M.S., Counseling and Human Development

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration

The clinical mental health counseling concentration in Radford University’s Department of Counselor Education prepares emerging counselors through an experiential, contextual, and systemic curriculum, infused with foundational and current counseling-related research, counseling and human development needs of clients from diverse backgrounds and culturally diverse populations, and clinical and outreach activities.

The program helps students develop a strong counselor professional identity through ethical and competent practice as well as expanding self-awareness. Students serve as professional mental health counselors who practice in community agencies and other clinical mental health settings.

OBJECTIVES

Students preparing to work as clinical mental health counselors through our program will gain the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to address a wide variety of circumstances within the clinical mental health counseling context. Our program provides these foundations through the following objectives to:

  • Recruit qualified applicants ensuring equal consideration of candidates from diverse and underrepresented populations, (e.g., racial, ethnic, sexual, disabled, economic minorities, etc.);
  • Provide experiences that inform and facilitate professional identity through personal and professional growth;
  • Teach the effective application of legal and ethical standards specific to clinical mental health counseling practice;
  • Assist students in developing multicultural counseling competencies (e.g., awareness, knowledge, and skills) to meet the needs of a pluralistic society;
  • Teach the core counseling skills and strategies that are foundational to clinical mental health counseling;
  • Contribute to the clinical mental health counseling profession through professional engagement (e.g., membership in professional organizations, participation in conferences, participation in advocacy and social justice initiatives);
  • Provide students information and support in the licensure process;
  • Provide connections to mental health and other relevant community partners
  • Support students in their identification of appropriate post-graduate employment opportunities;
  • Maintain CACREP accreditation standards specific to clinical mental health counseling; and
  • Evaluate the clinical mental health counseling concentration through recommendations from program faculty, current and former students, advisory board, and additional stakeholders; and through the analysis of critical data derived from student learning outcomes.

School Counseling Concentration

The mission of the master's program in school counseling is to prepare highly trained and competent school counselors to effectively serve the K-12 population by assuming leadership and advocacy roles to promote the development for all students, including those from diverse backgrounds and culturally diverse populations.

OBJECTIVES

The school counseling program is designed to prepare knowledgeable and competent professional school counselors who:

  • Become aware of and understand the professional school counseling standards in the state of Virginia and in the nation;
  • Learn the role, function, and professional identity of the school counselor as proscribed by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and how it relates to other professional roles in public education;
  • Learn how to develop specific strategies to implement a comprehensive school counseling program, the ASCA National Model, and the ASCA standards to enhance the academic, social/emotional, and career experiences of all students;
  • Identify current issues, legal and ethical standards (ACA and ASCA), policies, and laws relevant to school counseling in the state of Virginia and in the nation;
  • Develop knowledge and understanding of community, environmental, and institutional practices which support students’ academic, social/emotional, and career development;
  • Become aware of and understand the specific needs of diverse populations in school communities;
  • Develop knowledge and application of emerging technology in education and school counseling to assist students’ data collection, program evaluation, and use for further school counseling program development;
  • Know how to apply for licensure as a professional school counselor in the state of Virginia.