Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (Addendum)
Director/Associate Professor:Hannah Bland, Ph.D.
VA Facility Code: 31100729
The following information is related to the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Franklin Pierce University. This document will include the following: program overview, required curriculum, course descriptions, admissions requirements, and program costs.
Program Overview
The FPU MA in CMHC program is a 60-credit hour program designed to provide students with the required knowledge, skills, and dispositions to serve as clinical professional counselors. The program has a total of 20 courses; each course is three credit hours. Students can complete the program in as little as 24 months/8 terms. Courses will be completed online in a predominately asynchronous format. In addition the online coursework, students will be required to complete one five-day intensive per year on the Rindge, NH campus. This intensive is designed to further develop and enhance the skill sets learned during the online courses. During the second year of the program, students will complete a series of field experience courses at a site placement. The field experience courses are designed to provide students with the opportunity to provide counseling services under the supervision of both a faculty supervisor and site supervisor. In addition to providing counseling services, students will be able to gain experience in writing clinical case documentation, developing and implementing treatment plans, and working in an interdisciplinary fashion with other professionals. Students are required to complete a total of 700 hours of field experience.
Required Curriculum
The required curriculum is a total of 60 credit hours across 20 courses. Students must complete all 20 courses in order to complete the program. Each student must also complete all 700 hours of clinical field experience at their designated site placement. The clinical field experiences are connected to the courses marked with an asterisk.
COUN 501: Orientation to the Counseling Profession COUN 502: Skills and Techniques in Counseling COUN 503: Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy COUN 504: Multicultural Counseling
COUN 505: Counseling Ethics
COUN 506: Advanced Counseling Skills
COUN 507: Counseling Children and Adolescents COUN 508: Developmental Theories and Applications COUN 509: Group Process and Dynamics
COUN 510: Mental Health Diagnosis COUN 511: Counseling Families
COUN 512: Substance Use and Treatment
COUN 513: Crisis, Trauma Theory, and Counseling COUN 514: Practicum*
COUN 515: Appraisal and its Application in Counseling COUN 516: Internship I*
COUN 517: Applied Research Methods for Counselors COUN 518: Internship II*
COUN 519: Internship III*
COUN 520: Career Development and Life Planning
Course Description
Each of the twenty courses and their corresponding course descriptions are listed below.
COUN 501: Orientation to the Counseling Profession
This course provides an orientation to the counseling profession with a focus on understanding the history and development of clinical mental health counseling and the counseling profession as a whole. Addressed in this course is the history and philosophy of the counseling profession. Current trends will be explored within the context of the counselor’s role in clinical mental health settings. This course will also provide an understanding of the role of licensure, credentialing, and professional organizations in the counseling profession.
COUN 502: Skills and Techniques in Counseling
This course acquaints the novice counselor with the basic counseling skills necessary for counseling and consulting in a multicultural society. The basic counseling skills will be discussed, demonstrated, and practiced. Students will learn how to implement these skills within a variety of contexts and with clients of varying backgrounds. It is expected that students actively participate in role-plays, self-assessment, and other forms of experiential learning throughout the duration of the course.
COUN 503: Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
The foundational theories of counseling are addressed in this course. Students will learn and demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between a given theory and how it serves to inform counseling interventions. Specific attention will be directed toward key theoretical constructs that serve as a foundation for working in clinical mental health settings.
COUN 504: Multicultural Counseling
Students will learn how issues of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, culture, gender, sexual orientation, physical/psychological ability, religion, and age impact the counselor, client, and counseling relationship. This course also addresses how the mental health delivery system is based on Eurocentric delivery systems which often disenfranchise cultural minorities. Culturally sensitive counseling strategies are introduced to provide students with a conceptual and practical framework for respectfully working with diverse populations.
COUN 505: Counseling Ethics
This course focuses on assisting students with the understanding and application of the ethical principles that guide clinical mental health counseling practice. Students will gain knowledge of the ethical guidelines that inform professional behavior, the legal aspects of counseling practice, and the complexity of applying ethical and legal principles to practice. Ethical decision-making models will be implemented in the course alongside relevant case studies to assist students in developing the necessary skills to make sound ethical decisions.
COUN 506: Advanced Counseling Skills
This course has been designed to enhance counselor skills sets, develop a clinical frame of reference for how change is facilitated within the context of a counseling relationship, and develop intentional and strategic approaches for how to conceptualize client concerns in a holistic manner. The focus will be on building competencies via a variety of experiential and interactive methods.
COUN 507: Counseling Children and Adolescents
This course focuses on developing the specialized knowledge and skills required for counseling children and adolescents. Using a background in human development, diversity, and ecological theories, students examine issues and needs related to counseling children and adolescents. Particular attention is given to developing the advanced skills and techniques needed to effectively work both individually and in groups with children and adolescents, including behavioral, play therapy, and bibliotherapy.
COUN 508: Developmental Theories and Applications
A study of human development over the lifespan from conception to death and its implication for the theory and practice of counseling. This course will provide an overview of human development throughout the lifetime in family, social, and cultural contexts, being mindful of how intersecting internal and external factors impact development. Major theoretical approaches and factors influencing development will be explored in the context of clinical mental health practice.
