Future counsellors learn online

Publish date	2008-06-19
Employment	Career Advice
Available Articles	Full articles without membership

A new master’s programme aims to widen access to students who wish to train as rehabilitation counsellors.

The University of Buffalo programme is the first counselling course at the university to be offered completely online, allowing the school to target non-traditional students throughout the state, country and the world.

The course will train students to assist those with disabilities to overcome the emotional, psychological and practical issues of their condition as they pursue goals to become more independent and integrated into the community.

As well as counselling, counsellors provide referral services, practical advice, career planning, and other assistance and guidance to help someone adjust to a disability.

The disability could be a condition the person has lived with since birth or something that occurred suddenly following an accident, disease or trauma.

UB’s online programme allows staff to reach out to students living outside Western New York, as well as those already in the workforce looking for a change or a second career.

David Burganowski is associate research professor in the Graduate School of Education and director of programme.

He said: “There is a huge need for graduates. If every graduate of each counselling programme in the country took a job with a state agency, there would still be a 30 to 35 percent shortage – and that’s just for jobs in the state agencies. The field is clamouring for professionals.”

Burganowski said he had received emails from a candidate living in northern New York State who faced a five-hour round trip to the nearest university offering a similar degree. The university has already had enquiries about the programme from as far afield as India and Canada.

Buffalo believes the programme is attractive to career switchers. Another group it is targeting is those who are close to others with disabilities, either through friends or family.

A counselling qualification would allow these people to come into the field as advocates for those with disabilities.

“We’re trying to attract an individual who wants to make a significant difference in people’s lives,” Burganowski said. “That’s what this programme is all about.”

Burganowski said the programme had attracted interest from students with undergraduate degrees in human services, social work, psychology and other health-related fields.

“We’re looking for people who like working with people,” he said.

Administrators hope to enrol about 17 part-time students who would go through the programme at the same time.

Students will begin classes this autumn and complete the programme in three years, taking two courses a semester, plus a course during each of two summer sessions.

The master’s has three clinical components that incorporate extensive professional experience into the degree. The first is 50 hours of fieldwork to expose students to a rehabilitation agency, such as Goodwill Industries, People Inc, the Heritage Center and Veterans Administration.

The second part is a practicum to provide students with clinical experience in the field; at this point they would begin working with individuals who have disabilities.

The final component is a 600-hour internship in the field, half of which would be working face-to-face with those with disabilities.

Keywords: counselling, disabilities, community.

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