welcome to the certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination preparation course brought to you by The Vocational evaluation forensic certificate at Auburn University this endeavor is funded through a grant from the rehabilitation services Administration and Dr Jill Meyer is our primary investigator on this grant as part of the grant this course was created in an effort to Aid in preparing those who desire to take the certified Rehabilitation counselor exam and increase the pass rate for the exam what you should know about this course this course provides material to help you prepare for your certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination or CRC the CRC exam covers 12 knowledge domains as defined by the CRC website each module in this course aligns with the content included within each of the CRC exam knowledge domains we Define each knowledge domain by a topic number which corresponds to a specific module in the course and you can access the course modules through Auburn instructor you will need to create an account but you can find the link on our website at v e f c dot auburn.edu the 12 knowledge domains supplied by the commission on Rehabilitation counselor certification are topic one professional orientation and ethical practice topic 2 counseling theories techniques and evidence-based practices topic 3 group and family counseling topic 4 crisis and Trauma counseling and interventions topic 5 medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability topic six assessment evaluation occupational analysis and service implementation topic 7 Career Development and job placement topic 8 business engagement topic 9 Community Resources and Partnerships topic 10 case management topic 11 health care and disability management and topic 12 research methodology and Performance Management module 0.1 the certified Rehabilitation counselor exam topics covered in this module include the CRC exam eligibility and registration the exam format and Exam scoring the certified Rehabilitation counselor or CRC exam CRC certification is the highest standard for credentialing and Rehabilitation Counseling and the need for CRC certified individuals is increasing according to the crcc becoming CRC certified provides an individual with more employment opportunities greater career advancement and better earning potential CRC professionals need Advanced education specific work experience and a passing score on the CRC exam exam eligibility and registration in order to take the CRC exam you must be eligible apply and pay and receive approval you can go to crcc's website to learn more about the eligibility requirements for the exam the CRC exam is administered three times per year you can take the exam at a testing center location or by using online proctoring services in your own home you must apply for the CRC exam pay for it and receive approval before you can schedule your exam you will receive instructions on how to schedule your exam after you receive approval exam format the CRC exam is composed of 175 multiple choice questions and you will have 210 minutes to complete the exam or 3.5 hours the exam is divided into two sections which include one Rehabilitation and disability and two counseling examinees must complete the first section before starting the second section and the first section will lock when the examinee is finished there is no break between the two sections of the exam the exam content is composed from 12 knowledge domains which form the basis of Rehabilitation Counseling practices each knowledge domain contains a different number of questions on the exam the list of knowledge domains contain a percentage which reflects the amount of questions dedicated to that particular knowledge domain within the CRC exam for example 10.7 percent means that 10.7 percent of the 175 total questions will be dedicated to assessing content within that particular knowledge domain CRC knowledge domains the knowledge domains listed here are taken from the crcc website as stated previously the CRC exam is composed of 12 knowledge domains which form the basis of Rehabilitation Counseling practices each of these 12 knowledge domains are further divided into subdomains of content subdomains within knowledge domains contain both the rehabilitation and disability competencies as well as general Counseling Practice competencies therefore the list provided on our website provides information about whether a subdomain is related to Rehabilitation and disability marked by an r or general counseling practices marked by a c in this course each of the 12 knowledge domains are built as an individual module therefore this course contains 12 modules where each module is dedicated to the content and subdomains within one specific knowledge domain so domain one is professional orientation and ethical practice and includes the subdomains of upholding professional ethical standards for rehabilitation counselors and managing risk understanding and applying laws and public policies affecting individuals with disabilities advocating for diversity understanding and applying appropriate services that address Multicultural counseling issues understanding and applying appropriate Rehabilitation terminology and Concepts understanding and identifying the differing professional roles functions and effective relationships with other providers and professionals understanding the credentialing issues related to The Rehabilitation Counseling profession and advocate for appropriate Solutions understanding the differing organizational structures of Rehabilitation Counseling Practice settings such as public private for-profit and not-for-profit service Delivery Systems and understanding synthesizing and applying knowledge of historical and philosophical foundations of Rehabilitation Counseling domain 2 is counseling theories techniques and evidence-based practices in the subdomains for