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Brooks College of Health
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Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS

Advance Your Mental Health Counseling Career


The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (CMHC) is a 60-credit hour program that meets the educational requirements for licensure in the state of Florida as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). This program is practitioner-oriented in the sense that students are required to complete 900 hours of field-based experience before graduation. The counseling curriculum offers a unique blend of courses to provide the skills and knowledge necessary for becoming a competent counseling professional. Solid academic performance and experiential mastery are required.

Propel Your Counseling Career

Highlights

CACREP logo

Fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Campus-based (some non-clinical courses have online options)

Cohort model (courses are sequenced and offered once a year)

Two-year, full-time program (no part-time option);

NEW - Continuing Education Workshops

NEW - Mental Health Sexology Graduate Certificate

NEW - Animal Assisted Therapy in Counseling (AAT-C) Graduate Certificate

Application Deadlines

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The program prepares mental health counselors to fulfill the following roles: 

  • Provide direct counseling services to individuals, groups, and families
  • Assist clients in making responsible decisions and in developing skills of self-determination
  • Provide resources, referrals, and information to assist clients in coping with societal, economic, and other barriers
  • Serve as models and mentors to clients as they pursue optimum levels of mental health
  • Advocate for clients' rights through participation in community, state, and national organizational efforts
  • Become leaders in community agencies in efforts to facilitate the delivery of optimum mental health services

The CMHC curriculum is focused on preparing counseling professionals for employment in various settings including:

  • Community mental health centers
  • Psychiatric hospitals
  • Residential treatment facilities
  • Outpatient mental health clinics
  • Rehabilitation agencies
  • Social service agencies
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Treatment centers
  • Correctional institutions
  • Crisis centers
  • College counseling centers
  • Private practice
  • Mission

    Mission

    Our mission is to train excellent clinical mental health counselors who are culturally competent, community-engaged, ethical, and service-driven. To reach this goal, we provide individualized mentorship,  intentional support, and diverse transformative learning opportunities to train clinicians as scholar-practitioners, fierce advocates, and thoughtful leaders in the mental health field.

  • Program Objectives
    • We will recruit and train diverse counselors-in-training to serve the growing diversity of the Northeast Florida community and beyond 
    • Our graduates will possess a clear professional identity rooted in community-engaged mental health leadership and advocacy 
    • Our graduates will consistently utilize current evidence-based practices in their conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of clients 
    • Our graduates will embody the highest ethical and cultural competency standards of counseling practice
  • Information Sessions

     

    Part 1

    Part 2

  • Admission Timeline and Requirements

    Admission Timeline

    Although many factors can affect the admission timeline, the UNF CMHC admissions process typically follows the below timeline. We offer Fall Semester admission only.

    Early September: Applications Begin for Following Year

    March 1:  Applications Due

    Early March: UNF Graduate School Refers Completed Applications to UNF CMHC Program

    Mid-March: UNF CMHC Program Reviews All Applications

    Late March/Early April: Invitations for Interviews are Sent to Selected Applicants

    Mid/Late April: Program Interviews (full-day interview)

    Late April/Early May: Admission Decisions Made and Communicated

    Early/Mid August:  New Student Orientation

    Mid/Late August:  Fall Semester Begins

    Admission Requirements

    For admission requirements and information on how to apply, please visit

    The UNF Graduate School's Website

  • Program Outcomes Report

    Data Point

    2020

    2021

    2022

    2023

    2024

    2025

    No. of program graduates

    23

    24

    23

    24

     23

     -

    Students who graduated in the expected 2-year time period

    96%

    22/23

    92%

    22/24

    91%

    21/23

    100%

    24/24

     100%

    23/23

     -

    Graduates who passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE)

    61%*

    #6 in FL;

    US average is 51%

    79%*

    #2 in FL;

    US average is 50%

    79%*

    #2 in FL;

    US average is 46%

    None available yet

     None available yet

     -

    Graduates who are currently employed in Mental Health Counseling positions

    89%**

    86%**

    86%**

    100%

     -

     -

    * This number represents all NCMHCE test-takers from UNF, not just those graduating from the CMHC program, so it may include test-takers from other program unaffiliated with the CMHC program

