The University of Maine at Farmington is the only public institution in New England to offer an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation & Human Services (RHS), an applied human services degree aimed at helping people with at-risk conditions to live independently and function effectively in their living, learning and working environments. If you have a passion for working with people, this experiential-focused program will prepare you to make a difference in the lives of others.
The UMF Rehabilitation & Human Services curriculum is designed to prepare you to advocate with and for the needs of people with disabilities at both the individual and systems level.
Rehabilitation & Human Services courses draw upon many methods, including interviewing, counseling, group leadership, goal analysis, functional assessment, and systems change, to prepare you to work as effective members of interdisciplinary teams.
Our Rehabilitation philosophy and practice focuses on client autonomy, the strengths of individuals, families, and communities, and the adaptation of environments to support full inclusion.
The program prides itself on small class sizes, approachable professors, and hands-on learning through our highly selective field placements. Faculty members will work closely with you to ensure your career goals and ambitions are attained.
Save more than $5,500 per year in tuition. This University of Maine at Farmington program qualifies for the NEBHE Tuition Break.
Through the NEBHE Tuition Break program, students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive a $5,670 tuition discount on all UMF degree programs.
What can I do with a degree in Rehabilitation & Human Services?
Data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other sources. Median Salaries for positions in Maine typically fall below those of other New England states.
High Demand for Rehabilitation & Human Services Professionals
- Throughout Maine and the rest of New England, there is a significant need for bachelor-level trained Rehabilitation & Human Services professionals.
- According to the Maine Center for Workforce Research and Information, community and social services have had a higher-than-average demand for new hires.
- Nationally, the demand for Rehabilitation & Human Services (RHS) professionals is expected to grow across the country with the increase in the aging population and the needs of other groups such as veterans, people with disabilities, and individuals with substance abuse disorders.
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of rehabilitation and human services counselors is projected to grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2028.
Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician Option
As a Rehabilitation and Human Services major, you may elect to include coursework to become eligible for Maine state certification as a Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician (MHRT/C). Eligibility is based on specific coursework and completion of the B.S. in Rehabilitation.
This will require specific courses, including:
- Psychiatric Rehabilitation
- Addictive Behaviors and Recovery
- Fundamentals of Vocational Counseling and Placement
- Trauma and Resiliency
Learn more about the field of Rehabilitation & Human Services from UMF graduate Esther Butler
Internships — providing you hands-on, real-world experience
Practical, real-world experience is built into the UMF Rehabilitation Services program with a required practicum and internship. We help place you into a rewarding and often a college career-defining internship. This outside-the-classroom fieldwork and internship will let you experience first-hand what it’s like to work in the field. It’ll also provide you with valuable professional contacts.
Here’s a short list of where our Rehabilitation & Human Services students have recently interned:
- Pine Tree Camp, Rome, Maine – Unit Leader
- Margaret Murphy Center for Children, Lewiston, Maine – Educational Technician
- Spurwink, Portland, Maine – Adult Case Manager
- Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, Kimberton, Pennsylvania – Intentional Community Worker
- Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, Portland, Maine – Rehabilitation Counselor
- Riverwood Group, LLC in Champaign, Illinois – Addictions Counselor
- Wiggle Worms Pediatric Therapy, York, Maine – Clinical Intern
- Tree Street Youth, Lewiston, Maine – Youth Program Assistant
- Alaska Crossings, Wrangell, Alaska – Field Guide
Green Chimneys School, Brewster, New York – Residential Counselor - Becket House, Belgrade, Maine – Intensive Treatment Support Worker
- Strive-U, Portland, Maine – various positions
Recent graduates have taken positions as mental health caseworkers for children and adults, substance abuse counselors, adoption counselors, crisis counselors, residential administrators for individuals with developmental disabilities, and vocational rehabilitation counselors.
More than half of our graduates attend graduate school and hold positions as social workers, outpatient and inpatient mental health counselors, occupational therapists, and supervisors of child protective services.
