Counseling and Rehabilitation Education Program graduates celebrate after commencement exercises in May 2022. (Photo provided)
April 25, 2023
SIU’s rehabilitation counseling program earns top national ranking from U.S. News
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Counseling and Rehabilitation Education Program has earned national recognition from U.S. News and World Report’s 2023-2024 Best Graduate School Rankings, released today (April 25). The program ranked 12th among the Best Rehabilitation Counseling Programs.
“SIU’s Rehabilitation Institute has had a stellar reputation for so many years as one of the best places in the country to train to be a rehab counselor,” said Jane Nichols, Counseling and Rehabilitation Education (CARE) Program director and associate professor. “This is because of a number of factors including the quality of the professors, the amount of publishing and research that happens here and how active we are in state and national organizations related to the field. We’ve been one of the top programs for many years, and we also work with other top programs. People know who we are.”
Tradition of excellence, updated and enhanced
SIU’s rehabilitation counseling program, which dates back to the 1950s, is the oldest of its type in the nation and consistently earned very high rankings from U.S. News and World Report for many years. As SIU has realigned many of its academic programs to better meet the needs of today’s students and the workforce, the changes have resulted in the merger of the rehabilitation and counselor education programs.
“Since we began, the whole concept of rehabilitation and the concept of disability has changed and expanded,” Nichols said. “We don’t just focus on physical disability anymore, but also include mental disabilities, drug and alcohol abuse issues and anything that can have an adverse effect on people’s health, whether physical or mental. We have really looked at our curriculum and revised it to be current and relevant. It’s about providing help for people with any condition that prevents them from enjoying a high quality of life.”
Due to the merger, the program must now obtain new accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Nichols said during a recent accreditation site visit, part of a three-year process, accreditors were very moved by comments from students who discussed what they’ve learned and how faculty have impressed on them how to be good counselors, the deep impact they will have on their patients’ lives, how important their role is and what a great responsibility that is.
“We have an excellent curriculum and dedicated faculty who spend a lot of time with students,” Nichols said.
Another notable aspect of SIU’s CARE program is that the students don’t just study theories and methods. They explore the complexities of ethics, multiculturalism, sexual orientation, disabilities, counseling skills and substance abuse/addiction through instruction, research and service so they are prepared for counseling careers with people of all ages in a wide variety of settings. There is also an emphasis on assuring program graduates evaluate each person they work with as an individual to assure accurate assessments and establishment of customized treatment plans.
Two-year program incorporates practical experience
Students can complete their master’s degrees in rehabilitation and counselor education in just two years. During that time, they receive extensive practical experience in clinical settings to complement their classroom education. Students complete two semesters of practicums and a 600-hour internship. While intended to be a two-year program, it incorporates flexibility in scheduling for students with other schedule commitments including jobs and family obligations. The practicums and internships are completed at a wide variety of sites, including Gateway, Centerstone, SIU’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Student Health Services and many other locations.
“We move them out into the community to get real life field experience right away,” Nichols said, noting that plans are wrapping up to enable students to complete their practicums and internships at Southern Illinois Healthcare facilities around the region as well.
Diverse job opportunities abound
The need for counselors is great, and program graduates find employment in a wide variety of places. They work in social service agencies, rehabilitation centers, supportive living facilities, substance abuse treatment centers, neuro-restoratives facilities and other private, nonprofit and government sectors.
Recent rule changes now allow professional counselors to bill Medicare and Medicaid for reimbursement just as social workers do so counselor fees can be reimbursed to clients including the Department of Defense, health care facilities and more, Nichols said.
“I have yet to hear of any of our graduates who are not employed in the field,” Nichols said. “I just learned that one of our students who will graduate this summer has already been hired by the Stress and Trauma Treatment Center as part of a behavioral health team to provide trauma counseling within schools in Jackson County.”
Several certifications possible
After successfully completing the counseling and rehabilitation education program curriculum at SIU, graduates are eligible to test to become a licensed professional counselor in the state of Illinois. Completing the substance abuse program, an optional component of the training, allows graduates to take the exam to become certified substance abuse counselors, without having to participate in additional training or obtain employment experience.
The program also offers a Substance Use Disorders and Behavioral Addiction Certificate program, which is accredited by the Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Certification Association, Inc. (IAODACA). Students who complete 15 credit hours of specialized coursework focusing on treatment, recovery and relapse prevention and intervention, along with a 500-hour approved internship, become certified substance use disorders and behavioral addiction counselors.
For more information about the CARE program, visit the website, email health.sciences@siu.edu or call 618-453-7211.