Psychologists and rehabilitation: Mandates and current training practices.

Reviews legal and professional mandates concerning the provision of professional services to disabled persons by psychologists. Legal, ethical, accrediting, and licensing implications are considered, especially from the standpoint of the training of psychologists. A survey of all American Psychological Association-approved clinical and counseling training programs was conducted to examine (a) awareness of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, (b) availability of courses concerning disabilities, and (c) the importance of knowledge of the psychological aspects of disabilities in hiring psychologists. Survey results indicate that psychologists' skills and knowledge may be seriously at variance with what is expected of them, that negative attitudinal factors play a central role and can be dispelled through formal training, and that separate and specialized services for handicapped people are not a viable option. (7 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)