MHS, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Mission & Goals

The mission of the MHS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is:

• to provide a curriculum that allows students to acquire competencies, skills, and techniques in clinical mental health counseling;
• to develop a rich culture of research and scholarship to promote the application of evidence-based practices;
• to equip students with the ability to utilize critical thinking and decision making to address clinical needs;
• to prepare students to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to interact with a diverse, multicultural, and global society.

Aligning with the CACREP standards, the following specific learning outcomes are identified: 

1. Students will identify and experience opportunities while participating in the program that instill the four core tenets of Catawba, including scholarship, character, culture, and service.
2. Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for client assessment, diagnosis, case conceptualization, and treatment planning for diverse client populations.
3. Students will develop an eclectic range of therapeutic skills and techniques to implement with a diverse client population
4. Students will acquire the knowledge and understanding to practice counseling ethically. 

Catawba College Clinical Mental Health Counseling Diversity Statement  

Catawba College’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program is committed to creating an atmosphere of integrity, trust, and safety. We affirm the value of diversity and are committed to an ongoing effort to actively combat racism, bigotry, and other forms of discrimination in our program and through the education we provide. We strive to be a multicultural community that includes individuals of various ancestral, racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; ages; gender identities; affectional orientations; physical and mental abilities; national origins; as well as individuals with varying trauma histories and life experiences.  Our program appreciates that identity is intersectional and that diversity extends beyond this incomplete list of categories.   

We are committed to advocating for social justice, challenging stereotypes, thoroughly processing power and privilege, and promoting self-reflection and critical thinking skills. Additionally, we expect students, faculty, supervisors, and other stakeholders to demonstrate a genuine desire to examine their preexisting prejudices, assumptions, and biases, meeting the standards of the counseling profession and enabling each individual to work effectively and ethically with all clientele.   

Catawba’s CMHC program’s efforts to continuously promote and maintain diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensures that our students and faculty abide by the College’s mission of Scholarship, Character, Culture, and Service.  

Students begin their coursework in the fall with a maximum class size of 18. A typical course outline includes:

CMHC COURSE SEQUENCING

The MHS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program at Catawba College prepares graduates for successfully acquiring provisional licensure in counseling in North Carolina, as well as other states with equivalent standards. Graduates in North Carolina, upon passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE), can apply to the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC) and become Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associates (LCMHCA). 

Students completing the NCE exam are also qualified for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential, which is governed by the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). This allows graduates to become dual credentialed in professional counseling to increase marketability, but also demonstrate greater competency in the field of clinical mental health counseling. This provisional license allows counselors to begin professional practice in a variety of counseling settings while continuing to receive consistent clinical supervision. Per current North Carolina law, provisionally licensed counselors require 3,000 supervised hours before they apply for full licensure and become Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (LCMHC). Details pertaining to North Carolina counseling licensure, including reciprocity information for outside of North Carolina, can be found on their website.

Students in the CMHC program at Catawba College are prepared for the national qualifying examination, not only through the completion of the coursework specifically aimed at the educational domains evaluated within the examination, but through individualized advising and directed feedback throughout the program to maximize a student’s full potential on the examination. Upon completion of the academic program, students will be prepared not only for the qualifying examination, but for the clinical world as well. Through innovative teaching, comprehensive evaluations, personalized advising, and experiential learning, students within the CMHC program are equipped for the next steps towards a career in clinical mental health counseling.

The MHS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). As a newer program, the CMHC program acquired initial accreditation in August 2023. As a result, the CMHC program aligns with CACREP’s 2016 Standards, including 87 educational standards within the eight core domains, as well as programmatic, departmental, and institutional requirements. Additional information pertaining to CACREP and counseling program accreditation can found on their website. Per CACREP standards, an Annual Report must be provided to reflect the findings from the required annual program evaluation conducted on the CMHC program at Catawba College. Access the Annual Report below:

• Annual Report 2022-2023
• Annual Report 2021-2022
• Annual Report 2020-2021

A summary of the Vital Statistics, which is included in the Annual Report, must also be provided per CACREP standards. Access the Vital Statistics summary below:

• Vital Statistics 2022-2023
• Vital Statistics 2021-2022
• Vital Statistics 2020-2021

The admission requirements to the Master of Health Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program include: 

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
2. Submission of a Catawba College published graduate application
3. Submission of official transcripts from each college or university attended
4. Presentation of a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale within coursework resulting in an undergraduate degree earned from an accredited institution prior to enrollment
5. Two letters of recommendation
6. A minimum 500 word essay describing your desire to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Catawba College, including your interest in the counseling profession, reasons for choosing Catawba college, and your vision for serving culturally diverse individuals