TPC-Journal-V4-Issue2

150 As of August 2014, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reports the unemployment rate for all veterans as 6.0% (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014b). For men and women who once held steady employment as part of the armed services, this lack of security can prove stressful. All branches of the military are required to provide some sort of preseparation counseling to service members and offer workshops aimed at providing as- sistance for veteran transitions out of the military. There is limited data on the effectiveness of these programs (Clemens & Milsom, 2008), and it has been estimated that only one out of five veterans is aware of vocational services provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA; Ottomanelli, Bradshaw, & Cipher, 2009). As troops continue to withdraw from current operations and unemployment remains high among all Americans, the outlook for postmilitary careers can seem bleak to transitioning veterans and veterans who have been out of service for longer periods of time. While many transition variables may affect employment opportunities, veterans with disabilities are par- ticularly vulnerable to unemployment and to the perception that employment is not possible (Mpofu & Harley, 2006). The BLS estimates that as of March 2014, approximately 15% of all veterans reported having service-re- lated disabilities (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014a). Bullock, Braud, Andrews, and Phillips (2009) found that 15% of veterans reported that they viewed their physical disability as an obstacle to gaining employment. Of the many types of disabilities reported by veterans, it is estimated that more than one million of these are low vision, with likely over 45,000 veterans having been diagnosed as legally blind (Williams, 2007). In recent years, the VA has put forth a substantial amount of effort to establish a system of inpatient Blind Rehabilitation Centers (BRC) that are designed to improve overall quality of life to veterans with visual impairment (Williams, 2007). As part of this care, a team of rehabilitation and counseling specialists attend to patients and assist vet- erans in building strength, skills and confidence in the face of their disability (Williams, 2007). One inadequate The Professional Counselor Volume 4, Issue 2, Pages 150–158 http://tpcjournal.nbcc.org © 2014 NBCC, Inc. and Affiliates doi:10.15241/lko.4.2.150 Lauren K. Osborne is a doctoral student in counseling psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi. Correspondence can be addressed to Lauren K. Osborne, 118 College Drive, #5025, Hattiesburg, MS 39402, lauren.osborne@eagles.usm.edu. Unemployment continues to be a growing concern among both civilian and veteran populations. As 14% of the veteran population currently identify as disabled because of service, this population’s need for specialized vocational rehabilitation is increasing. Specifically in Veterans Affairs (VA) Blind Rehabilitation Centers (BRC) where holistic treatment is used in treatment and rehabilitation, career services may be useful in improving quality of life for visually impaired veterans. A group approach to career counseling with visually impaired veterans is discussed using the principles and theory of the cognitive information processing (CIP) approach. This approach emphasizes metacognitions, self-knowledge, occupations knowledge, and the use of a decision-making cycle to improve career decision states and decrease negative career thinking. A group outline is provided and discussion of special considerations and limitations are included. Keywords: veterans, cognitive information processing, group, career counseling, visually impaired Lauren K. Osborne Using a Cognitive Information Processing Approach to Group Career Counseling with Visually Impaired Veterans