Concurrent sessions are open enrollment; no advance sign-up is required.

CRCC Continuing Education Units (CEU) Record Form

Participants of the 2026 ARRPE Conference will have the opportunity to earn up to 15.5 Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), including up to 12.5 General Continuing Education Credits and up to three CRC Ethics Continuing Education Credits issued by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). If you are interested in obtaining CRC CEUs, please make sure you fill out the CRCC Continuing Education Units (CEU) Record Form and submit it by Monday, March 2, at 11:59 p.m. CT. 

Looking for more information about each session to plan your conference experience? Please view the conference schedule by day for session abstracts and/or content descriptions. Arriving on Sunday? Check out our Pre-Meets schedule to get an early start on this year's conference festivities.

Day 1 Conference Schedule     Day 2 Conference Schedule
 

Monday, Feb. 23

7-9 a.m. Conference Check-in

A breakfast buffet will be available from 7:15-8:30 a.m.

8:15-8:30 a.m. Opening Remarks  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

David R. Strauser, Ph.D., president, ARRPE Board of Directors

8:30-9:20 a.m. Keynote Address  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

Workplace Disability Support Policies and Practices: What Works and Needed Next Steps
Susanne Bruyère, Ph.D., CRC

This presentation will highlight workplace policies and practices in recruitment, hiring, retention, advancement, and accommodation that have been shown to contribute to a higher likelihood of employment success for individuals with disabilities.

9:30-10:20 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Building Fiscal Agility to Sustain VR Innovation
    Jimmy Wilson
     
  • Competencies for Working with Veterans: A National Survey of Rehabilitation Counseling Programs 
    George Mamboleo; Jeffrey Daniels; Regan Braun
     
• A Contextual Approach to Job Accommodation and Retention for Workers with TBI  |  Location: Nueces
  Priscilla Ayebea Davies, M.Sc.; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
   
• A Model and Intervention for Grief, Loss, & Identity Reconstruction after TBI  |  Location: Frio
  Aundrea Gee, M.Ed., CRC; Marty Holin, Ph.D.; Elaine Mora, Ph.D.
   
• Advancing Veteran Employment: Lessons from State and VHA Vocational Rehabilitation  |  Location: Blanco
  Matthew E. Sprong, Ph.D., CRC, LCPC (IL), LPC (PA), CLCP, CVE, CADC; Edwin Guzman, M.S., CRC, LCPC
   
• Assessing Everyday Functioning of People with Disabilities Using Internet Connected Assistive Devices  |  Location: Llano
  Abbas Quamar, Ph.D., CRC; Elizabeth A. Boland, Ph.D., CRC
  
  
• An Emerging Conceptual Framework for Small Business Development and Entrepreneurship: Multiply Marginalized People with Disabilities Incubator  |  Location: Pecos
  Nyree Cunningham-Pullen, Ph.D., Edward O Manyibe, Ph.D., Andre Washington, Ph.D., CRC
   

10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break


10:40-11:40 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Knowledge Gaps & Action Steps: Mental Health Counselors Supporting Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
    Ashleigh M. Johnson, Ph.D., CRC, NCC
     
  • Phoenix Rising: The Disabled Martial Artists Alliance 
    Jonathan Drummond, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret), M.S., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate

• Beyond Family Systems Theory: Using Design Thinking in Rehabilitation Family Case Conceptualizations  |  Location: Nueces
  Ngonidzashe Mpofu, CRC, CCMHC, NCC
   
• Career Decision-Making Resources: Feasibility of Developing Individually-Tailored Supports in Multiple Sclerosis  |  Location: Frio
  Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC; Jian Li, Ph.D.; Emily A. Brinck, Ph.D., LPC, CRC, CVE; Byung Jin Kim, Ph.D. 
   
• Challenging Perspectives: An Indigenous Lens for the VR Process  |  Location: Blanco
  Elizabeth A. Boland, Ph.D., CRC; Jamie M. Emanuel, M.S., CRC
   
• The Commission for Rehabilitation Counseling Certification (CRCC) Ethical Practices and Artificial Intelligence  |  Location: Llano
  Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Trent Landon, Ph.D., CRC, A-CMHC; Robert Froehlich, Ed.D., LPC, CRC
   
• Culturally Responsive Rehabilitation Practices for Rural and Underserved Communities  |  Location: Pecos
  Yuleinys A Castillo, Ph.D., LPC, LPCC, CRC; Byung Jin Kim, Ph.D.
   

