Master of Education in Counselor Education

Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling – ME6298

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Term of Entry: Fall only

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Program Overview

The mission of the master’s program in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling at Ohio University is: (a) o prepare highly competent professional school counselors to effectively serve the pre-K-12 population by assuming leadership and advocacy roles to promote optimum development for all students, including those from low income and culturally diverse populations; 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 and school counseling program specializations include additional coursework in personality assessment, professional school counseling, and counseling children and adolescents. All students must complete a supervised counseling practicum of 100 hours and two additional counseling internships of 600 hours each. A counseling internship for the clinical mental health counseling specialization should be completed in a clinical setting under the supervision of a licensed professional clinical counselor with a supervisory endorsement. A counseling internship for the school counseling specialization should be completed in a K-12 school under the supervision of a licensed school counselor.

Graduates of the program are eligible for licensure as School Counselors in the state of Ohio, and would have to pass the school counseling examination required by the Ohio Department of Education. Graduates of the program are also 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. Upon successful completion of the academic requirements in the clinical mental health and school counseling program, the Counselor Education program will formally endorse the student for the School Counselor license, the Professional Counselor license, and/or employment appropriate to clinical mental health and school counseling. The master’s program in clinical mental health and school counseling at Ohio University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). By maintaining CACREP accreditation, the program strives to provide the highest quality of faculty and curriculum standards.

Full-time students are expected to complete the degree in 5 semesters.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students will:

1. Become familiar with the requirements for a professional counselor, the body of literature and research that is central to the field, and professional preparation standards which impact the field as a whole.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Learn to develop effective strategies for promoting client understanding of and access to community resources.
5. 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.
6. Acquire knowledge of the principles of diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic tools, including the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.
7. Learn to develop effective strategies for client advocacy in public policy and other matters of equity and accessibility.
8. 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.
9. Maintain an active relationship to the broader rehabilitation community and related professional associations through consultation, education, advocacy and leadership activities.
10. Become familiar with the requirements for a professional school counselor, the body of literature and research that is central to the field, and professional preparation standards which impact the field as a whole as well as school counseling.
11. Develop an understanding of the school counseling program in relation to the academic and student services program in the school setting.
12. Learn the role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school.
13. Learn to develop strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools.
14. Acquire knowledge of the school setting, environment, and pre-K-12 curriculum.
15. Identify current issues, policies, laws, and legislation relevant to school counseling.
16. Understand the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs, occupation, physical and mental status, and equity issues in school counseling.
17. Develop knowledge and understanding of community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance, as well as barriers that impede, student academic, career, and personal/social success and overall development.
18. Develop knowledge and application of current and emerging technology in education and school counseling to assist students, families, and educators in using resources that promote informed academic, career, and personal/social choices.
19. Acquire an understanding of ethical and legal considerations related specifically to the practice of school counseling.

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, or for professional counseling positions in clinical settings. Graduates may also be eligible to apply for advising positions in two- and four-year universities.

Further Information

Link to Program:  https://www.ohio.edu/education/counseling-higher-education/counselor-education

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 3-5 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.

Graduation Requirements

Complete 64 credit hours as follows: