Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education

Susan Smedema

Professor, Department Chair

ssmedema@wisc.edu


438 Education Building

1000 Bascom Mall

Madison, WI 53711

Smedema, Susan

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Susan Miller Smedema, Ph.D., CRC, LPC is the current chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education and a professor in the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling / Rehabilitation Counselor Education program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to working at UW-Madison, she taught at Florida State University and the University of Northern Iowa. As of March 2023, Dr. Smedema has published 59 peer-reviewed journal articles, written 9 book chapters, and presented 25 times at national conferences, including the National Council on Rehabilitation Education and the American Counseling Association’s annual conferences. She is a four-time winner of the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association Research Award, serves on the editorial board of Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, and is a former board member for the National Council on Rehabilitation Education.

Education

  • PhD Rehabilitation Psychology/Rehabilitation Counselor Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2005
  • MS Rehabilitation Counseling, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2000
  • BS Psychology, Indiana University, 1998

Select Publications

  • Bhattarai, M., & Smedema, S. (2023). Improving health of persons with disabilities living in poverty: A scoping review. Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal, 12(1) Online Publication/Abstract.
  • Kriofske Mainella, A., & Smedema, S. (2022). Sexual health education and life satisfaction for people with congenital neurological disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 66(1), 46-57.
  • Smedema, S., Lee, D., & Bhattarai, M. (2022). An examination of the relationship of core self-evaluations and life satisfaction in college students with disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 65(2), 129-139.
  • Brockberg, K., & Smedema, S. (2022). Predicting caregiver and family quality of life in families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 36(2), 146-165.
  • Bhattarai, M., Jin, Smedema, S., Cadel, K., & Baniya, M. (2021). The relationships among self-efficacy, social support, resilience, and subjective well-being in persons with spinal cord injuries. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 77(1), 221-230.
  • Bhattarai, M., Smedema, S., & Maneewat, K. (2021). An integrative review of factors influencing resilience post-spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 64(2), 118-127.
  • Smedema, S., & Bhattarai, M. (2021). The unique contribution of character strengths to quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis. Rehabilitation Psychology, 66(1), 76-86.
  • Smedema, S. M. (2020). An analysis of the relationship of character strengths and quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis. Quality of Life Research, 29, 1259–1270.
  • Smedema, S., & Talbot, R. M. (2020). Psychometric validation of the Job Satisfaction of Persons with Disabilities Scale. Rehabilitation Research, Policy, and Education, 34(3) (pp. 176-189).
  • Yaghmaian, R. A., & Smedema, S. M. (2019). A feminist, biopsychosocial subjective well-being framework for women with fibromyalgia. Rehabilitation Psychology, 64(2), 154-166.

Select Presentations

  • Smedema, S. (2022, December). Positive psychology: Rehabilitation intervention. Invited presentation presented at the NIDILRR-Funded Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training Employment Fellowship Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellows Didactic Seminar Series, Madison, WI..
  • Bhattarai, M., & Smedema, S. (2022). Quality of life of persons with spinal cord injury: The role of mindfulness. Concurrent presentation presented at the 2022 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
  • Magler, M., & Smedema, S. (2022, November). Disabilities and mental health. Invited presentation presented at the , Madison, WI.
  • Smedema, S. (2022, June). The profession of rehabilitation counseling. Invited presentation presented at the Delegation from Africa through the International Visitor Leadership Program, Milwaukee, WI.
  • Juergens, H. B., Smedema, S. M., & Kriofske Mainella, A. (2018, May). Attitudes and sexuality: Development and validation of the attitudes toward the sexuality of people with disabilities scale. Concurrent Presentation presented at the 2018 Rehabilitation Research & Training Center for Evidence-Based Practice in Vocational Rehabilitation Spring Conference, Madison, WI.
  • Yaghmaian, R. A., & Smedema, S. M. (2018, March). A feminist, biopsychosocial subjective well-being framework for women with fibromyalgia. Concurrent Presentation presented at the 2018 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Smedema, S. M., & Kriofske Mainella, A. (2018, March). Higher order positivity variables and suicide risk in African American college students. Concurrent Presentation presented at the 2018 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Smedema, S. M., & Phillips, B. N. (2017, April). Amazon Mechanical Turk as a rehabilitation research participant recruitment tool. Seminar Presentation presented at the 2017 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Smedema, S. M., & Friefeld, R. (2017, April). Examination of the mediators of the relationship between core self-evaluations and job satisfaction in employed individuals with disabilities. Concurrent Presentation presented at the 2017 National Council on Rehabilitation Education Annual Conference, Anaheim, CA.
  • Smedema, S. M., & Ebener, D. J. (2015, March). The impact of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder symptoms on recovery from Substance Use Disorder. Concurrent Presentation presented at the 2015 American Counseling Association Annual Conference, Orlando, FL.

Select Awards and Honors

  • Honored Instructor, University of Wisconsin – Madison, 2022
  • Research Award, 2nd place, American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, 2019
  • Research Award, 3rd place, American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, 2010
  • Research Award, 2nd place, American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, 2009
  • Research Award, 3rd place, American Rehabilitation Counseling Association, 2005