Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The program has been CACREP accredited since 2007 and was recently reaffirmed to 2034. For more information, visit the CACREP website https://www.cacrep.org/.

Program Mission

The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is designed to train a diverse body of service-oriented graduate students (largely from New Jersey and nearby areas) to be practitioners, leaders, and advocates in the field of mental health counseling. The members of the faculty are committed to graduating students who have exemplary theory-based knowledge and skills in counseling and who have demonstrated competence in providing counseling services to people from diverse populations. The department’s goal is to offer a program of study that seeks to stay consistent with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards, as well as the academic and skill requirements of state licensing and national certification for counseling.

The M.S. program is intended for students seeking licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) in New Jersey. It is the first clinical mental health counseling program in the state to be accredited by CACREP. Accreditation is a significant consideration for the New Jersey State Board of Examiners for LPC licensure.

If desired, students can also later pursue a doctorate in counselor education.

Program Objectives:

To carry out its mission, the department has specified a set of measurable outcome objectives that are implemented through its program. The following will be monitored throughout the program to follow the student’s dispositional development and skill acquisition.

1. Students will gain the knowledge and skills associated with professional orientation and ethics practice.
2. Students will gain the knowledge and skills associated with social and cultural identities and experiences.
3. Students will gain knowledge of human development across the lifespan and its application within the counseling process.
4. Students will gain the knowledge and skills associated with career development and its applications in the counseling process.
5. Students will gain the knowledge and skills associated with the counseling practice and relationships.
6. Students will gain knowledge and skills associated with group counseling and group work.
7. Students will gain knowledge and skills associated with assessment and diagnostic processes.
8. Students will gain knowledge and skills associated with research and program evaluation.
9. Students will gain knowledge and skills associated with clinical mental health counseling.
10. Students will demonstrate an awareness of professionalism in counseling

Additional Aspirational Goals

To carry out its mission, the department has set aspirational objectives that we hope counseling students strive for throughout the program.

Personal Qualities

• Self-awareness, self-acceptance, self-objectivity
• Empathy, other esteem, unconditional positive regard for others
• Personal congruence/authenticity
• Ability to interact constructively with diverse peoples
• Personal commitment to professional ethical standards
• Constructive professional relationships
• Commitment to multicultural dimensions and identities
• Respect for the dignity and worth of others
• Maturity, open-mindedness, and receptivity to feedback
• Commitment to personal and professional growth

Understandings

• Development processes – typical and atypical
• Personality and adjustment processes – adaptive and maladaptive
• Diagnostic proficiency
• Counseling processes – individual, group, and family
• Group dynamics
• Measurement and evaluation
• Research methodology
• Career development
• Professional, ethical, and legal aspects of counseling
• Multicultural and social justice issues

Skills

• Interviewing techniques
• Test administration and interpretation
• Case conceptualization and communication
• Individual counseling techniques
• Group counseling techniques
• Crisis and trauma interventions
• Evaluating and using research findings
• Responding to supervision and consultation
• Understanding of biological-psychological-social interpretations
• Diagnostic skills
• Intra/inter personal skills