Traumatic Brain Injury Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Competencies: Implications for Training and Practice

BACKGROUND: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) TBI State Partnership Program grants support states by providing funding to build capacity and infrastructure to support and maintain a system of services and supports to maximize the independence, well-being, and health of persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). A Transition and Employment (T&E) workgroup identified competencies needed by Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC) to support people with TBI to obtain and maintain employment. OBJECTIVE: To: (1) identify self-perceived VRC TBI competence and (2) inform individual state VR training activities and competency goals. METHODS: A self-assessment online survey was employed. RESULTS: A total of 269 VR professionals across four states completed the VRC Self-Assessment between December 2020 and February 2021. The T&E workgroup identified TBI competencies across four domains (1) brain injury medical and rehabilitation, (2) employment, (3) state and local systems, resources, and service coordination, and (4) national systems, research and best practice. The results by TBI competency and the overall score for all participants show that state and local systems, resources, and service coordination is the highest area of competency, placing them close to the proficient level of knowledge. CONCLUSIONS: Future VR education and training opportunities may be informed by the results of this study.