Interagency Service Agreement: AZ RSA-University of Arizona Certification in Rehabilitation Counseling
Arizona’s Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) considers it a priority to hire and retain personnel who meet the Joint Committee on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) education and experience standards.
To achieve that goal, AZ RSA and the University of Arizona maintain an Interagency Service Agreement (ISA) that offers an opportunity for certification in Rehabilitation Counseling. The ISA - ending has two professional development opportunities. The first is five (5) specific CACREP-accredited graduate online courses completed over the course of one academic year -- Fall, Spring, Summer. The second is quarterly didactic and experiential workshops facilitated by scholars and community leaders: vocational assessment and planning, case management, ethics, and medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability.
The Certification Program, ending August 2024, is available only to Arizona RSA personnel. It is an agreement between AZ RSA and the University of Arizona to provide online graduate courses and workshops that can facilitate, not guarantee, acceptance to sit for the CRC examination or the MA Counseling Program.
The Certification Program qualifies certain RSA personnel who hold either an MA in Rehabilitation Counseling or a related field that needs an “upgrade” to qualify for the national Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) examination. Those AZ RSA personnel with BA/BS and MA/MS degrees in fields removed from counseling (e.g., human resources, business administration, religious studies) would not qualify for the CRC examination but would fortify their knowledge base, competencies, and positive client outcomes.
The five (5) Certification Program online courses are completed over the course of one academic year - Fall, Spring, Summer:
- SERP 554: Motivational Interviewing
- SERP 565: Introduction to Rehab & Mental Health CNSL
- SERP 580: Medical Aspects of Disability
- SERP 585: Career and Vocational Planning
- SERP 587: Lifespan Development and Disability
AZ RSA personnel interested in this program can discuss the above ISA options with their direct supervisors and/or contact Dr. Camelia Shaheed.