Program Coordinator/Contact
Alan Davis, Professor
Department of Counseling and Human Development
E-mail: alan.davis@sdstate.edu
Program Information
The Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Specialization is dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of counselors and programs of service to people with disabilities. Educational experiences will aim to prepare qualified rehabilitation counselors, increase knowledge in the field of rehabilitation, and to apply knowledge to the growing effectiveness of rehabilitation professionals and service delivery systems. In alliance with students, agencies, consumers, and professional organizations, the specialty area will promote the independence, acceptance, and dignity of all people with significant disabilities.
Students who successfully complete this 48-credit hour specialization will earn a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Resource Development specializing in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling. Upon successful completion of the core requirements, and those of the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling emphasis, and with successful completion of the comprehensive written and oral examinations, graduates are endorsed as having constructed appropriate entry level knowledge and as having met appropriate skill acquisition to be recognized as professional rehabilitation and mental health counselors. Students in this emphasis are also responsible for having taken supporting area courses which supplement or enhance their chosen specialty.
Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure
Standards and Accreditations
The Master of Education specialization in Administration of Student Affairs meets the guidelines of the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).
The Master of Science in CHRD specializing in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and College Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
The Master of Science in CHRD specializing in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE).
Certification
All Master of Science students are eligible to begin the process for the National Certified Counselor certification by taking the NCE six months before or after they graduate.
Students specializing in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling are eligible to begin the process for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor certification by taking the CRC exam after a student has completed 75% of coursework or after graduation.
The School Counseling specialization prepares students for endorsement/certification in the state of South Dakota. Students are responsible for researching school counseling certification requirements for any state in which they wish to practice.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization is designed to meet the requirements of the South Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners. Graduates of this specialization are eligible for certification as a Counselor Associate under South Dakota Codified Law, 36-32-14. Once graduates complete an approved plan for the remainder of the supervised clinical experience, they are eligible for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor – Mental Health (LPC-MH).
Licensure
Graduation from this program does not grant immediate licensure as a counselor. Licensure differs by state and is obtainable by completing additional client contact hours after graduation. Students are responsible for researching licensure requirements for the state in which they plan to practice.
Program Objectives
- meet the growing needs and diverse challenges of consumers with physical and psychiatric disabilities; prepare qualified counselors for careers with federal, state, and private agencies;
- meet anticipated work force needs in the growing rehabilitation and mental health counseling field; and
- provide field experience and internships to develop professional counseling skills.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course requirements for a MS in CHRD specializing in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, students will:
- acquire a sound, basic education in rehabilitation;
- develop the lifelong habit of updating skills and professionalism;
- develop a commitment to assist individuals with disabilities in using their own resources and opportunities to meet their developmental, vocational, and educational needs;
- nourish a commitment to individual human values;
- exercise skills and competencies on a high ethical level and with personal integrity;
- maintain a critical, questioning, and exploratory attitude; and
- contribute to the profession by offering suggestions to educators and researchers with the overall goal of improving practice in the rehabilitation profession in general and in the specific area of professional application. Students should also be personally committed to the field of rehabilitation who can provide effective services to individuals with disabilities, including individuals with severe disabilities.
- Students are encouraged to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field of rehabilitation through research and the demonstrated application of significant findings.
Course Delivery Format
Instruction occurs through didactic (classroom) and clinical experience. Most classes are enhanced with internet supplement. Rehabilitation counseling specific courses are on a semester rotation for online delivery. Classes are scheduled for one day per week for three hours. All courses are available at the University Center-Rapid City except for rehabilitation-specific courses. The Rehabilitation Counseling specialization is not available at the University Center-Rapid City. A few courses are available at the University Center-Sioux Falls; CHRD does not offer a degree program at the University Center in Sioux Falls.
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