this domain are applying clinical problem solving and critical thinking skills understanding Rehabilitation techniques for individuals with disabilities understanding individual counseling theories utilizing individual counseling practices interventions and techniques understanding substance use and treatment establishing and maintaining effective working alliances with clients understanding dual diagnosis and co-occurring disorders understand counseling training to help clients develop workplace socialization skills demonstrate motivational interviewing use and skills facilitate treatment planning for clinical conditions like depression anxiety and PTSD understanding human growth and development applying evidence-based psychosocial and psychiatric Rehabilitation interventions and Rehabilitation Counseling Practice applying evidence-based vocational interventions and Rehabilitation Counseling Practice applying or facilitating evidence-based counseling or therapy for clients with clinical diagnoses applying or facilitating evidence-based counseling or therapy for clients with substance use disorders understanding theories and techniques of clinical supervision and recognizing and utilizing evidence and research-based practices domain 3 is group and family counseling the subdomains include understanding family counseling theories incorporating family counseling practices and interventions understanding group counseling theories and incorporating group counseling practices and interventions domain four is Crisis and Trauma counseling and interventions and the subdomains include conducting assessments of client risk and development of a safety plan providing effective Rehabilitation Counseling services for individuals with poly trauma injuries understanding the impact of crises disasters and other trauma-causing events on people with disabilities using principles of Crisis Intervention for people with disabilities during crises disasters and other trauma-causing events and understanding the emergency management system within the rehabilitation agencies and in the community domain 5 is medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability and the subdomains include evaluating the psychosocial and cultural impact of disability understanding the medical terminology apply knowledge of the medical aspects and implications of various disabilities reviewing the implications of medications as they apply to individuals with disabilities and addressing environmental and attitudinal barriers for individuals with disabilities domain six is assessment occupational analysis and service implementation and the subdomains include understanding The Vocational implications of functional limitations associated with disabilities access accessing and reviewing resources for the assessment process referring or conducting informal assessments referring for or conducting formal assessments referring or performing the transferable skills analysis like V dare interpreting assessment results for rehabilitation planning purposes performing job analysis assessing ergonomic job accommodation and assistive technology needs advising on job modification and restructuring techniques performing labor market analysis and using computer-based job matching systems domain seven is Career Development and job placement in the sub domains include understanding identifying and applying Career Development and job placement strategies understanding identifying and applying job Readiness seeking and retention skills understanding the unique needs of specialized populations in relation to job development and placement understanding techniques to develop and retain relationships with employers to assist with job development and placement understanding and identifying evidence-based employment models and services tailored to individuals with significant disabilities and or barriers to competitive employment understanding the unique needs of individuals with the Dual diagnosis in the workplace and apply appropriate strategies understanding and applying theories of career development and work adjustment understanding identifying and facilitating the appropriate use of work conditioning or work hardening resources and strategies and understanding the effective use of and risks of social media as a networking tool module 8 or domain 8 is business engagement and the subdomains here are assisting employers with job accommodations for their employees with disabilities providing Consultation Services and training to employers or businesses concerning disability concepts best practices and applicable laws partnering with employers and businesses to address needs and concerns related to hiring and retaining individuals with disabilities understanding communicating and applying business focused strategies techniques and terminology to improve employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities working with employers to develop pipelines for employing individuals with disabilities using work-based learning and training methods and understanding the Dual customer role for example employer and a person with a disability domain 9 is Community Resources and Partnerships and the subdomains include understanding the programs and services available for specific and underserved populations understanding Social Security Programs benefits work incentives and disincentives possessing knowledge of funding sources and Community Resources for rehabilitation services providing or facilitating skills development and Independent Living Services providing or facilitating financial literacy training understanding and referring to services available through client advocacy programs referring to and partnering with One-Stop Career Centers and other community stakeholders understanding and facilitating Life Care planning and Life Care planning services advocating with Community Partners for full community inclusion for people