Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling - ME

Degree Title: Master of Education

Program Name and Number: Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling - ME6324

Department/Unit: Department of Counseling and Higher Education

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus with an annual fall program start. Students may begin elective coursework in the summer. May be offered as a cohort program at Ohio University regional campuses, but not annually.

Terms of Entry: [Fall | Summer]

Program Mission: The mission of the Master’s program in Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling at Ohio University is: (a) to provide quality instruction and supervised experience designed to prepare professional rehabilitation counselors who are committed to facilitating the personal, vocational and economic independence of individuals with disabilities; and (b) to prepare highly competent professional counselors with an integrated counseling style, characterized by the recognition of the need to work with a client in a variety of areas including cognitive processes, feelings, and behavioral processes.

Program Learning Objectives: Successful completion of the M.Ed. program specialization in Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling prepares students to:

Become familiar with the requirements for a certified rehabilitation counselor, the body of literature and research that is central to the field, and professional preparation standards which impact the field as a whole.
Become familiar with the typical characteristics of individuals and communities served by a variety of institutions and agencies that offer clinical mental health counseling services.
Develop knowledge and understanding of models, methods, and principles of program development and service delivery for a clientele based on assumptions of human and organizational development, including prevention, implementation of support groups, peer facilitation training, parent education, career/occupational information and counseling, and encouragement of self-help.
Learn to develop effective strategies for promoting client understanding of and access to community resources.
Develop knowledge and application of principles and models of biopsychosocial assessment, case conceptualization, theories of human development and concepts of normalcy and psychopathology leading to diagnoses and appropriate counseling plans.
Acquire knowledge of the principles of diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic tools, including the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
Learn to develop effective strategies for client advocacy in public policy and other matters of equity and accessibility.
Develop knowledge and application of appropriate individual, couple, family, group, and systems modalities for initiating, maintaining, and terminating counseling, including the use of crisis intervention, and brief, intermediate, and long-term approaches.
Acquire an understanding of ethical and legal considerations related specifically to the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
Provide students with a high-quality graduate educational program that combines classroom instruction and supervised clinical experiences aimed at the acquisition of skills and the development of competencies related to the provision of services to people with disabilities.
Produce research and other scholarly information that is related to promoting the rehabilitation and independence of people with disabilities.
Maintain an active relationship to the broader rehabilitation community and related professional associations through consultation, education, advocacy and leadership activities.

Program Overview: The Master’s program consists of core counseling coursework in each of the following eight curricular areas: (a) Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice, (b) Social and Cultural Diversity, (c) Human Growth and Development, (d) Career Development, (e), Counseling and Helping Relationships, (f) Group Counseling and Group Work, (g) Assessment and Testing, and (h) Research and Program Evaluation. The clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling program specialization includes additional coursework in diagnosis and treatment planning, psychopathology, personality assessment, foundations of rehabilitation, medical and psychosocial aspects of disability, and job development and placement. All students must complete a supervised counseling practicum of 100 hours and a counseling internship of 600 hours. A counseling internship for the clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling specialization should be completed in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed professional clinical counselor with a supervisory endorsement.

Graduates of the program are eligible for licensure as Professional Counselors in the state of Ohio, and would have to pass the examination required by the Ohio Counselor Social Worker Marriage and Family Therapy Board. Graduates of the program are also eligible to sit for the national examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. Upon successful completion of the academic requirements in the clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling program, the Counselor Education program will formally endorse the student for the Professional Counselor license, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certification, and/or employment appropriate to clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling settings. The Master’s program in clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling at Ohio University is dually accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE). By maintaining CACREP and CORE accreditation, the program strives to provide the highest quality of faculty and curriculum standards. The CACREP and CORE accrediting bodies will merge July 2017, and the clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling program will be solely CACREP accredited.

Concentrations: Students completing the clinical mental health/clinical rehabilitation counseling program may elect to add a specialization in school counseling. This would require additional coursework and internship experiences.

Opportunities for Graduates: Graduates are eligible to apply for professional counseling positions in clinical settings. Graduates with the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor credential are eligible to apply nationally for rehabilitation counseling positions in organizations such as the Veteran’s Administration and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission.

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/education/academic-programs/counseling-and-higher-education/counselor-education/rehabilitation-counselor-education.cfm

Graduation Requirements:

Minimum of 60 semester credit hours
Counseling Practicum of 100 clock hours
Counseling Internship of 600 clock hours to be completed in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervisory endorsement
Expected time to degree if studying full-time is 6 semesters

Culminating Experience: Students completing the M.Ed. degree in Counselor Education complete a counseling portfolio in a capstone Seminar in Counseling course.

Admission Requirements: Applicants for the Master’s (M.Ed.) degree in Counselor Education specializing in Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling must apply online to Ohio University’s Graduate College http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply/

Beyond Ohio University requirements for graduate admission including a minimum of a 4-year undergraduate degree, the following materials are required to be submitted:

Transcripts showing a Bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.9 or higher
- Applicants with a GPA lower than 2.9 may still apply, but must submit Verbal and Quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
- Applicants with less than a 2.9 GPA may address past academic performance and aptitude for graduate study in the Personal Statement.
Three (3) letters of recommendation written by current or former professors or supervisors, or others in the field who can address the applicant’s suitability for a graduate program in counseling.
- Note that letters of recommendation must be submitted online by the authors of the letters. If your references prefer to submit hard copies, please contact the Graduate College for submission procedures. Program faculty may contact references for further information.
Personal Statement of approximately 5 double-spaced typed pages from the applicant addressing specific questions including:
- What are your career goals? What experiences and/or persons in your life have influenced your career goals?
- What experiences have you had that you believe would help you be successful in a graduate program in counselor education?
- Describe your personal characteristics that will be assets and challenges to your study in counselor education. What qualities do you possess that you believe enable you to become an effective counselor?
- Describe your culturally relevant interpersonal experiences with individuals or groups who differ from you (e.g., race, gender, sexual orientation, age, spiritual beliefs, ability).
- Counselor preparation involves a great deal of self-exploration and discovery. How will you manage your personal and professional boundaries in this process?
- What distinguishes you from other candidates for the counselor education program?
- Describe anything else you wish the program faculty to consider with your application.
For non-native English speakers, please contact the Ohio University Graduate College for most current information. Requirements for unconditional admissions with eligibility for funding include one of the following:
- TOEFL iBT of 80 Composite, all Section Scores of 17
- IELTS of 6.5 Composite, all Bands 6.5