Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The American Counseling Association (ACA) defines counseling as "a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals." They further indicate that "professional counselors help people gain personal insights, develop strategies and come up with real-life solutions to the problems and challenges they face in every area of life. As trained and credentialed professionals, they accomplish this by getting to know clients, by building safe, positive relationships and suggesting tools and techniques they believe will benefits clients."
The University of Saint Mary offers a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to prepare students for licensure professional counselors. A student who completes the program can satisfy the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Kansas and/or Missouri. Further, this program is designed to align with the national standards proposed by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Program (CACREP) and so will meet the standards for many other states, though this program is not yet CACREP accredited. Licensure is granted by individual states and not guaranteed by the University of Saint Mary.
The goals of the program are to provide opportunities for individuals with the appropriate educational background to:
- Enhance their professional and personal lives through an enhanced understanding of counseling principles and their applications.
- Prepare for further study in the field at the doctoral level.
- Provide the necessary educational background and practicum experience for those individuals wishing to practice in the mental health field as professional counselors.
Program Outcomes
Candidates who successfully complete the USM Clinical Mental Health Counseling program will possess and be able to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, professional judgment, and disposition needed by the professional counselor.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the philosophical, historical and social foundations of contemporary education and counseling practice; and preparation standards, professional credentialing practices, legal and ethical behaviors.
- Demonstrates knowledge of the philosophical, historical, and social foundations of contemporary education and counseling practices.
- Has graduate level education preparation based on professional standards, is licensed with professional credentialing practices, and practice legal and ethical behaviors.
- Understand and demonstrate appropriate counseling skills to address the needs of individuals throughout the stages of human development, possess knowledge of related human behavior at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts and the impact of the stages and behaviors on learning and family dynamics.
- Demonstrates theory-based counseling skills to address the developmental needs of individuals across the lifespan and in multicultural contexts.
- Implements data-informed interventions to address developmental deficits and support healthy development.
- Understand the major theories of individual and group counseling and demonstrate appropriate skills, techniques and the use of technology in implementing individual and group counseling.
- Understand and demonstrate legal and ethical use of assessment, intervention, evaluation and research in multicultural contexts.
- Selects and implements best practice of using assessment, evaluation, and research to enhance client outcomes.
- Implements theory-based strategies designed to improve client outcomes.
- Have knowledge of career development for counseling all clients through their developmental stages.
- Understand social and cultural diversity across developmental stages and is able to identify appropriate counseling practices.
- Positively influences client wellbeing by addressing the social justice, identity development, character development and social emotional learning of clients in a diverse world.
- Demonstrates cultural competency by implementing individual and group counseling interventions and addressing the needs of all clients.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Dispositions
The University of Saint Mary candidate will demonstrate readiness for a career in the profession of professional counseling through a commitment to:
- Professionalism
- Responsible for personal growth and professional learning
- Form health, respectful relationships and appropriate boundaries
- Positive regard and objectivity
- Self-care
- Critical Reflective Practice, Professional Ethics and Standards of Care
- Self-awareness and reflection
- Accept/apply critical feedback
- Respect for diversity and application of a multicultural approach
- Being trustworthy
- Ethical Practice
- Counseling Professional Identity and Expectations
- Congruence with identity, roles, responsibilities, and expectations
- Advocacy and leadership for systemic change
- Continuous professional involvement, growth, and development
Admission Requirements
In addition to general requirements of admission to the Graduate Division, candidates for the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling require:
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, with a minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale) or in the last 60 credit hours.
- Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate work documenting GPA and degree conferral.
- Completed application form and fee.
- Statement of goals and experiences (2-3 pages) describing:
- why the applicant wants to become a counselor rather than other helping roles/professions,
- what the applicant believes counselors do (the job activities they perform) and how that matches with how they see themselves in a future career, and
- any relevant work experiences that relate to the work they would want to do in the counseling profession.
- Two professional recommendations addressing academic performance and specific dispositions (form provided).
- An interview (in personal or virtual) with the Graduate Psychology program director and/or faculty.
Students are admitted to the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program twice a year, at the start of the fall and spring semesters. Admission to the program is competitive and openings are limited. Admission is based on the quality of credentials submitted, the results of an interview with the program director and availability of openings in the program. A student not selected for admission may update his/her application materials and reapply during a future admissions period.
Students seeking admission to the program must be able to demonstrate the ability to communicate in the English language receptively and expressively, orally and in written form, with sufficient proficiency to develop professional relationships, function within professional settings, and engage in professional activities with accepted standards of practice.
Students with prior criminal convictions may experience difficulty in obtaining a license to practice.
Graduates of the Master of Arts in Psychology program and former students seeking readmission to the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program may be considered for admission under the following conditions:
- Graduates of the University of Saint Mary Master of Arts in Psychology program wishing to enter the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program must submit a new application including new letters of recommendation. This will also apply to former students who left or were terminated from one or both programs and wish to reapply. Acceptance is not guaranteed. Graduates and reapplying students will be evaluated competitively with new students.
- A former graduate psychology student of the University of Saint Mary who is accepted into graduate psychology programs will receive credit for coursework completed in the last eight years. Any coursework that is older than eight years must be repeated.
- Normally an academic transcript from any previous graduate program containing coursework with a final grade of “C” or below will preclude applicants from being accepted into graduate psychology programs at the University of Saint Mary. However, former University of Saint Mary graduate students may petition the faculty for admittance into graduate psychology programs by submitting a written explanation for the grade of “C” and interviewing with the Division Chair and the Director of Graduate Psychology Programs. If there is sufficient justification, individuals will be accepted on probation for the duration of their academic program. Any grade of “C” or below while on probation will result in automatic dismissal from the program.
- Former students who earned a grade of “C” in more than two graduate courses or a grade of “F” or “WF” in any graduate course even if they repeated the course and earned a higher grade will be refused admission to either of the graduate Psychology programs.
- Any former student admitted to either Psychology program will be subject to all requirements, rules, and regulations in effect at the time of admission.
Continuous Enrollment
Students admitted to the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program must be continuously enrolled during the fall and spring semesters until they graduate. Students who fail to enroll, for either the fall or the spring semester, will be dismissed from the program unless they receive a Leave of Absence. Students desiring a Leave of Absence from the program would need to submit a request to the program director stating the reasons for their request. The Leave of Absence request would need to be approved by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division Chair.
Maximum Hours
Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program may not enroll in more than 12 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters, and no more than 6 credit hours during the summer semester, without first obtaining consent from the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division Chair.
Course Scheduling
Required courses are taught once a year and follow a rotation. Students need to take classes year-round (including at least one summer) in order to complete the program. It is recommended that students work with their advisor to establish an academic plan which maps out when they plan to enroll in specific courses.
Students should communicate directly with the state licensure boards to ensure that they are meeting the necessary requirements for their selected profession.
Students wishing to apply for doctoral programs may wish to pursue research activities with Department faculty or outside the University of Saint Mary depending upon their long-term career goals.
Graduate Transfer Credit
Up to 9 graduate credit hours may be transferred into the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program provided the courses (and the institutions awarding the credit hours) with which the credits are associated meet the educational requirements described in licensure regulations for Kansas or Missouri. Any courses which do not meet all state educational requirements will not be accepted. The Program Director reserves the right to determine if the courses meet Kansas or Missouri licensure requirements.
Curriculum (60 crs)
Required Courses
| PY 715 | Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| PY 723 | Advanced Psychopathology | 3 |
| PY 724 | Life Span Development | 3 |
| PY 730 | Methods of Research and Assessment | 3 |
| PY 735 | Addiction and Recovery Services | 3 |
| PY 741 | Professional Orientation and Ethics | 3 |
| PY 744 | Career Development and Counseling | 3 |
| PY 746 | Psychopharmacology for Counselors and Therapists | 3 |
| PY 748 | Multicultural Counseling | 3 |
| PY 749 | Helping Relationship Skills | 3 |
| PY 750 | Counseling Theories | 3 |
| PY 751 | Group Processes in Counseling and Therapy | 3 |
| PY 762 | Practicum in Professional Counseling | 3 |
| PY 775 | Internship in Professional Counseling I | 3 |
| PY 776 | Internship in Professional Counseling II | 3 |
| Electives | 12 |
| | |
| Choose one of the following assessment courses: | |
| PY 733 | Developmental and Cognitive Assessment | 3 |
| PY 734 | Personality Assessment for Counselors and Therapists | 3 |