The Mental Health Counseling program is a dual Masters (M.Ed.) and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) degree program offering coursework on all common core areas of counseling as outlined by CACREP standards for mental health counseling programs. This includes coursework in trauma and crisis, community counseling, counseling diverse populations, substance abuse, and other mental health areas.
The entry-level 72-credit hour Mental Health Counseling program prepares students for positions as Mental Health Counselors in community, state, federal, and private social service agencies and for EAP positions in business and industry. Graduates provide services, such as child, youth, couple, family, employment, health, gerontological, substance abuse, and wellness counseling.
The M.Ed./Ed.S. and MAE/Ed.S. program in Mental Health Counseling is designed to equip students with the pre-professional competencies required for Registered Intern status and, after a minimum number of years of post-degree supervised clinical experience, (a) licensure in the State of Florida as Mental Health Counselors and (b) clinical membership in NBCC’s Academy of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors. Additionally, some students may choose to continue their studies in a doctoral program.
Students who complete the program are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) offered by the National Board For Certified Counselors (NBCC) in order to qualify for National Certified Counselor status. They are also eligible to become members of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA).
A determination has not been made regarding College of Education graduates’ eligibility for certification/licensure in other states. Please contact the department of education or the state licensing board for mental health professionals in the state in which you are seeking employment to determine their criteria for certification/licensure and employment.
The Mental Health Counseling program seeks to prepare graduates who:
- Establish a professional identity as professional counselors with a concentration in mental health;
- Have specialized knowledge of and experience in assisting persons who present with a diverse array of couple and family problems (e.g., regarding intimate relating, marital discord, divorce, child-rearing, family/ school conflicts, family violence, suicide, and medical/ psychiatric distress);
- Have specialized knowledge and skills for mental health service delivery within a specific mental health service setting and/or with specific, targeted mental health service recipients;
- Have general knowledge of theories of human behavior, human development, and human relating and the influence of context on same;
- Have general knowledge of and experience with treatment modalities appropriate for a broad range of mental health service recipients and mental health service settings;
- Have general knowledge of and respect for the influences of culture/ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class, and have experience in working with a broad array of clientele representing such diversity;
- Interact effectively with the full spectrum of mental health professionals; and
- Provide competent professional service and leadership within the mental health field upon graduation.
