To provide information about the basic rehabilitation counselor credentials,
it is first necessary to draw a distinction between the two primary types,
namely certification and licensure. Essentially,
certification is a knowledge-based criterion (Does the individual possess the
specified requisite knowledge with at least minimal competency?) and is a
Nation-wide credential. Licensure is a skill-based criterion (Does the
individual perform the requisite skills with at least minimal competency?) and
is a State-specific credential. Depending on the specific employer
requirements, rehabilitation counselors may find one, the other, or both
useful/necessary.
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor:
For practicing rehabilitation counselors in the United States, the Certified
Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) is the professional practice credential.
To qualify to sit for this examination, a student must be enrolled in a
Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)/Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) - accredited program and
have at least 75% of their 48 credit-hour program of study complete. The RC program here at MSU has been CORE-accredited since 1976 and in
2017 was accredited by CACREP until renewal in 2025. The vast majority of graduates from this program take (and pass) the CRC during their
last semester (typically during Internship).
Students in the rehabitation counseling program will receive additional
information about the CRC in several of the required courses (Voc Rehab, Job
Placement, Practicum) and can expect additional "prompts" during
student-faculty advising.
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) Option: The State of
Mississippi requires that students seeking licensure must graduate from a
CACREP accredited program with at least sixty (60) hours approved courses.
Because our program is both CORE & CACREP accredited, rehabilitation
counseling students who are interested in obtaining licensure (as well as the
CRC), will need to add the following four (4) courses (12 hours of credit)
to your rehabilitation counseling program of study (COE 6903 Developmental
Counseling, COE 8303 Family Counseling Theory, COE 8633 Psycholosocial
Rehabilitation, and COE 8703 Principles of Clinical Mental Health Counseling).