Department of Counseling

Purpose

The master’s programs in counseling offer graduate education in counseling preparation. The 48-credit Master’s in School Counseling prepares students to become New York State Certified school counselors in urban and suburban school settings. The 60-credit Master’s in Mental Health Counseling prepares students to become New York State Licensed Mental Health Counselors in public and private agencies.

The Master of Science in (School) Counseling offers two certifications within the degree program. Successful completion of the School Counselor Program leads to recommendation to the New York State Education Department for provisional certification as a school counselor. Students completing the Bilingual School Counselor Program will be recommended for provisional certification as a school counselor and also for a bilingual extension to the certificate. The Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling is a licensure-qualifying program. Upon program completion, graduates are eligible to work towards meeting the 3,000-hour externship required for licensure as a mental health counselor in New York State. According to the state laws regulating mental health counseling licensure, graduates will have up to two years (with the option of two additional one-year extensions) to meet the 3,000 hours of experience and pass a licensing examination to complete the licensure requirements.

Note: the following courses: (CNSL 655 - Counseling and Application II , CNSL 660 - Group Counseling Theories & Practice (cc) , CNSL 670 - Practicum in Counseling , CNSL 688 - Supervised Internship I: Bilingual School Setting or CNSL 690 - Supervised Internship I: School Setting , and CNSL 689 - Supervised Internship II: Bilingual School Setting or CNSL 691 - Supervised Internship II: School Setting ) (CNSL 650 - Counseling and Application I , CNSL 655 - Counseling and Application II and CNSL 660 - Group Counseling Theories & Practice (cc) ) may be completed as distance learning courses for the School Counseling Program, New York State will not permit more than 27 credits of distance learning courses to be counted toward the 60-credit Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. New York State also requires students pursuing a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling to take the following courses in a traditional classroom environment: CNSL 650 , CNSL 655 and CNSL 660 .

Expectations of the Graduate

Graduates of the Master of Science in Counseling with Certification in School Counseling and Counseling with Certification in School Counseling and a Bilingual Extension Degree Programs will be prepared to assume a professional school counseling role in a school setting. Graduates will be expected to do the following:

Identify and apply the American School Counseling Association standards to qualify for provisional certification as a School Counselor in New York State.
Demonstrate mastery of the eight CACREP Core Counseling Competencies: Human Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Foundations, Theories of Counseling, Groups, Lifestyle and Career Development, Appraisal, Research and Program Evaluation, and Professional Orientation and Ethics.
Identify, explain, and respond to concerns, issues, and challenges relevant to today’s students.
Define, explain, and apply counseling, assessment, advocacy, prevention, and intervention techniques to assist students.
Apply current knowledge and research from social and behavioral sciences, including the use of technology, to the practice of counseling in a school setting.
Identify and explain the impact of cultural diversity on counseling techniques and make appropriate applications.

Graduates of the Master of Science in the Mental Health Counseling Degree Program will be prepared to assume a professional mental health counseling role in a setting that specializes in the treatment of mental health, or related, issues. Graduates will be expected to have achieved the following:

Identify and apply the American Mental Health Counseling Association standards to qualify to take the licensing examination in Mental Health Counseling required by New York State
Demonstrate mastery of the eight CACREP Core Counseling Competencies: Human Growth and Development, Social and Cultural Foundations, Theories of Counseling, Groups, Lifestyle and Career Development, Appraisal, Research and Program Evaluation, and Professional Orientation and Ethics
Diagnose and treat symptoms presented by clients
Define, explain, and apply counseling methods for the assessment, diagnosis & treatment of mental disorders
emonstrate current knowledge and ability to utilize research from social and behavioral sciences, including the use of technology, to the practice of counseling
Demonstrate an awareness of the impact of cultural diversity on the counseling process.

Admission Requirements

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Graduate Admissions section.

Program Requirements for Admission to Application to the School Counseling Program

Two professional letters of recommendation on letterhead.
A two- to three-page essay on the applicant’s reason(s) for becoming a school counselor.
A résumé.
Undergraduate college transcripts (and Graduate transcripts, if applicable).

Program Requirements for Admission to Application to the Mental Health Counseling Program

Two professional letters of recommendation on letterhead (letters from friends, neighbors, acquaintances, or clergy are welcome but do not replace the two professional letters).
A two- to three-page essay on the applicant’s reason(s) for becoming a mental health counselor.
A current résumé.
In-person interview with the program director (or designee) once above requirements have been accepted.
Undergraduate college transcripts (and Graduate transcripts, if applicable).

Course Load

Students must consult with the program director and/or interview with the program director or designee regarding required courses and electives for the Counseling Program. Full-time students may register for up to 12 credits per semester. Part-time students may register for either three or six credits per semester.

Transfer Credits

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy College may, if pertinent to the plan of study, be credited to the graduate degree. Permission to transfer credits must be requested at the time of admission and official transcripts and course descriptions must be submitted to the program director for evaluation.

Transfer credit will be granted only for courses taken in the five-year period prior to acceptance in the Mercy College Program and for courses in which the student earned a grade of B or higher. Transfer credit is limited to six credits. Courses with a grade of B- or lower are not acceptable for transfer.

Maintenance of Matriculation

It is expected that students will fulfill the requirements for their graduate degree by registering over successive sessions. Registration is accomplished by either enrolling in classes or maintaining matriculation. The Maintaining Matriculation fee is $100 per session and is processed as a registration.

Students who have not maintained matriculation and wish to return to their program within one year after their last course will be charged the Maintenance of Matriculation fee of $100 for each missed session. Maintenance of matriculation without attending classes is limited to one year. Activated U.S. Military Reservists are not required to pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee.

Maintenance of Good Academic Standing

The cumulative GPA for both good academic standing and degree conferral is a 3.0. A student admitted as a Special Matriculant is required to achieve a 3.0 average or better after completing a certain number of credits as stipulated by their respective program. Grades are subject to review by the faculty advisor and program director at the end of each semester. If the academic average for the semester falls below 3.0 the student will be placed on academic probation. If the student fails to achieve a 3.0 GPA in two consecutive semesters, the students will be subject to dismissal from the program.

Academic Probation

All students who have a cumulative GPA of below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation. If a student will not be able to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within a reasonable time, the student will be dismissed from the program. If a student receives a grade of F or FW in any course the student will be subject to dismissal from the College.

For all students on probation, future registrations must be reviewed and approved by the director of the student’s program as well as the school dean.

In all subsequent terms in which the student is on probation the student is required to achieve a term GPA of 3.0 or better. If the 3.0 or higher is not achieved the student will be dismissed. Students who receive a grade of less than B may be required to repeat the course. Students will be allowed to repeat a course only once.

Degree Requirements

Successful completion of 48 graduate credits for School Counseling, 51 graduate credits for School Counseling with Bilingual Extension (54 credits for those entering in Fall 2017 and thereafter), and 60 graduate credits for Mental Health Counseling.
A 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Successful completion of a written comprehensive examination.

Time Limit

Requirements for the master’s degrees in counseling programs must be completed within five years from the date of the candidate’s admission (exclusive of time spent in the Armed Forces). Exceptions will be made only if a student requests in writing an extension of time in advance and receives the approval of the director.

Advisement

Students in the counseling programs may meet with the program director, associate director or faculty advisor to plan his/her courses and to review the plan of study prior to course registration. Students will choose their elective courses in consultation with their advisor and in consideration of individual interest.

Application Deadlines for Internship Placement

Fall Placements	February 15
Spring Placements	October 15

A 3.0 GPA is required to register for internship placement.

Completion of at least 30 credits, including CNSL 630 , CNSL 640 , CNSL 642*, CNSL 650 , CNSL 651 , CNSL 655 , CNSL 660 , CNSL 665 , CNSL 667 , and CNSL 673 as well as Violence Prevention and Child Abuse Workshops, is required prior to registration in either of the internship courses in School Counseling. Mental Health Counseling students must also complete 614 and 654 in order to be eligible for Internship. Supervised Internship placement must be applied for the semester prior to course registration.

Note: For students who entered in Fall, 2012 and thereafter, CNSL 642 was replaced by CNSL 643 for School Counseling students and by CNSL 648 for Mental Health Counseling students.

Additional Academic Opportunities

MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING-CASAC 350-HOUR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM - STANDARDIZED CURRICULUM

CASAC-T Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor Standardized 350-Hour Education and Training Program Mercy College CASAC-T Program is an OASAS Certified Education Training Program. The courses have been approved by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), satisfying the educational requirements for state certification. With the competitive market for counselors and mental health providers, your CASAC-T Certification paves the way for both direct patient care and supervisory positions in the area of substance abuse and addiction. The intensive program at Mercy College will specifically prepare you for the five domains for CASAC preparation including assessment, counseling, case management, client, family and community education, and professional responsibility. Mercy College students receive the professional training and ethical knowledge base which will enable them to provide alcoholism and substance abuse counseling in one of the most progressive fields.

The following courses are required for completion of the CASAC-T Credential:

For Mental Health Counseling students, all of the above courses coincide with degree requirements. For Counseling (School) students, courses denoted with an asterisk *are electives.

e-Portfolio Requirement: The e-Portfolio requirement ensures that the CASAC Candidate is effectively able to practically apply the generic paradigms of counseling skills, techniques and practice to the specific provision of services to alcohol and substance abuse populations. As you examine each paradigm and discuss its application to counseling, the CASAC Candidate will be specifically required to apply their knowledge base to the provision of treatment and services to substance abusers and their families.

e-Portfolio requirements are not applicable to CNSL 678 . Students will automatically receive 45 clock hours following the completion of that course.

Graduate students who wish to obtain their CASAC-T Certification may take (but are not required to enroll in) any of the following substance abuse courses as electives. They include: CNSL 501 , CNSL 502 , and CNSL 674 .

Interested students may contact Deborah Day Aikens, Ph.D, LMSW, CASAC-G at daikens@mercy.edu or (914) 839-0252.