Effectiveness of rehabilitation counseling in the adjustment to disability process of returning Iraq and Afghanistan military service members with disabilities

This article seeks to determine the effectiveness of rehabilitation counseling in the
adjustment to disability process of returning Iraq and Afghanistan military service members with
disabilities. Psychosocial adaptation to disability is the process by which individuals respond to
changes (e.g., functional, psychological, social) that occur subsequent to the onset of disability or
chronic illness (Bishop, 2005). The ultimate goal of rehabilitation counseling, as it relates to
psychosocial adaptation to disability, is to help clients achieve a state of overall adjustment
whereby they move beyond physical losses to value existing abilities (Livneh & Antonak, 1997;
Wright, 1983). Veterans are one of the groups that benefit from rehabilitation counseling.
Approximately 2.2 million U.S. military personnel have deployed as part of the Iraq and
Afghanistan operations (Institute of Medicine March 2013 Report). It is estimated that for every
military personnel killed in these wars, there are at least sixteen wounded, and many will return
to the United Sates with some type of disability (Frain, 2010). Rehabilitation counselors work in
numerous Department of Veterans Affairs settings: rehabilitation hospitals, outpatient clinics,
and Veteran Benefits Administration’s Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program
(Patterson, 2009). Through these services, rehabilitation counselors assist veterans with
disabilities to prepare for and find jobs, or improve the quality of their lives. The research will
explore the correlation between injured veterans’ adjustment to disability levels and participation
in rehabilitation services. In this ongoing research the data is being collected through an internet
survey.