The role of counseling theory in the success of vocational rehabilitation outcome

Individuals with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world, with one out of every ten people reporting a disability. These individuals face wage discrimination, limited opportunity for career advancement, and an unemployment rate almost three times that for people with no disability. This high rate of unemployment presents a serious problem because work affects social status, life fulfillment, and psychological well-being. Each state offers vocational rehabilitation services for their unemployed residents with disabilities, and an integral part of these services is vocational rehabilitation counseling. While the focus of rehabilitation counseling is vocational, it also includes behavioral, social, and psychological aspects. Researchers believe that the framework for rehabilitation counseling is counseling theory, and graduate programs and rehabilitation counseling employers require training in this area, yet little empirical research has examined the role of counseling theory in the success of vocational rehabilitation. This study examined whether use of counseling theory is associated with the likelihood of rehabilitation clients' eventual employment. Counselors' use of counseling theory and counseling theory's hypothesized role as a framework for counseling were assessed with a self-report survey. Therapeutic efficacy was measured as the ratio of successful employment outcomes in 2006 for the clients within each counselor's caseload. Counseling theory and its organizing role in rehabilitation were shown to have no connection with vocational outcome, although the use of counseling theory was related to counseling organization. Results of this study will be shared with the Department of Rehabilitation. Implications for counselor training are discussed.