Program Learning Objectives
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program prepares professionals for direct entry into and/or advancement in counseling and counseling-related positions in private and public human service organizations and systems.
The program is designed to:
- Demonstrate master’s level professional counseling dispositions.
- Demonstrate master’s level theoretical knowledge and competencies in all core counseling domains.
- Demonstrate, apply, and evaluate master’s level theoretical knowledge and competencies in clinical practice.
- Use of research and program evaluation to inform professional counseling practice.
- Demonstrate knowledge pertaining to the provision of evidence-based clinical mental health counseling services that enhance the emotional, cognitive, behavioral, relational, and spiritual well-being of individuals, families, and groups seeking help with either everyday life concerns or more significant challenges.
The program offers a learning environment in which the student acquires the academic competencies of the profession, refines them through practical experience, and increases self-understanding, self-confidence, and personal effectiveness.
By the completion of their program of study, CMHC students will demonstrate:
- Knowledge of each of the CACREP common core curricular areas including:
- Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
- Human Growth and Development
- Career Development
- Helping Relationships
- Group Work
- Assessment
- Research and Program Evaluation
- Knowledge of the history, philosophy, trends, organizations, credentials, professional issues, policies, and ethical and legal standards relevant to CMHC
- Knowledge of the settings (outpatient, partial, inpatient, aftercare, emergency, etc.) and modalities (individual, couple, family, group, etc.) of CMHC
- Ability to advocate on behalf of clients and the profession
- Ability to maintain professional counseling relationships by utilizing appropriate counselor disposition and a variety of counseling skills, including empathy, positive regard, active listening skills, collaboration with clients, and other verbal and non-verbal skills.
- Knowledge of the roles and functions of CMH counselors and how these intersect with those of other professionals
- Ability to apply the wellness model to a variety of client presentations, including application of principles of human development (e.g., prevention, personal growth, intervention, and maintenance)
- Ability to address wellness through assessment, case conceptualization, treatment planning, implementing interventions, record keeping, and evaluating progress.
- Knowledge of evidence based interventions, including the ability to critically evaluate research relevant to CMHC
- Knowledge of and ability to apply crisis intervention principles including de-escalation practices and working with clients at risk of harming themselves or others
- Ability to apply knowledge of substance use problems, including their etiology, assessment, and relationship to other client problems
- Ability to alter counseling processes so that they are multiculturally appropriate, including building therapeutic relationship and rapport, case conceptualization, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, intervention, ethical decision making, and outcome evaluation.
- Ability to recognize one’s own limitations as a counselor and to utilize supervision and referral when appropriate
- Knowledge of management processes relevant to CMHC including program development, service delivery, and program evaluation