Rehabilitation Counseling and Teaching Mission
Mission
It is the mission of the Western Michigan University Rehabilitation Counseling (CERM)/Teaching (RCTM) programs to promote quality rehabilitation services for, and with, individuals with disabilities through the education and preparation of qualified rehabilitation personnel; the provision of professional and student centered services to rehabilitation agencies, facilities and associations; and, the sponsorship of research related to employment and rehabilitation to advance the profession.
Objectives
- Prepare rehabilitation counselor (CERM)/teachers (RCTM) who subscribe to the basic philosophical tenets of rehabilitation, including the value and worth of all individuals, a belief in human dignity, the right of all individuals to live as independently as possible, to engage in gainful employment, and to have full participation in society.
- Prepare competent professionals in rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/teaching (RCTM) with skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary for delivering rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities.
- Prepare rehabilitation counselor (CERM)/teachers (RCTM) who embrace professionalism by: a) adhering to the Codes of Ethics for Rehabilitation Counselors and Teachers; b) engaging in activities that foster the advancement of the rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/teaching (RCTM) profession; and, c) updating/maintaining skills through life long learning and service to the rehabilitation profession.
- Prepare rehabilitation counselors (CERM) with expertise in blindness or low vision services (RCTM).
- Utilize experiential and innovative instructional strategies to maintain high quality personnel preparation programs in rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/teaching (RCTM).
- Facilitate a diverse learning environment through recruitment of representative populations within each cohort of students.
- Emphasize diversity and multicultural issues in CERM/RCTM program offerings.
- Engage in ongoing program evaluation and improvement to respond to the ever changing evolution of applicant, student, legislative, profession, employer, and consumer demands.
- Utilize a collaborative, constituent-based cooperative approach for CERM/RCTM program management which includes contributions of; students, faculty, department representatives, rehabilitation community representatives, and the CERM/RCTM Program Advisory Board.
- Promote the practice and profession of rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/Teaching (RCTM) by emphasizing the vocational aspects of rehabilitation service delivery within the context of human development.
- Meet the demand for qualified rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/Teaching (RCTM) personnel in public and private rehabilitation systems, with emphasis in systems serving individuals with blindness or low vision.
- Pursue internal and external student and research based funding to support personnel development and advancement of the profession.
- Facilitate student acquisition of a strong conceptual and working knowledge of the foundations and principles supporting rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/teaching (RCTM).
- Establish and maintain professional and student centered research/services with local, state, regional, and national rehabilitation entities.
- Maintain the high standard of professional education in rehabilitation counseling (CERM)/teaching (RCTM) as established by the CORE and ACVREP accreditation bodies in conjunction with promoting advances in the profession(s).