with disabilities and providing or facilitating counseling on the impact of employment on community services and benefits domain 10 is case management and the subdomains include understanding and applying the case management process completing case recording and documentation understanding and applying negotiation mediation and conflict resolution strategies understanding and applying the principles of caseload management understanding and addressing institutional and social barriers that impede access equity and success for clients applying techniques for working with individuals with limited English proficiency or varied communication methods and understanding and applying principles models and documentation formats for biopsychosocial case conceptualization and treatment planning domain 11 is Healthcare and disability management and the subdomains include understanding and providing appropriate medical intervention resources understanding the diversity of health care benefits Delivery Systems and the impact of services on individuals with disabilities understanding and collaborating with health promotion and wellness providers regarding strategies for people with chronic illness and disability understanding different Insurance programs understanding and applying disability prevention and management strategies and understanding the variability of workers compensation laws and practices and domain 12 is research methodology and Performance Management the subdomains include understanding statistics and psychometric concepts related to measurement understanding research methods such as surveys and case studies and data analysis assessing research literature related to evidence-based practices comprehend Concepts and principles of organizational development and stakeholder management an understanding program evaluation procedures for assessing the effectiveness of Rehabilitation Services and outcomes in order to pass the exam you must obtain a passing score on both sections of the exam the rehabilitation and disability issues and the counseling to pass the exam the testing site will provide you with a preliminary scoring report that will indicate whether you have passed or failed the exam the crcc website acknowledges that a student's preparation for the CRC exam is a key factor that influences the likelihood of their passing the exam therefore you are already on track by coming here to prepare for your CRC exam module 0.2 this module covers strategies for preparing and studying for the exam and the topics include strategies for preparing and studying and strategies for taking standardized exams you're here because you're interested in preparing for the CRC exam congratulations you've surpassed a huge hurdle which is just getting started but what should you do now the first thing is to prioritize important topics this course consists of 12 modules that focus on the 12 knowledge domains found on the CRC exam the modules do not have to be taken in order and in fact it might be best for your study plan to prioritize the topics for which you need the most help additionally each knowledge domain represents a different percentage of the questions on the exam so it is also worth considering which knowledge domains represent the most questions if you have a CRC practice exam available to you it may help to start by taking that practice exam like you are taking the actual exam once the exam is scored take note of the knowledge domains that you struggled with the most and make a list of Topics by priority that you need to focus on by considering both your difficult topics and the extent to which those topics are on the exam if you don't have a practice exam available to you you can still make a prioritized list based on your understanding and experience with each knowledge domain if you go to this module page in the canvas course you will find links to both paid and free practice exams The Next Step would be to create a study plan next you want to create a study plan that will help you create goals and manage your time wisely don't cram research shows that studying in small chunks over longer periods of time is better for Learning and long-term retention as an example this course includes 12 modules that represent the 12 CRC knowledge domains which means you could focus on one module per week for approximately three months of preparation make sure the study goals that you're creating are specific enough that you can easily identify that you've achieved that goal as an example if one of your goals is to try to memorize the organizational settings or Vocational Rehabilitation counselors work then you'll want to make sure that you can list these from memory with no additional notes or help at a later date to ensure that you have in fact memorized them thank you once you've created your study plan make a study timetable and then break down your study plan additionally there are apps like Evernote todoist and remember the milk that can be helpful for creating tasks and setting goals you'll also want to make sure that you use good study strategies make the most of your study sessions by using good study strategies first find a space where you will be comfortable next find a notebook where you can tape your notes organized and in one place while you're studying try to make meaningful connections with the content you're learning because it will help you remember it longer as an example try relating the topic to an experience you've had in the past or reflect on how it will influence the future of your career finally whenever you come across practice test questions treat the questions like you're in a real exam situation reflect on the outcome of the questions and use it to determine how you will move forward with your studying it's good to take regular breaks while studying as part of your plan create time for fun activities and remember to take regular breaks throughout a study