The counselor education program offers a master of arts in counselor education with specializations in school counseling or clinical mental health counseling. Both programs are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The clinical mental health counseling program prepares graduates for licensure in Ohio as professional counselors or professional clinical counselors and is approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage & Family Therapist Board. Graduates work as counselors in community mental health agencies, hospitals, college counseling centers, or in private practice. The school counseling specialization prepares graduates to work in K-12 schools. It is approved by the Ohio Department of Education. The master's degree in school counseling meets the academic requirements for K-12 school counselor licensure in Ohio and other states. Neither Ohio nor Michigan requires applicants to have teacher certification to be licensed as a school counselor. Applicants expecting to practice outside of Ohio or Michigan should consult that state’s department of education to determine current certification or licensure requirements. The counselor education programs meet educational requirements for licensure or certification in Ohio, Michigan and most other states.

Master of Arts in Counselor Education: School Counseling Program

Admission

The application deadlines are September 15, January 15, or May 15.  To apply to the program, applicants must meet all requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and submit the following materials to the College of Graduate Studies:

• College of Graduate Studies application for the master’s degree in school counseling
• Transcripts of an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 or equivalent cumulative grade point average on a 4-point scale for all undergraduate study at all institutions attended.
• An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score taken within the last five years is required for persons whose undergraduate GPA is below 2.7.
  • Applicants holding a doctoral degree from an accredited college or university are automatically excluded from the requirement to submit an official Graduate Record Examination score.
  • Applicants holding a master’s degree from an accredited college or university and whose cumulative graduate course work meets or exceeds 3.5 on a 4.0 scale are automatically excluded from the requirement to submit an official Graduate Record Examination score.
• A typed, written personal statement (suggested length 2-3 pages) detailing significant personal and professional experiences that relate to the applicant’s decision to pursue a career in counseling (e.g., rationale for seeking degree, commitment to counseling as a profession). The personal statement should also address such topics as the applicant’s skills or knowledge, preparation through education and/or experience, strengths and weaknesses, rationale for academic deficiencies, etc.
• A professional résumé
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must address the applicant’s academic potential (i.e. from a university faculty member)

To be consistent with national training standards and to ensure sufficient faculty members to advise and mentor students, a limited number of applicants will be admitted into the program each year. As a result, admission is competitive. Applicants who pass the initial screening are required to interview with an admissions committee. For more information or to ask questions, contact:

Tahani Dari
Program Coordinator
tahani.dari@utoledo.edu 
419.530.2904

Master of Arts in Counselor Education: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Admission

The application deadlines are September 15, January 15, or May 15. To apply to the program, applicants must meet all requirements of the College of Graduate Studies and submit the following materials to the College of Graduate Studies:

• College of Graduate Studies application for the master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling
• Transcripts of an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 or equivalent cumulative grade point average on a 4-point scale for all undergraduate study at all institutions attended.
• An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score taken within the last five years is required for persons whose undergraduate GPA is below 2.7.
  • Applicants holding a doctoral degree from an accredited college or university are automatically excluded from the requirement to submit an official Graduate Record Examination score.
  • Applicants holding a master’s degree from an accredited college or university and whose cumulative graduate course work meets or exceeds 3.5 on a 4.0 scale are automatically excluded from the requirement to submit an official Graduate Record Examination score.
• A typed, written personal statement (suggested length 2-3 pages) detailing significant personal and professional experiences that relate to the applicant’s decision to pursue a career in counseling (e.g., rationale for seeking degree, commitment to counseling as a profession). The personal statement should also address such topics as the applicant’s skills or knowledge, preparation through education and/or experience, strengths and weaknesses, rationale for academic deficiencies, etc.
• A professional résumé.
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one of which must address the applicant’s academic potential (i.e. from a university faculty member).

