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We reviewed 11 well-recognized counseling theories, seeking those that best fit requirements of rehabilitation counselors and clients. We looked specifically for methods that were goal-oriented, supported counselor-client collaboration, and were person-centered, brief and evidence based. Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Solution Focused Therapy (SFT) fit our criteria on four of five dimensions. We describe these two counseling modalities and illustrate techniques, using hypothetical examples from rehabilitation counseling contexts, and provide specific recommendations for rehabilitation educators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, we offered an innovative blended graduate level rehabilitationcounseling course. The course was delivered online and in Hong Kong. It included readings, PowerPoint presentations and discussion board features on Blackboard, as well as face-to-face lectures and guest speakers in a classroom context at the City University of Hong Kong. Additionally, students were required to visit various psychiatric rehabilitation and mental health programs throughout Hong Kong, and participation in the 2007 World Congress of the World Federation for Mental Health. Two faculty members and 13 students spent a total of10 days in Hong Kong. The authors discuss the development and de lively of the course including course design, content, delivery methods and logistics. Implications are explored for teaching innovation in rehabilitation education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study identifies factors associated with employment among current beneficiaries of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) using publicly available data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). According to the 2001 and 2002 NHIS, about 6.8% of working-age adults who reported receiving SSDI also reported working for pay the preceding week. Roughly two-thirds of this group worked fewer than 25 hours. Younger age, higher levels of education and income, and less severe health problems and disabilities were positively associated with workforce participation. The fact that a considerable number of SSDI beneficiaries are currently engaged in paid work suggests that work incentives like those contained in The Ticket-to-Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act (TWWIIA PL 106-170) could help return some beneficiaries to full employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a special supplement to the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to test empirically the assumption that denial of one's disability is related to poor psychosocial adjustment. An estimated 12.9 million American adults answered yes to the question 'Do other people think [you] have a disability?' Of this group, about 11% said they did not consider themselves to have a disability. Controlling for age, gender, race, presence of psychiatric diagnosis and health status, adults who rejected their disability status reported significantly lower rates of mental health problems than those who accepted their disability status. Given the current stigma of disability in American culture, denial of disability status may be seen as a relatively effective coping strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with autism and related developmental disabilities such as Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder present special challenges to rehabilitation counselors. Although their experiences have been described clinically, seldom have the perceptions of individuals with autism and their parents been actively sought. This article reviews the literature on autism from a variety of perspectives: medical, behavioral, social, and personal. An analysis of 18 first hand accounts, interviews, and autobiographical works by people with autism and their parents contribute insights into the experience of autism and related disabilities. The article concludes with specific suggestions to help rehabilitation counselors maximize the success of individuals with autism and related disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary Objective: This study determined how the lives of a cross-national sample of adult siblings had changed since their brothers and sisters incurred a traumatic brain injury., Research Design: A total of 272 participants provided responses to the question, 'How is your life different since your sibling had a TBI?' Responses were analysed through the constant comparative method of textual analysis., Methods and Procedures: Responses were collected through a mailed-survey. The analysed question appeared at the end of a 243-item quantitatively-based survey containing five open-ended questions., Outcomes and Results: Three themes emerged: (1) 'Family impacts' such as growing up with a sibling with TBI and impact on family closeness; (2) 'Caring' including caring for and about the family member; and (3) 'Making sense of the experience' through adjustment and personal development., Conclusions: The study demonstrates that having a sibling with a TBI can result in profound and enduring negative and positive life changes for non-injured siblings. Professionals need to attend to the needs of siblings for support and guidance and should be considered as key informants about their injured family members during intake and service planning.

Data from the 1994 and 1995 Disability Supplements of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were used to estimate rates of utilization of vocational services and examine employment outcomes for adults with disabilities who have received vocational services. Those living outside the formal long-term care system, and who were self or proxy identified as having mental retardation, were compared with other adults with disabilities. Analyses suggest that compared to other working-age persons with disabilities, adults with mental retardation (a) have a different population profile, (b) receive different types of services, (c) experience similar levels of satisfaction, (d) have much lower rates of competitive employment, and (e) are much more likely to be employed in segregated work settings. Research and policy implications of findings are discussed.

A self-evaluation of one small but innovative agency providing supported living and other community supports to individuals with developmental disabilities is presented. Key elements that appear to perpetuate a culture of commitment among direct support and supervisory staff are described. Agency staff people have achieved the capacity to listen and respond to individuals and honor their choices. In order to assure that individuals get what they need, staff members take appropriate initiative, work outside of their assigned hours, and support one another. Whereas most human service organizations function within the parameters of well-defined policies and procedures, the agency described here operates more flexibly. The observed pattern of organizational dynamism and reflexivity is compared to that of a living organism.