session strategies for taking standardized exams while the best preparation is studying there are many useful strategies for taking standardized exams the day before the exam carefully review your notes but don't plan to learn new material this may cause you additional stress that won't help you at this point since you've put in the work trust that you are as ready as possible and do your best to get a full night's sleep and eat well know the location of your testing if you are testing at a testing center make sure you know where your location is and how long it takes to get there you may choose to drive to the location a few days before you take the exam just to make sure you know where you're going if you are testing at home on your own computer before the exam day Pearson VUE recommends that you perform a computer system test find inappropriate testing location and prepare your ID verification on the day of the exam you may check in up to 30 minutes before your exam appointment also make sure your computer is plugged into an outlet so you don't lose power during the exam on the day of the exam make sure you arrive early to your testing location and take some extra time to relax listen carefully to all instructions provided by the Proctors start the exam strong make sure you read all relevant instructions before starting the exam once you begin quickly glance over the questions to get a sense of the content and timing if possible answer a few easy questions first to give yourself a competent confidence boost pace yourself the CRC exam has 175 multiple choice questions that must be completed in 3.5 hours this means you will have about one to two minutes per question remember to check the time regularly and pace yourself as an example after 30 minutes you should have completed about 25 questions Don't Panic if you have haven't completed 25 questions but use this information to guide your progress carefully read the questions take a deep breath and read each question carefully identify keywords you recognize from studying and look for Relevant cues in the question words such as always never only must all or none can help you eliminate incorrect responses stay positive try to maintain a positive attitude throughout the exam you can expect the exam to be difficult but getting frustrated won't help you skip hard questions and come back to them later use your time to answer the questions that you feel comfortable answering and use extra time at the end to focus on the difficult questions save time to review your answers use any extra time at the end of the exam to review your answers be careful when choosing an answer choosing to change an answer because many times your first instinct is the best one however make sure you fix any legitimate mistakes when you recognize them make sure you answer all of the questions there is no penalty for guessing but you will receive zero points on any questions that you don't answer take time to reflect after the exam is over take time to reflect on what went well and what you can do to prepare to do better in the future document your reflection because if you need to retake the exam your reflection is a great place to start your preparations choosing a correct answer predict the correct answer test designers create incorrect answers to be very appealing choices one way to keep incorrect answers from distracting you is to try predicting the answer without looking at the answer choices after you predict the answer try to find your answer in the choices listed make sure you read each answer carefully pay attention to wording cues read the questions carefully and pay attention to wording cues words like always or never mean that the answer must be irrefutable while words like sometimes mean the answer will exist under specific circumstances further some questions will ask for the best answer which means that some of the incorrect choices may be true but just not the best answer some questions will include options that say all of the above are true or none of the above are true here you don't actually have to know if all of the answers are true or not true if at least two of them are true or not true then you've met the criteria process of elimination if you don't know how to answer you can increase your odds by eliminating choices that you know are incorrect In many circumstances you can remove two obviously incorrect choices which leaves you with two plausible choices this means you have a fifty percent chance of getting the question correct if you were to guess among the possible choices Focus your thinking read each answer carefully after you read the first answer Choice decide if it sounds correct or not even if you think the first choice is correct carefully read each following choice to make sure there are no better answers if you think there are answer choices that can be obviously eliminated then make a mental note to cross out that choice to make it easier for you to read and process the plausible choices when you need to guess if you don't know the answer to a question there are still strategies to increase your odds of getting the question correct ask yourself what is this question asking and create a list of what you know about the topic rephrase the question in your own words until you understand it better try to eliminate incorrect responses to increase your odds read each answer Choice carefully and use your best gut feeling rely on your first instinct and try not to overthink the question your first instinct is likely best answer choices with always never all or must are often incorrect because they are limited look for grammatical cues between the question and the answer choices if two answer choices are opposite one is likely correct if all else fails just make your best guess a random guess gives you a chance at getting the correct question correct while a blank answer will be marked wrong one hundred percent of the time