To be consistent with national training standards and to ensure sufficient faculty members to advise and mentor students, a limited number of applicants will be admitted into the program each year. As a result, admission is competitive. Applicants who pass the initial screening are required to interview with an admissions committee. For more information or to ask questions, contact:

Tanesha Walker
Program Coordinator
tanesha.walker2@utoledo.edu
419.530.7421

MA- Counselor Education (School Concentration)

MA- Counselor Education (Clinical Mental Health Concentration)

Combined bachelor's to master's: Psychology, BA to Counselor Education, MA

Undergraduate students accepted in the University of Toledo’s Bachelor’s in Psychology program will be admitted to the University of Toledo’s Counselor Education Master’s program and allowed to complete up to two graduate level classes (eight credit hours) during their final academic year of undergraduate studies. Students admitted into the pipeline program must apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies for the semester that they intend to matriculate. They will then continue in the Counselor Education Master’s program upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. The graduate coursework (up to eight hours) may be applied to completion of both undergraduate and Counselor Education Master’s program degree requirements. It will be the joint responsibility of the faculty and administrators in Bachelor’s in Psychology program and Counselor Education Master’s program to supervise students admitted to the early admission/bridge program option, to ensure that the limit of eight hours taken as an undergraduate is strictly enforced, and to request that the College of Graduate Studies change their matriculation from Undergraduate to Graduate when they meet all undergraduate degree requirements.

The following provisions apply for classes taken for graduate credit: 1) graduate classes taken at The University of Toledo only after the student is accepted in the program, 2)  COUN 5140 and COUN 5180 may be included in the approved eight semester hours of graduate credit taken as an undergraduate. Students interested in the combined program must submit a graduate admission application to the College of Graduate Studies.

Program of Study for the Master of Arts in Counselor Education: School Counseling

The master's degree consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours of study, including a 600 clock hour internship in a school setting. The degree is available for full-time or part-time students.

Note: Many of these classes are also offered in the summer and some are offered through Distance Learning.

Master of Arts in Counselor Education: Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The curriculum leading to the master of arts degree in counselor education with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling consists of a minimum of 60 semester hours. Applicants seeking licensure as professional counselors or professional clinical counselors in Ohio need to insure that at least 20 of their 60 semester hours of study meet the five areas of clinical practice required by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board.

