Counseling &

Human Development Services

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310 White Hall

Kent State University

P.O. Box 5190

Kent State University

Kent, Ohio 44242-0001

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Phone: (330) 672-2662

FAX: (330) 672-2472

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Last Modified: 9/2008

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MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The mission, intent and purpose of the Community Counseling program at Kent State University is to prepare students for employment as counselors in community-based human service agencies (e.g., substance abuse facilities, mental health centers, child and family service agencies, etc.) as well as private counseling facilities. The Community Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and is approved by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board (CSW&MFTB). Broad objectives of the program include the following:

• Students will have a curricular experience and demonstrated knowledge in: 1) professional identity; 2) social and cultural diversity; 3) human growth and development; 4) career development; 5) helping relationships; 6) group work; 7) assessment; and 8) research and program evaluation.

• Students will obtain supervised counseling experience in clinical situations diagnosing and treating mental and emotional disorders.

• Students will gain curricular experiences and demonstrate knowledge and skills in the foundations of community counseling. For example:

• history and philosophy of community counseling;

• role, function, and professional identity of community counselors;

• policies, laws, legislation, recognition, reimbursement, right-to-practice, and other issues relevant to community counseling;

• issues of diversity in community counseling; and

• ethical and legal considerations specifically related to community counseling.

• Students will gain curricular experiences in the contextual dimensions of community: For example:

• the relationships between counselors and other professionals in various practice settings;

• organizational, fiscal, and legal dimensions of various settings in which community counselors practice;

• strategies for community needs assessment to design, implement, and evaluate community counseling interventions, programs, and systems; and

• general principles of community intervention, consultation, education, and outreach, and characteristics of human services programs and networks.

• Students will gain curricular experiences in the knowledge and skill requirements for community counselors: For example:

• characteristics of clients served by community counselors;

• models and methods of program development;

• strategies for client advocacy including the promotion of client understanding of and access to community resources;

• principles and models of client assessment, diagnosis, and case conceptualization;

• knowledge of the principles of diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic tools;

• effective strategies for client advocacy in public policy and other matters of equity and accessibility; and

• application of appropriate client treatment planning modalities as conceptualized and implemented by community counselors.

• Students will also meet the academic components required by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board to be eligible to sit for the Ohio Professional Counselor Licensure Examination (PCLE). Note: in Ohio, the PCLE is the examination that is necessary to earn the Professional Counselor (PC) license and eventually the Professional Clinical Counselor (PCC) license.

COMMUNITY COUNSELING CURRICULUM

The Community Counseling curriculum prepares individuals for beginning employment in institutions of higher education and community-based human service agencies. The Master's of Education (M.Ed.) degree may be earned with a minimum of 60 semester hours of successful graduate work in specified courses.

CHARACTERISTICS OF STUDENTS ADMITTED IN COMMUNITY COUNSELING

EMPLOYMENT OF GRADUATES

Graduates of the Community Counseling master’s degree program have held a number of positions, and an illustration of employment sites of graduates follows:

• Akron Child Guidance Center, Akron, Ohio

• Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, Ohio

• Akron Drug Board, Akron, Ohio

• Canton Family Services, Canton, Ohio

• Center for Psychological Health, Kent, Ohio

• Coleman Professional Services, Kent, Ohio

• Crossroads - Lake County Child and Adolescent Counseling Center

• Cuyahoga County Board of MRDD & Recovery Services, Cleveland, Ohio

• Department of Human Services, Ravenna, Ohio

• Family Services, Dayton, Ohio

• Family Service Center, Chicago, Illinois

• Family Solutions, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

• Granby Jr. / Sr. High School, Granby, MA

• Hastings Youth Academy, St. Augistine, FL

• Kent State University, Kent, Ohio

• Northeast Community Mental Health Center, Cleveland, Ohio

• Parmadale Residential Services, Parma, Ohio

• Portage Children’s Center, Ravenna, Ohio

• Portage Path Mental Health Center, Akron, Ohio

• Ravenswood Mental Health Center, Geauga County, Ohio

• Robinson Memorial Hospital, Ravenna, Ohio

• Safer Futures, Kent, Ohio

• Summit Psychological Associates, Inc., Akron, Ohio

• Todd Children’s Hospital, Warren, Ohio

• Townhall II, Kent, Ohio

Results of evaluations of the Community Counseling program are contained in the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) Self Study. A copy of this Self Study is available through the secretary in room 310 of White Hall for review.