Department of Graduate Counseling

Burton, Cornett, Cowell, Dinger, C. Hall, Hull (department chair), Lampton, Phillips, Reddick, and Satterlee

(SYMBOL: CNL)

Mission

The Department of Graduate Counseling provides Christ-centered counselor training that promotes personal development, academic excellence, and clinical competency.

Purpose

The Department of Graduate Counseling prepares program graduates for professional counseling practice in community mental health agencies, inpatient and outpatient hospital settings, residential treatment programs, private and non-profit practices, human and social services, marriage and family counseling ministries, school-based mental health programs, and wilderness/adventure settings.

Professional Licensure

The Department of Graduate Counseling programs are designed to meet educational requirements for professional licensure (Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist) in the state of Arkansas. All students must understand from the beginning of their training, however, that becoming informed about, applying for, and obtaining a professional license or certificate outside of the state of Arkansas is solely the responsibility of the student with the assistance of faculty and staff.

Assessment

The Department of Graduate Counseling formally assesses student knowledge (academic), skills (competency), and dispositions (personal development) as part of a process designed to provide formative feedback to students and summative feedback used to evaluate the counseling programs. The assessment process is part of on-going quality improvement efforts designed to meet the accreditation requirements set by the Higher Learning Commission mandating that all university degree-programs measure student learning outcomes.

Gatekeeping the Counseling Profession

Based on the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics (section F.6.b) the Department of Graduate Counseling has a system of five “gates” where students are formally evaluated and given formative feedback on their performance as counselors-in-training. Aggregate data for each gate is used to evaluate program strengths and areas of improvement.

Formal gatekeeping assessments occur at the following five gates:

Admissions

Completion of 12 credit hours of graduate counseling course work

Prior to entry into Practicum

Prior to entry into Internship

Final semester of the program prior to graduation

The Department of Graduate Counseling has formal Professional Development and Gatekeeping policies (including dismissal policy) for students who demonstrate a notable area of concern, deficiency, or impairment that may interfere with the duties associated with delivery of counseling services. All program policies can be found in the Graduate School Catalog or Department of Graduate Counseling Handbook .

Background Check

A background check is NOT required for admissions in to the Department of Graduate Counseling program. However, students in the graduate counseling program will have to pass a background check prior to being eligible for clinical work in Practicum/Internship or obtaining professional licensure. Each state has formally adopted a list of criminal offenses, which substantially relate to the practice of behavioral health counseling and pose a reasonable threat to the public or others working in the same occupation. Each state’s licensing board is authorized to deny the application of any person with a conviction of any of these offenses. See “Licensing restrictions based on criminal records” (Arkansas Senate Bill 451; 17-2-102)

Comprehensive Exam

As part of the program review process, the Department of Graduate Counseling is required to assess students’ acquisition of foundational knowledge for the profession. Students will be required to pass the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) based on criteria adopted by the Department of Graduate Counseling in order to be eligible for graduation from the counseling program. For more information on the CPCE please contact the Department of Graduate Counseling office.

Clinical Hours

All graduate counseling students will be required to complete a specified number of supervised clinical hours working with real clients in order to be eligible for graduation from the counseling program. Students who do not meet the requisite number of required hours in a clinical course may need to re-take that course until clinical hour totals are satisfied.