1. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Training Needs Assessment and Competence Measure: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
- Author
-
Kundu, Madan M., Dutta, Alo, Chan, Fong, Torres, Viviana, and Fleming, Kayla
- Abstract
Purpose: To validate an 80-item self-report measure, A Systems Approach to Placement: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP-SASC), designed to identify critical areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by rehabilitation counselors in state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency settings. Participants: 275 rehabilitation counselors from state VR agencies in Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, and tribal VR in Oklahoma participated in this study. Method: Descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were utilized to validate the factorial structure of the SAP-SASC. Results: EFA revealed a six-factor solution comprising professional competence related to the following subsystems: employer, health and education, client, social and contextual, funding, and placement personnel. The internal consistency reliability coefficients for the six sub-scales range from 0.90 to 0.96. Counselors in this study rated themselves as having high competence in addressing direct job placement, formal education/skills enhancement, and family related needs impacting delivery of VR services. Conclusion: The SAP-SASC provides a useful measure of professional competencies required for VR practices. The six key competence areas of the instrument are essential for the provision of quality VR services. (Contains 2 tables.)
- Published
- 2011