The perceived importance of knowledge areas underlying rehabilitation counselor credentialing was examined. A common core of knowledge with differences across respondent characteristics was found.

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The purposes of this article are (a) to describe the methodology of an ongoing study to validate and update the knowledge for rehabilitation counseling accreditation and certification, and (b) to describe initial results of one facet of the study. The ongoing study uses descriptive, ex post facto, and times-series designs and uses three sampling frames, which are related to the certification and accreditation processes. Participants in the facet of the study reported herein were 1,025 counselors who renewed their certification in 1991. Validity of the knowledge standards of rehabilitation counselor certification and accreditation was supported by the finding that 52 of the 55 knowledge standards were rated as at least moderately important to professional practice.

The primary purpose of this study was to identify the training needs of state vocational rehabilitation counselors. One hundred and sixty-seven vocational rehabilitation counselors completed the Rehabilitation Counseling Knowledge Inventory (Linkowski et al., 1993). The self-reported need for training across 10 components of rehabilitation counseling is described. A secondary purpose was to compare the self-perceived training needs of a sample of state vocational rehabilitation counselors with the self-perceived training needs of certified rehabilitation counselors (CRCs; Szymanski, Linkowski, Leahy, Diamond, & Thoreson, 1993a). The current sample reported significantly higher ratings of the need for training in foundations of rehabilitation, individual counseling and development, and assessment, whereas the CRC sample reported higher needs for training in the area of workers' compensation, employer services, and technology. A third purpose was to evaluate the relationship between counselor demographic variables and training needs. The highest earned degree was a significant predictor of perceived training need in the areas of group and family issues, foundations of rehabilitation, research, and individual counseling and development.

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