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Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC
Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC

For the second year in a row, students enrolled in the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program have received a 100 percent pass rate on the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) certification exam. The national pass rate for the CRC exam this year was 67 percent. In addition, UNC students scored above the national average on every subtest.

For over 40 years, CRC certification has set the national standard for the delivery of quality rehabilitation counseling services through its nationally accredited and internationally recognized program. CRC-certified rehabilitation counselors are the only professional counselors educated and trained at the graduate level specifically to serve individuals with disabilities.

Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC, and the division’s director, said, “I believe our 100 percent pass rate is the result of our top-notch students; faculty who care about our graduate students and are dedicated to teaching and providing cutting-edge lectures; a strong curriculum; and UNC’s extensive academic resources.” Stephen Hooper, PhD, Associate Dean of Medicine and Chair of the Department of Allied Health Sciences, added, “This is a remarkable accomplishment, particularly given the national pass rate for the CRC exam, and is a testament to the outstanding instruction and training that is provided by this program. I couldn’t be more happy for the students and more proud of our faculty with respect to this level of excellence at the national level. Additionally, with many of these students staying in the state of North Carolina for employment, we are adding significant quality to the counseling workforce through this outstanding program.”

The CRC designation represents an advanced level of specialized graduate education and training. CRC-certified rehabilitation counselors have a commitment to ethical practice and lifelong learning. They possess a marketable and valuable credential that distinguishes them from other counseling professionals and promotes consumer confidence and protection in the workplace.

The Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling offers a 60+ credit master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, with concentrations in working with people with developmental disabilities or psychiatric disabilities, or a dual track. The program was among the first Council on Rehabilitation Educate (CORE)-accredited clinical rehabilitation counseling programs in the country to obtain accreditation from the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The program combines academic preparation with direct field experience in many different public and private rehabilitation settings, thus providing students with a strong applied base in service delivery that is grounded in theory and current research.

Eileen Burker, PhD, CRC, is a professor and the director of the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling.

Stephen Hooper, PhD, has served as associate dean and chair of the department since 2013.