Affiliations: Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, University of Wisconsin-Stout, WI, USA | Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI, USA | Human Rehabilitative Services, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA | Department of Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders, University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, AR, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: John W. Lui, Ph.D., CRC, Executive Director of Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute, University of Wisconsin-Stout, 221, 10th Ave., Menomonie, WI 54751, USA. Tel.: +1 (715) 232 2470; Fax: +1 (715) 232 5008; E-mail: luij@uwstout.edu
Abstract: The purpose of this study is to examine the roles and functions of benefits counseling specialists. One-hundred and forty-eight benefits counseling specialists rated the Benefits Specialists Practice Inventory – Revised using a 5-point importance rating scale. Data were analyzed using multi-trait analysis. The multi-trait analysis tentatively supported the three-factor structure of the Benefits Specialists Practice Inventory – Revised, indicating that benefits screening (M = 4.43, SD = 0.47), benefits advisement (M = 4.49, SD = 0.56), and benefits management (M = 4.07, SD = 0.88) are most central to the job performance of benefits counseling specialists. In addition, benefits counseling specialists in the current study rated themselves as relatively well prepared to perform these benefits counseling job functions, with benefits advisement rated the highest (M = 4.23, SD = 0.76), followed by benefits screening (M = 4.15, SD = 0.70), and then by benefits management (M = 3.75, SD = 0.96). However, multi-trait analysis also suggested that there might be more than three essential job functions for benefits counseling specialists and more comprehensive research in the future is warranted.
Keywords: Professional competency study, practice analysis, roles and functions, disability benefits specialists
