[1] Assessment and treatment may include the following areas: psychosocial, cognitive, behavioral, and functional status, self-esteem, coping skills, and quality of life.
The discipline takes a holistic approach, considering individuals within their broader social context and assessing environmental and demographic factors that may facilitate or impede functioning.
[3] In addition to clinical practice, rehabilitation psychologists engage in consultation, program development, teaching, training, public policy, and advocacy.
[4] Rehabilitation psychologists work as advocates with persons with disabilities to eliminate attitudinal, policy, and physical barriers and to emphasize employment, environmental access, social role, and community integration.
[4] Advances in medical care had led to an increased number of people surviving injuries and illnesses that would have been fatal in previous generations.
[9] Theoretical models are important in rehabilitation psychology for understanding and explaining impairments, aiding treatment planning, and facilitating the prediction of outcomes.
[2] A wide array of models is needed because of the diverse problems and concerns faced by individuals with disabilities and chronic health conditions.
[12] The framework is holistic and to apply it providers must learn about the disabled person's home life and broader social context.
As a Jew living in Germany during the early years of the Nazi regime,[7] Lewin's experiences shaped his psychological work.
[3][13] Tamara Dembo and Beatrice Wright, two of Lewin's students, are recognized as pioneering figures in the history of rehabilitation psychology.
[3] The somatopsychological model is derived from Lewin's field theory and holds that the environment can either aid or hinder an individual's adjustment.
In clinical settings, rehabilitation psychologists apply psychological expertise and skills to improve outcomes for individuals living with disabilities or chronic health conditions.
[19] In addition to clinical assessment and interview, standardized measures can be helpful for understanding each of these component areas in greater detail.
[30][31] The ultimate goal of all cognitive rehabilitation interventions is to improve the everyday functioning of people in the setting in which they live or work, consistent with their own values and priorities.
[33] Rehabilitation psychologists often are faced with ethical and legal considerations when assisting patients with concerns such as end-of-life decision making, ability to return to driving (e.g., following acquired brain injury, stroke, or other medical conditions that may impair driving ability), and the role of faith/religion in the individual's health-care decision making.
Rehabilitation psychologists must be licensed in order to provide services in their state of practice and to receive reimbursement from health insurance payers.