Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Studies Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Studies Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS


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Dr. Benjamin T. Willis, Co-Program Director                                     Dr. Tiffany M. Bordonada, Co-Program Director
570-941-6172                                                                                    570-941-7487
benjamin.willis@scranton.edu                                                           tiffany.bordonada@scranton.edu

Mission Statement

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program prepares professional counselors to provide evidence-based culturally and developmentally competent counseling services that enhance the emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual well-being of individuals, couples, families, and groups across the lifespan. Graduates of this program are prepared to counsel a wide variety of clients varying from those who seek help with everyday life concerns to those who struggle with significant emotional, cognitive, and behavioral challenges. The importance of advocacy, leadership, social justice, client empowerment, and wellness are emphasized throughout the program.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program prepares professional counselors for direct entry into or advancement in counseling positions in a variety of public and private settings. The program prepares students for this work by providing a learning environment in which they acquire the academic competencies of the profession, refine these competencies through application, and experience personal and professional development to meet the standards of Fitness for the Profession.

The program is designed to:  a) Enhance knowledge of counseling concepts and practices; b) Train individuals on the necessary counseling skills necessary to function in agency settings; c) Prepare individuals for certification and licensure in counseling; and d) Enhance individuals’ employability in entry-level or advanced positions in the counseling profession.  

Further, graduates of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program meet the educational requirements for licensure as Professional Counselors in the state of Pennsylvania under Pennsylvania Act 136 of 1998 - The Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors Act. According to the provisions of Act 136, the applicant must have successfully completed a planned program of 60-semester hours of graduate course work in counseling or in a field determined by the board of regulation to be closely related to the practice of professional counseling, including a 48-semester hour master’s degree in counseling or in a related field.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Profession

According to the American Counseling Association, counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a specific field within the broader profession of counseling that provides services to clients who seek help with everyday life concerns as well as to those who struggle with significant emotional, cognitive, and behavioral challenges. Depending on the needs of the client, Clinical Mental Health Counselors may provide many services including advocacy, prevention and education, outpatient, intensive outpatient, inpatient, residential, and crisis/emergency. The settings in which Clinical Mental Health Counseling is performed are broad and include mental health agencies, college counseling centers, substance abuse and eating disorder treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice to name a few. Across all settings, Clinical Mental Health Counselors may utilize individual, couple, family, and/or group counseling to help clients meet their goals. Regardless of the specific services or setting, Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a collaborative effort between the counselor and client that empowers clients to grow towards optimal emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual well-being.

The counseling profession is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook projections for 2024, employment opportunities for counselors are projected to grow “much faster than the average for all occupations” through the year 2020. Jobs specific to Clinical Mental Health Counseling are projected to grow “much faster than the average for all occupations” through the year 2020, as well.

Curriculum

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is a 60-credit curriculum that leads to the Master of Science degree and fulfills all the educational requirements for licensure as a professional counselor in the state of Pennsylvania. The curriculum is divided into four categories: Foundations of Professional Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Courses, Clinical Experience, and Electives for Specialization. Required credits include course work in the principles and practice of counseling, three credits of practicum (100 hours of supervised counseling experience), and six credits of internship (600 hours of supervised counseling experience). Six credits of electives are offered to provide students with opportunities for additional study in individual areas of interest and for development of skills in working with specific client populations.

Credits Required for Degree: 60

Foundations of Professional Counseling Course Title Credits
27 credits required    
COUN 501   Counseling and Interviewing Skills 3
COUN 502   Counseling Theories 3
COUN 503   Group Process and Practice 3
COUN 504   Appraisal Techniques 3
COUN 505   Research Methods 3
COUN 506   Diversity and Social Justice 3
COUN 507   Career and Lifestyle Development 3
COUN 508   Lifespan Development 3
COUN 509   Professional Issues for Counselors 2
COUN 509C   Professional Issues: Clinical Mental Health Counseling 1
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Courses    
18 credits required    
COUN 540   Family Counseling and Therapy 3
COUN 549   Assessment and Diagnosis 3
COUN 560   Addictive Behaviors 3
COUN 563   Crisis Intervention 3
COUN 577   Evidence-Based Practice 3
COUN 578   Organizational Systems in CMHC 3
Clinical Experience    
9 credits required    
COUN 590   Practicum: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (100 hours) 3
COUN 595  Internship: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

variable

3-6 cr.

  *Note: Students require six credits of COUN 595 to complete their degree. Students can take internship over one or two semesters to complete internship requirements. Students will either take one semester of internship for six credits or take two semesters of internship for three credits per semester.  
Electives for Specialization    
6 credits required* Elective courses may be selected from other graduate counseling courses in the Department of Counseling and Human Services 6
Comprehensive Exam    
COUN 589   Comprehensive Exam 0
Total Credits Required for Degree 60

Accreditation and Certification

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program transitioned from the previously existing Community Counseling Program. The Community Counseling Program has been accredited since 1992 by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is fully accredited. Hence, graduates meet all requirements for certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC).

Graduates may apply to the National Board of Certified Counselors to take the National Counselor Examination prior to graduation from the program. Every student who passes the certification examination will be granted recognition as an NCC. All inquiries regarding certification as an NCC and application for same should be directed to the CHS NCE Coordinator, Dr. Tiffany M. Bordonada.

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