• PLO 1.a. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: history and philosophy of the counseling profession;
• PLO 1.b. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service providers, including strategies for interagency/interorganization collaboration and communications;
• PLO 1.c. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: counselors roles and responsibilities as members of an interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a local, regional, or national crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event;
• PLO 1.d. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role;
• PLO 1.e. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: counseling supervision models, practices, and processes;
• PLO 1.f. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: professional organizations, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current issues;
• PLO 1.g. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: professional credentialing, including certification, licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and the effects of public policy on these issues;
• PLO 1.h. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: the role and process of the professional counselor advocating on behalf of the profession;
• PLO 1.i. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: advocacy processes needed to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients; and
• PLO 1.j. Studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning: ethical standards of professional organizations and credentialing bodies, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
• PLO 2.a. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: multicultural and pluralistic trends, including characteristics and concerns within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally;
• PLO 2.b. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences, including specific experiential learning activities designed to foster students understanding of self and culturally diverse clients;
• PLO 2.c. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, and social justice;
• PLO 2.d. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: individual, couple, family, group, and community strategies for working with and advocating for diverse populations, including multicultural competencies;
• PLO 2.e. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: counselors roles in developing cultural self-awareness, promoting cultural social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, and other culturally supported behaviors that promote optimal wellness and growth of the human spirit, mind, or body;
• PLO 2.f. Studies that provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural society, including all of the following: counselors roles in eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination.
• PLO 3.a. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: theories of individual and family development and transitions across the life span;
• PLO 3.b. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: theories of learning and personality development, including current understandings about neurobiological behavior;
• PLO 3.c. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: effects of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on persons of all ages;
• PLO 3.d. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: theories and models of individual, cultural, couple, family, and community resilience;
• PLO 3.e Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: a general framework for understanding exceptional abilities and strategies for differentiated interventions;
• PLO 3.f. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: human behavior, including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, psychopathology, and situational and environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal behavior;
• PLO 3.g. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: theories and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors, including strategies for prevention, intervention, and treatment;
• PLO 3.h. Studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including all of the following: theories for facilitating optimal development and wellness over the life span.
• PLO 4.a. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: career development theories and decision-making models;
• PLO 4.b. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: career, avocational, educational, occupational and labor market information resources, and career information systems;
• PLO 4.c. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation;
• PLO 4.d. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: interrelationships among and between work, family, and other life roles and factors, including the role of multicultural issues in career development;
• PLO 4.e. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: career and educational planning, placement, follow-up, and evaluation;
• PLO 4.f. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision making;
• PLO 4.g. Studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors, including all of the following: career counseling processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable to specific populations in a global economy.
• PLO 5.a. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: an orientation to wellness and prevention as desired counseling goals;
• PLO 5.b. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: counselor characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes;
• PLO 5.c. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: essential interviewing and counseling skills;
• PLO 5.d. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: counseling theories that provide the student with models to conceptualize client presentation and that help the student select appropriate counseling interventions. Students will be exposed to models of counseling that are consistent with current professional research and practice in the field so they begin to develop a personal model of counseling;
• PLO 5.e. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: a systems perspective that provides an understanding of family and other systems theories and major models of family and related interventions;
• PLO 5.f. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: a general framework for understanding and practicing consultation;
• PLO 5.g. Studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process in a multicultural society, including all of the following: crisis intervention and suicide prevention models, including the use of psychological first aid strategies.
• PLO 6.a. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following: principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories, group members roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work;
• PLO 6.b. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following: group leadership or facilitation styles and approaches, including characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership styles;
