Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling a new Program/Degree Proposal

Uniqueness of the program

A search of CACREP accredited programs revealed that five PASSHE universities offer master’s degree programs in either community counseling or mental health counseling (these two areas were combined by CACREP in 2009 to form the clinical mental health counseling degree program). An examination of the curricular offerings of these programs showed that the currently proposed program at LHU is unique in offering the rural and military/veterans specializations. As noted earlier, these specializations are expected to fulfill high need and high demand niches in the counseling profession. Additionally, the five PASSHE universities that currently are offering accredited master’s degree programs in counseling offer very few courses via distance learning modalities. The few courses that are offered in these formats by the other PASSHE universities are potentials for collaboration. We have begun the discussion with these universities for our students to take courses to develop an individualized concentration. We have also reached out to offer our online concentration courses to these universities. LHU’s CMCP will be unique in the PASSHE system, with all courses offered online and/or through ITV. In addition, a Google search of counseling master degree programs leading to accreditation yielded only 23 online programs in the nation, with only 1 nearby in New Jersey and 2 in New York (APPENDIX D).

Enrollment projections

As noted in the section above, five PASSHE universities offer CACREP accredited master’s degree programs in either community counseling or mental health counseling. As is shown in Table 3 below, enrollment in these programs has been consistent over the past five years. The consistent enrollment in these degree programs combined with the unique and high demand aspects of the currently proposed program strengthens the contention that the proposed program will be viable and sustainable over time.
Table 3. Combined full time and part time enrollment in PASSHE institutions in CACREP accredited master’ counseling programs

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Slippery Rock University	14	22	18	22	23
Shippensburg University	53	50	51	39	unavailable
Indiana University	97	91	79	84	74
Edinboro University	51	54	47	57	58
California University	31	29	35	23	32

Source: University websites and personal communications with directors of institutional research
Based on enrollment data from these comparable programs in the PASSHE, anticipated resources at Lock Haven University, and interest in the program based on survey data, it is estimated that approximately 20 full-time and 10 part-time students can be enrolled in the first year of the program. Assuming regular progress through the program and 90% retention rate back filled with transfers, it is anticipated that approximately 60 graduate student FTE’s will be generated by the 4^th year of the program and every year thereafter ( see Budget, page 29).

Academic Integrity

1. Program structure and administration

The MS in CHMC program will be administered and overseen by a core faculty member designated as the academic unit leader or program administrator. The program will be housed in the Department of Academic Development and Counseling. The program administrator will: a) be responsible for the overall coordination of the program; b) receive and respond to inquiries regarding the overall academic unit; c) make recommendations regarding the development of and expenditures from the budget; and d) provide or delegate year-round leadership to the operation of the program. As required by CACREP, the program administrator/director will receive 3 credits of release time each semester.
In addition to a faculty member who serves as the program administrator/director, there will also be a faculty member designated as the practicum and internship coordinator, as required in CACREP standards. The practicum and internship coordinator will be responsible for the coordination of all practicum and internship experiences and also serve as the person to whom inquiries regarding practicum and internship experiences are referred. As required by CACREP (by 2013), there will be three full-time core faculty members with formal degrees in counselor education designated for the CHMC program (Appendix C).
It is proposed that two standing committees be formed upon the startup of the program. An accreditation committee will be charged with preparing the program to be ready to apply for and achieve CACREP accreditation at the earliest opportunity. An assessment committee will be charged with compiling and reviewing assessment data regarding program outcomes and student learning outcomes and making suggestions for program improvement based on assessment data. In addition, an advisory board consisting of local agency representatives from the Veteran Centers, Rural Mental Health centers and community counselors will be developed upon approval of the program.
The program will utilize both core (full time appointments within the program) and non-core (i.e., adjunct, affiliate, clinical) faculty members. Per CACREP standards, the number of credit hours delivered by non-core faculty may not exceed the number of credit hours delivered by core faculty in any calendar year. The ratio of student FTE to faculty FTE will remain at 10:1 or below.
All students will be assigned a faculty advisor upon matriculation into the program. The advisor will help the student develop their plan of study and oversee the student’s progress through the program, taking into account the student’s academic performance, professional development, and personal development.
Clerical assistance that is sufficient to support the activities of the faculty and that is commensurate with that of other PASSHE graduate programs will be sought out. The responsibilities of the person(s) will be developed by the program administrator in consultation with CHMC colleagues and university administration.

2.