Clinical Mental Health/Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling - ME

Degree Title and Name: Master of Education

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

Department/Unit: Counseling and Higher Education

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Term(s) of Entry: Fall, with possibility of Summer start

Program Overview: 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.

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.

Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in 6 semesters.

Program Learning Outcomes:

Students will:

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.

Opportunities for Graduates:

Graduates are eligible to apply for school counseling positions, sometime referred to as guidance positions, within K-12 schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Graduates may also be eligible to apply for advising positions in two- and four-year universities.

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/education/counseling-higher-education/mental-health-rehab

Graduation Requirements: The following requirements must be satisfied to graduate.

Minimum of 60 semester credit hours (All required hours are included in the core course list below
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

Required (Core) Courses: EDCE 6200, EDCE 6220, EDCE 6310, EDCE 6450, EDCE 6500, EDCE 6550, EDCE 6620, EDCE 6810, EDCE 6860, EDCE 6915, EDCE 6920, EDCE 7620, EDRE 5010, EDCE 6260, EDCE 6290, EDCE 6750, EDCE 7320

Culminating Experience: Portfolio

Admission Requirements:

Transcripts showing a bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 2.9 or higher
- Students with a GPA lower than 2.9 may apply by submitting Verbal and Quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

Three 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. However, if your references prefer to submit hard copies please contact Graduate College to check on how to submit hard copies. Program faculty may contact your 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 think would enable you to become an effective counselor?
- Describe your culturally relevant interpersonal experiences with individuals or groups who are different from you (race, gender, age, disability status, etc.).
- 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?

International Students: The Athens-based program permits full-time enrollment in residence at Ohio University, and an I-20 may be issued based on admission to this program.