Overview

The Mental Health Counseling Community concentration is a 60 credit program intended to prepare licensed professional counselors to address the clinical needs of children, adolescents and adults in a variety of mental health and community settings. Students entering this program are trained in providing psychotherapy to individuals, families and groups from diverse backgrounds. An emphasis is placed on the application of theory to direct practice.

Students develop competence in mental health counseling approaches through course work in mental health counseling interventions, assessment and appraisal, case management and consultation, family violence, social and cross-cultural counseling methods, and internships in a mental health or community agency setting. The internships in mental health counseling provide students with opportunities to develop clinical skills to be effective mental health practicioners. Electives may be taken in child, adolescent or adult development, school or college counseling, special education, or any special topics courses in counseling. This program is registered as meeting the academic and internship requirements for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New York State.

Curriculum

This 60 credit concentration includes 30 credits of general counseling courses, 24 credits of specialized mental health counseling coursework, and 6 credits of electives.

Students complete two 300 hour internships with a licensed mental health professional.

Classes include:

Interventions with Children and Adolescents in Counseling
Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counseling
Introduction to Family Counseling
Case Management, Consultation, and Organizational Change
Community Mental Health Counseling & Psychopathology
Seminar in Family Violence
Mental Health Counseling Internship I
Mental Health Counseling Internship II

The 30 credits of core counseling coursework include:

Counseling Theory and Practice
Research in Counseling
Clinical Counseling Skills
Tests, Measurements, and Appraisal
Issues in Lifespan Development in Counseling
Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling
Dynamics of Group Counseling
Career Development Theory
Master's Seminar and Ethics in Counseling I
Master's Seminar and Ethics in Counseling II

Students have the option of completing a Comprehensive Exam or a Thesis.

View the Program Handbook for more information about this degree.

For more detailed course descriptions, please visit the Graduate Catalog.