Preparing Rehabilitation Counselors to Serve Veterans: Perspectives of Post-9/11 Student Veterans in Rehabilitation Counselor Education Programs

This study addressed the following research question: How should rehabilitation counselor education (RCE) programs prepare rehabilitation counselors to provide services to military veterans? Student veteran participants were recruited from master’s level U.S. RCE programs. Through an online survey, participants were asked (a) “What do you perceive as most important for nonveteran rehabilitation counselors or trainees to understand while serving military veterans?” ( n = 26) and (b) “What recommendations do you have for master’s level Rehabilitation Counseling Education programs (e.g., professors or courses) for training counselors to effectively work with military veterans?” ( n = 25). Participants indicated that there were five areas that nonveteran students and educators needed to understand while serving military veterans: (a) veteran culture and experience, (b) veteran-related counseling microskills, (c) treating veterans like anyone else, (d) veteran adjustment to civilian life, and (e) possible service-connected disabilities. Relatedly, participants believed RCE programs should adopt training approaches in preservice education that (a) provide veteran-specific curricular options, (b) facilitate a sense of military and veteran cultural competency, and (c) incorporate the veteran perspective from other veterans. Efforts should be made to increase knowledge, awareness, and skill development among nonveteran students and educators.