Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMH)
This course is designed for students to learn and practice interviewing and counseling skills, the intake interview process, suicide assessment, and how to conduct a mental status examination. Self-exploration and counselor self-development will also be addressed. Students who receive a grade below a B must repeat the course.
Students will engage in an in-depth examination of current research and theory regarding psychological disorders. The development of diagnoses within the context of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association will also be examined and practiced.
Prerequisite(s): An undergraduate course in abnormal psychology.
Exploration of various issues regarding counseling individuals from diverse ethnic and cultural groups. Family structure, gender role, socioeconomic issues, community and cultural influences and religious beliefs as well as other issues will be discussed.
This course examines the intersectionality of religious and/or spiritual identity and clinical mental health diagnosis from theoretical, philosophical, and developmental frameworks. In addition, students will explore trauma treatment that accounts for other identities (e.g, gender, age, sexual orientation, race, and culture), with an emphasis on clinical application and professional limits. (Not offered every year).
Basic counseling techniques and in-depth exploration of counseling theories: psychodynamic, cognitive, behavioral, humanistic, existential. Application of theory-to-case analysis including diagnosis and developmental factors.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5100.
Further exploration of theory-based counseling techniques and community-based interventions. Consideration will be given to issues such as mental health care and coverage, termination issues, outcome evaluation, and related current issues.
Psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal are covered, along with reliability and validity and use of test results in counseling
Observation and measurement of group dynamics, stages of group development, theoretical approaches to groups, setting guidelines, establishing confidentiality, clarifying issues and goals, maintaining trust, resolving conflicts, termination issues, ethical issues. Participation in a course-sponsored group experience will also be required.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5100.
Theory, process and techniques of family and marriage counseling, including the effects of ethnicity on family interaction patterns.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5100.
Concepts of treatment using cognitive behavioral treatment model and the application of this approach to DSM 5 diagnostic categories and various presenting problems will be explored and discussed. Not offered every year.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5301.
An examination of the major treatment approaches to substance abuse and their accompanying etiologies. Investigation of the pharmacological and medical aspects of commonly abused substances. The meaning of addiction and abuse in relation to related compulsive behavior will also be explored. Major treatment models and underlying theories will be addressed. Assessment and differential diagnosis skills will be emphasized. Compulsive behaviors such as overeating and gambling will be discussed.
An examination of various treatment models and approaches for treatment of addictive disorders including drug and alcohol abuse as well as other addictive behaviors. The theory and techniques of individual, group, family, and couples counseling with addicted patients are presented, with an emphasis on empirically validated approaches.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5100 or equivalent.
This course is designed to enhance the ability of the counselor specializing in addictions to use research for the development and evaluation of effective and empirically validated approaches to treatment and prevention. The application of physiological, neurological, psychological, and social research to conceptualization, development, and implementation of treatment and prevention interventions will be emphasized.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5355.
Normative developmental processes are covered from birth through late adulthood, including social, emotional, physical and cognitive perspectives.
Career development theories and current research and applied literature on career/vocational assessment and planning, employee assistance programs, safety and wellness programs, workforce diversity, family and lifestyle issues, outplacement and retirement will be examined.
The role of the counselor in various settings is explored, including goals, organizational supports, history and trends, professional ethics, legal issues, credentialing standards, and working in managed care settings.
Study of basic functioning of the nervous system: hypothesized etiologies and integrated treatment implications of DSM 5 disorders; indications, contraindications, efficacy, side-effects, interactions, and success indicators for commonly-used medications. Differences between using certain medications in the treatment of adults vs. children and adolescents are also discussed.
Treatment of personality disorders from current theoretical perspectives will be reviewed.
This course will provide the student with information and skills necessary for crisis intervention work. It will address various crisis intervention models, the necessary skills for multiple assessment systems, as well as crisis case handling in situations such as suicides, school violence, hostage crises, medical crises, and personal loss. The course is appropriate for both community counseling graduate students and school psychology certification students. Not offered every year.
An in-depth examination of the current theories and research on physical, cognitive, conative, social and emotional disorders of adulthood. Not offered every year.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5101.
An integration and synthesis of the core areas in the field of counseling: Human Growth & Development, Social & Cultural Foundations, Helping Relationships, Group Counseling, Career & Lifestyle Development, Assessment & Appraisal, Research & Program Evaluation, Professional Orientation & Ethics. This is an advanced seminar for students who have completed the courses for the M.A. program or are taking post-Masters’ credits. Particular emphasis is placed on preparing students for the CPCE and NCE.
An in-depth study of legal and ethical issues that arise in the counseling profession through the use of case studies. Emphasis will be placed on the process of ethical decision making. Special attention will be paid to the ethical standards of the American Counseling Association as well as federal and state laws.
Inferential statistical techniques and factorial research designs will be covered including between group designs, repeated measures, mixed designs, multivariate analysis, parametric and nonparametric analysis.
The course is designed to prepare students to develop, to participate in and to evaluate the structure, function and effectiveness of programs and services in counseling perspectives and settings. Not offered every year.
Analysis of intake, establishing diagnosis, note-taking and record keeping, interpretation of clinical data, report structure and writing, goals and outcomes. Not offered every year.
Prerequisite(s): CMH5100.
This course focuses on the assessment of multiple factors related to mental health disorders in adults and the use of clinical case formulation as a guide for treatment/clinical interventions. It examines symptoms, conceptualization, development factors, theories of etiology, treatment interventions and prognosis within each diagnostic category and reviews a variety of assessment tools with significant consideration given to individual contexts. While exposure to a broad base of theories in relation to case formulation will be presented, the emphasis will be conceptualization within a CBT framework.
An in-depth examination of the current theories and research on topics of special interest. (Not offered every year.) May be offered for 1 to 3 credits; Students may take the course repeatedly if new topics are covered.
The student will select a placement reflective of her or his area of interest in a mental health agency, college counseling center, etc., and participate in intake interviews, individual and group counseling and other counseling related activities for 100 hours. Supervision will take place individually on site, as well as with the university-based supervisor and supervision groups. Students who receive a grade below a B must repeat the course.
Corequisite(s): CMH5301 and graduate faculty recommendation.
The student will select a placement reflective of her or his area of interest in a mental health agency, college counseling center, etc., and will provide counseling under supervision for at least 300 hours beyond the Practicum in Counseling level. Emphasis is placed on counseling skills development and professional identity. Supervision takes place individually on site as well as in small groups with the university-based supervisor. Students who receive a grade below a B must repeat the course.
The student will select a placement reflective of her or his area of interest in a mental health agency, college counseling center, etc., and will provide counseling under supervision for at least 300 hours beyond the Internship in Counseling I level. Emphasis is placed on counseling skills development and professional identity. Supervision takes place individually on site as well as in small groups with the university-based supervisor. Students who receive a grade below a B must repeat the course.
Pre/corequisite(s): CMH5802.
Students should register for this if they are completing the required hours for the internship experience.
An intensive examination of the professional literature of counseling and related disciplines as a science and profession. The examination will focus upon recent trends as well as significant theoretical positions and major controversies. A comprehensive literature review on a topic of interest will be developed.
Seminar to consult with faculty concerning the development of an approved master’s topic. While in seminar, students are expected to develop a proposal that will include a comprehensive literature review that will meet with the approval of the seminar faculty. Students who have not developed an approved proposal after two semesters of seminar may be required to meet with the chairperson to determine the future direction of their studies.
A seminar for advanced students to conduct the research that they have designed in CMH6001. The student will work under the direction of a faculty mentor. This advanced seminar will culminate in the approved completion of an appropriate master’s thesis.
Students will understand the supportive, developmental, educational, administrative and performance management purposes of supervision and develop a personalized structure for delivering supervisory services in context. They will also identify social, psychological and organizational factors that influence the effectiveness of supervision and develop skills to improve the management of these factors by working through case studies and real-world difficulties that are brought to class.