The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is an independent, nationally recognized accrediting agency that evaluates counselor training programs to ensure they meet the profession's standards and prepare students for their careers. The overall standards are comprised of foundational standards shared by all counseling professions plus additional standards unique to each counseling specialty.

This training unit addresses the CACREP standards listed below.

2024 CACREP Learning Standards

Foundational Standards:

• the multiple professional roles and functions of counselors across specialized practice areas
• disproportional effects of poverty, income disparities, and health disparities toward people with marginalized identities
• systemic, cultural, and environmental factors that affect lifespan development, functioning, behavior, resilience, and overall wellness
• counseling strategies and techniques used to facilitate the client change process
• theories and models of counseling, including relevance to clients from diverse cultural backgrounds
• strategies for adapting and accommodating the counseling process
• theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work
• dynamics associated with group process and development
• approaches to group formation, including recruiting, screening, and selecting members
• environmental, attitudinal, and individual barriers for people with disabilities
• role of family, social networks, and community in the provision of services for and treatment of people with disabilities
• strategies to advocate for people with disabilities related to accessibility, accommodations, and disability law adherence

Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling standards:

• environmental, attitudinal, and individual barriers for people with disabilities
• rehabilitation service delivery systems, including housing, independent living, case management, public benefits programs, educational programs, and public/proprietary vocational rehabilitation programs
• transferable skills, functional assessments, and work-related supports for achieving and maintaining meaningful employment for people with disabilities
• role of family, social networks, and community in the provision of services for and treatment of people with disabilities
• assistive technology to reduce or eliminate barriers and functional limitations
• intake interview, mental status evaluation, biopsychosocial history, mental health history, and psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management for people with disabilities
• strategies to advocate for people with disabilities related to accessibility, accommodations, and disability law adherence

Rehabilitation Counseling:

• individual response to disability, including the role of families, communities, and other social networks
• effects of socioeconomic trends, public policies, stigma, access, and attitudinal barriers as they relate to disability
• principles of independent living, self-determination, and informed choice
• strategies to promote self-advocacy skills of individuals with disabilities