COUN 509: Group Process and Dynamics
This course has been designed to assist the student in understanding the nature of group development, group dynamics, group counseling theory, and ethical issues pertaining to group work. Students will have the opportunity to apply their growing knowledge of group counseling by practicing the skills necessary for proposing, forming, leading, and evaluating groups in a variety of counseling work settings. Students can expect to spend considerable class time participating in a small-group experience, that will be a minimum of ten hours.
COUN 510: Mental Health Diagnosis
This course addresses individual diagnosis from a perspective that is inclusive of biological, developmental, environmental, cultural, and interpersonal factors. It will provide students with a broad theoretical base for understanding mental health disorders and their diagnostic criteria through the use of the DSM-5-TR. Students will also develop an understanding of how treatment planning is done in relation to specific diagnostic categories.
COUN 511: Counseling Families
This course provides an introduction to counseling couples and families. It is designed to familiarize students with the underlying theories, concepts, and techniques of several family counseling models. Students will learn to implement these models as part of their theoretical approach when providing assessments, developing treatment plans, and engaging in counseling services.
COUN 512: Substance Use and Treatment
This course is designed to provide students with knowledge related to addiction and the treatment of substance-related and addictive disorders. Theory-based approaches to working with various substance- related and addictive disorders will be taught, with an emphasis on theoretical application with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Co-occurring disorders will also be addressed.
COUN 513: Crisis, Trauma Theory, and Counseling
This course will examine the impact of various types of crisis and trauma on individuals, families, and on society as a whole. Students will learn foundational principles and models of crisis and trauma counseling as well as how to implement these when working with clients. In addition to crisis intervention, students will learn about prevention measures and how clinical mental health counselors can utilize their skillsets to decrease the likelihood of trauma and lessen the impact after it has occurred.
COUN 514: Practicum
This course provides an opportunity for the development of basic individual and group counseling skills under supervision. The student receives a grounding in the broader role of a professional counselor within the scope of an approved clinical site. In addition to building counseling skills, students will have the opportunity to learn the roles of clinical and support personnel, engage in treatment planning and other forms of clinical case documentation, and receive regular feedback from approved site supervisors and faculty supervisors to develop clinical skills.
COUN 515: Appraisal and its Application in Counseling
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the basic elements of testing, assessment, and evaluation. Specific attention will be given to the principles of psychometrics, selection of appropriate measurement instruments, test administration, scoring, interpretation, and communicating those results to clients. A significant portion of the course will be devoted to an overview of tests and assessments counselors are likely to encounter in practice.
COUN 516: Internship I
This course provides an opportunity for the continued development of counseling and counseling related skill sets under supervision. Students will engage as interns at an approved site placement and will engage in a broad range of counseling and counseling related activities. Students in this course will build from the knowledge and skills developed in the practicum course.
COUN 517: Applied Research Methods for Counselors
This course is designed to provide students with principles and methods of research design, statistics, and program evaluation. Analysis, interpretation, and appropriate implementation of counseling data and research will be included. Students will engage in hands-on learning and will have the opportunity to design a counseling related research study.
COUN 518: Internship II
This course provides an opportunity for the continued development of counseling and counseling related skill sets under supervision. Students will engage as interns at an approved site placement and will engage in a broad range of counseling and counseling related activities. Students in this course will build from the knowledge and skills developed in the internship one course.
COUN 519: Internship III
This course provides an opportunity for the continued development of counseling and counseling related skill sets under supervision. Students will engage as interns at an approved site placement and will engage in a broad range of counseling and counseling related activities. Students in this course will build from the knowledge and skills developed in the internship two course.
COUN 520: Career Development and Life Planning
This course is focused on developing an understanding of the key theories of career development. Specifically, the course will look at how career, values, and mental health intersect. Practical implications for career counseling across the life span with diverse populations will be included.
Admissions Requirements
Individuals who wish to enroll in the MA in CMHC program must meet the following admissions requirements. The individual must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. The individual must provide their current resume and/or CV. This document should include any relevant clinical experience. The individual must complete a 250-500 word essay on how a degree in clinical mental health counseling aligns with their career goals and must also provide three letters of recommendation. After this information has been provided, the individual must complete an interview with the CMHC Program Director.
Program Costs
The program is a total of 60 credit hours. Each credit hour costs $665.00. 60 credits hours will cost $39,900.00. Required textbooks will cost an average of $100.00 per course. The program has 20 courses, which will equal $2,000.00 total for textbooks. Students will be required to purchase liability insurance and be a member of one professional counseling organization prior to the start of their field experience courses. The average estimated combined cost for insurance and professional membership is $150.00 for the year. Students will only need to purchase for one year. Additionally, students will be required to attend a total of two five-day face-to-face intensives on the Rindge, NH campus throughout the duration of the program. Students may choose to commute to and from the Rindge campus or they may choose to reside on the campus for the duration of the intensive. Students who wish to reside on campus during the intensive can purchase accommodation packages. The cost of an accommodation package per intensive, including food and housing, is currently $631.42 per intensive.
Faculty
There is currently one faculty member for the CMHC program:
Hannah Bland, Program Director/Associate Professor, B.S. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Ph.D. in Counselor
Education and Supervision, LPC
(licensed professional counselor)