11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Exploring Existential Overestimation for Successful Employment Outcomes
    Elaine Mora, Ph.D., LPC (Texas); Aundrea Gee, Ph.D. ABD, CRC
     
  • Identifying Shifts in Depression Trajectories during COVID-19: A Growth Mixture Model Study
    Minju Lee, M.S., CRC; Yongsu Song, M.A.; Jina Chun, Ph.D., CRC; Eunjeong Ko, M.A.; Jin-Hee Yu, M.A.; Chanhwi Kang, B.A.; Donghun Lee
     
• Digital Interventions for Supporting Employment Engagement of People with Serious Mental Health Conditions: A Scoping Review  |  Location: Nueces
  Yemi Akinola; Ikenna D. Ebuenyi 
   
• Dual Customer Engagement and Service Delivery Strategies |  Location: Frio
  Whitney Ham, Ph.D, BCBA, MS, CRC; Jennifer McDonough, MS, CRC; Crystal Hence, M.Ed.; Alissa Brooke, M.S, CRC
   
• Effects of Postsecondary Education on Young Adults with Mental Illness  |  Location: Blanco
  Yazmin Castruita Rios, Ph.D., CRC; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
   
• EMERGE: Empowering Entrepreneurs to Rise, Grow, and Excel in VR  |  Location: Llano
  Janet LaBreck
   
• Advancing AI-Technology Integration in Rehabilitation Counseling: Adapting the TPACK Assessment Framework  |  Location: Pecos
  Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
   

12:40-2:00 p.m. Lunch Break
 

2-2:50 p.m. Invited Speaker  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

Measuring, Modeling, and Mentoring: Building a Foundation for Rehabilitation Health Services Research and Practice
Allen W. Heinemann, Ph.D.

This featured presentation traces Allen Heinemann’s journey in rehabilitation research, highlighting five pillars: advancing measurement science, improving health services and quality outcomes, enhancing psychosocial adaptation, promoting community integration, and mentoring future scientists. 

2:50-3:20 p.m. Coffee Break
 

3:00-4:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Self-Management and Multiple Sclerosis: Large-Scale Validation of the Multiple Sclerosis Self-Management Scale-2
    Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC; Michael Frain, Ph.D., CRC; Sang Qin, Ph.D.
     
  • Social Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life in Adults with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: The Mediating Effects of Everyday Living Capabilities
    Kayi Ntinda, Ph.D.; Elias Mpofu, Ph.D.; Bruce Reed, Ph.D.; Rongfang Zhan
     
• Innovating Practices Using Person-Driven Planning to Dispel Myths with Evidence and Outcomes  |  Location: Nueces
  Sheryl Bobroff, M.S., CRC, LPCC; Michael “Luke” Clark; Joyce Clark; Kathleen Marie Oertle, Ph.D., CRC, LVRC-Utah; Cassandra McCall, Ph.D.; Sarah Yerelian, M.A., LPCC; Kiara Allen, M.S., CRC, APCC
   
• Employment-Related Assistive Technology Needs in Autistic Adults: A Mixed-Methods Study  |  Location: Frio
  Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Hannah Fry, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
   
• Illinois Pathways to Partnerships: An Innovative Model to Improve Transition Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities  |  Location: Blanco
  Nicole Birri, Ed.D.; Concha De La Cruz, M.S.; Christina Muri Irland, M.A.; Jim Knauf
   
• Government Relations, Clinical Advocate and the Future of Rehabilitation Counseling  |  Location: Llano
  Dr. Amy E Vercillo; Michelle Aliff Ph.D., CRC, CVE, CLCP 
   
• Graphic Medicine Resource Lab: Centering people with disabilities in healthcare  |  Location: Pecos
  Laura Butler, MRC, M.A.; Erin Fitzgerald
   

4:10-5:10 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Supporting Employment for Individuals with Advanced Cancer: A Vocational Rehabilitation Framework
    Hannah Fry, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
     
• Headset to Hiring: Utilizing Virtual Reality Job Exploration in Transition Services  |  Location: Nueces
  Callie Davis, MRC, CRC, CVE; Breanna Batista, M. Psych, CR; Lucas Freeman, MBA
   
• Transforming Technology Career Pathways for People with Disabilities: The AccessTECH Initiative  |  Location: Frio
  Ayse Torres, Ph.D., CRC, LMHC; Emily Brinck, Ph.D., CRC, CVE, LPC-IT; Sangbeak Ye, Ph.D.
   
