Vocational Rehabilitation: History and Practice

Like many domains within vocational psychology, vocational rehabilitation is a dynamic enterprise, constantly evolving in response to contemporary issues, the changing demographics of the work force, and to alterations in health and public policy. Although psychologists have been involved in vocational rehabilitation for almost a century, the area is ultimately multidisciplinary, and professional psychology does not claim any unique dominion over any aspect of vocational rehabilitation. Other professions that borrow heavily from the psychological literature have been identified with the area for decades (e.g., rehabilitation counseling and vocational evaluation). Yet the dynamic and evolving nature of vocational rehabilitation and the relevance of psychological principles to the enterprise ensure a recurrent and influential role for many psychological specialties. In this chapter, we review the various aspects of vocational rehabilitation that contribute to its dynamic nature, including the different professions, policies, and population trends that dictate changes. We provide a brief overview of the history of vocational rehabilitation in the United States that demonstrate the impact of public policy on its evolution. This will also incorporate the emergence of contemporary legislation that influences current changes in research and practice. We provide a concise overview of the theoretical perspectives and empirical research from a psychological perspective that represents major contributions from vocational psychology,