research activities (Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, 2014; Piazzale,