Online Education(master Of Science In Counseling/mental Health Counseling)

By Author: John Srob
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The Master's Degree Program in Mental Health Counseling is designed for the continued professional development of those who currently serve, or will serve, their community in various counseling capacities. Master's degree training is based on a model that emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration, prevention of dysfunction, and direct service. The field of mental health counseling, which has grown over the past decade, has professionals placed in mental health settings, business and industry, substance abuse clinics, hospices, hospitals, educational settings, and private practice.

The coursework provides broad-based training designed to equip people with the competencies necessary to confront a wide variety of contemporary challenges. These include substance abuse, family violence, divorce, aging, and general emotional problems. The Master of Science in mental health counseling degree program requires 60 semester hours of graduate credit including 9 semester hours of counseling practicum/internship and completion of a comprehensive examination.

The Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program prepares ...
... its graduates to be professional practitioners in a variety of community settings and institutions: hospitals, schools, rehabilitation agencies, career planning centers, employee assistance programs, clinics, residential treatment facilities, and other mental health agencies. It is a 60-credit master's which meets the academic requirements for licensure in the state of Massachusetts as a Mental Health Counselor (there are additional post graduate clinical experience requirements for licensure).

The program operates on a cohort model whereby all participants complete the same program of study. Two weeks of on campus study is required during the first summer of the program to complete two required clinical courses.The 60-credit Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you for a career as mental health counselor. You will learn individual and group counseling techniques to help youths, adults, couples, parents and families work through their problems and issues. As a mental health counselor, you can have a positive and meaningful impact on people. The M.S. in Mental Health Counseling will provide counselors with the preparation and support they need to help others experience healthy, fulfilled lives.

Leader in preparing students for careers in counseling and development. We provide an educational environment that fosters the personal and professional growth of future counselors and related professionals while upholding the highest ethical standards and respect for individual differences. Our faculty members are actively engaged in mental health counseling and frequently contribute to publications and conferences.

The program integrates mental health counseling theories and approaches with carefully supervised practical experiences in state-of-the-art appropriate field settings. The training comprises individual counseling as well as group and other systemic modalities within the developmental model and brief therapy framework. This is an individualized program emphasizing self-development and the integration of individual and group counseling theories and techniques, with a strong emphasis on carefully supervised clinical experiences.

Mental health counseling involves the application of the principles of psychotherapy, human development, learning theory, group dynamics, psychopathology, and intervention/treatment planning. This three-year master’s level program prepares professionals for counseling positions in a wide variety of settings such as community mental health centers and residential treatment facilities. The applications are relevant to individuals, couples, children, families and groups for the purposes of treating psychopathology and promoting optimal mental health. Students take required courses emphasizing core skills and two elective courses.

The master's program is offered on the beautiful 300-acre campus main campus.
A full schedule of courses is offered for the full-time or part-time student. Classes each semester are from 4-7 pm and 7-10 pm and some classes are offered in a weekend format. Students obtain clinical experience in the practicum/internship, which is scheduled over 3 continuous semesters (schedule varies).

Master’s students are provided NSU computer accounts including email and Blackboard, but must obtain their own Internet service providers, use their own computer systems and have a usable web camera. Online students use the web to access course materials, announcements, email, distance library services, subscription library databases, and other information, and for interaction with faculty and fellow students. Online, interactive learning methods are based on the use of Blackboard as a course management system. Online activities facilitate frequent student-to-faculty and student-to-student interaction. They are supported by threaded discussion boards, white boards, chat rooms, email, and multimedia presentations. In addition, Blackboard enables students to submit assignments online in multimedia formats and to receive their professors’ reviews of assignments online in the same formats.

With a Master’s Degree in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Speicalization, you will join a fast growing profession dedicated to helping people achieve personal, vocational/educational and relational goals. In Ohio, clinical mental health counselors are independently licensed practioners, who may assist individuals with specific clinical problems to improve their coping skills and overall functioning.
Career Opportunities with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization
Clinical Mental Health Counselors may be employed in:

Community mental health - adult and child-serving programs
Community family service programs
School-based intervention programs
Alcohol and drug programs
Criminal justice programs
Hospitals and residential service programs
Employee assistance programs
Crisis intervention centers
Vocational and career-development programs
Private practices

Clinical Mental Health Counseling speicalization offers students a focused clinical education with experiential training and a strong emphasis on case-oriented learning. A variety of internship sites help provide graduates with a competitive edge in the professional job market.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling speicalization is approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage & Family Therapist Board, and graduates are eligible to sit for the licensure exam in Ohio. Our Master’s in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization course requirements are designed to meet nationally recommended curriculum standards for clinical mental health counseling, and they meet educational requirements for counselor licensure in many other states.

You May Qualify For Financial Aid.