VCU news

By Eric Peters

The volume of published, peer-reviewed research produced by authors from Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Rehabilitation Counseling significantly exceeded the volume from any of its peer programs in the past decade, according to an article published in Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin.

Of the top 20 institutions ranked by weighted authorship scores between 2000 and 2009, VCU’s Department of Rehabilitation Counseling, part of the VCU School of Allied Health Professions, ranked No. 1 with a score of 77.6. The second-ranked institution was given a score of 55.7.

The article’s authors write that, in a time when securing external research grants and attracting the most talented faculty and students has never been more critical, a program’s strong academic reputation – often tied to the faculty’s research productivity – distinguishes that program among its peers. U.S. News and World Report currently ranks VCU’s Department of Rehabilitation Counseling as being tied for No. 7 in the country.

“This level of productivity supports the vision of VCU to be a premier urban research institution,” said Cecil B. Drain, Ph.D., dean of the VCU School of Allied Health Professions. “Quality research informs practice, as such it is beneficial to the public and those who serve or support people with disabilities. It is also of benefit to the education of students who wish to pursue a rewarding career in the profession.”

The department’s current research includes exploration of workplace discrimination and disability for the United States Equal Opportunity Employment Commission. Previous areas of research include deafness and deaf blindness with the Helen Keller National Center, disability management in the workplace, well-being and community reintegration of veterans and individuals who experienced politically motivated acts of violence with Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem and interpersonal processes in mental health and substance abuse treatment.

“We have a large and productive rehabilitation/disability team here at VCU, and we are very excited about these results,” said Amy Armstrong, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Counseling at VCU. “Although the article focuses upon our department, the rehabilitation services community at VCU works well together and it has supported us. With our excellent faculty, and in conjunction with these relationships and networks, we have been able to thrive in our scholarship.”

Founded in 1955 as one of the first rehabilitation counseling programs in the United States, the department offers a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, an advanced certificate in professional counseling and a Ph.D. in health related sciences. It is fully accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education, the only such program in Virginia.

“As our faculty continue to inspire another generation of scholars, the School of Allied Health Professions values providing the environment necessary to allow for faculty and students to continue creating, leading and bringing their research findings to publication,” Drain said. “This is critically important for the educational experience and as a research institution we feel it is our obligation to the public. Some might rest on their laurels with this great news. However, our programs will continue to develop and meet the needs of the profession and people we serve.”

The article, “Scholarly Productivity in Rehabilitation Counseling: A Review of Journal Contributors from 2000 to 2009,” can be found at http://rcb.sagepub.com/content/current.