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The purpose of this study was to evaluate Carkhuff's PIE training program as a treatment mode to improve the rehabilitation potential of disabled clients. A randomized experimental/control design utilizing pretest and post-test measures of physical fitness, goal-setting, interpersonal skills, self-concept, internal control, and personal adjustment was used involving 97 general rehabilitation clients. The statistical results were partially supportive leading to the tentative conclusion that the PIE program produces improvements in specific physical, goal-setting, and interpersonal skills, but that these effects may not generalize immediately to self-concept, internal control, personal adjustment, and program completion. Issues and problems in the interpretation of the results of the study are discussed.

The existence of multiple rehabilitation counselor types has received much attention in the literature. This issue, which is typically referred to as the counselor versus coordinator controversy, has been dealt with primarily through opinion articles and self-report studies. The present paper diverges from this focus and identifies three types of rehabilitation counselor performance on the counselor-coordinator continum based on rehabilitation counselor interview subrole behavior usage. Self-report and case service correlates of the three types are reported and discussed.

This paper consists of six sections: (1) A review of issues in research utilization including a brief outline of three major strategies for enchancing the utilization of research, (2) A five-part functional definition of the characteristics of the target population: severely handicapped deaf young adults, (3) A review of four survey studies of the occupational conditions of deaf young adults, (4) A review of five major experimental service programs with 17 guidelines for counseling practice and eight policy implications derived therefrom, (5) A review of research projects in four selected areas of deafness with the attendant conclusions and implications for practice, and (6) An outline of a longitudinal and cross-sectional investigation of the intellectual, emotional, and vocational development of deaf youngsters at the Arkansas School for the Deaf.

The purpose of this study was to assess the long-term impact of rehabilitation services on the vocational, psychological, and social adjustment of clients. Thirty-two clients completed three personality inventories at the time of acceptance for services and again at follow-up more than six years later. Information regarding vocational adjustment and social participation was also collected at follow-up. The results of the data analyses suggest that the provision of rehabilitation services may have a significant impact on the long-term vocational and psycho-social adjustment of cilents. However, it is clear that not all clients benefit in all areas of functioning. But it does appear that the vast majority evidence improvement in some types of psychological or vocational adjustment.

This article describes the research strategy developed by the Arkansas Rehabilitation Research and Training Center to address the core area of Interventions to Facilitate the Employment of Severely Handicapped Persons. Two research programs are encompassed, “Employability Skills” and “Environmental Support.” The skills program includes the development and demonstration of assessment and intervention techniques designed to enhance the employability of rehabilitation clients. The environmental support program focuses on the development and demonstration of employability interventions for use with two key groups—employers, and peers. Products for each research program include modular training programs, intervention resources and manuals, and research monographs. The article concludes with a summary of results and benefits for handicapped persons.

The purpose of this paper is to outline a framework for understanding the impact of personnel assessment procedures on handicapped persons. The major themes are: (a) The distinction between employment and employability, (b) Environmental and attitudinal barriers to the employment of handicapped persons, (c) The role of tests and other selection devices in assessing employment potential, and (d) Recommended practices and strategies for assessing employability of handicapped persons. The consistent position taken in this paper represents the vocational rehabilitation perspective, which generally can be characterized as an advocacy position for handicapped persons.

The assessment of vocational motivation is a concern that is central to the primary goal of the vocational rehabilitation process. An analysis of the Work Values Inventory (WVI) profiles of 445 physically disabled clients revealed that: (a) they are motivated by intrinsic as well as extrinsic values; (b) their work values are independent of age, education, and intelligence; and (c) their profiles of work values provide relatively unique information for counseling purposes. Three approaches to the interpretation of the WVI that may be used by the rehabilitation counselor are outlined: the normative strategy, the individualized strategy, and the predictive strategy. It was concluded that the WVI is a potentially useful instrument for assessing the vocational motivation of physically disabled clients.

The Arkansas RIDAC Project was initiated for the primary purpose of accelerating the diagnostic process for severely. disabled clients. The content and procedures of the medical, psychological, and vocational evaluation components are described in this article. Three briefcase vignettes are used to illustrate the typical evaluation sequence. Preliminary data for more than 400 clients indicates that RIDAC is achieving its objectives: the average number of days between referral and acceptance or 08 closure was 30 days, with only two days spent in the evaluation process. Furthermore, counselors' opinions about RIDAC services were highly favorable.

A 12-year follow-up survey was conducted to assess the vocational and psychosocial adjustment of 225 former clients of the Hot Springs Rehabilitation Center (HSRC). Data collected at admission to and discharge from HSRC suggested that the clients were generally the more difficult rehabilitation cases and that most were only marginally successful in achieving their rehabilitation goals. Among the major findings of the follow-up survey were: (a) 56% of the ex-clients were working at follow-up and 73% had held some employment since leaving HSRC, (b) 49% of the ex-clients who were working at follow-up had been employed on the same job for 5 years or longer, (c) 60% of the working ex-clients believed that VR services were helpful in getting their jobs, (d) 73% of the former clients were not employed in occupations directly related to the vocational training that they had received at HSRC, (e) 47% of the unemployed ex-clients indicated that they had received no encouragement from their families in their efforts to become employed, (f) 60% of the unemployed ex-clients were receiving some form of public assistance, compared to 6% of the working ex-clients, and (g) counselors' ratings of psychosocial and vocational goal attainment and overall adjustment at HSRC were significant predictors of work status at follow-up and 12-year employment history. The article concludes with 10 brief case vignettes and a list of 35 significant findings.

The ultimate goal of rehabilitation research is the improvement of services to disabled clients. Because rehabilitation counselors are the primary agents in the service-delivery process they are the logical target of research publications. Unfortunately, most research results are disseminated in a form unsuitable for use by the typical practitioner. One solution to this problem is to prepare the counselor to be a research consumer. This article outlines the assumptions underlying research training for rehabilitation counselors, the objectives of that training, and a detailed program for preparing counselors to be research consumers.