• PLO 6.c. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following: theories of group counseling, including commonalities, distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and literature;
• PLO 6.d. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following: group counseling methods, including group counselor orientations and behaviors, appropriate selection criteria and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness;
• PLO 6.e. Studies that provide both theoretical and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches in a multicultural society, including all of the following: direct experiences in which students participate as group members in a small group activity, approved by the program, for a minimum of 10 clock hours over the course of one academic term.
• PLO 7. a. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of assessment;
• PLO 7. b. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques, including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, individual and group test and inventory methods, psychological testing, and behavioral observations;
• PLO 7. c. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, and correlations;
• PLO 7. d. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: reliability (i.e., theory of measurement error, models of reliability, and the use of reliability information);
• PLO 7. e. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: validity (i.e., evidence of validity, types of validity, and the relationship between reliability and validity);
• PLO 7. f. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations;
• PLO 7. g. Studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society, including all of the following: ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling.
• PLO 8.a. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession;
• PLO 8.b. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research;
• PLO 8.c. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: statistical methods used in conducting research and program evaluation;
• PLO 8.d. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: principles, models, and applications of needs assessment, program evaluation, and the use of findings to effect program modifications;
• PLO 8.e. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: the use of research to inform evidence-based practice; and
• PLO 8.f. Studies that provide an understanding of research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation, including all of the following: ethical and culturally relevant strategies for interpreting and reporting the results of research and/or program evaluation studies.
• PLO A.1. Knows history, philosophy, and trends in school counseling and educational systems.
• PLO A.2 Understands ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of school counseling.
• PLO A.3 Knows roles, functions, settings, and professional identity of the school counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the school.
• PLO A.4 Knows professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials that are relevant to the practice of school counseling.
• PLO A.5 Understands current models of school counseling programs (e.g., American School Counselor Association [ASCA] National Model) and their integral relationship to the total educational program.
• PLO A.6 Understands the effects of (a) atypical growth and development, (b) health and wellness, (c) language, (d) ability level, (e) multicultural issues, and (f) factors of resiliency on student learning and development.
• PLO A.7 Understands the operation of the school emergency management plan and the roles and responsibilities of the school counselor during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.
• PLO B.1 Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in school counseling.
• PLO B.2 Demonstrates the ability to articulate, model, and advocate for an appropriate school counselor identity and program.
• PLO C.1 Knows the theories and processes of effective counseling and wellness programs for individual students and groups of students.
• PLO C.2 Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate programs to enhance the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO C.3 Knows strategies for helping students identify strengths and cope with environmental and developmental problems.
• PLO C.4 Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate transition programs, including school-to-work, postsecondary planning, and college admissions counseling.
• PLO C.5 Understands group dynamics including counseling, psycho-educational, task, and peer helping groups and the facilitation of teams to enable students to overcome barriers and impediments to learning.
• PLO C.6 Understands the potential impact of crises, emergencies, and disasters on students, educators, and schools, and knows the skills needed for crisis intervention.
• PLO D.1. Demonstrates self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and the skills needed to relate to diverse individuals, groups, and classrooms.
• PLO D.2. Provides individual and group counseling and classroom guidance to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO D.3. Designs and implements prevention and intervention plans related to the effects of (a) atypical growth and development, (b) health and wellness, (c) language, (d) ability level, (e) multicultural issues, and (f) factors of resiliency on student learning and development.
• PLO D.4.Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk.
• PLO D.5. Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her limitations as a school counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.
• PLO E.1 Understands the cultural, ethical, economic, legal, and political issues surrounding diversity, equity, and excellence in terms of student learning.
• PLO E.2 Identifies community, environmental, and institutional opportunities that enhance as well as barriers that impede the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO E.3 Understands the ways in which educational policies, programs, and practices can be developed, adapted, and modified to be culturally congruent with the needs of students and their families.
• PLO E.4 Understands multicultural counseling issues, as well as the impact of ability levels, stereotyping, family, socioeconomic status, gender, and sexual identity, and their effects on student achievement.
• PLO F.1 Demonstrates multicultural competencies in relation to diversity, equity, and opportunity in student learning and development.
• PLO F.2 Advocates for the learning and academic experiences necessary to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO F.3 Advocates for school policies, programs, and services that enhance a positive school climate and are equitable and responsive to multicultural student populations.
• PLO F.4 Engages parents, guardians, and families to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO G.1 Understands the influence of multiple factors (e.g., abuse, violence, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, childhood depression) that may affect the personal, social, and academic functioning of students.
