Mission & Objectives

Program Mission Statement

The mission of The University of Texas at Austin Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program (RCEP) is to promote professional excellence through personal development and the highest academic standards as we work with our students, persons with disabilities, and our state, community, and national partners in rehabilitation counseling to achieve equality in rights, social justice, and quality of life for persons with disabilities in our community, state, nation, and globally.

Program Objectives

The University of Texas at Austin Rehabilitation Counselor Education Program prepares rehabilitation counselors with evidence-based skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to serve with excellence and distinction. The program objectives are:

Pre-Service Education – Students

     To prepare Master's and Doctoral level rehabilitation counselors with evidence-based skills, knowledge, and competencies to work with individuals with disabilities, with an emphasis on cultural and linguistic diversity, individuals with severe and multiple disabilities, and all individuals with disabilities and their families. There is an RCEP requirement for students to provide 240 hours of direct service to persons with disabilities through their coursework, independent of the Internship.

     To recruit high quality students, including students from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds, women, and students with disabilities.

Pre-Service Education – Program

     To provide the highest level of graduate rehabilitation counselor education through our Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredited program of courses and field training to prepare students to become professional rehabilitation counselors to assist persons with all types of disabilities to achieve their personal, career, and living goals through the application of the rehabilitation counseling process.

      To develop student's skills in assessment and appraisal; diagnosis and treatment; career counseling and planning; individual, family, and group counseling interventions; to facilitate adjustment to medical and psychosocial impacts of disability; case management, referral, and service coordination; interventions to remove environmental, employment, and attitudinal barriers, job analysis, job development, and job placement services that includes assistance with employment, job accommodations, the provision of consultation, and access to rehabilitation technology; consultation services among multiple parties and regulatory systems, and program evaluation and research.

     To prepare counselors to work as advocates who are well-versed in the ethical codes and laws relevant to practice as a professional rehabilitation counselor.

Rehabilitation Research

     To conduct research to improve the quality of life and enhancement of opportunities of persons with disabilities, to incorporate research results into the RCEP training program, to be a national leader in the scope and quality of our research, and to provide opportunities for students to participate in research that improves the quality of life and opportunities for persons with disabilities in order to shape the rehabilitation counseling profession.

RCEP Quality

     To maintain our status as one of the highest quality Rehabilitation Counselor Programs in the nation, and to be leaders in our profession through partnership and cooperation with our state rehabilitation agencies, organizations, and facilities, as well as organizations, schools, and businesses across the country and world. To maintain program accreditation by the Council on Rehabilitation Education; for faculty to maintain CRC status, and to maintain program membership in the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE).