Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The USD Clinical Mental Health Counseling Specialization (CMHC) is a 60 semester-unit graduate program which provides graduates with a comprehensive training experience at the master's level that prepares them for independent clinical counseling practice in a variety of settings. Students learn individual and group counseling techniques, as well as clinical consultation skills found to be effective with a variety of mental health issues ranging from life adjustment problems to serious mental illnesses. Students are trained to be culturally responsive. The CMHC program uses a research-based clinical practice approach in coursework and internship and students develop competencies and professional identity as clinical mental health counselors. This CHMC specialization is being designed using the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards for training in this specialization. This specialization offers broad training and leads to eligibility for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in most states.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has no specific prerequisite courses or undergraduate degree program requirements. Our program welcomes applicants who have undergraduate degrees with coursework that has helped prepare them for graduate work in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Undergraduate credits in areas such as psychology, human services, education, and/or closely related areas are representative of the kind of coursework that prepares applicants for graduate study in counseling.
The National Standards for the Clinical Practice of Mental Health Counseling (1999) were developed by the American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA) which is a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). Visit http://www.amhca.org for more information about mental health counseling.
For further questions about the CMHC Program contact:
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Director, Ana Estrada, estradaa@sandiego.edu
Program Requirements:
The Master of Arts in Counseling with the Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization is a 60 unit program requiring the following coursework:
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Course # |
Counseling Core: 26 units |
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Professional Orientation in Counseling (2) |
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Lifespan Development (3) |
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Research Methods in Counseling (3) |
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Career Development Across Lifespan (3) |
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Multicultural Counseling (3) |
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Counseling Psychology: Theory and Practice (3) |
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Group Dynamics (3) |
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Assessment Techniques In Counseling (3) |
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Ethical, Forensic, and Legal Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3) |
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Clinical Mental Health Core: 19 Units |
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Advanced Counseling: Diagnosis & Treatment Plan (3) |
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Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3) |
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Introduction to Family Counseling (3) |
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Substance Abuse Counseling (3) |
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Human Sexuality (2) |
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Risk Assessment and Trauma Intervention in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3) |
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| Psychopharmacology with Culturally Diverse Clinical Mental Health Clients (2) | ||
Clinical Instruction in Counseling and Mental Health Practice: 12 Units |
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Prepracticum in Counseling Techniques (3) |
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Clinical Mental Health Practicum (3) |
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Clinical Mental Health Internship I (3) ** |
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| Clinical Mental Health Internship II (3) ** | ||
**Students complete a total of 6 or more units until they complete a minimum of 625 hours of supervised experience (1000 is recommended) |
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Electives: 3 Units |
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| COUN 550 | COUN 550 Assessment and Report Writing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3) | |
Examples of possible elective courses might include topics in areas such as Spiritual Issues in Multicultural Counseling, Gerontological Counseling, Counseling LGBT Clients, Brief Therapy and Advanced Assessment Techniques. |
Current Practicum Sites and Descriptions
