Counselors' multicultural competencies and vocational rehabilitation outcomes in the context of counselor-client racial similarity and difference

This investigation explored the relationship between rehabilitation counselors' multicultural competency and vocational rehabilitation (VR) outcomes in the context of counselor-client racial similarity and difference for individuals with disabilities who were served in a large northeastern state VR agency. The results demonstrated significant main effects as well as complex interaction effects among client race, counselor race, and counselor multicultural competency in relation to rehabilitation rate and vocational training rate. Thus, clients from different racial groups experienced different outcomes in the VR process in this agency as a function of the counselors' race and multicultural competency. The current findings are discussed in relation to previous studies of VR service equity for persons with disabilities from underrepresented groups, and recommendations for future research are provided.