M.A. in C.H.D. - Clinical Mental Health Counseling

In accordance with the CACREP accreditation standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling, the Counseling and Human Development program with Clinical Mental Health specialization consists of 20 courses totaling 60 semester hours. Course work is divided into three areas:

• FOUNDATIONS (3 courses) which must be taken early in the program and are prerequisites to higher level courses;
• AREA OF CONCENTRATION (15 courses) which are sequenced to build a strong mental health skill base;
• ELECTIVES (2 courses) that allow students to pursue further course work in an area of interest (for the clinical mental health emphasis all electives must be in "clinical" areas).

Courses in the program are numbered 500 through 700. Students are responsible for planning their course of study with their assigned advisor and for ensuring that all requirements are met. In general, the lower-numbered courses should be taken prior to the higher-numbered 700 courses. Prerequisites are specified within the course descriptions listed in this catalog.

Within the first semester of admission to the CHD program, students must complete the CHD Prospectus in consultation with their advisor. Changes to the Prospectus must be approved by the student's advisor.

The Practicum course is designed to provide students with counseling experience under the supervision of the instructor and the individual Practicum supervisor. Such experience is necessary to enhance counseling competencies in practitioners. Practicum requires 100 hours of work, of which 40 hours must involve direct client service. Students must obtain Professional Liability Protection prior to starting the Practicum class.

Internship is served in an "out placement" setting. Examples of such settings include the University Counseling Services, community clinical mental health agencies, hospitals, family services, substance abuse agencies, crisis centers, private practice, and such. Requirements for Clinical Mental Health Counseling students include a total of 600 hours of internship with at least 240 hours of direct client service. The 240 hours of direct client service contact must include a range of activities such as individual, couple, family and group counseling as well as intake, assessment, diagnostic evaluation and treatment planning. The hours must be distributed among a broad range of clinical activities.