U.S. education department fuels FIU’s effort to add more rehabilitation counselors

FIU is helping address a national shortage of highly qualified rehabilitation counselors with $1 million in tuition support for master’s level students.

Certified rehabilitation counselors work with state, federal and private entities to coordinate services that assist people with disabilities cope with limitations, obtain employment and live the most independent life they can live.

As the population ages and veterans with disabilities transition to life outside the military, demand for rehabilitation counselors continues to grow according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics 

To keep up with the demand, the U.S. Department of Education is giving FIU a $900,000 “Training ‘Beyond Possible’ Rehabilitation Counselors” grant over the next five years. FIU is matching those funds for a total grant amount of $1 million.

The grant will cover full tuition and provides stipends and allows for students to attend and present at conferences that lead to networking opportunities and a better understanding of the profession. The program takes about two years to complete. Students participate in two field experiences and become national certified rehabilitation counselors upon passing an examination.

“My students leave here as nationally certified rehabilitation counselors,” said Associate Professor Valerie E.D. Russell, the grant’s principal investigator and program coordinator of the FIU Master of Science in Counselor Education Rehabilitation Counseling Track. “It prepares them for immediate national and international career opportunities, not just a job.”

For more details on rehabilitation counseling track of FIU’s Master of Science in Counselor Education program and to apply, click here.