Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Overview

Lehman College of the City University of New York offers a full-time, cohort-based, 60-credit, Master’s degree program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students will attend the program full-time, year-round for two years and upon completion, they will be eligible to pursue New York State licensure in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Graduates are eligible for a limited permit in New York State. The program is intended to prepare students to work in varied environments such as private practice, substance misuse counseling, not-for-profits, community-based organizations, business, government agencies, and healthcare. It will provide opportunities for high-quality, accessible, and affordable graduate education in mental health counseling for residents in the Bronx and surrounding areas.

The program provides a unique experience for the adult learner. Using a project-based learning framework, candidates will acquire the knowledge and skills essential for navigating the complexity of issues and systems impacting the emotional well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Candidates will choose an area of specialization and develop skills for promoting advocacy, leadership, and equity for social justice through a series of projects in specific courses. The program’s multimodal pedagogical approach includes synchronous, asynchronous, and in-person instruction where candidates engage in varied experiences such as self-directed, experiential learning activities and clinical intensives.

ACCREDITATION: The program is aligned with the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (www.cacrep.org) standards and readying a self-study to apply for CACREP accreditation.

MISSION:

The Lehman College Clinical Mental Health Counseling program develops culturally affirming, ethical, caring, data-informed school and clinical mental health counselors with intersectional expertise in urban, economically and linguistically diverse settings. Counselor candidates promote social justice advocacy and leadership in their scholarly, clinical, assessment, evaluation, and counseling program implementation. School Counselors develop academic, social-emotional, and career/college competencies for all K-12 students to help close opportunity and attainment gaps. Clinical Mental Health Counselors develop social-emotional, career, and mental health competencies for individuals, groups, couples, and families of all ages and close affordability and access gaps. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program emphasizes collaboration, kindness, reflection, self- and group- awareness, and mutual respect centering anti-racist and anti-oppression practices.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

1. Candidates conceptualize the historical, philosophical, and organizational aspects of the counseling profession including, concepts related to legislation and governmental policies and apply advocacy skills for addressing institutional and social barriers and promoting access, equity, and wellness.

2. Candidates recognize issues related to power, privilege and race and engage in culturally responsive treatment planning and therapeutic decision-making practices.

3. Candidates integrate human development theory into case conceptualization and treatment planning, including the biological, psychological, systemic, and cultural factors that influence personality and overall development.

4. Candidates employ strategies for examining the personal characteristics, interests, aptitudes, work-related values, resources and culture, related to career development and utilize research-based methods for career planning.

5. Candidates demonstrate essential counselor characteristics, leadership, interviewing and case conceptualization skills and utilize counseling theories, models, and strategies for understanding and engaging with clients.

6. Candidates conceptualize and use theoretical foundations of group counseling and group work and apply ethical and culturally relevant strategies for recruiting and screening members and organizing and facilitating groups.

7. Candidates use assessments for diagnostic purposes and for identifying trauma, abuse, and intervention planning purposed and will engage in standard procedures for reporting abuse or potential harm.

8. Candidates analyze and use data in counseling and engage in practices that are ethical and culturally relevant when conducting, interpreting and reporting results in program evaluation.

9. Candidates apply the etiology, nomenclature, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental, emotional and substance use disorders and apply knowledge and skills for navigating the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and identifying diagnosis.

10. Candidates apply knowledge and understanding of professional counseling credentialing, including certification and licensure, accreditation practices and policies around record keeping, third-party reimbursements and HIPAA.

11. Candidates conduct comprehensive intake interviews for treatment planning and employ techniques and interventions for prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues.

EMPLOYMENT:

Graduates perform individual, group, couple, and family counseling in non-profit, government, community-based agencies, healthcare, substance misuse, employee assistance, business, college, and group or individual private practice settings.