Scott A. Sabella (he/him)

Research and Clinical Interest:
• Rehabilitation Counselor Supervision
• Program management within rehabilitation agencies
• Support needs for people with brain injuries
• The removal of barriers to community participation for individuals with disabilities
• Counseling strategies and techniques
• Group Work


Scott Sabella, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling, School and Educational Psychology (CSEP) within UB’s Graduate School of Education. His primary research agenda focuses on counselor supervision, program management, and leadership within public rehabilitation agencies. Additionally, he has recently authored articles related to the removal of barriers to community participation of people with disabilities and the support needs of people with brain injuries. His clinical counseling interests include group work, motivational interviewing, and experiential counseling strategies and techniques to enhance quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

• BS, St. Lawrence University, Psychology
• PhD, University of Northern Colorado, Rehabilitation
• MA, University of Northern Colorado, Psychology (neuropsychology track)

• Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training; Federal; Health Resources and Services Administration; Continuing; (01/01/2021-06/30/2025)
• Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program (Award #H129B190047); Federal; U.S. Department of Education; Continuing; (10/01/2019-09/30/2024)
• Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program (Award #H129B190047); Federal; U.S. Department of Education; Continuing; (10/01/2019-09/30/2024)
• Rehabilitation Long-Term Training Program (Award #H129B190047); Federal; U.S. Department of Education; Awarded; (10/01/2019-05/31/2020)

• Sabella, S. A., Bernacchio, C. P., & Soldner, J. L. (2021). Constructive rehabilitation counselor evaluation in field settings. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 42(1), 21-36.
• Sabella, S. A., Friedman, K. B., McCarthy, A., & Landon, T. J. (2021). Supporting transformational leadership within public rehabilitation agencies. Journal of Rehabilitation Administration, 42(1), 37-52.

• Landon, T., Phillips, B., McKnight-Lizotte, M., Sabella, S. A., Kline, K. (2023). The impact of organizational factors and professional identity on turn over intent in state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355223115
• Landon, T.J., Levine, A., Sabella, S., Kulesza, E.T., Hill, J.C., Uzman, K., & Kulesza, E.T. (2023). Supervision and ethics: Updates to the CRCC Code of Professional Ethics. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00343552221146163
• Sabella, S. A., Landon, T., Pollack, S. (2022). Measurement of Clinical Versus Administrative Supervision (CVAS): Initial validation among rehabilitation counselors. The Clinical Supervisor, 41(1), 25-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2021.1989641
• Anderson, C. A., Sabella, S., Pi, S., Groomes, D., Tansey, T., Homa, D., Zhu, D., Connelly, J., & Walker, K. (2021). The importance of building capacity for program evaluation and quality assurance within vocational rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.52017/001c.29113
• Landon, T. J., Sabella, S., McKnight-Lizotte, M., & Bernacchio, C. (2021). Rehabilitation counselor supervisors’ perceptions on counselor dispositions for rural service delivery. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 64(3), 145-157.
• Sabella, S. A., Schultz, J. C., & Landon, T. J. (2020). Validation of a brief form of the Supervisory Working Alliance Inventory. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 63(2), 115-124. DOI:10.1777/0034355219846652
• Sabella, S.A., Landon, T., Lizzotte, M., Bernacchio, C. (2020). How do supervisors assess and develop professional dispositions among counselors in public rehabilitation agencies: A qualitative inquiry. The Clinical Supervisor. Advance online publication DOI:10.1080/07325223.2020.1729919
• Sabella, S. A., & Bezyak, J. L. (2019). Barriers to public transportation and employment: A national survey of individuals with disabilities. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 50(3), 174-185. doi: 10.1891/0047-2220.50.3.174
• Sabella, S. A., Bernacchio, C., Boland, E., & Schultz, J. (2019). The conceptualization and assessment of professional dispositions in rehabilitation counselor education. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 33(3), 198-211. doi: 10.1891/2168-6653.33.3.198
• Bezyak, J. L., Sabella, S. A., Hammel, J., McDonald, K., Jones, R., & Barton, D. (2019). Community participation and public transportation barriers experienced by people with disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1590469
• Sabella, S. A., & Suchan, C. S. (2019). The contribution of social support, professional support, and financial hardship to family caregiver life satisfaction after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 34(4), 233-240. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000471.
• Ososkie, J. N., & Sabella, S. A. (2018). Experiential counselor supervision for rehabilitation counselors-in-training. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 35(3), 156-167.
• Sabella, S. A., Markve, M. E, Groomes, D. G., & Shoemaker, M. (2018). Competencies for effective program evaluation and quality assurance in vocational rehabilitation. Journal of Rehabilitation, 84(3), 66-74.
• Sabella, S. A., Andrzejewski, J., & Wallgren, A. (2018). Financial hardship after brain injury: A brief scale for family caregivers. Brain Injury, 32(7), 926-932.
• Bezyak, J.L., Sabella, S.A., & Gattis, R.H. (2017). Public transportation: An investigation of barriers for people with disabilities. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 28(1), 52-60.
• Sabella, S.A. (2017). Stratified leadership components and needs within public rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 61(1), 41-53.

• Sabella, S.A., & Anderson, C. (2023). Program evaluation. In S. Gibson and T. Buser (Eds.), Reimagining research: Engaging data, research, and program evaluation in social justice counseling. Routledge.

