CMHC Emphasis | CACREP Accreditation Self Study

Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program are required to successfully complete the following CMHC emphasis courses:

Elective coursework (please see elective options below)

COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling explores the history, philosophy, trends, purposes, ethics, legal aspects, standards, and professional roles that exist within the environment in which the student is preparing to function. Of the various roles examined, the consultation role is given special emphasis so that students will learn to function within a larger network of professionals in human service agencies. Additionally, COUN 545 Community Agency Counseling requires that students actually visit community agencies that offer the type of counseling that they are preparing to provide. In this course students gain an understanding of programs and service delivery in agency settings, assessment of client needs and issues, identifying treatment models, the role of the counselor as an advocate, crisis intervention and working collaboratively with other helping professionals.

COUN 551 Substance Abuse and Addiction: Individual, Family and Society

In COUN 551 Substance Abuse and Addiction: Individual, Family and Society the effects of alcohol and other drugs, as well as the effects of addiction in general, on the individual, family and society are presented. Basic knowledge and attitudes that are prerequisite to the development of competency in the professional treatment of substance use disorders are stressed.

COUN 555 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Planning

COUN 555 Differential Diagnosis and Treatment Planning prepares students to properly assess, diagnose, and provide treatment for those clients suffering from mental disorders. In this course students gain an understanding of psychopathology and the various mental disorders as defined in the current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder and learn how to make accurate multiaxial diagnoses and be able to describe its implications for treatment.

COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling

COUN 600 Introduction to Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy & Family prepares students to work with families by providing both the theoretical constructs and practical application of systemic family counseling with case studies appropriate for various counseling settings. Each student explores his or her own family unit including the family of origin to gain a greater understanding of how the student’s family background influences his/her approach to counseling. Students are taught to be responsive to the needs of individual clients by working with the individual within the family system.

COUN 605 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy

COUN 605 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy explores principles of ethical decision-making, professional codes of ethics, ethical concepts and considerations within the context of counseling and therapy. This course prepares students to understand legal concepts, sources and types of law, professional liability, confidentiality and privileged information, and risk management practices.

Specialized Studies: General Practice and Substance Abuse and Addiction

Within the CMHC emphasis students select one of two specialized areas depending on their area of interest and career goals:

General Practice

In this area students select four electives (12 credits) from an array of general practice, substance abuse and addiction, and marriage, couple and family counseling and therapy courses. These courses prepare students to work with a range of populations in diverse clinical mental health settings and include:

COUN 560: Counseling Girls and Women

COUN 561: Counseling Boys and Men

COUN 552: Substance Abuse Education and Prevention

COUN 553: Treating Substance Abuse and Co-Occuring Disorders

COUN 601: Theory and Development of Family Systems

COUN 602: Assessment and Intervention in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling and Therapy

COUN 604: Couples in Relationship

EPSY 661: Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children and Adolescents

COUN 697: Independent Study in Counseling: COUN 697 is an in-depth exploration of a topic within a specific area of the discipline of counseling involving supervised reading, research, and regular conferences with the faculty adviser.

COUN 698: Department Project in Counseling: COUN 698 provides opportunities for in-depth study in an area of interest to the student and/or participation in an activity related to counseling and personnel services.

In addition each May the Department of Counselor Education offers a series of one week, one credit, COUN 597 Special Topics courses which may be taken as electives. Recent Special Topics courses have included:

Wellness Counseling

Crisis Management in Counseling

Counseling for Domestic Violence

Eating Disorders Treatment

Mindfulness-Based Practices in Counseling

Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling

Specialization courses required for Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling include:

COUN 552: Substance Abuse Education and Prevention

COUN 553: Treating Substance Abuse and Co-Occuring Disorders

These courses help the student to understand the philosophy of treatment modalities and to develop a direct knowledge of the resources available to the substance abuse and addiction counselor on a local, state, and national level. Further, students learn and practice the techniques and interventions that are needed to work effectively with the behaviorally and/or chemically dependent person.

COUN 552 Substance Abuse Education and Prevention

COUN 552 Substance Abuse Education and Prevention prepares students to design and implement comprehensive education and prevention programs regarding substance abuse in diverse settings such as schools, community agencies, hospitals and businesses. In this course students develop a comprehensive plan for an alcohol and/or other drug education/prevention program for a real or simulated community setting by utilizing appropriate strategies that include measurable goals and objectives with a realistic timeline for completion.

COUN 553 Treating Substance Abuse and Co-Occuring Disorders

In COUN 553 Treating Substance Abuse and Co-Occuring Disorders students learn specific techniques for counseling individuals and their families who are affected by substance abuse, chemical dependency, and addiction. Emphasis is placed on strategies for addressing the full spectrum of substance abuse problems from problematic use to abuse to dependence and/or addiction.

Students choosing the Substance Abuse and Addiction Counseling specialization also select two electives (six credits) from the following::