Disability counseling competencies: the influence of training and ınter-group contact

Abstract Counseling needs of individuals with disabilities (IWDs) can include, but are not limited to, issues related to disability. Thus, counselors from all specialty areas should be competent to work with this minority group. When counselors have an appropriate level of disability competence, they can provide culturally appropriate services addressing power dynamics, oppression, privilege, and other minority issues associated with the disability status. The aim of this research was to examine how disability-focused training, disability program conduciveness, multicultural counseling completion status, level and quality of intergroup contact, and disability multicultural counseling competencies (MCC – self-awareness, perceived knowledge, and perceived skills) of master’s-level counselor trainees are associated. The study involved 216 students, with the majority being female. The disability MCC self-awareness scale score was the highest, while the perceived skills scale score was the lowest. The perceived knowledge and skills scale scores also varied significantly among students from different counseling specialty programs. Multiple regression analyses revealed that program conduciveness, disability-focused training, as well as the level and quality of intergroup contact predict the disability MCC of counselor trainees. This research revealed the growing necessity for high-quality disability-focused training that includes opportunities for contact, particularly for students in non-rehabilitation counseling programs.