National Council on Rehabilitation Education NewsLETTER

Vol. 27 Issue 1

 
 
 
 
This is a newsletter published quarterly by the National Council on Rehabilitation Education

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

John Benshoff, PhD, CRC

The past year has been both a time of transition and a time of growth and development for NCRE. Charles Arokiasamy, Rh.D., CRC assumed the responsibilities of Administrative Secretary, replacing Garth Eldredge who had devoted many years of service to NCRE. Charles quickly got the new administrative office up and running and has been busy establishing new operating procedures. Jack Duncan retired from his position of legislative consultant to NCRE in August, 2002. He was honored for his service to our organization at the Spring Meeting in Tucson, and we wish him well as he continues with his tireless efforts in support of rehabilitation. Dr. Margaret Glenn convened a committee to review our past legislative efforts and to recommend steps for the immediate and long term future; we will be discussing this matter at length at the Fall Board Meeting. Finally, Dr. Joe Wheaton and Dr. John Koscuilek assumed the co-editorship of Rehabilitation Education replacing the Dr.Brian Bolton and Dr. Daniel Cook. Joe and John have established a new web-site for our journal and plan to continue the tradition of excellence established by Dan and Brian.

The Spring Conference in Tucson was a tremendous success, offering more than 60 presentations to the 300 NCRE members in attendance. This conference has special meaning for me and many other NCRE members: it is the time we can be together as rehabilitation educators and discuss rehabilitation education issues. Much hard work went into making the conference a success. Special thanks go to Charles Arokiasamy and Cathy Perez from the Administrative Office; Colleen Etzbach, Rh.D. for her work as Program Chair; Linda Holloway, CRC for serving as Registrar; Adele Patrick for serving as Award Chair and Amos Sales for handling local arrangements. Finally, thanks go to many others (including my wife, Sharon) for pitching in to help when help was needed. At the conference we recognized the achievements of 3 distinguished rehabilitation educators: Dr. Paul Power received the Distinguished Career Award; Dr. Sonja Feist-Price was the recipient of the Educator of the Year Award; and the New Career in Rehabilitation Education Award went to Dr. Caren Sax. In addition, we recognized the contributions made to NCRE by Dan Cook and Brian Bolton during their five-year term as Rehabilitation Education Co-Editors.

As I write this, the announcement for the Fall Meeting in Washington should be on your desk. This meeting will include many well-planned sessions detailing the collaborative efforts of rehabilitation education educators and rehabilitation practitioners. I hope to see you there.

On Sunday, Oct. 5 we will convene our Fall Board Meeting and our Fall Membership Meeting. Tentative topics include the annual budget, membership, legislative consultation, the Switzer Scholar program and planning for the Spring meeting. Please contact me if you have items to add to the agenda.

Executive Board

As move into the new academic year, it is time to review our slate of officers and Board members who have been serving us for the past year. The change in officers will occur at the October Board meeting. So let’s say thanks to those who have served us well.

President John Benshoff, PhD, CRC

1^st Vice President Margaret K. Glenn, Ed.D., CRC

2^nd Vice President Vilia Tarvydas, PhD, CRC

Past President Amos Sales, Ed.D, CRC

Regional Representatives

Region I Thomas Ruscio, M.Ed., CRC/LRC

Region II Eileen Wolkstein, PhD/Noreen Glover

Region III Lori Bruch, Ed.D

Region IV Adele Patrick, PhD

Region V Darrell Taylor, PhD

Region VI Linda Holloway, PhD

Region VII Colleen Etzbach, RhD

Region VIII David Perry, PhD, CRC

Region IX Fred McFarlane, PhD

Region X Kurt Johnson, PhD

We would like to congratulate Eileen Wolkstein on her retirement from New York University this year. We will miss her on the Board but wish her well as she spends her time in private practice and playing with her dog Heyduke and husband Lennie!

Also, members of NCRE hold positions on other Liaisons and Committees whose efforts are of concern to our membership. They are as follows

Council on Rehabilitation Education Committee Members

E.W. (Bud) Stude, Ed.D., CRC 2001-05

Marvin D. Kuehn, EdD, CRC 1998-2002

Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification

Donald W. Dew, EdD

If you are interesting in serving the membership of NCRE by holding office, remember that, each spring, the Past President creates the slate of nominations and holds the election. To nominate, contact John Benshoff in the spring or watch for an announcement.

