NRCA Maintenance Plan for CRC and NCC Certification Renewal
NRCA MAINTENANCE PLAN FOR
CRC AND NCC CERTIFICATION RENEWAL
The National Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NRCA) has made the commitment to rehabilitation counselor certification and certification renewal. Certification renewal is the responsibility of each NRCA member. It is also the member's responsibility to adhere to the limits of each domain focus area and the overall requirements for continuing education. CRCC developed two methods of certification maintenance: reexamination and continuing education. As an appointing organization of CRCC, NRCA developed the following plan effective January 1, 2003.
NRCA's Certification Maintenance Program is a benefit for its members. In order to participate in the program, the individual requesting continuing education credits must be a NRCA member certified as a rehabilitation counselor (CRC. CCRC.CRC-MAC, CRC-CS, CRC-MAC-CS) may use the program to renew their certification. The requirements are for 100 clock hours within the five-year period of certification, ten of which must be in ethics. NRCA will be preapproving all programs so any program scheduled to be offered, should be submitted to the National Office with sufficient time.
NRCA has provider status with the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Program approvals within the content areas of NBCC may be approved for NRCA members.
A. DOMAIN (FOCUS) AREAS
Each program should meet one of the Domain Focus Areas for Continuing Education. These are:
Ethical Standards or Decision Making Models for Rehabilitation Counselors
Vocational Consultation
and Employer Services
Employer practices that affect the employment or return to work of individuals
with disabilities
Ergonomics
Job modification and restructuring techniques
Job analysis
Consultation services available from rehabilitation counselors for employers
Methods and techniques used to conduct labor market surveys
Work conditioning and work hardening resources and strategies
Accommodation and rehabilitation engineering services
Marketing strategies and techniques for rehabilitation services
The workplace culture and environment
Job Development and Placement
Services
Employer development and job placement
Client job seeking skills development
Client job retention skills
Job placement strategies
Job and employer development
Follow-up/post employment services
Occupational and labor market information
Vocational implications of functional limitations associated with disabilities
Career Counseling and Assessment
Techniques
Tests and evaluation techniques available for assessing client's needs
Computer-based counseling tools in rehabilitation counseling
Computer-based job-matching systems
Interpretation of assessment results for rehabilitation planning purposes
Internet resources for rehabilitation counseling
Assistive technology
Theories of career development and work adjustment
Transferable skills analysis
Mental Health Counseling
Mental health and psychiatric disability concepts
Rehabilitation techniques for individuals with psychological disabilities
Treatment planning for clinical problems (e.g., depression and anxiety)
Substance abuse and treatment
Human sexuality and disability issues
Wellness and illness prevention concepts and strategies
Group and Family Counseling
Family counseling theories
Family counseling practices and interventions
Group counseling practices and interventions
Group counseling theories
Individual Counseling
Individual counseling theories
Individual counseling practices and interventions
Behavior and personality theory
Human growth and development
Psychosocial and Cultural
Issues in Counseling
The psychosocial and cultural impact of disability on the family
The psychosocial and cultural impact of disability on the individual
Multicultural counseling issues
Gender issues
Societal issues, trends, and developments as they relate to rehabilitation
Techniques for working with individuals with limited English proficiency
Foundations and Professional
Issues
The design of research projects, program evaluation and needs assessment approaches
Basic research methods
The history of rehabilitation
The philosophical foundations of rehabilitation
The evaluation procedures for assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation
services and outcomes
Theories and techniques of clinical supervision
Advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that
impede access, equity, and success for clients
The legislation or laws affecting individuals with disabilities
Rehabilitation Services
and Resources
Supported employment strategies and services
School to work transition for students with disabilities
The services available for a variety of rehabilitation populations, including
persons with multiple disabilities
Planning the provision of independent living services with clients
Financial resources for rehabilitation services
Community resources and services for rehabilitation planning
Social Security programs, benefits and disincentives
The organizational structure of the public vocational rehabilitation service
delivery system
Rehabilitation services in diverse settings
The organization of the not-for-profit service delivery systems
Case and Caseload Management
Case management process and tools
Case recording and documentation
Principles of caseload management
Professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers
Clinical problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
Negotiation and conflict resolution strategies
The case management process, including case finding, service coordination, referral
to and utilization of other disciplines and client advocacy
Techniques for working effectively in teams and across disciplines
Healthcare and Disability
Systems
Managed care concepts
Health care delivery systems
Employer-based disability prevention and management strategies
Workers' compensation laws and practices
Techniques for evaluating earnings capacity and loss
Expert testimony
Life care planning
The organizational structure of the private-for-profit vocational rehabilitation
systems
Healthcare benefits
Appropriate medical intervention resources
Medical, Functional and
Environmental Implications of Disabilities
Environmental barriers for individuals with disabilities
The physical/functional capacities of individuals with disabilities
Medical aspects and implications of various disabilities
Rehabilitation terminology and concepts
Medical terminology
Attitudinal barriers for individuals with disabilities
Addictions Counseling
Foundations of addictions counseling
Addictions diagnosis/treatment
Clinical addictions counseling
Addictions counseling and special populations
Co-existing disabilities where an addiction is one of the disorders
Group counseling with persons who have addictions disorders
Family assessment, counseling, and other rehabilitation services
Vocational rehabilitation services
Case management
Addictions prevention, education, and consultation
Professional responsibility
Research
Administration and supervision of drug rehabilitation programs
Clinical Supervision
Supervision process
Roles and functions of clinical supervision
Models of clinical supervision
Counselor development
Methods and techniques of clinical supervision
Supervisory relationship issues
Diversity issues in clinical supervision
Group supervision
Legal and ethics issues in clinical supervision
Evaluation of supervisory competence and the supervision process
For the Ethics focus areas, the content of the program must convey specific
behavior that is related to the CRCC Code of Professional Ethics for Rehabilitation
Counselors. Appropriate subject matter must relate to rehabilitation counseling
and must include one of the following:
§ The counseling relationship;
§ Confidentiality;
§ Professional responsibility
§ Relationships with other professionals;
§ Evaluation, assessment and interpretation;
§ Teaching, training and supervision;
§ Research and publication;
§ Electronic communication/emerging applications
§ Business practices;
§ Resolving ethical issues.
