Program Overview:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 Credits)
The mission of The College of Saint Rose Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is to prepare students to become culturally competent counselors and engaged advocates that work in a variety of clinical mental health settings and with a diverse range of clients. Our students are prepared to provide client-centered clinical services, including diagnosis, treatment planning, and interventions, focused on the unique needs of individuals, couples, families, and groups across the lifespan. Framed by an ecological and multicultural perspective, students in our program gain the knowledge, awareness, and skills needed to effectively intervene with a variety of presenting concerns and populations. Our graduates are reflective practitioners committed to social justice and the provision of quality clinical services to all within our communities.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is intended to prepare licensed professional counselors to address the clinical needs of children, adolescents and adults in a variety of mental health and community settings. Competencies in working with individuals, groups, families, organizations and communities are developed through a combination of course work in theory, application, and internship experiences. Course work introduces students to current theory and research in counseling across the life span, as well as a variety of psychological disorders.
Students develop competence in mental health counseling approaches through course work in mental health counseling interventions (with a focus on advocacy and social justice), assessment and appraisal, case management and consultation, family violence, social and cross-cultural counseling methods, and practicum/internships in a mental health or community agency setting. The practicum and internships in mental health counseling provide students with opportunities to develop additional skills related to effective clinical mental health counseling practice. Practicum students and interns are supervised by a licensed mental health professional at their sites and a faculty liaison. Electives may be taken in child, adolescent or adult development, school or college counseling, special education, or any special topics courses in counseling.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Thomas Murphy
Co-Chair, Counseling Department
Email: murphyt@strose.edu
Program Webpage: https://www.strose.edu/clinical-mental-health-counseling/
Program Requirements:
Evaluation of Master’s Degree Candidates
The evaluation of master’s degree candidates is as follows:
- The Counseling program uses an Individual Student Progress Review process to evaluate students related to their knowledge, skills and dispositions. Counseling faculty assess each student on his/her interpersonal skills, progress in graduate course work, and progress toward becoming a competent and ethical counseling professional. For students who are not progressing adequately, the Counseling program uses a Retention, Remediation & Dismissal process outlined in the program handbook.
- Students must successfully pass the qualifying examination (CSL 999) before moving on to internship. Students may sit for the examination after completing the core counseling coursework. Students may also elect to write a thesis (CSL 599) in addition to, but not in place of, taking the qualifying examination. Students who elect to write a thesis should make this decision prior to the completion of the first 18 hours of study. The thesis option is dependent upon the acceptance of a thesis advisor from among the department faculty;
- Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better in all course work; and
- Students must demonstrate competent and ethical clinical work by successfully passing a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internships as part of their program.
Required Core Courses (24 credits)
Required Concentration Courses in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program 36 Credits
CSL 509: (Prerequisites: CSL 501, CSL 528, CSL 585; all workshops, Co-requisite: CSL 553)
CSL 575: (Prerequisite: CSL 500 and CSL 528)
CSL 585: (Prerequisite: CSL 500)
CSL 593: (Prerequisites: CSL 509, successfully passing the Qualifying Examination, requires advisor approval)
CSL 594: (Pre-requisite: CSL 593)
For mental health counseling internships, background checks consistent with the policy in the Counseling Program Handbook are required prior to all mental health counseling internships.
Elective (3 Credits)
Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program have three credit hours of electives. Electives may include courses in counseling, developmental and educational psychology, social work, special education or special topics courses in counseling that fit into the program of study. Elective courses are selected with advisor’s approval.
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Required Courses:
| CSL 509 | Practicum in Ment Hlth Cnslg | 3 |
| CSL 593 | Mental Hlth Cnslg Intern I | 3 |
| CSL 594 | Mental Hlth Cnslg Intern II | 3 |
CSL 509: (Prerequisites: CSL 501, CSL 528, CSL 585, all workshops; Co-requisite: CSL 553)
CSL 593: (Prerequisites: CSL 509, successfully passing Qualifying Examination, requires advisor approval)
CSL 594: (Pre-requisite: CSL 593)
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The specialized accrediting agencies noted below are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality Educator Preparation.
The MSEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is also accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by CHEA.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
- Submission of a completed application, a resume, and Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
- Evidence of the possession of a U.S. baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary education.
- Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation. The Communication Sciences & Disorders and School Psychology programs requirethree letters of recommendation.
- A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
- Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students can access the online application and application instructions at www.strose.edu/gradapply.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
Additional Requirements for Admission to the Counseling Master’s Degree Programs (M.S. in Education):
Requirements for Admission to the Counseling Master’s Degree Programs (M.S. in Education)
- Completion of application for graduate study;
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher;
- At least two letters of recommendation, one which addresses the applicant’s character and potential to be a counselor, and one which addresses the applicant’s scholarship and is written by a professional qualified to make that assessment;
- Completion of a bachelor’s degree, which included nine hours of advanced coursework (beyond 100 level) in a closely related field to counseling (e.g. psychology, educational psychology, sociology, human development, education), which may include or be similar to abnormal psychology, theories of personality, child, adolescent or adult development. These courses must have been taken within five years prior to admission to the degree program in Counseling. If applicants have not taken the course(s), they must do so during their first 18 graduate credit hours. These prerequisite courses may be taken at the undergraduate level. They may also be taken at the graduate level, but may not be counted as electives within the program or as part of the required credit hours and they cannot be taken pass/fail.
- An essay discussing the applicant’s objectives and motivation for pursuing a graduate degree in Counseling, an understanding of his/her preferred program and a discussion of how this degree will meet the applicant’s professional development plans;
- A resume demonstrating work and volunteer experience in the field; and
- Attendance at an Admissions Workshop. During each semester, Admissions Workshops are held on campus. A Workshop must be attended for admission into the program. The Workshops provide program information and also allow for individual and group interviews.
Students are admitted to the Master’s Degree programs in the fall or spring semesters.
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