CEP 876

Professional Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling

Spring 2006

Instructor:

Dr. Timothy N. Tansey, CRC, CVE Class: Monday 7:10-10:00 pm
224 Erickson Hall Office Hours: By appointment
(517) 432-0273 E-Mail: ttansey@msu.edu



Course Description

The course is designed to examine critical practice issues in the rehabilitation counseling profession, and emerging issues within the larger rehabilitation, disability and health care communities. The course design is similar to a seminar format to provide the student with varied perspectives on issues, and regular opportunities for in-depth discussion and analysis.

The course will provide extensive coverage of professional identity issues including personal career development, professionalization, and the future direction of rehabilitation counseling. Specific practice issues will be examined from a case management perspective with particular attention devoted to community resource development, conflict resolution, and ethical decision making in the rehabilitation process. Rehabilitation research will be discussed from a practice perspective.

Course Content by Session

Session1: January 9

• Course introduction and overview
• Selection of discussion Group Leaders for future content sessions
• Preparing for the Portfolio, CRC Examination, and application for Counselor Licensure
• Personal career goals and aspirations - discussion
• Professional job search – resume preparation and search strategies
• Identifying contemporary professional issues and challenges in Rehabilitation Counseling – Overview of current research

Readings: Handouts from Instructor.
Assignment for Session 3 (1/24): Prepare a professional resume for review, and draft a one-page statement of your professional goals and aspirations.

Session 2: January 16

No class, Martin Luther King Day

Session 3: January 23

• Continue discussion on the identification of contemporary issues and challenges
• Review resumes and share papers on career aspirations and goals.
• Historical and conceptual foundations of case management practice

Readings: Chapter 1 and 2 (2-51) in Volume I of course text (Chan, Leahy, & Saunders, 2005).

Session 4: January 30

• Continue discussion of historical and conceptual foundations of case management practice
• Review and discussion of the state of rehabilitation and disability policy, including anticipated challenges in policy formation for the future.
• Professional advocacy – challenges and opportunities
• Selection of policy areas for student group presentations.

Readings: Chapter 4 (88-121) in Volume I of course text. Independent review of disability related web sites for information. Review the Michigan Disability Policy Agenda (located on ANGEL course site).

Session 5: February 6- Duncan

• The Michigan Disability Policy Agenda; Disability and rehabilitation organizations work together toward common advocacy goals.
• Student group presentations on policy areas included in the agenda.

Readings: Michigan Disability Policy Agenda (draft located on ANGEL course site).

Session 6: February 13

• Finish student group presentations from previous week
• Interpersonal communication skills for effective case management
• Negotiation and conflict resolution skills

Readings: Chapter 5 (122-141) in Volume I of course text.
Assignment for Session 7: Independent review of an assigned area of community resources in a specific location.


Session 7: February 20

• Need assessment strategies used to define resource needs
• The development and utilization of community resources in practice
• Student reports of community resource evaluations

Readings: Chapter 7 (176-196) in Volume I of course text.

Session 8: February 27- Cozetta coming to class- Multiculturalism in Ethics

• Review of Code of Ethics
• Clinical decision-making and ethical issues in case management
• Case study exercises

Readings: Chapter 6 (144-175) in Volume I of course text. Handouts from instructor.


March 6-10, Spring Break


Session 9: March 13

• Continue discussions and case study exercises on ethical decision-making
• Group presentation meetings

Readings: Handouts from Instructor

Session 10: March 20- Employers coming to class

• Distinctions among settings in case management practice
• Public Rehabilitation
• Non-profit Rehabilitation
• Private For-profit Rehabilitation
• Workplace Disability Management Programs
• Group presentation meetings

Readings: Chapters 10-13 (267-365) in Volume I of course text.