• Sabella, S., Schultz, J., Henderson, R., Boland, B., Brinck, E. (Sept., 2022). Rehabilitation counseling supervision consortium (RCSC): Perspectives from a national research collaborative. Clinical Supervision Research Collaborative webinar session.;
• Sabella, S. (2022). Case file review process: Summit winter forum. A three-part webinar series presented to the national Summit Group on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation.;
• Sabella, S. (2022). Data validation: Summit winter forum. A three-part webinar series presented to the national Summit Group on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation.;
• Sabella, S. (2022). Pre-employment transition services tracking: Summit winter forum. A three-part webinar series presented to the national Summit Group on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation.;
• Sabella, S. A. (2019, September). Welcome address and navigator’s brief [Invited conference opening address]. 12th Annual Summit on Performance Management Excellence. Portland, ME.;
• Sabella, S. (2017, July, October; 2018, February). Program evaluation and quality assurance in state vocational rehabilitation. A four part series presented to New York State ACCES-VR. Buffalo, NY.;
• Sabella, S., Vandergoot, D., Shoemaker, M., Matrone, K., Groomes, D., & Collins, S. (2015, September). Summit navigators: Perspectives to improve our community of practice. Breakout presented at the 8th Annual Summit on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation.;

• Sabella, S., (2022, April). Opioid Workforce Expansion Project: Initial results and novel training interventions [Poster Session]. 2022 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Spring Conference (San Diego, CA).;
• Sabella, S.A., & Friedman, K. (2022, April). Supervisor use of best practices in evaluation: A survey of practicing rehabilitation counselors [Poster Session]. 2022 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Spring Conference (San Diego, CA).;
• Chang, Y. P., Barrick, C., Sabella, S., Lewis, L., & Nisbit, P. (2020, October). Development of inter-professional training for opioid workforce in high need and high demand areas [Virtual Poster]. 2020 International Nurses Society on Additions. (Virtual Conference).;
• Sabella, S., Collins, S., & Clemons, A. (2020, November 4). Internal controls, quality management, and process improvement [Virtual Workshop]. 13th Annual Summit Conference on Performance Management in VR. (Virtual Conference).;
• Sabella, S., Landon, T., McKnight-Lizotte, M., Bernacchio, C., & Pollack, S. (2020, April). How do supervisors assess and develop professional dispositions among counselors in VR agencies? [Poster]. 2020 NCRE National Counsel on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled).;
• Anderson, C., Pi, S., Sabella, S., Leahy, M., Homa, D., & Tansey, T. (2020, April). Building capacity for quality program evaluation in public VR: An RSA initiative [Conference session]. 2020 NCRE National Counsel on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), San Diego, CA. (Conference canceled due to COVID).;
• Sabella, S., Landon, T., McKnight-Lizotte, M., Bernacchio, C., & Pollack, S. (2020, April). How do supervisors assess and develop professional dispositions among counselors in VR agencies? [Poster]. 2020 NCRE National Counsel on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), San Diego, CA. (conference cancelled due to COVID).;
• Landon, T., Sabella, S.A., Bernacchio, C., & Lizotte, M. (April, 2019). Rehabilitation counselor supervisors’ perceptions of counselor professional dispositions for rural service delivery. Paper presented at the Spring 2019 National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) conference, San Diego, CA.;
• Sabella, S. (September, 2018). Leadership structure, competencies, and recruitment. Paper presented at the 11th Annual Summit: Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation.;
• Sabella, S.A., Markve, M.E., & Shoemaker, M.T. (2016, September). Competencies for effective program evaluation and quality assurance. Paper presented at the 9th Annual Summit Conference on Program Evaluation and Quality Assurance. Richmond, VA.;
• Sabella, S.A., Shoemaker, M.T., and Groomes, D. (2017, April). Competencies for effective program evaluation and quality assurance. Paper presented at the National Council on Rehabilitation Education Spring Conference. Anaheim, CA.;
• Bezyak, J. & Sabella, S. A. (2016, April). Transportation access and experiences: An investigation of accessibility of public transportation. Paper presented at the biennial National Council on Rehabilitation Education conference, Newport Beach, CA.;

• Serves as a "Summit Navigator," a steering committee that provides leadership for the Summit Group on Performance Management in Vocational Rehabilitation, a national community of practice consisting of over 450 members of state vocational rehabilitation agency administrators, technical assistance agencies, and rehabilitation educators.
  06/01/2022-05/26/2023
• Content expert for the federally funded National Clearinghouse of Rehabilitation Training Materials. This 5-year project will continue until 2020.
  05/26/2017-05/21/2018
• Research consultant for the Rocky Mountain Americans with Disabilities Act Education Center. This is a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research project funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  05/26/2017-01/01/2018
• I am serving as an advisory board member for the Workforce Innovation Technical Assistance Center. This is a federal Department of Education grant led by the Interwork Institute at San Diego State University which provides technical assistance and training to state vocational rehabilitation agencies in order to meet the requirements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
  02/29/2016-06/07/2016
• From 2014-current, I have served as a research consultant for the Rocky Mountain Americans with Disabilities Act Education Center. This is a National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research project funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  12/01/2014-06/07/2016