    ** Some of our graduates seek further education (e.g. doctoral degrees) rather than seek mental health counseling positions

  • Annual Report 2021
    The annual report is available for download.
  • Program Faculty
    • Kassie Terrell, Ph.D., Associate Professor & Clinical Director k.terrell@unf.edu
    • Tes Tuason, Ph.D., Professor & Program Director ttuason@unf.edu
    • Richmond D. Wynn, Ph.D., Associate Professor & VP of Community Engagement and Partnerships, Affiliate Faculty rwynn@unf.edu
    • Jessica Yanson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor & Faculty Advisor - Chi Sigma Iota j.yanson@unf.edu
    • Robert J. Zeglin, Ph.D., Associate Professor r.zeglin@unf.edu
    Meet the Public Health Faculty
  • Tuition and Fees

    UNF tuition and fees can be found here: https://www.unf.edu/controller/student-financial-services/graduate-tuition.html

    The CMHC program is a 60-credit program, six-semester program. To calculate approximate tuition and fees:

    First year: 33 credits total

    Fall semester: 12 credits
    Spring semester: 12 credits
    Summer: 9 credits

    Second year: 27 credits total
    Fall semester: 9 credits
    Spring 9 credits
    Summer: 9 credit

    Please take note of the difference between in state and out of state tuition; please check on whether you are granted the out of state waiver (ASLAW); please check on the tuition rate if you are military and veteran; please check on the Exclusive Tuition rate if you are a UNF alumni.

    *Fee Cost
    First Year

    Background Check

    $95.20

    CPCE Testing

    $75

    Second Year

    Background Re-Check

    $35.20

    Time2Track

    $155.

    Student Professional Liability Insurance

    $105.

    * In addition to tuition and fees

  • Year 1
    Fall Semester (12 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    MHS 6700 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Counseling

    M

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6941 Clinical Counseling Skills

    M

    3:00-5:45

    MHS 6404 Theories in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

    W

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6486 Human Development Across the Lifespan

    W

    3:00-5:45

     

    Spring Semester (12 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    MHS 6876 Clinical Research & Outcomes in Mental Health Counseling

    M

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6428 Counseling Diverse Populations

    M

    3:00-5:45

    MHS 6205 Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis

    W

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6510 Group Counseling

    W

    3:00-5:45

     

    Summer Semester (9 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    MHS 6405 Advanced Counseling

    Summer A

    M/W

    12:40-4:10

    MHS 6401 Counseling in Community Settings

    Summer C

    Online

    MHS 6305 Career Counseling

    Summer B

    M/W

    12:40-4:10

    Comprehensive Exam

  • Year 2
    Fall Semester (9 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    MHS 6430 Introduction to Family Counseling

    T

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6450 Addictions Counseling

    T

    3:00-5:45

    MHS 6800 Practicum*

    T

    6:00-8:45

    Clinical Case Exam

     

    Spring Semester (9 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    MHS 6470 Sexual Issues in Counseling

    Online

    ELECTIVE** ELECTIVE**

    T

    12:00-2:45

    MHS 6830 Internship*

    T

    3:00-5:45

     

    Summer Semester (9 Credits)
    Course Title Day/Time
    ELECTIVE** ELECTIVE**

    Summer A

    T/R

    12:40-4:10

    ELECTIVE** ELECTIVE** Summer B

    T/R

    12:40-4:10

    MHS 6830 Internship*

    Summer C

    T

    4:20-7:50

    Graduation

    *Practicum and Internship require approximately 20 hours per week to be completed at a community partner site in addition to class once a week

    **Students have the option of enrolling in one of the CMHC program electives, an independent study, thesis-related courses, or other graduate-level courses congruent with the counseling profession and as approved by the Program Director

  • Course Information

Contact the Program Director


headshot of tes tuason

Dr. Tes Tuason

Program Director
Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Email: ttuason@unf.edu