• Innovative Practices for Community Integration and Employment: The UNTWISE  |  Location: Blanco
  Lucy Gafford, M.S., CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
   
• Menopause, Mental Health and Disability |  Location: Llano
  Alexandra Kriofske Mainella, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
   
• Employee Mental Health in Higher Education: Building Resilience and Preventing Burnout  |  Location: Pecos
  Bryan Gere, Ph.D., CRC; Nahal Salimi, Ph.D., CRC
   

5:30-7:00 p.m. Poster Reception  |  Location: Garden Terrace

Appetizers provided. Cash bar available.

Presenters may set up their posters at their convenience starting at 12:45 p.m. Posters must be set up no later than 5:00 p.m.

View the list of this year's posters
 

Tuesday, Feb. 24

7:30-9 a.m. Conference Check-in

A breakfast buffet will be available from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

8:30-9:20 a.m.  Invited Speaker  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom

Disability in Rural Areas: Consistent and Persistent Challenges
Debra Harley, Ph.D., CRC, LPCC-S

The purpose of this presentation is to highlight concerns and disparities for people with disabilities rural communities and to discuss key considerations for disability services in rural areas. Specific topics to be addressed include long-term services and supports, transportation, housing, Medicare and Medicaid coverage, workforce shortages, and telehealth and technology.

9:30-10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • The State of Inclusive Higher Education
    Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Ph.D.; Patrick J. Krolik, MBA
     
  • Transition Age Foster Youth & Vocational Rehabilitation: How is Type of Service Related to Employment?
    Michele Schutz, Ph.D.; Sangjee Ha, M.A.; Chung-Lung Lee, Ph.D.; Judy Havlicek, Ph.D.; David R. Strauser, Ph.D.
     
• Cognitive Support Technology and Its Beneficial Impact on Postsecondary Students with Autism  |  Location: Nueces
  Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC; Amaka Okori, Ph.D.
   
• Mental Health for College Students in a Hispanic Serving Institution  |  Location: Frio
  Heekyung Lee, Ph.D, CRC
   
• Navigating Risk, Trust, and Understanding in Workplace Mental Health Disclosure  |  Location: Blanco
  Sang Qin, Ph.D., CRC; Rouyi (Zoey) Chen, M.S., CRC; Eunjeong Ko, M.S.; Stephanie Lauren Burnham; Kanisorn Saenuttayan, M.S., CRC; Azusa Ohba, M.S., CRC; Christine Sui, M.S., CRC
   
• Neuropsychologist Perspectives on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Polytrauma Prognosis Regarding Implications for Life Care Planners  |  Location: Llano
  Elaine Mora, Ph.D.
   
• 2026 ARRPE Recruitment Event  |  Location: Pecos
  Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC
   

10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break


10:40-11:40 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Transition-Age Foster Youth with Disabilities: How Does Receipt of VR Services Combined with Extended Foster Care Shape Employment Outcomes?
    Judy Havlicek, Ph.D.; Chung-Lung Lee, Ph.D.; Michele Schutz, Ph.D.;  Sangjee Ha, M.A.;  David R. Strauser, Ph.D.
     
  • Advancing a Biopsychosocial-Ecological Framework for Long COVID and Employment 
    Zaccheus J. Ahonle, Ph.D., CRC; Madeline Castle, Ph.D.
     
• Emerging Vocational Rehabilitation Strategies for People with Diabetes Mellitus  |  Location: Nueces
  Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
   
• Exploring Telework Access Across Demographic, Economic, and Geographic Factors for People with Disabilities  |  Location: Frio
  Kelsey R. Webb, Ph.D., CRC, NCC, LCMHC-A, LCPC; Gemarco J. Peterson, Ph.D., CRC, NCC; Irfanullah Khan, Ph.D.; Joshua Simpson, M.S., LCMHC-A, APC, NCC; Shyreeta Hearne, M.S.; Atashia Muhammad, Ph.D., LPC-S, NCC; Khadidra Washington, Ph.D.
   
