Cultural diversity awareness of vocational rehabilitation counselors in the state of Tennessee

As the year 2000 approaches, the rehabilitation programs of the State of Tennessee are facing unique challenges because of an increase in the numbers of individuals with disabilities who come from ethnic backgrounds who need vocational rehabilitation services. Research indicates that counseling minorities requires a different set of techniques than counseling Caucasians requires. This study attempted to assess the current levels of multicultural counseling knowledge, skills, and awareness of vocational rehabilitation counselors in the State of Tennessee.

To assess the current levels of multicultural knowledge, skills, and awareness of state rehabilitation counselors, the Multicultural Counseling Awareness Scale (MCAS:B) was distributed to all state vocational rehabilitation counselors (152) in the State of Tennessee. The MCASrB measures Knowledge/Skills and Awareness. Additional demographic information such as gender, age, race/ethnicity, highest educational degree completed, year highest educational degree attained, and amount of cultural diversity training was collected. Sixty-three rehabilitation counselors out of 152 responded to the survey.

It was found that racial minority counselors scored higher than Caucasian male counselors on the Awareness subscale of the MCAS:B. Counselors who received multicultural or cross-cultural counseling training through workshops or seminars, and supervised counseling training (e.g., practice, field placements, internships) scored higher than those who had not received multicultural or cross-cultural counseling training on the Knowledge/Skills subscale and on the Total scale score of the MCAS:B. Counselors who had a master's degree scored higher than those counselors who had received only a bachelor's degree on the Awareness subscale and Total scale score of the MCAS:B.

It was found that vocational rehabilitation counselors who have received a master's degree or who have participated in multicultural training as compared to those counselors who have not these experiences scored higher on the MCAS:B.