Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The CHD Program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The program offers a M.A. in Counseling and Human Development with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC).

The CMHC concentration consists of 20 courses totaling 60 semester hours. Coursework is divided into four areas:

  • CORE COUNSELING COURSES (10 courses) that must be taken during the first half of the program and are prerequisites to higher level courses
  • CMHC AREA OF CONCENTRATION (5 courses) that are sequenced to build a strong mental health counseling skill base
  • ELECTIVES (2 Courses) that allow students to pursue further coursework in an area of interest
  • FIELD EXPERIENCE (3 Courses) that provide supervised practicum and internship experiences in clinical settings, totaling 700 hours with 280 hours of direct client service

Prerequisites are specified within the course descriptions listed in this catalog. 

It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to verify that courses taken in the CMHC concentration fulfill the requirements of their states toward their intended professional licenses/ certifications.

Field experience courses in clinical mental health counseling consist of Practicum (CHD 790), CMHC Internship I (CHD 796I) and CMHC Internship II (CHD 796II). Courses are completed in sequence, and students may only take one field experience course at a time.  Students meet with a faculty supervisor (the course instructor) and a group of their peers via Zoom for 1.5 to 2 hours once a week for sixteen weeks for Group Supervision throughout the duration of their field experience. Field experiences focus on developing professional counseling competencies that prepare trainees for independent practice post-licensure. Trainees must be supervised on-site by a licensed clinical supervisor with a minimum of two years of experience and appropriate state credentials.

Counseling Practicum In compliance with CACREP 2024 Standards, Practicum includes 100 hours of counseling activities including: individual and group counseling (at least 40 face-to-face hours); consultation; referral and case management; psycho-social assessment; taped case review; termination procedures; and individual and group supervision. 

Pre-requisites for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum include the following: BSC 560, CHD 602, CHD 603, CHD 610, CHD 612, CHD 624, CHD 626, CHD 635, CHD 665, CHD 730, CHD 740, CHD 772, CHD 775, CHD 777.     

Students eligible to enroll in Practicum (CHD 790) must provide proof of current malpractice insurance. Students must also be in good standing and maintain a grade point average of 3.0.

To enroll in Practicum students must complete all prerequisites, participate in field experience orientation, submit a completed Field Experience Application, and receive approval from the Clinical Director of Field Experience.

Note: Students completing both CMHC and School Counseling (Dual) degrees will need to complete one practicum (CHD 790), both School Counseling Internships (CHD 795I and CHD 795II), and both Clinical Mental Health Internships (CHD 796I and CHD 796II).