Rehabilitation Counseling

The clinical component of the program is comprised of a 100-hour Practicum experience over one semester, and a 600-hour Internship experience over two semesters. These experiences provide an opportunity for the student to integrate theory and practice in a “hands on” environment. Our graduates consistently rate their combined practicum and internship experience as one of the most rewarding and beneficial parts of the program, one that often lead to jobs upon graduation.

The 100-hour practicum experience places emphasis on the counseling relationship and the development of fundamental counseling and interviewing skills. Students are required to complete audio or videotaped counseling sessions during their practicum experience. Students receive weekly individual and group supervision during the practicum session and have opportunities to get feedback regarding the development of their counseling skills. There is also an emphasis on identifying and addressing ethical issues that may arise in the counseling relationship. Formal supervisor and student self-evaluations are required upon completing the practicum experience.

The second component of supervised practical experience is the 600-hour Internship. The internship in Rehabilitation Counseling usually requires 21 hours, or three full days per week over the final two semesters of the program. The internship provides students with the opportunity to experience the wide range of duties and responsibilities of a rehabilitation counselor, and to participate in all aspects of the delivery of rehabilitation counseling services. Students receive regular supervision from an on-site supervisor, and individual and group supervision by the faculty supervisor and seminar leader. The student’s professional development and growth are closely monitored and evaluated to ensure that the student is acquiring the skills required of an entry level professional rehabilitation counselor.

• AdCare Hospital of Worcester
• AIDS Project Worcester
• Alternatives Unlimited, Inc.
• Center for Living and Working, Inc.
• Community Healthlink
• Department of Mental Health
• Department of Children and Families
• Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital
• Faith House
• Genesis Club, Inc.
• Hubbard Regional Hospital - EAP
• Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
• Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
• Northborough Family and Youth Services, Inc.
• Seven Hills Foundation
• Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital
• Unum Insurance Company
• Veterans Inc.
• Worcester Public Schools
• Worcester Recovery Center and Hospital
• Y.O.U., Inc.

For online students, practicum and internship placements are developed in the student’s local geographical area.

Students consistently expressed a desire to take electives but accreditation requirements do not leave much room. Program leadership in consultation with colleagues and the advisory board found a way to create room for an elective while still fulfilling the accreditation requirements. Students are encouraged to take an elective from the different graduate and graduate-level certificate programs at Assumption and graduate courses external to the University will be considered in consultation with the Program Director.

An oral exam is required for all students in the Master's program, as well as those completing the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) program. This exam is taken during the student's last semester of study. The objective of the oral exam is for students to demonstrate how they integrate theory, practice, and research related to the training they have received in the Rehabilitation Counseling program. The oral exam is waived for people who take and pass the CRC exam prior to graduation.

Oral exams carry the grade of pass or fail. If a student does not pass the oral exam, he/she will be given the opportunity to retake the oral exam prior to graduation.

This program is designed for students who wish to take courses in a traditional on-campus setting. Half of the courses are offered on-campus where students attend small classes that meet on a weekly basis during the academic year. The other half of the courses are blended with the asynchronous online program. During the summer session classes are usually hybrid (in-person and asynchronous) to allow for more flexibility. Students enrolled in this program are eligible to apply for traineeships, graduate assistantships and scholarship funding, when available. Upon successful completion of 75% of the academic and clinical requirements of this program students are eligible to sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam. Students are encouraged to take the CRC exam during their final academic semester.

An individualized Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Rehabilitation Counseling is offered to students who have completed a master’s degree in another discipline. Students who have completed a related master’s degree either at Assumption University or another college/ university may apply to the Rehabilitation Counseling C.A.G.S. program. The C.A.G.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling is a course of study that is developed in consultation with the graduate program director and based on students’ specific interest areas. Students pursuing the C.A.G.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling typically take courses on a part-time basis and have up to 7 years to complete their course of study.

This Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study is not currently intended for individuals who possess a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from a Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program.

The Rehabilitation Counseling CAGS program is recommended for students with a master’s degree in Human Service, Counseling, Education, Social Work and related fields that wish to obtain further knowledge and skills in working with people with disabilities.

The CAGS in Rehabilitation Counseling will allow students to focus graduate coursework in areas such as vocational rehabilitation, career counseling, psycho-social aspects and case management as it relates to individuals with a variety of disabilities.

National Certification by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) 

Students are strongly encouraged to apply to take the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam as soon as they meet the eligibility requirements to do so. The CRC credential has become a standard entry level requirement by most agencies that employ rehabilitation counselors. Students may sit for the national CRC exam upon completion of 75% of the required coursework for the M.A. program. All students are strongly encouraged to sit for the CRC exam and become nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselors.

Massachusetts Licensure by the Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services (262 CMR 4.00)

Students who successfully complete the 60 credit M.A. program, including the 600-hour internship, become eligible for Massachusetts Licensure in Rehabilitation Counseling (LRC) following two years post-masters clinical experience in rehabilitation counseling under the direction of an approved supervisor.

See Commonwealth of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR) 262 – 4.00: Requirements for Licensure as a Rehabilitation Counselor, for more information.

The Rehabilitation Counseling profession offers numerous professional organizational memberships. Until its recent dissolution, Assumption had maintained an institutional membership with the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE). We are in the process of developing a comparable relationship with the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) branch of ACA. Many faculty maintain a variety of individual memberships with the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA). There also are numerous subdivisions and specialty organizations included with ACA, NRA, and other professional organizations at the state and national level.

Students are strongly encouraged to become members of professional organizations. Program faculty often make opportunities available for students to attend and participate in conference attendance.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards require that graduates demonstrate both knowledge and skill across the curriculum as well as professional dispositions – the commitments, characteristics, values, beliefs, interpersonal functioning, and behaviors that influence the counselor’s professional growth and interactions with clients and colleagues. The Rehabilitation Counseling Program Director and faculty will review student progress each semester.

Students whose grade point average drops below 3.0, or who earn a failing grade in a course (i.e., below B-), will be placed on academic probation. Students whose GPA is below 3.0 have one semester to bring their GPA up to 3.0 thought considerations will be made if re-taking courses is necessary to raise the GPA to 3.0 or higher. Students who have a GPA less than 3.0 for one academic year may be dismissed from the program. Program faculty may also provide input about student dispositions based on their observations.

If performance issues are identified, the student and program leadership will meet to discuss and develop a remedial plan designed to improve the student’s performance and to remove them from probationary status. In additional to the steps taken for inadequate grades or GPAs, as a general practice, an annual performance review is conducted for all active students. First year students are evaluated after the Spring semester and 2nd year students (in the online program) are evaluated after the 2nd summer semester. The outcome of these evaluations is provided to students in the form of written letters.