Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling - MS
Program Description
This program offers a Master of Science online Clinical Mental Health Program, housed in a traditional women’s college, that serves multiple purposes. The relational approach that is the foundation for the program empowers women’s experiences and realities, while addressing all social identities as befits an ethical and equitable stance in serving all clients.
Licensed Clinical Mental Health counselors are trained master’s level professionals who counsel families, individuals, groups and couples across the lifespan to promote optimal mental health and well-being. This program would enhance the development of community and seek to alleviate the distress that so many members of marginalized communities experience.
Some of the many issues that counselors help people deal with include relational problems, trauma, anxiety, stress management, addictions, parenting, family, suicidal ideation, and problems with self-worth. They can help people address emotional and mental health stressors from ongoing oppression, through both reflection and advocacy for social justice and equity.
While focused on preparing generalist practitioners who can serve multiple populations and work with varied issues, the program also offers students as well as practitioners the option to focus on a particular issue, by taking additional courses in that area. These include microcredentials in Trauma Studies, Couple and Family counseling, Multicultural Counseling, Counseling Children and Adolescents, Addictions, Holistic Health, etc.
This program values and centers academic excellence in providing a comprehensive and dynamic curricula.The online program fits with trends in Higher Education for career-aligned academic programs while being accessible to lifelong learners for continuing professional development or career changes.
The online course delivery allows for study on demand and diverse learner needs for content and skills. It also supports rural learners and adult learners who are juggling competing demands of distance, work, and family. In keeping with current needs, the program will offer Relational-Cultural and Trauma-informed approaches while acknowledging and accommodating Neurodiversity. St. Kate’s current support systems for instructional design, learning simulations, and curricular design will enhance the delivery of this program with a range of learner support resources. Finally, a program like this can assist more availability of providers for the increasing mental health needs in society.
AI Clients
To accommodate online learners to gain a robust skills development experience, each core course will be embedded with AI client skills practice. Students will work weekly with an AI client in real time to practice skills. The AI client will use instructor loaded case studies for students to practice skills relevant to the course. The AI will give immediate feedback to the student and practice can be repeated until the skill is mastered. Session practice can also be recorded to be turned into the instructor.
Residency
Accreditation requires a residency to assess skills and dispositions in professional counseling. A residency will take place once a year in the summer semester on the St. Catherine University campus in St. Paul, Minnesota. The residency will take place over a four-day period from Thursday to Sunday. Students can find accommodations in the area or can stay on campus in residence halls. Faculty will also be present to teach, supervise, mentor, and observe.
Admissions Process
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MCHC/CMHC) program is committed to preparing practitioners who can work with diverse clients; through actively recruiting applicants in rural areas; from underrepresented populations in counseling; and for adult learners exploring their second or third careers.The program hopes to specifically reach out to and build connections with Tribal Colleges, HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions to serve as pipelines to prepare students to succeed in the MCHC program.
Admission requirements
- Applicants will submit the following materials for review:
- Evidence of academic aptitude for graduate-level study, that includes one of the following:
- a 3.0 overall undergraduate grade point average or an explanatory statement and a minimum of a 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 credits of the undergraduate program
- a graduate grade point average of 3.3 on a previously completed advanced degree
- Evidence of motivation and ethical and responsible intent to assist others in mental health
- CASPER test through Acuity Insights: This is a situational judgement test that examines resilience, empathy, sefl-awareness, ethics, and communication. Cost: $50
- A one-page narrative focusing on the applicant's rationale for seeking admission to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program with reference to relevant experiences, as well as goals for working as a clinical mental health counselor
- Evidence of Professional Dispositions of Helping
- A focused resume or vita listing relevant experiences in helping that may consist of paid professional work or structured volunteer experiences, that provides evidence of the applicant’s commitment and understanding of the mental health field. These experiences must be accurately documented in the resume. Must list a minimum of two references with contact information, who can speak to academic and/or interpersonal skills
- Evidence of academic aptitude for graduate-level study, that includes one of the following:
- Faculty will review documents and if successful, the candidate will be invited for a virtual small group interview. At this interview:
- Candidates will engage in a group activity to assess interpersonal skills
- Each candidate will be interviewed individually
- Candidates can ask questions about any aspect of the program
- Successful candidates will receive a letter of admission to the program within two weeks of the interview. If the Fall or Spring semester is full, candidates will be offered a seat in the semester after.
For more information on the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, please see the CMHC handbook.