• Rehabilitation Length of Stay and Treatment Intensity Following Spinal Cord Injury: Predictors, Outcomes, and Perspectives from Individuals with Lived Experience, Care Partners, and Clinicians  |  Location: Blanco
  Alex W.K. Wong, Ph.D., DPhil, CRC; Allen W. Heinemann, Ph.D., ABPP
   
• SCOPING REVIEW: C Broad-Scope Analysis or Rehabilitation Framework Synthesis or Rehabilitation Landscape Analysis of Counselor Training, Caseloads, and Equity in Vocational Rehabilitation  |  Location: Llano
  Chrisann Schiro-Geist, Ph.D.; Patrick J. Krolik, MBA
   
• Vocational Rehabilitation for Hispanic Consumers: A Culturally Grounded Approach Centered on Familismo  |  Location: Pecos
  Yazmin Castruita-Rios, Ph.D., CRC; Hannah Fry, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
   

11:50 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Transitioning to Adulthood with a Disability: How do Foster Youth Compare to Same Age Peers Receiving Vocational Rehabilitation Services?
    David R. Strauser, Ph.D.; Michele Schutz, Ph.D.; Judy Havlicek, Ph.D; Chung-Lung Lee, Ph.D.; Sangjee Ha, M.A.
     
  • Empowering Wellness: A Mobile App Intervention to Promote Exercise Adherence for Adults with Spinal Cord Injury
    Alex W.K. Wong, Ph.D., DPhil, CRC, FACRM; Sara Nataletti, Ph.D.; Anushua Banerjee, B.S.; Sara Prokup, PT, DPT; David Chen, M.D.; Allen Heinemann, Ph.D., ABPP, FACRM; Arun Jayaraman, PT, Ph.D.

• Psychological Quality of Life in Women with Disability: A Mixed Method Analysis |  Location: Nueces
  Heekyung Lee, Ph.D, CRC
   
• Section 14(c) Impact on Supported Employment Outcomes in VR: Propensity Score Analysis |  Location: Frio
  Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Yazmin Castruita-Rios, Ph.D., CRC
   
• SenseAbility Pathways: Advancing Learning and Careers through Tactile Technology  |  Location: Blanco
  Janet LaBreck
   
• Person-Centered Profiles of Assistive Technology Needs in Employment among Autistic Adults  |  Location: Llano
  Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Jaeyoung Kim, Ph.D., CRC; Heerak Choi, Ph.D., CRC
   
• SWTCIE Illinois Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling Dual Customer Approach to Optimize Employment Outcomes  |  Location: Pecos
  Bryan S. Austin, Ph.D., LPC (Idaho), CRC, CVE; John F. Kosciulek, Ph.D.; David G. Strauser, Ph.D.; Stuart Rumrill, Ph.D., LPC, CRC; Chun-Lung Lee, Ph.D.
   

12:50-2:00 p.m. Lunch Break
 

2:00-3:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • The Job Retention Experiences of Black or African American Autistic Individuals
    Muharrem Koc
     
  • The Nexus Between Housing Status, Demographic Factors, and Employment Among People with Disabilities
    Irfanullah Khan, Ph.D., Edward O. Manyibe, Ph.D., Gemarco J. Peterson, Ph.D., CRC, NCC; Kelsey R. Webb, Ph.D., CRC, NCC, LCMHC-A, LCPC; Joshua Simpson, M.S., LCMHC-A, APC, NCC; Shyreeta Hearne, M.S.

• Inclusive by Design: Integrating Plain Lanuguage and Authentic Imagery  |  Location: Nueces
  Teri T. Lahmon, M.S.
   