Session 11: March 27

• The restructuring of managed care -- the importance of choice
• Assistive technology for case mangers
• Promotion of health and enhanced life functioning
• Group presentation meetings

Readings: Chapter 3 and 8 (56-87, 197-227) in Volume I of course text, Chapter16 (44-63) in Volume II of course text.

Session 12: April 3

• (3) Student Group Paper Presentations

Session 13: April 10

• (3) Student Group Paper Presentations

Session 14: April 17

• (3) Student Group Paper Presentations

Session 15: April 24

• Evidenced-based practice in case management
• Rehabilitation and disability research sources
• Applications of research to practice in Rehabilitation Counseling
• Course summary and wrap-up

Readings: Chapter 14 (369-387) in Volume I of course text. Independent review of disability research related web sites for information.

May 1-5, Final Exam Week


Required Course Materials

Chan, F., Leahy, M.J., & Saunders, J.L. (Eds.) (2005). Case management for
rehabilitation health professionals (2ed edition). Volume I: Foundational aspects. Aspen Professional Services.

Chan, F., Leahy, M.J., & Saunders, J.L. (Eds.) (2005). Case management for
rehabilitation health professionals (2ed edition). Volume 1I: Advanced practice: Applications with special populations. Aspen Professional Services.

Description of Required Assignments and Products

A significant aspect of this course will be a number of special assignments and products you will be responsible to complete. The following is a brief description of each of these assignments. The instructor will provide additional clarification and structure for these assignments during the course of the semester.

Professional Resume. Preparation and submission of a 1-2 page professional resume designed for use in the post-graduate job search. Assignment due January 23.

Career Goals and Aspirations Statement. Preparation and submission of a one-page statement outlining your professional goals and aspirations, including future professional roles, practice settings, and specific populations you are interested in pursuing after graduation. You should also talk discuss your post-graduate professional development plans and any other career aspirations that you envision. Assignment due January 23.

Discussion Group Leader. You will be asked to select at least one of the chapters assigned from our course text and act as the discussion group leader and facilitator for class discussion of that content when it appears on our schedule during the semester. Selection of chapters will occur on January 9.

Disability Policy Recommendations Presentation. You will responsible for making a very brief presentation to the class and conducting a discussion on one of the policy areas outlined in the Michigan Disability Policy Agenda.

Community Resources Information Gathering. In preparation for our class session on February 21, you will be responsible for picking an area of community resources to investigate within your local community in terms of availability, access, and further needs in this area of services and support. You will share your findings with your colleagues as part of our discussion on community resources.

Group Paper Presentation. As one of the major assignments for the semester, you will independently study two of the disability groups covered in Volume II of our text under Special Populations and Applications of Case Management. You should use the specific chapter in the text covering the groups you select as a starting point, and then do further library and field research to gather additional information for your presentation. You will work with another colleague on these projects, and make a one hour presentation on each to the class on one of the following dates: April 3,10, or 17. You will have time during class at various points for you to work on this project with your partner and consult with the instructor.

Formal Paper. The final product for the class will be a formal paper that addresses, in an in-depth fashion, a significant professional issue we cover in class. The paper should be approximately 10-15 pages in length, and conform to all APA style and format conventions. The paper will be due no later than April 24.

Evaluation Criteria

Resume and career aspirations paper – 5%
Participation in leadership assignments (discussion group leader, disability policy presentation, community resource information gathering and reporting, overall class participation) -- 25%
Group paper presentation --40%
Formal paper -- 30%

Course Grades will be determined using the following criteria:

100-92 4
91-88 3.5
87-75 3
74-71 2.5
70-63 2
62 or less 1.5

Academic Integrity

Academic Honesty: Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that "The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards." In addition, the College of Education adheres to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. (See Spartan Life: Student Handbook and Resource Guide and/or the MSU Web site: www.msu.edu.)

Accommodation Needs

If you have needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please notify the instructor and reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs. Students with disabilities should contact the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable accommodations. For an appointment with a counselor, call 353-9642 (voice) or 355-1293 (TTY).