• PLO G.2 Knows the signs and symptoms of substance abuse in children and adolescents, as well as the signs and symptoms of living in a home where substance abuse occurs.
• PLO G.3 Identifies various forms of needs assessments for academic, career, and personal/social development.
• PLO H.1 Assesses and interprets students strengths and needs, recognizing uniqueness in cultures, languages, values, backgrounds, and abilities.
• PLO H.2 Selects appropriate assessment strategies that can be used to evaluate a student s academic, career, and personal/social development.
• PLO H.3 Analyzes assessment information in a manner that produces valid inferences when evaluating the needs of individual students and assessing the effectiveness of educational programs.
• PLO H.4 Makes appropriate referrals to school and/or community resources.
• PLO H.5 Assesses barriers that impede students academic, career, and personal/social development.
• PLO I.1 Understands how to critically evaluate research relevant to the practice of school counseling.
• PLO I.2 Knows models of program evaluation for school counseling programs.
• PLO I.3 Knows basic strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes in school counseling (e.g., behavioral observation, program evaluation).
• PLO I.4 Knows current methods of using data to inform decision making and accountability (e.g., school improvement plan, school report card).
• PLO I.5 Understands the outcome research data and best practices identified in the school counseling research literature.
• PLO J.1 Applies relevant research findings to inform the practice of school counseling.
• PLO J.2 Develops measurable outcomes for school counseling programs, activities, interventions, and experiences.
• PLO J.3 Analyzes and uses data to enhance school counseling programs.
• PLO K.1 Understands the relationship of the school counseling program to the academic mission of the school.
• PLO K.2 Understands the concepts, principles, strategies, programs, and practices designed to close the achievement gap, promote student academic success, and prevent students from dropping out of school.
• PLO K.3 Understands curriculum design, lesson plan development, classroom management strategies, and differentiated instructional strategies for teaching counseling- and guidance-related material.
• PLO L.1 Conducts programs designed to enhance student academic development.
• PLO L.2 Implements strategies and activities to prepare students for a full range of postsecondary options and opportunities.
• PLO L.3 Implements differentiated instructional strategies that draw on subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and skills to promote student achievement.
• PLO M.1 Understands the ways in which student development, well-being, and learning are enhanced by family-school-community collaboration.
• PLO M.2 Knows strategies to promote, develop, and enhance effective teamwork within the school and the larger community.
• PLO M.3 Knows how to build effective working teams of school staff, parents, and community members to promote the academic, career, and personal/social development of students.
• PLO M.4 Understands systems theories, models, and processes of consultation in school system settings.
• PLO M.5 Knows strategies and methods for working with parents, guardians, families, and communities to empower them to act on behalf of their children.
• PLO M.6 Understands the various peer programming interventions (e.g., peer meditation, peer mentoring, peer tutoring) and how to coordinate them.
• PLO M.7 Knows school and community collaboration models for crisis/disaster preparedness and response.
• PLO N.1 Works with parents, guardians, and families to act on behalf of their children to address problems that affect student success in school.
• PLO N.2 Locates resources in the community that can be used in the school to improve student achievement and success.
• PLO N.3 Consults with teachers, staff, and community-based organizations to promote student academic, career, and personal/social development.
• PLO N.4 Uses peer helping strategies in the school counseling program.
• PLO N.5 Uses referral procedures with helping agents in the community (e.g., mental health centers, businesses, service groups) to secure assistance for students and their families.
• PLO O.1 Knows the qualities, principles, skills, and styles of effective leadership.
• PLO O.2 Knows strategies of leadership designed to enhance the learning environment of schools.
• PLO O.3 Knows how to design, implement, manage, and evaluate a comprehensive school counseling program.
• PLO O.4 Understands the important role of the school counselor as a system change agent.
• PLO O.5 Understands the school counselor s role in student assistance programs, school leadership, curriculum, and advisory meetings.
• PLO P.1 Participates in the design, implementation, management, and evaluation of a comprehensive developmental school counseling program.
• PLO P.2 Plans and presents school-counseling-related educational programs for use with parents and teachers (e.g., parent education programs, materials used in classroom guidance and advisor/advisee programs for teachers).
• PLO A.1 Understands the history, philosophy, and trends in clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO A.2 Understands ethical and legal considerations specifically related to the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO A.3 Understands the roles and functions of clinical mental health counselors in various practice settings and the importance of relationships between counselors and other professionals, including interdisciplinary treatment teams.
• PLO A.4 Knows the professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials relevant to the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO A.5 Understands a variety of models and theories related to clinical mental health counseling, including the methods, models, and principles of clinical supervision.
• PLO A.6 Recognizes the potential for substance use disorders to mimic and coexist with a variety of medical and psychological disorders.
• PLO A.7 Is aware of professional issues that affect clinical mental health counselors (e.g., core provider status, expert witness status, access to and practice privileges within managed care systems).
• PLO A.8 Understands the management of mental health services and programs, including areas such as administration, finance, and accountability.
• PLO A.9 Understands the impact of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on people.
• PLO A.10 Understands the operation of an emergency management system within clinical mental health agencies and in the community.
• PLO B.1 Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO B.2 Applies knowledge of public mental health policy, financing, and regulatory processes to improve service delivery opportunities in clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO C.1 Describes the principles of mental health, including prevention, intervention, consultation, education, and advocacy, as well as the operation of programs and networks that promote mental health in a multicultural society.
• PLO C.2 Knows the etiology, the diagnostic process and nomenclature, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.