Curriculum
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Counseling Core | ||
| COUN 6001 | Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6002 | Counseling Processes & Techniques | 3 |
| COUN 6003 | Lifespan Development in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6004 | Cultural Humility in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6005 | Career Counseling in Clinical Mental Health | 3 |
| COUN 6006 | Group Facilitation and Counsel | 3 |
| COUN 6007 | Assessment & Diagnosis | 3 |
| COUN 6008 | Research and Program Evaluation in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 5999 | Crisis, Loss and Trauma | 3 |
| COUN 6009 | Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning & Intervention | 3 |
| COUN 6011 | Case Management, Advocacy, and Consultation | 3 |
| Clinical Curriculum | ||
| COUN 6010 | Applied Counseling Practicum (100 Hours) | 3 |
| COUN 6012 | Professional Internship (600 Hours) | 6 |
| Required Electives | 12 | |
| COUN XXXX | Overview of Addictions Counseling | |
| COUN 5078 | Trauma-Informed Counseling | |
| COUN 5998 | Family and Systems Counseling | |
| COUN 5997 | Sexuality Counseling | |
| Two Additional Electives From: | 6 | |
Counseling Supervision | ||
Relationship Counseling | ||
Death, Dying, Grief and Loss | ||
Spirituality, Faith, and Counseling | ||
Counseling Women | ||
Counseling LGBTQIA+ Populations | ||
Disability-Affirmative and Neurodivergent Counseling | ||
Counseling Survivors of Trauma | ||
Play Therapy | ||
Counseling Adolescents | ||
Counseling Parents | ||
Advanced Multicultural Counseling | ||
Issues Impacting Older Adults | ||
Counseling Older Adults | ||
Leadership & Advocacy | ||
The Business and Practice of Counseling | ||
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Full Time
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COUN 6001 | 3 | COUN 6005: Career Counseling | 3 | COUN 6006: Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6003 | 3 | COUN 6007: Assessment & Diagnosis | 3 | COUN 6002: Counseling Processes and Techniques^ | 3 |
| COUN 6008 | 3 | COUN 6004: Cultural Humility in Counseling | 3 | COUN 6011: Case Mgmt, Advocacy & Consultation | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COUN 5999: Crisis, Loss, Trauma | 3 | COUN 6010: Applied Practicum (100 Hours) | 3 | COUN 6012a: Internship I^ | 3 |
| COUN 6009: Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning & Interventions | 3 | COUN 5998: Family Counseling | 3 | COUN 5078: Trauma-Informed Counseling | 3 |
| COUN XXXX: Addictions Counseling | 3 | COUN 5997: Sexuality Counseling | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | ||||
| COUN 6012b: Internship II | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 6 | |||||
| Total Credits: 60 | |||||
Part Time
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COUN 6001 | 3 | COUN 6007: Assessment and Diagnosis | 3 | COUN 6006: Group Facilitation and Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6003 | 3 | COUN 6004: Cultural Humility | 3 | COUN 6002: Counseling Processes & Techniques^ | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COUN 6008 | 3 | COUN 6011: Case Mgmt, Advocacy, and Consultation | 3 | COUN 6009:: Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning, and Interventions ^ | 3 |
| COUN 6005: Career Counseling | 3 | COUN 5078: Trauma Focused Counseling | 3 | COUN 5999: Sexuality Counseling | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| COUN 6010: Applied Practicum (100 hours) | 3 | COUN 6012a: Internship I | 3 | COUN 6012b: Internship II^ | 3 |
| COUN XXXX: Addictions | 3 | COUN XXXX: Family and Systems Counseling | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | ||||
| COUN XXXX: Internship II | 3 | ||||
| Elective | 3 | ||||
| 6 | |||||
| Total Credits: 60 | |||||
Full Time
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6001 | Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6003 | Lifespan Development in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6004 | Cultural Humility | 3 |
| Summer Term | ||
| COUN 6006 | Group Facilitation and Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6002 | Counseling Process & Techniques | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Fall Term | ||
| COUN 6008 | Research and Program Evaluation in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 5999 | Crisis, loss, and grief | 3 |
| COUN XXXX | Addictions | 3 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6007 | Assessment & Diagnosis | 3 |
| COUN 6005 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 5998 | Family & Systems Counseling | 3 |
| Summer Term | ||
| 3 | ||
| COUN 6009 | Case Conceptualization, Treatment Planning & Interventions | 3 |
| Sexuality Counseling | 3 | |
| Fall Term | ||
| COUN 6010 | Practicum | 3 |
| COUN 5076 | Trauma Informed Counseling | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6012a | Internship I | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Part Time
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6001 | Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice in Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6003 | Lifespan Development in Counseling | 3 |
| Summer Term | ||
| COUN 6006 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6002 | Counseling Theory & Techniques ^ | 3 |
| Fall Term | ||
| COUN 6008 | Research and Program Evaluation in Clinical Mental Health Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 5999 | Crisis, Loss, & Trauma | 3 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6004 | Cultural Humility | 3 |
| COUN 6007 | Assessment & Diagnosis | 3 |
| Summer Term | ||
| COUN 6011 | Case Management | 3 |
| COUN 5997 | Sexuality Counseling | 3 |
| Fall Term | ||
| COUN 6005 | Career Counseling | 3 |
| COUN 6009 | Treatment Planning | 3 |
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN 6010 | Practicum | 3 |
| COUN 5998 | Family & Systems Counseling | 3 |
| Summer Term | ||
| COUN XXXX | Addictions | 3 |
| COUN 5078 | Trauma-Informed Counseling | 3 |
| Fall Term | ||
| COUN 6012 | Internship I | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Spring Term | ||
| COUN XXXX | Internship II | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |