This course acquaints the student with the legislative, historical, and philosophical roots of rehabilitation counseling in America. Topics covered include federal and local mandates for rehabilitation of individuals with disability, progress of the profession in rehabilitation toward these mandates, the basic principles of counseling and the varied services as well as organizational structures to assist individuals with disability. A cross-disability and multicultural focus will be presented throughout the course; therefore, a broad base of disability categories will be presented and discussed including physical, emotional, cognitive, and sensory disabilities. The course will introduce the student to the professional expectations, values, and ethical standards of the profession of rehabilitation counseling. The history and current issues of the disability rights movement will be presented. Students will have an opportunity to explore their own thoughts, feelings and perceptions about issues related to the disability community. Awareness of everyday experiences that impact the quality of life for people with disabilities, along with an understanding of appropriate referrals to agencies/organizations is included.

This course is designed to provide an overview of medical terminology, major diseases, and associated etiologies, pathologies, and disabilities; delineate the diagnosis and prognosis of major injuries and disabling conditions; and outline the vocational implications. Upon successful completion of this course, the students will be able to read and understand medical reports; assess functional abilities and transferable skills required to develop a rehabilitation plan; communicate effectively with medical professionals and health care workers; and apply evidence-based practices in the dynamics of adjustment to disabilities and the psychosocial impact of disability leading to health and wellbeing of persons with disabilities and enhanced vocational rehabilitation outcomes.

Academic and career counselors are concerned with student life on all levels to support the personal and educational development of each student. Students in this course examine educational, developmental, and counseling theories related to academic and career counseling. The focus of this course is on academic and career development from elementary school through college. Students will explore intellectual and emotional intelligence, multicultural issues, attitudes, values, and psychosocial needs of the life-long learner. Students will gain skills required to assist a highly diversified student body in academic planning, career exploration, decision making, and personal growth.

Small- and large-scale disasters of all types continue to abound. Communities need trained individuals who are prepared to respond to such incidents and who can help plan for future disasters as well as train others to plan and respond. In this course, students learn the fundamentals of crisis management and crisis leadership. They develop an understanding of the theories and models related to crises, disasters, and other events caused by trauma. Students also learn about ethical, legal, and diversity considerations in crisis and trauma response. Through analyses of topical literature, applications, and discussions, students gain a practical understanding of the models for training and supporting other counselors in the areas of crisis response applicable to community, national, and international crises. Employing concepts learned in the course, students develop a crisis management plan for their own community.

As client advocates, counselors rely on knowledge of psychotropic medications to inform treatment. This course introduces a spectrum of psychotropic medications used in the management of mental, behavioral, and addictive disorders. Students explore medication classification, drug interaction, and side effects. In addition, students distinguish between medical and psychopathological conditions that present in similar ways to addictive disorders. As part of a professional learning community, students collaborate with peers in written scholarly dialogue to explore psychopharmacological intervention in the treatment of addiction and other psychopathologies that may coexist. Students analyze factors that increase the likelihood for a person, community, or group to be at risk for disorders and examine the cultural and contextual factors considered in the ethical treatment of clients. Across counseling specializations, this course builds foundational clinical knowledge of the intersection of counseling and psychotropic medical treatment.