• PLO C.3 Knows the models, methods, and principles of program development and service delivery (e.g., support groups, peer facilitation training, parent education, self-help).
• PLO C.4 Knows the disease concept and etiology of addiction and co-occurring disorders.
• PLO C.5 Understands the range of mental health service delivery such as inpatient, outpatient, partial treatment and aftercare and the clinical mental health counseling services network.
• PLO C.6 Understands the principles of crisis intervention for people during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.
• PLO C.7 Knows the principles, models, and documentation formats of biopsychosocial case conceptualization and treatment planning.
• PLO C.8 Recognizes the importance of family, social networks, and community systems in the treatment of mental and emotional disorders.
• PLO C.9 Understands professional issues relevant to the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO D.1 Uses the principles and practices of diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders to initiate, maintain, and terminate counseling.
• PLO D.2 Applies multicultural competencies to clinical mental health counseling involving case conceptualization, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.
• PLO D.3 Promotes optimal human development, wellness, and mental health through prevention, education, and advocacy activities.
• PLO D.4 Applies effective strategies to promote client understanding of and access to a variety of community resources.
• PLO D.5 Demonstrates appropriate use of culturally responsive individual, couple, family, group, and systems modalities for initiating, maintaining, and terminating counseling.
• PLO D.6 Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk.
• PLO D.7 Applies current record-keeping standards related to clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO D.8 Provides appropriate counseling strategies when working with clients with addiction and co-occurring disorders.
• PLO D.9 Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her own limitations as a clinical mental health counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.
• PLO E.1 Understands how living in a multicultural society affects clients who are seeking clinical mental health counseling services.
• PLO E.2 Understands the effects of racism, discrimination, sexism, power, privilege, and oppression on one s own life and career and those of the client.
• PLO E.3 Understands current literature that outlines theories, approaches, strategies, and techniques shown to be effective when working with specific populations of clients with mental and emotional disorders.
• PLO E.4 Understands effective strategies to support client advocacy and influence public policy and government relations on local, state, and national levels to enhance equity, increase funding, and promote programs that affect the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO E.5 Understands the implications of concepts such as internalized oppression and institutional racism, as well as the historical and current political climate regarding immigration, poverty, and welfare.
• PLO E.6 Knows public policies on the local, state, and national levels that affect the quality and accessibility of mental health services.
• PLO F.1 Maintains information regarding community resources to make appropriate referrals.
• PLO F.2 Advocates for policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsive to the unique needs of clients.
• PLO F.3 Demonstrates the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, techniques, and interventions to make them culturally appropriate for diverse populations.
• PLO G.1 Knows the principles and models of assessment, case conceptualization, theories of human development, and concepts of normalcy and psychopathology leading to diagnoses and appropriate counseling treatment plans.
• PLO G.2 Understands various models and approaches to clinical evaluation and their appropriate uses, including diagnostic interviews, mental status examinations, symptom inventories, and psychoeducational and personality assessments.
• PLO G.3 Understands basic classifications, indications, and contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications so that appropriate referrals can be made for medication evaluations and so that the side effects of such medications can be identified.
• PLO G.4 Identifies standard screening and assessment instruments for substance use disorders and process addictions.
• PLO H.1 Selects appropriate comprehensive assessment interventions to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning, with an awareness of cultural bias in the implementation and interpretation of assessment protocols.
• PLO H.2 Demonstrates skill in conducting an intake interview, a mental status evaluation, a biopsychosocial history, a mental health history, and a psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management.
• PLO H.3 Screens for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and/or others, as well as co-occurring mental disorders.
• PLO H.4 Applies the assessment of a client s stage of dependence, change, or recovery to determine the appropriate treatment modality and placement criteria within the continuum of care.
• PLO I.1 Understands how to critically evaluate research relevant to the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO I.2 Knows models of program evaluation for clinical mental health programs.
• PLO I.3 Knows evidence-based treatments and basic strategies for evaluating counseling outcomes in clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO J.1 Applies relevant research findings to inform the practice of clinical mental health counseling.
• PLO J.2 Develops measurable outcomes for clinical mental health counseling programs, interventions, and treatments.
• PLO J.3 Analyzes and uses data to increase the effectiveness of clinical mental health counseling interventions and programs.
• PLO K.1 Knows the principles of the diagnostic process, including differential diagnosis, and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
• PLO K.2 Understands the established diagnostic criteria for mental and emotional disorders, and describes treatment modalities and placement criteria within the continuum of care.
• PLO K.3 Knows the impact of co-occurring substance use disorders on medical and psychological disorders.
• PLO K.4 Understands the relevance and potential biases of commonly used diagnostic tools with multicultural populations.
• PLO K.5 Understands appropriate use of diagnosis during a crisis, disaster, or other trauma-causing event.
• PLO L.1 Demonstrates appropriate use of diagnostic tools, including the current edition of the DSM, to describe the symptoms and clinical presentation of clients with mental and emotional impairments.
• PLO L.2 Is able to conceptualize an accurate multi-axial diagnosis of disorders presented by a client and discuss the differential diagnosis with collaborating professionals.
• PLO L.3 Differentiates between diagnosis and developmentally appropriate reactions during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.