Led by Amanda McCarthy, Ed.D. '12, NIU Program Named as First Center of Excellence in the Nation
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
Amanda McCarthy, Ed.D. '12, is a rehabilitation counseling associate professor in the College of Health and Human Sciences. (Photo: NIU)
NIU’s rehabilitation counseling graduate degree program is the first university program in the nation to receive a “Center of Excellence” designation from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC).
Huskie alumna and Rehabilitation Counseling Associate Professor Amanda McCarthy, Ed.D., ’12, led the team to achieve this extraordinary designation.
Significance and Prestige
First, congratulations! Please share why this designation is significant for NIU and what it means for students and prospective students.
McCarthy: The Center of Excellence designation is available to exemplar programs that prepare students for clinical excellence in the rehabilitation counseling specialization. Our pursuit and attainment of the Center of Excellence designation signals to current and prospective students, community partners, and people with disabilities that the rehabilitation counselor professionals graduating from NIU have the skills, knowledge and dispositions to provide quality services to people with disabilities and their families. This designation also provides students and faculty in our program with additional benefits such as student engagement opportunities, recruitment support for our program, and networking opportunities for students.
How did NIU earn this prestigious designation?
McCarthy: Our program just celebrated our 50th Anniversary, so we have been in the business of teaching and mentoring counselors for five decades. When the designation was created last year, we jumped at the opportunity to apply. We were required to undergo a review by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification to ensure our curriculum and program outcomes meet the required standards. The rehabilitation counseling program faculty and Shondra Clay, Ph.D., interim chair, School of Interdisciplinary Health Professions, contributed to efforts to ensure the standards were met. We were delighted that our efforts paid off, and we were awarded the designation last fall. The icing on the cake was being the first program in the country to meet the standards.
Demand and Career Outlook
What is the career outlook for rehabilitation counselors?
McCarthy: Rehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who specialize in working with people with disabilities. As rehabilitation counselors, we collaborate with people with disabilities to help them set and meet major life goals in areas such as employment, education and independent living. The demand for trained counselors with a master's degree continues to grow. It is estimated that one in four Americans have a disability, and most want to work and engage in their communities. Additionally, because our program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, our students are prepared in all the core curricular domains and the rehabilitation counseling standards. This means that our graduates are eligible for certification as a rehabilitation counselor as well as counseling licensure in the state of Illinois. This further expands the possibilities for our graduates to secure employment in behavioral health settings.
What sets NIU’s graduate degree program in rehabilitation counseling apart from others?
McCarthy: Our program has strong ties with our community partners to provide engaged learning experiences. Many of our clinical site supervisors are alumni of our program who want to give back to our program and the profession by helping to train the next generation. Program faculty are engaged in the profession and take the role of mentoring, teaching and advising very seriously. Many faculty have grants and are engaged in professional organizations, and we engage students in those activities. I think our students are some of the best in the profession. We have lots of first-generation students, students with disabilities, and students who come to us as a second career or who are working full-time. Class discussions and learning are better with multiple perspectives.
Meeting McCarthy
You are also an NIU graduate. What brought you to NIU for your Doctor of Education?
McCarthy: When selecting a program and institution for my doctoral degree, I was looking for an accredited program close to home. I was also interested in a program that had professors who were actively engaged in the counseling profession, faculty who placed importance on mentoring and teaching students, and a program that would allow me to continue to gain clinical counseling experience during my time in the program. The NIU counselor education and supervision program checked all those boxes and more. As a student, I always felt like NIU was big enough to provide me with many opportunities yet small enough to give me personalized attention and support. It was the perfect fit for me; I could not have asked for more from my doctoral program here at NIU.
What was your transition from student to professor like?
McCarthy: My professors supported me in my job search, and I was very fortunate to be hired at NIU in the College of Health and Human Sciences immediately after graduation with my doctoral degree. During my doctoral program, I co-taught and solo-taught several courses, so I was already well on my way as a new professor on the teaching front. In terms of research, my program faculty supported me in starting a stream of research, maintaining an effective pipeline, and balancing research with teaching and service responsibilities. I was also fortunate to remain in contact with my professors after graduation for support. Mentors were the key for me in landing my dream job.
What made you choose rehabilitation counseling?
McCarthy: An internship. I was a first-generation college student and felt a bit lost after high school. It wasn’t until I did an internship in college that helped me find the field of counseling. That hands-on experience working alongside professionals and seeing what they actually did made me aware of the field. I fell in love with the rehabilitation philosophy of empowerment that everyone, at their own ability level, is encouraged to take control of their path. I also gained a strong appreciation for the role that work plays in all our lives and that everyone who wants to work should be able to do that regardless of disability status. My mentors helped me further develop my passion, and they encouraged me to get experiences in a wide range of settings while in my master's program. I worked full-time for several years providing counseling and disability services before earning my doctoral degree and then switched to counselor educator and supervisor.
Huskie Pride
Why NIU?
McCarthy: NIU is a great place! When I think of NIU, I think of opportunity. Getting to be part of a student’s journey through NIU on their way to a successful career and happy life is the best thing in the world. There are so many opportunities here. It's truly inspiring to see students take advantage of all that NIU has to offer and emerge as confident, capable individuals ready to make a positive impact in the world.