Advocacy to Invigorate Rehabilitation Counseling Professional Associations: A Reflective Inquiry and Suggested Action Goals

Abstract

Reflections and recommendations from American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA) leaders were solicited and analyzed to explore challenging issues considered relevant to all rehabilitation counseling (RC) associations. Of the 29 locatable Past-Presidents (from 1980 through 2016), 12 persons (41%) participated. The free-response questions emailed were the following: (1) describe the best accomplishment of your year as President; (2) explain the biggest challenge at that time for ARCA as an organization; (3) explain the concurrent challenges for the RC profession; and (4) specify two top priorities that ARCA leaders should work on, to have positive impact on RC’s stakeholders. The verbatim responses, presented in full in this article, were categorized into thematic clusters. The major themes that were identified echoed findings from some related prior studies and ongoing discourse within RC. Recommended goals for the profession’s sustainability are to (a) shape a stronger professional identity that is better understood and appreciated; (b) support an organizational vehicle or association for publicizing our voice and vision, and cultivating growth through ongoing professional collaboration; (c) increase the meaningful impact our profession has on its stakeholder groups; (d) enhance and maintain high standards of rehabilitation education and competent, ethical practice; and (e) engage in partnership with the disability community.

Contemplating Consolidation: Acting on a Decades Old Call to Survey Professionals in the Discipline

“…The debate over consolidation has continued in the literature since the special issue (Benshoff et al, 2008;Emener & Cottone, 1989;Field & Emener, 1982;Irons, 1989;Leahy et al, 2011;Leahy & Tarvydas, 2001;McCarthy, 2020;Nerlich et al, 2022;Patterson, 2009;Peterson et al, 2006). In fact, at the turn of the century, ARCA and NRCA appeared like they would consolidate into one professional association representing rehabilitation counselors from all the practice settings (Leahy et al, 2011;Leahy & Tarvydas, 2001).…”

A Vision for Rehabilitation Counseling: Appreciative Inquiry Through the Eyes of Our Legacy Leaders

“…This study was a step toward harnessing the power and potential within the RC profession, to design its next evolution. RC has a strong tradition of research to define the profession through role and function studies (e.g., Leahy et al, 2019) and surveying the perspectives of stakeholders, such as doctoral students and recent graduates (Fleming et al, 2011), leaders of professional organizations (McCarthy, 2020), professionals in the field (Barros-Bailey et al, 2009), and professional organization members (Huber et al, 2019). Although research has been emphasized in this area, less attention has been given to exploring the narratives of collective RC leaders.…”

“…RCs should participate in the conferences and organizations for PWDs, and they should be invited into RC discussions (Mitus & Levine, 2021). Greater engagement with the disability community allows the profession to serve as "co-advocates" in creating a more inclusive society (McCarthy, 2020). Given disability variability, cross-disability organizations serving a diversity of consumers, like the American Association for Disabled People (AADP), will create a larger impact (McMahon, 2009).…”

“…Professional mentoring of emerging leaders and recruitment of BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled leaders (intentional identity-first language) should A Vision for Rehabilitation Counseling: Appreciative Inquiry Through the Eyes of Our Legacy Leaders be deliberately implemented to improve representation and further a disability social justice agenda. Through unification, professional organizations can provide a vehicle for lobbying and collaboration, increasing the visibility of the RC profession and moving it to a proactive, rather than reactionary position (McCarthy, 2020). Unification is only possible if organizations are "willing to confront the forces of organizational self-interest and institutional inertia, and to give up the apparent power and comfort we enjoy within our established but struggling associations" (McCarthy, 2020, p. 185).…”

Advancing Rehabilitation Counseling Professional Identity in Australia

“…We also share the "wicked problems" that have dogged our professional journey. In both countries, rehabilitation counseling struggles with its persistent 'niche' status, its relatively small numbers, and the disempowering impact of governance conflicts and identity fragmentation (see McCarthy, 2020;Tingey, Millington & Schultz, 2009). While the Australian model has U.S. origins, the programs have grown in different ways, on different continents, through different policy structures, in different cultures with unique histories.…”