ABSTRACT
Vocational rehabilitation counselors who work within the life care planning arena generally are rehabilitation professionals who have a minimum of a master’s
the field of rehabilitation, and have extensive training and experience in the areas of evaluation and assessment, catastrophic case management, transferable work skills, earnings capacity analysis, and job placement (Weed & Field, 1994, 2001). Vocational counselors can be credentialed in a number of areas, most notably CRC (certified rehabilitation counselor), CDMS (certified disability management specialist), CCM (certified case manager), CVE (certified vocational evaluator), ABVE (American Board of Vocational Experts), and CLCP (certified life care planner). Credentials can also be obtained from other organizations that, on the surface, appear to be based more on profit making than on advancing the role and function of the rehabilitation professional. While some of these credentials may be valuable, the authors strongly encourage those professionals interested in pursuing further credentials to thoroughly research the history of the organization and scrutinize the validity of the offer.
