3.1 Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Description
Atthis time theClinical Mental Health
Counselingprogram is a
full-timecohort program with classes
from 3:05-5:50 and 6:00-8:45 pm Mondaythrough Thursday. Every effort is made so students are on
campus only two days per week for classes. The program is designed to provide comprehensivetrainingforindividuals
who wish to counsel diversepopulations
in a varietyofmental
health
settings. Curricular experiences encompass opportunities
to explorethe developmental, social,and
cultural foundations of behavior across the life span, practicepsychotherapeutic and diagnostic skills, and complete extensive field
experiences inorderto applyknowledge and skills in professional settings.3.2 Accreditation
The Clinical Mental Health
Counseling Program (CMHC) is fully accredited by the Council for the
Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The
CMHC Program is a practitioner-scientist program consisting of 60 credit hours
including 1,000 hours of clinical experience (100-hour practicum & three
300-hour internships). This program meets the educational requirements for
licensure in the state of Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor
(LMHC). The program also offers elective courses required for licensure as a
Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).3.3 Curriculum and Degree Requirements
The curriculum meets
the 2009 CACREP Standards by integrating the eight core curriculum experiences
and the six clinical mental health counseling domains.
Degree Requirements
Grades of “B” or better are required in all graduate courses.
- Core requirements: 48 credit hours of graduate Clinical Mental
Health Counseling coursework
- Electives: 12 credit hours of graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling coursework
- Internship: 335 contact
hours
- Practicum: 330 contact hours
- Passing score
on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)
Degree Evaluation
Major: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Degree: Master of Science
At this time the Clinical Mental Health
Counseling program is a full-time cohort program with classes from 3:05-5:50
and 6:00-8:45 pm Monday through Thursday. The program is designed to provide
comprehensive training for individuals who wish to counsel diverse populations
in a variety of mental health settings. Curricular experiences encompass
opportunities to explore the life-span, social, and cultural foundations of
behavior; practice psychotherapeutic and diagnostic skills; and complete
extensive field experiences in order to apply knowledge and skills in
professional settings.
Major Requirements (48 hrs)
Grades of "B" or better are required in all graduate courses.
Students must apply to graduate by the published deadline during their final semester.
- MHS 6486 Human Development Across the Lifespan 3
hrs
- MHS: 6404: Theories in Clinical Mental Health
Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6700: Legal, Ethical, and Professional
Issues in Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6941: Clinical Counseling Skills 3 hrs
- MHS 6876: Clinical Research & Outcome in
Mental Health Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6070: Psychopathology 3 hrs
- MHS 6428: Counseling Diverse Populations 3 hrs
- MHS 6510: Group Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6205: Assessment and Evaluation in Mental
Health Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6305: Career Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6490: Sexual Issues in Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6401: Counseling in Community Settings 3 hrs
- MHS 6450: Addictions Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6800: Practicum (330 contact hours) 3 hrs
- MHS 6830: Internship (335 contact hours) 6 hrs
Electives (12 hrs)
see semester schedule for additional options
- MHS Overview of Brief Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6430 Introduction to Family Counseling 3 hrs
- MHS 6431 Advanced Seminar in Family Counseling 3
hrs
- MHS 6440 Counseling Couples 3 hrs
- MHS 6500 Advanced Practice in Group Therapy 3
hrs
- MHS 6930 Counseling Military Families 3 hrs
Click here for the current graduate catalog's course listings and descriptions
| CMHC Domains |
Core Curriculum Experiences |
| Foundations |
Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice; Human Growth and Development |
| Counseling, Prevention, and Intervention |
Helping Relationships; Group Work |
| Diversity and Advocacy |
Social and Cultural Diversity |
| Assessment |
Assessment; Career Development |
| Research and Evaluation |
Research and Program Evaluation |
| Diagnosis |
Embedded in all eight |
3.4 Sample Timeline for Clinical Mental Health Counseling
|
Year 1
|
|
|
|
1st Semester (Fall)
|
2nd Semester (Spring)
|
3rd Semester (Summer) |
|
- MHS 6486: Human Development Across the Lifespan 3hrs
- MHS: 6404: Theories in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
3hrs
- MHS 6700: Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in
Counseling 3hrs
- MHS
6941: Clinical Counseling Skills 3hrs
|
- MHS 6876:
Clinical Research & Outcome in Mental Health Counseling 3hrs
- MHS 6070:
Psychopathology 3hrs
- MHS 6428:
Counseling Diverse Populations 3hrs
- MHS 6510: Group Counseling
3hrs
|
- MHS 6205:
Assessment and Evaluation in Mental Health Counseling 3hrs
- MHS
6305: Career Counseling 3hrs
- MHS 6490: Sexual Issues in Counseling 3hrs |
|
Semester Total: 12 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 12 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 9 credit hours
|
|
Year 2
|
|
|
|
4th Semester (Fall)
|
5th Semester (Spring)
|
6th Semester (Summer) |
|
- MHS 6401: Counseling in Community Settings 3hrs
- MHS 6800: Practicum (330 contact hours) 3hrs
- Elective 3hrs
|
- MHS 6830:
Internship (335 contact hours) 3hrs
- MHS 6450:
Addictions Counseling 3hrs
- Elective 3hrs
|
- MHS 6830:
Internship (335 contact hours) 3hrs
- Electives 6hrs
|
|
Semester Total: 9 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 9 credit hours
|
Semester Total: 9 credit hours |
3.5 Practicum and Internship
Please refer to the Clinical
Practicum/Internship Handbook for detailed information.
Students
must complete all the first year
courses as indicated above before theycanenroll
in Practicum.
Enrollment in the first Internship class takes place in semester 5
which is the spring term of the second year.
