Mental Health Counseling

The Ed.S. Degree in Mental Health Counseling prepares students for careers as professional counselors who meet the highest standards for delivering counseling services in a wide variety of community and agency settings.  Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders.  Mental health counselors also work to promote optimum mental health.  They are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques used to address a wide range of issues, including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress management, problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family issues, including parenting, marital or other relationship problems.  Mental health counselors often work closely with other mental health specialists, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors.

Students who complete the program are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) in order to qualify for both National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Arkansas Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) status.  It is the mission of the Mental Health Counseling Program faculty to aid students/graduates in becoming certified and/or licensed as professional counselors. The faculty believes that it is also our mission to instill a strong sense of professional identity, appreciation for our rich knowledge base and to develop expertise in the skills of counseling with our students.

The Ed.S. in Mental Health Counseling is a 60-hour program of study that requires coursework consistent with CACREP accreditation standards and prepares students who:

• Establish a professional identity as a competent and ethical Mental Health Counselor;
• Have specialized knowledge of and experience in assisting people with a plethora of individual, couple, and family problems (i.e., intimate relationships, marital discord, divorce, child rearing, family violence, family/school conflicts, employment and unemployment issues, emotional disturbances, anxiety and depression, suicide, psychiatric distress, and other issues that interfere with development and wellness);
• Have specialized knowledge and skills for mental health service deliver within specific mental health service settings and with specific, targeted, mental health service populations ranging from children to late-in-life adults;
• Have knowledge of theories relating to human behavior, human development, interpersonal relationships, counseling, and the person-environment interaction;
• Have skills and experience with individual and small group counseling, consultation, and other treatment modalities appropriate for a broad range of mental health service recipients and mental health service settings;
• Have knowledge of and respect for the influence of culture/ethnicity, gender, religion, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and other variables and have experience working with diverse clients;
• Have knowledge and skills to provide clinical supervision to promote development of counseling interns and novice counselors;
• Interact effectively with the full spectrum of mental health professionals;
• Recognize personal and professional limitations which guide decisions for both scope of practice and client referral;
• Provide competent professional service and leadership within the mental health field upon graduation.

 

Course Requirements

Admission Requirements

Certificate in Mental Health Counseling Information

Important Links:

American Mental Health Counseling Association

For more information contact:

Patrick L. Peck, Ed.D.
Coordinator, Mental Health Counseling Program
Department of Psychology & Counseling
P.O. Box 1560
State University, AR 72467-1560
plpeck@astate.edu
Phone (870) 972-3064

OR

Graduate School
Arkansas State University
P.O. Box 60
State University, AR
72467-0060

graduateschool@astate.edu
Phone (870) 972-3029