Our Goals & Strategies

Margaret K. Glenn, Ed.D., CRC

 
Goal 
Strengthen NCRE's status as the leader in the development, implementation and maintenance of education, research and policy that has positive impact on the lives of people with disabilities.
 
Strategies
§ Promote professional rehabilitation education as integral to the success of national employment and training policies.
§ Develop, maintain and enhance active and collaborative partnerships with constituency groups to support rehabilitation education.
§ Actively seek and involve all members of the rehabilitation education community (graduate and undergraduate educators, continuing education professionals, researchers and others) to further the activities and goals of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. 

Membership Drive

John Benshoff, PhD, CRC

The Fall Membership Campaign is underway, and I am writing to urge all Rehabilitation Educators to join NCRE as Certified Individual Members, or as Associate Individuals Members and to urge all rehabilitation education programs to become Institutional Members. Just like all organizations, NCRE rises and falls on the strength of its membership. In recent years we have had an excellent retention rate among our institutional members, with nearly all of the universities offering rehabilitation programs maintaining our institutional memberships. Last year we added a new category of institutional membership, International Membership, and were pleased to welcome our colleagues at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to our membership fold. During this membership campaign we will offer memberships to rehabilitation program located in several other countries.

Our Certified Individual Membership and Associate Individual Membership numbers have remained steady for a number of years, however our individual memberships include only about a quarter to a third of potentially eligible members. That is unfortunate, because individual membership in the National Council of Rehabilitation Education is, without doubt, the best deal available in rehabilitation organizations. Our dues are the lowest of any rehabilitation association and for their dues, individual members receive a subscription to Rehabilitation Education, reduced registration rates at the Spring Conference and other NCRE training events, and eligibility to participate in the NCRE certification maintenance program. Many members report they recover the cost of their dues within the first year of membership.

Financial matters aside, only individual members can vote and hold office in NCRE and participate in the NCRE Awards Program. While NCRE offers a forum for all Rehabilitation Educators, the decisions are made and the leadership is elected by the voting membership.

As you plan your budget for the new academic year, I hope you will consider joining NCRE as an Individual Member and that your program will (re)join as an Institutional Member.

From YOur Communications Committee

Margaret K. Glenn, Ed.D., CRC

A New Look for Our Web Site

Our Web Site is maintained by the staff of the National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials. You have been able to locate it at http://www.nchrtm.okstate.edu/ncre/

Not anymore! We have created a new look for the site and a new URL – one that is easier to remember! www.rehabeducators.org

Listserv

It is now even more important that you communicate any changes in your e-mail address to the NCRE Administrative Secretary – to allow us to send you information and resources.

The Listserv that includes members of NCRE is used for the following:

q Communications from the Executive Board members;

q Research surveys (if appropriate for NCRE members);

q Position Announcements from Member Institutions;

q Conference announcements; and

q Your quarterly newsletter.

FROM YOUR RESEARCH COMMITTEE

Lynn Koch, PhD

Lynn Koch of Kent State University, Mary Ann Merz from Maryville University, Kenneth Hargenrather from George Washington University, and Patrick Decoteau from Springfield College are your Research Committee. Over the summer we reviewed four very interesting proposals. Individuals interested in conducting research that requires NCRE member involvement, please forward proposals and inquiries to Lynn Koch at:

Kent State University

Rehabilitation Counseling Program

Educational Foundations & Special Services

405 White Hall

Kent, OH 44242

330.672.0577

mailto:lkoch@educ.kent.edu

Remember! Guidelines for Obtaining Approval for Research

FROM YOUR AWARDS COMMITTEE

The National Council on Rehabilitation Education is seeking nominations for the NCRE Awards to be announced at the spring, 2003 National Meeting. The Awards are:

The Distinguished Career in Rehabilitation Education Award: This award is given in recognition of career achievements in rehabilitation education.

The New Career in Rehabilitation Education: This award is presented to a rehabilitation educator who is in the first five years of his or her career in rehabilitation education.

The Rehabilitation Researcher of the Year Award: This award recognizes recent research achievement in the field of rehabilitation education.

The Rehabilitation Researcher of the Year Award: This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding ability as a rehabilitation educator.

All award nominees must be Certified Individual Members or Certified Associate Members of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education. Dr. David Perry is chair of the awards committee and nominations should be forwarded to him at:

Dr. David C. Perry, Director

Rehabilitation Program

University of North Dakota

Box 7135

Grand Forks, ND 58202

Nominations should include the nominee’s vita and other supporting materials and at least three letters of support.