If you have a passion for working with people, this hands-on degree will prepare you to make a difference in the lives of others.
Rehabilitation & Human Services Online Degree Completion Program
In response to Maine’s critical workforce need for fully-prepared rehabilitation and human services professionals, Farmington offers a fully online degree completion program to help adult learners and community college students earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Rehabilitation & Human Services.
The UMF Rehabilitation & Human Services Online Degree Completion Program is designed for those who have earned general / basic education credits (English, Math, Science, etc.) or those with an Associate’s Degree. It builds upon general education courses you may have completed at another university or community college — allowing you to complete your Bachelor’s degree from UMF.
This degree completion program is particularly valuable for those who may have had to postpone their degree completion due to employment, military mobility, family obligations, disability, geographic constraints, or other reasons.
Save more than $5,500 per year in tuition. This University of Maine at Farmington program qualifies for the NEBHE Tuition Break.
Through the NEBHE Tuition Break program, students from Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont receive a $5,670 tuition discount on all UMF degree programs.
Employment Specialist Certification — Fully Online, Just 2 Courses
Interested in helping people with disabilities and other limiting conditions to find and maintain employment? Interested in helping businesses develop meaningful jobs for that clientele? Get your certification as an Employment Specialist — fully online and in just 2 courses.
What is an Employment Specialist?
An Employment Specialist works closely with people with disabilities and other limiting conditions to help them find and maintain employment. It involves career exploration, career planning, and job coaching.
An Employment Specialist also works with businesses on job development — identifying a range of job opportunities for people with disabilities and other limiting conditions — in a variety of employment settings.
It’s a rewarding career that will use your best people skills. For example, in the morning an Employment Specialist may work to help a client learn how to do a specific grocery store job, and in the afternoon, meet with potential employers to develop job opportunities for other clients.
Maine has a critical shortage of Employment Specialists and is in a constant state of recruiting for these positions. Opportunities include positions at the Maine Bureau of Rehabilitation Services, the Maine Office of Aging and Disability Services, the Maine Office of Behavioral Health and many community rehabilitation agencies.
According to ZipRecruiter, the average salary in Maine for an Employment Specialist is $51,279.
Dr. Nicole Achey Describes the Employment Specialist Certification
The Employment Specialist Certification can be completed in just two Fully Online courses — one in the Fall Semester, one in the Spring Semester
The best part: One of the courses is TUITION FREE. It’s fully funded through a training grant funded by the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan.
REH 270 Fundamentals of Vocational Counseling and Placement
A course that introduces students to foundational concepts, underlying values, ethical guidelines, definitions, and philosophy of community employment, both in the educational and service delivery systems. Informed choice, self-determination, and active participation in the employment process are emphasized.
REH 271 Applied Techniques of the Vocational Process
An advanced course that introduces students to the process of analyzing local labor market information, and identifying employment trends to inform the job development process. Emphasis includes theory and philosophy in guidance and rehabilitation settings relating to persons with difficulties in the vocational decision-making process.
This unique program is made possible through funding from the Maine Jobs & Recovery Plan. The Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) is Governor Mills’ plan approved by the legislature to utilize Maine’s share of the federal pandemic relief funds provided by Congress. The MJRP funds came to the University of Maine System for workforce development and were awarded for this project by the Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation. The program is a collaborative effort with the University of Maine at Farmington Rehabilitation & Human Services Program and the University of Maine at Augusta Mental Health & Human Services Program.
Additional UMF Rehabilitation & Human Services Offerings
- Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Technician Certificate with UMA
- Counseling 3+2 – B.S. in Rehabilitation Services to M.S. with USM
See more about our Rehabilitation & Human Services program in the words of our students, a recent graduate and our faculty.
Contact Us
Office of Admissions
University of Maine at Farmington
246 Main Street
Farmington, Maine USA 04938-1994
tel 207-778-7050
fax 207-778-8182
TYY (via Maine Relay Service) dial 711
umfadmit@maine.edu
