Standards that reflect the growth of a professional discipline into a community of integrated healthcare

Professional standards are created to guide professional practice, enhance quality of care, improve outcomes, and successfully fulfill regulatory and accrediting criteria. The bridge between medicine and mental health has been clearly constructed. The road to follow forward, now a superhighway, has been joined by an interdisciplinary professional team that is inclusive towards the goal of holistic rehabilitation healthcare. The article “Professional standards of practice for psychologists, social workers, and counselors in SCI rehabilitation” represents the efforts of many individuals over decades of dedicated work.

• 1
  The original need was for professional standards for psychologists and social workers, who work with individuals with spinal cord injury/disorder.
• 2
  2016 formally recognized the inclusion of counselors, highlighted by the section name change from PSW (Psychologists and Social Workers) to PSWC (Psychologists, Social Workers and Counselors).
• 3
  Today, we have the benefit of a document that not only speaks to the original identified need but establishes an open dynamic organizational system of inclusion of people, professions, specialties and ideas for improvement and change.