4 – For VR Professionals
Introduction to VR4HearingLoss.net for the Vocational Rehabilitation Professional
People who are hard of hearing or late deafened are a large, underserved population in the United States who could benefit from VR services. Their service needs are broad and most often go beyond the provision of hearing aids. VR4HearingLoss.net will help orient VR professionals to the range of needs and possible services for persons who are hard of hearing or late deafened. These services lead to enhanced workplace success and improved quality of life for consumers.
As a Vocational Rehabilitation Professional, you have many choices about how to gain and maintain your expertise. With the goal of streamlining your efforts for professional development, the VR4HearingLoss.net training resource is aligned closely with requirements of the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification®. Pre-approval for 12 hours of CRCC credit has been granted.
If you wish to complete the VR4HearingLoss.net training, it is recommended that you discuss this resource with your manager/supervisor. Their support is essential to helping you successfully complete and implement this training resource into your professional practice. The objectives below highlight key learning outcomes from the training. For each learning module, an online assessment is offered. Learners must score 80% to receive notification that they have successfully completed each learning module. The modules are called Who, What, How & Where. Each module reflects content for CRCC credit. There is also a set of training material designed specifically for state coordinators and other administrators. This section is called For State Coordinators and Administrators under the Getting Started tab and is also directly linked at the top right corner of the VR4HearingLoss.net homepage. This section also reflects content for CRCC credit.
The Contributors to VR4HearingLoss.net have decades of experience in facilitating and providing high quality services to adults with hearing loss. We hope you find this training resource to be helpful in your work of serving this population. As you use this resource, please take a moment to Tell Us What You Think.
Learning Objectives for VR4HearingLoss.net
Module 1 Objectives: WHO are our clients with hearing loss?
- Counselors will be able to list 10 problems each for people who have hearing loss and for their communication partners.
- Counselors will be able to list 5 causes of communication breakdowns for each of the following: Speakers, Environment, and Listener.
- Counselors will be able to briefly discuss the hearing aid, lip reading, and sign language is for everyone myths/misconceptions.
- Counselors will be able to briefly discuss the origins and effects of social pain.
- Counselors will be able to list six each guidelines for effective communication for speakers and for listeners.
Module 2 Objectives: WHAT are the physical characteristics of hearing loss and what are ways of diagnosing and managing the condition?
- Trace the path of sound through the outer, middle and inner ears.
- Name the segments of the hearing evaluation.
- Describe at least four features of personal hearing instruments.
- Describe at least four situations in which assistive technologies would be useful.
Module 3 Objectives: HOW can vocational rehabilitation professionals appropriately prepare to serve consumers with hearing loss?
- Increase knowledge and understanding about the impact of hearing loss among the wide range of individuals who are hard of hearing and late deafened and examine how this affects vocational rehabilitation service delivery to these consumers.
- Identify and address the unique communication functioning of individual consumers who are hard of hearing or late deafened to establish an effective counseling relationship.
- Increase skills in functional assessment, eligibility determination, order of selection priority category, and employment planning with consumers who are hard of hearing or late deafened.
- Improve counseling and guidance skills with consumers who are hard of hearing or late deafened to address issues regarding the hearing loss and its’ impact on employment.
- Increase awareness of employment problems to provide job accommodations or other solutions for consumers who are hard of hearing or late deafened, especially those who experience progressive hearing loss.
Module 4 Objectives: WHERE can people with hearing loss find current information, long-term support and tools for self-advocacy?
- Gain a basic understanding of Federal laws that provide people hearing loss equal opportunity and accommodations for the workplace, places of public accommodations, state and local governments, when traveling, and when accessing telecommunications.
- Learn about consumer protection in the states.
- Understand how consumers filing complaints can help enforce disability laws.
- Find out about the resources and organizations available to help advocate for greater access for people with hearing loss.