3.6 Electives
All
electives are 3 credit hours and some are subject to change during any academic
year. With advice of the student’s
advisor and/or approval of the program director students may be allowed to take
elective courses in other program areas.
Some of these areas include nutrition, public health, geriatric
management, health administration and working with special needs
individuals. The list below reflects
those CMHC courses currently offered as electives.
- MHS6402 Overview of Brief Counseling
- MHS6430 Introduction to Family Counseling
- MHS6431 Adv. Seminar in Family Counseling
- MHS6440 Counseling Couples
- MHS6500 Advanced Practice in Group Therapy
- MHS 6XXX Counseling Military Families
- MHS6930 Special Topics in Counseling.
Special topics are subject to change.
Special topics offered in the past two years include Introduction to
Coaching, Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and Psychopharmacology. Potential new electives may include Clinical
Supervision in Counseling and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability.
3.7 Independent Study
MHS 6905 Directed
Independent Study in theClinical
Mental Health
CounselingProgram affords
students an opportunityto work with a faculty on a topic of
interest to both of them. Typically an independent study is reserved for doing
research with a faculty or for working on a project that is not addressed in a
traditional course. If a student is
interested in pursuing an independent study it is best that they outline their
proposal, contact the professor or professors with whom they would like to
work, and discuss the viability of the project.
If the professor believes the project to be viable and gives tentative
approval, the student will then more thoroughly design
theproposed work,specificallythesyllabus
—and bring this to the professor(s)
for final approval. In the proposal the
students
will need to identify the following:
- thecorequestions
orproblems being
explored;
- construction of a strategyfor
investigatingthem;
- a map of readings,
writings, and discussions
orotheractivities aimed
at achieving the proposed goals.
AnIndependent
study proposal must be approved priorto
officiallyenrollingintheIndependentStudy.
There is a formal independent study contract that must be signed by the
sponsoring faculty, program director and department chairperson. Once approved this contract is submitted to
the advisement office so the student can register for the independent study.
NOTE: the
CMHC Program Director must clear Out-of-Program Independent Studies.
Theprimaryjob of the faculty with whom the student
will be working on an independent study is to: 1) provide preliminary feedback onthe proposal and the accompanying assignments;
2) consulton revisionstotheoriginalproposal if necessary; 3) provide a
preliminary end-of the-semester review; 4) meet regularly with the student
during the semester of the independent study; 5) assist with research
methodology if appropriate; and 6) discuss and evaluate the final product to
include feedback and a final grade.
3.8 Time Limits for Program Completion
Students must completetheirdegreewithin fiveyearsfrom the timetheyare admitted
and begin their first
semesterof coursework.
When
coursework completed atUNFor elsewhere exceeds
fiveyears, the
credit hours are
renderedinvalid. In
order to be possibly accepted the courses must be submitted for revalidation
bytheProgramDirectoraccording
to theprocedures
foundin the GraduateCatalog.Ifa courseis not validated,additional courseworkwill
be required andadded
to theprogram ofstudy.Students should make everyeffort to completetheirdegreewithin
thetime limits established.3.9 Continuous Enrollment
Students who do not take classes
for three consecutiveterms areautomaticallydroppedfrom
the Clinical Mental Health
CounselingProgram
and must reapplyforadmission.Ifprogram
requirementshavechanged
afterthestudentis
dropped, the student will beobligatedto meetnew
program requirements upon
re-admission.3.10 Incomplete Grades
Students
who encounterextenuatingcircumstances
that precludetheircompleting all
course requirements
by theendoftheterm may, at
theinstructor’s
discretion,
receiveagradeof
“Incomplete.” The student must completethe coursewithin thetimelimit set bytheinstructor, not to exceed one calendaryear. To extend
an incompletebeyondoneyear,
thestudent must petition
for awaiverofUniversitypolicy.
University policy dictates that an"I" will be changed to
afinal evaluativegrade of F after one year unless the student works with
a faculty member to make a change. This “F” grade will be calculated into the
student’s GPA. Students cannot
re-register for courses in which an incomplete grade is outstanding.
3.11 Course Validation
Nocourse completed tenyears
priorto thedateofgraduation
can
beincluded in the program of
study.
Courses that
are fiveto
ten years oldatthetimeofgraduation
maybevalidated, but this is decided on acase-by-casebasis.
Each student’smentor/adviserwill advise them on howto validatethesecourses,
which mayinclude,
but is not limited to, takingexams,
retakingthe course,completingselected assignments,
orbyinterviewand approval
of theprofessorwho originally
taught
the
course. 3.12 Student Evaluation
The CMHC faculty
members havean ethical
obligation to both thestudents and
to students’future clients.As
such, itis the responsibilityofthe facultyto preparestudents to becomeskilled
and ethicalcounselors. Throughouteach student’s
experience--from
theinitial interview throughthe completion
ofthe internships --facultymembers
useboth formal
and informal means of observing, intervening,and
guidingthem in ordertoensurethat
each
student’s potential is maximized and
thatfutureclients
are protected. Students’competence and suitabilityfortheprogram
aresubject to anon-going
and broadlybased evaluation
by program faculty.Inaddition toacademicperformance, students’
professional competenceand
conduct will also beevaluated.
Decisions regarding continued study
are basedupon demonstrated
competencein
eachofthefollowingareas: interpersonal skills, ethical judgment,andprofessional maturityand
demeanor. 3.13 Application for Graduation
Students must submit a formal
graduation application
to theRegistrar’s
Officebythedeadline datelisted
in theUniversityCalendaron the Universityweb site:
www.unf.edu. The application can
bedownloaded at: http://www.unf.edu/registrar/download.html.