The deadline date for nominations will be November 1, 2002.

An NCRE Member Benefit!

John Benshoff, PhD, CRC

Certification Maintenance Approval Plan

Every NCRE member who holds the CRC credential is, at one time or another, confronted with the 5 year re-certification blues. At present the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) requires all Certified Rehabilitation Counselors to complete 100 hours of continuing education. A common problem of many faculty members is that they are frequently conducting meetings and workshops, or are active in organizational activities, all of which may preclude attending continuing education activities. The following complaint is frequently heard: "I'm leading the workshop, and that takes away the opportunity to attend other workshops@.

NCRE can help you maintain your certification status. Through a long-standing agreement with CRCC, NCRE has the ability to approve a variety of professional activities towards re-certification. We can issue approval hours for such faculty tasks as journal and book chapter publication, conference presentations and workshops, and professional development activities. Of course, we also issue credits for attendance at NCRE sponsored training activities such as the Fall Conference in Washington and the Spring NCRE National Conference scheduled this coming February in Tucson.

Dr. John Benshoff, President, manages the re-certification approval process. In order to participate in the NCRE process you must be a certified individual or associate member and you must submit your materials for review at least 60 days before your certification renewal date. In addition, you should be prepared to submit supporting documentation about your publications, presentations and other professional activities. There is no charge to NCRE members for this service, and many members report they recoup the cost of their dues through this service as CRCC charges a fee to evaluate non-traditional methods of acquiring CRC hours.

If you are interested in learning more, or if your deadline date is looming, contact Dr. Benshoff at mailto:Jbenshof@siu.edu or 618-536-7704.

CONFERENCES OF INTEREST

National Training Conference on Rehabilitation Education

“Rehabilitation Education and Practice: Partnering Empowering and Leading”

Arlington, VA

October 6-8, 2002

Conference Information

3^rd Annual National Rehabilitation Educators Conference

“From Action to Outcome”

Tucson, AZ

February 13 – 16, 2003

Call for Proposals

NCRE POSITION PAPER

Thanks to Vilia Tarvydas and her colleagues for their work on the following position paper.

Rehabilitation Training Appropriations

MEMBERSHIP Communications

Members are welcome to post position announcements or relay information about programs or projects underway at their institution.

Anyone Interested in Pursuing a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology?

Check out the program at West Virginia University

OTHER Communications OF INTEREST

Certification of Disability Management Specialists Commission Seeks Proposals for Job Analyses in U.S., Internationally. For more information, contact cgross@foundrehab.org

Notice of Proposed Priority – Long Term Training Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling

Federal Register: August 19, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 160).
Section: Notices
Agency: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Title: Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term
Training--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling
Action: Notice of proposed priority.
Page: 53869-53871

Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training--Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling

AGENCY: Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of proposed priority.

SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal
year (FY) 2003 and in later years. We take this action to focus on training in an identified area of national need. The purpose of this priority is to increase the partnership activities between
rehabilitation counseling programs and State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies and to increase the number of rehabilitation counseling programs that provide for students experiential activities, such as formal internships or practicum agreements with State VR agencies. We
intend the priority to increase the pool of qualified VR counselors available for employment with State VR agencies.

DATES: We must receive your comments on or before September 18, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments about this proposed priority to Christine Marschall, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Switzer Building, Room 3325, Washington, DC 20202-2649. If you prefer to send your comments through the Internet, use the following address: Christine.Marschall@ed.gov. You must include the term "Long-Term Training Program: Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling" in the subject line of your electronic message.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Marschall. Telephone: (202)
205-8926 or via Internet: Christine.Marschall@ed.gov. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the TDD number at (202) 205-8133. Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

 
Submissions to this newsletter need to be electronic in one of the following formats: 1) Word-Perfect 5.0 or higher; 2) MS Word 5.0 or higher; or 3) ASCII text. Disks may be mailed to the Editor or sent as e-mail attachments. Please include your contact information with submissions.
 
Deadlines for submissions are:
WINTER issue December 15th; SPRING issue March 15th; SUMMER issue June 15th
 
Submit disks by mail to: Dr. Hal Cain Dept. of Special Ed. Rehabilitation, Utah State University, 2870 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-2870
Submit e-mail attachments with subject line reading "newsletter" to: HalCain@cc.usu.edu