§ The program must
be no less than one clock hour in duration. A clock hour is defined as 60 minutes
of instruction time and excludes coffee breaks, social hours, and meals.
§ The focus of the program must be to increase the participant's knowledge
of a skill in the practice of rehabilitation counseling. A program must clearly
meet one of the domain focus areas (Ethical Standards or Decision Making Models
for Rehabilitation Counselors; Vocational Consultation and Employer Services;
Job Development and Placement Services; Career Counseling and Assessment Techniques;
Mental Health Counseling; Group and Family Counseling; Individual Counseling;
Psychosocial and Cultural Issues in Counseling; Foundations and Professional
Issues; Rehabilitation Services and Resources; Case and Caseload Management;
Healthcare and Disability Systems; Medical, Functional and Environmental Implications
of Disabilities; Addictions Counseling; Clinical Supervision).
§ The purpose of the program must be clearly defined in terms of expected
outcomes/ learning objectives.
§ The program must include an evaluation component by the participants.
This is an evaluation of the program's value.
§ Programs must be held in accessible, barrier-free locations so that no
one with a disability is excluded from participation. Programs must comply with
relevant federal, state and local laws related to serving individuals with disabilities.
The program description and agenda should be sent to the NRCA Office for approval. In order to assure timeliness of approval, it should be in the Office at least 30 days before it is scheduled. Since programs must be pre-approved, it must be sent for review before it is presented. There can be no post-approvals. Please note that programs provided by other vendors cannot be submitted for NRCA approval to CRCC. Those interested in using those programs must submit the program on their own to CRCC and pay the required fee established by CRCC.
After the program request is received by the NRCA Office, it will be reviewed according to the previously mentioned criteria. An approval number will be assigned and the approval sent to the initiating branch or representative. That number should be included on the attendance verification form given to NRCA members upon completion of the program. Each attendee is expected to complete an evaluation of the program. A list of attendees with their CRC numbers and completed evaluations should be sent to the NRCA Office. Those files will be kept for five years.
NRCA representatives must use the NRCA approver number, record the date of the program, the number of clock hours, the focus area, and method of instruction. Following approval from the National Office, the representative will return one copy of the program approval form to the requestor along with a program evaluation form that is completed and signed by the representative. This form is duplicated and given to the attendee. At the close of the session, the responsible designee will sign the program form in the space designated "attendance certified by." A certificate of attendance is given to the member for his/her records and to be submitted for re-certification. The evaluation form may be given to the presenter or program planner after the bottom section is removed. Forms may be made available to the participants prior to the beginning of the program. The sponsor or responsible designated person prepares a typed or printed list of attendees on the log form and returns it to the representative along with a flyer or brochure. This is sent to the National Office. For approved programs, the Certificate of Attendance will be given to all program participants attending the full program and at the completion of the program.
For NCC approval, the same may be used.
Continuing education credits are available to both NRCA members and non-members. Participation by a member is a lesser fee than the fee charged to a non-member. The participant reads the article or articles, takes the exams and sends them to the National Office with the appropriate fees. The successful participant receives a certificate for re-certification. Those who do not pass, are so informed.
A member has the right to appeal the decision regarding continuing education credits. The appeal is made to the National Office. The President will appoint a three-person committee from the Board to hear appeals. Decisions will be in writing and timely. All decisions of the Appeals Committee will be final.
The Certification Maintenance
Plan will be periodically reviewed. Branch plans should be submitted to the
National Office for review. Authorized representatives must be NRCA members
and CRCs. The National Office Administrator will be in charge of the Plan. The
National Office will maintain a national file on all approvals. All reports
will be prepared by the National Office.
NRCA Application for Program Approval
(Click on the above link for the Word Document or fill out the form below.)
For CRC ONLY
(Please complete a form for each program presentation)
Program Instructor(s): _______________________________________________________________________________
Please include information on program and the presenter for each session.
Location:______________________________________ Date of Program:_____________________________________
Clock hours: ___________________________________
We have met the following requirements:
( ) NRCA is a sponsor or co-sponsor and is cited on the program ( ) Program site is accessible
(Please include copy of the program)
Recommended focus area (see list below and check the appropriate focus area)
____ Ethical Standards or Decision Making Models for Rehabilitation Counselors
____ Vocational Consultation and Employer Services
____ Job Development and Placement Services
____ Career Counseling and Assessment Techniques
____ Mental Health Counseling
____ Group and Family Counseling
____ Individual Counseling
____ Psychosocial and Cultural Issues in Counseling
____ Foundations and Professional Issues
____ Rehabilitation Services and Resources
____ Case and Caseload Management
____ Healthcare and Disability Systems
____ Medical, Functional and Environmental Implication of Disabilities
____ Addictions Counseling
____ Clinical Supervision
Approval Information will be sent to the individual listed below:
Address:________________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zipcode:_______________________________________________________________________________________
Telephone #: _________________ Fax #: __________________ Email: ____________________________________________
Signature: __________________________________________
Note: Request for program approval(s) should be sent to the NRCA national office at least 30 days prior to the program.
Post Office Box 4480
Manassas , Virginia 20108
703-361-2077 – Fax # 703-361-2489 -- email: NRCAOFICE@aol.com