• Suicidal ideation in people with chronic illness during COVID-19: The roles of stress, occupational burnout, and depression |  Location: Frio
  Eunjeong Ko, M.A.; Jina Chun, Ph.D., CRC; Jin-Hee Yu, M.A.; Minju Lee, M.S., CRC; Yongsu Song, M.A.; Chanhwi Kang, B.A.; Donghun Lee
   
• The Psychosocial Adaptation of Older Adults: The Intersectionality between Age and Disability  |  Location: Blanco
  Patrina Wong, CRC, LPC-IT; Wen Zhang; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT
   
• The VISTA-LC Model: Tri-Modal Workforce Development Intervention for Individuals with Long COVID  |  Location: Llano
  Zaccheus J. Ahonle, PhD., CRC; Madeline Castle, Ph.D.; Amy Rumrill, M.S., CRC; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC; Malachy Bishop, Ph.D., CRC
   
• Two Boys, Autism, and Tang Soo Do: A Dyadic Case Study  |  Location: Pecos
  Jonathan Drummond, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret), M.S., M.A., Ph.D. Candidate

2:30-3:00 p.m. Coffee Break

3:10-4:10 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Different Parenting Practices Explain Different Adult Outcomes Among Sample of PWD
    Deirdre O’Sullivan, Ph.D.; Chun-lung Lee, Ph.D.; Claire Stelter, Ph.D.; David R. Strauser, Ph.D.
     
  • Applying the Illinois Work and Well-Being Career Screener in Vocational Rehabilitation
    David R. Strauser, Ph.D.

• The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Counseling: A Systematic Review of Literature  |  Location: Nueces
  Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
   
• Innovation Through Systems Change: Building Supported Employment Capacity with Community, Discovery and Collaboration  |  Location: Frio
  Sharon Bergfeld, M.A.; Christina Muri Irland, M.A.; Jim Knauf
   
• Sexual Health is Health: Training Rehabilitation Professionals on Sexuality in Counseling  |  Location: Blanco
  Alexandra Kriofske Mainella, Ph.D., CRC, LPC
   
• At the Intersections of Race, Poverty, and Geography: Predicting Self-Employment Outcomes Among People with Disabilities  |  Location: Llano
  Gemarco J. Peterson, Ph.D., CRC, NCC; Kelsey R. Webb, Ph.D., CRC, NCC, LCMHC-A, LCPC; Irfanullah Khan, Ph.D.; Joshua Simpson, M.S., LCMHC-A, APC, NCC; Shyreeta Hearne, M.S.
   
• Psychosocial Adaptation to Substance Use Disorders in Midlife: Testing the Livneh Model  |  Location: Pecos
  Yongsu Song, M.A., Doctoral Candidate
   

4:20-5:20 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

• 25-Minute Sessions  |  Location: Rio Grande Ballroom
  • Employer Toolkit: Employment Practices the Sustain Competitive Employment for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
    Robyn L. Lewis, Ph.D.
     
  • Career Adaptation Among Youth with SMI Based on Career Construction Theory
    Eunjeong Ko, M.S.

• Demand-Side Employer Engagement Strategies for an Inclusive Workforce  |  Location: Nueces
  Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC; Xiaolei Tang, Ph.D., CRC; Lynn Koch, Ph.D., CRC
   
• Win-Win” Approach to Workplace Accommodations for Autistic Workers: AI Agent Demonstration  |  Location: Frio
  Sara Park, Ph.D., CRC, LPC; Stuart Rumrill, Ph.D., LPC, CRC; Kaiqi Zhou, Ph.D., CRC, LPC-IT; Phillip Rumrill, Ph.D., CRC
   
• Beyond Benefits: VR and Transition Pathways to Employment for SSI Youth  |  Location: Blanco
  Yazmin Castruita Rios, Ph.D., CRC; Nichole Tichy, Ph.D., CRC; Marcus Weathers Jr., Ph.D., CRC; Tolga Zencir, Ph.D.; Amalia Mendoza, M.S.
  
  
• Online Self-Administered Interventions as Gateways to Mental Health Support  |  Location: Llano
  Rouyi (Zoey) Chen, M.S., CRC; Kyo Bin Jeon, M.A.
   
• Employment – Reaching your Dreams  |  Location: Pecos
  Regina Kaiser
   

5:45-7:00 p.m. ARRPE Awards Reception  |  Location: Garden Terrace

Appetizers and bar available.

Day 1 Conference Schedule         Day 2 Conference Schedule