Clinical Mental Health Counseling Student Handbook

The CMHC mission is to inspire future mental health counselors who are passionate about pursuing the highest standard of clinical practice with cultural fluency. Our program uses applied learning, service learning, and community partnerships to enhance the extensive clinical training aspect of our program and prepares students to operate seamlessly amid the diverse cultures of a community (Mission until 2025).

Our program goal is to provide students with the self-awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to function as clinical counselors in a variety of settings. The O*NET employment outlook for Clinical Mental Health Counseling is deemed a bright outlook. Alumni from our program work in a variety of settings: Hospitals, community, and social service agencies, in- and out-patient mental health and residential treatment facilities, chemical dependency treatment centers, crisis counseling settings, penal systems, private practice, and educational institutions. The program faculty will work to address the following goals for students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program:

• Fluency in multicultural competencies and cultural identity development.
• Guidance in developing a counseling theoretical identity that serves to guide one’s work.
• Proficiency in evidence-based clinical practices.
• Effective delivery of counseling services and skills in diverse clinical settings to a broad range of clientele (individual, group, family, couples) across the lifespan.
• Active engagement in self-reflective practice (self of therapist) and commitment to life-long learning.
• Social justice advocacy from a global context.

The CMHC program objective is to prepare you to work as a professional clinical mental health counselor with individuals, families, couples, groups, and organizations. We are constantly striving to provide students with the competencies necessary to work effectively in a diverse and dynamic society. We take pride in what we do and overall, we believe that we have an excellent program with dedicated faculty, committed students, and actively involved alumni.

CMHC faculty challenge and supports students enrolled in the graduate program to develop as a self-reflective practitioners by means of developing the following as professional goals: An ethically and culturally responsive informed professional identity; a disciplined professional curiosity about optimal health and wellness in human performance, human possibility and human relating; a committed path of how to practice from an evidence based lens, confidence in the process and practice of group work, well versed in trauma informed practice; and an efficacious commitment to social justice through professional service and advocacy.

A Disciplined Professional Curiosity

Students and faculty are challenged to ask far-reaching questions. Students and faculty are expected to utilize professional research to aid them in their search for trustworthy answers to their questions (i.e. evidence-based practice).

Students are expected to construct their own ethically informed philosophical/theoretical orientation to the helping process by utilizing the various theoretical, research, and practice resources available and articulating an ethical justification for their choices.

Students and faculty are expected to create new knowledge and model efficacious practices. Students and faculty are expected to disseminate their knowledge to all interested parties to enhance efficacious practices that enrich the quality of life for all.

Students and faculty are expected to dedicate themselves to continuous personal and professional development through life-long learning.

An Efficacious Commitment to Professional Service through Advocacy and Social Justice

Students and faculty are expected to respect and enhance the worth, dignity, equality, and positive development of all people within their communities of engagement.

Students and faculty are expected to give compassionate and competent ethically and culturally responsive professional service that promotes mental health and human potential.

Students and faculty are expected to promote equal educational, employment, and selfdevelopment opportunities for all people, including ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, women, older persons, and persons with varied ability levels.

Students and faculty are expected to commit themselves to improving the quality of life in the world community as well as in the immediate communities in which they live.

Students and faculty are expected to provide leadership that enhances professional efficacy and inspires public trust.

Students and faculty are expected to be accountable to the profession, to the public, and each other.

The CMHC program is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The CMHC program at St. Cloud State University is the only accredited graduate program to fully incorporate the Integrative Course Design (ICD) pedagogical model that guides student learning from a Taxonomoy of Significant Learning and Team-Based Learning approach throughout the entire curriculum.

The Key Components of Integrated Course Design incorporate Learning Goals, Teaching and Learning Activities, and Feedback and Assessment with Situational Factors continuously at play.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master of Science (M.S.)

The purpose of this program is to educate individuals to work as clinical mental health counselors. This program permits students to complete a degree with an emphasis in clinical mental health counseling. Students may apply for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC; under BBHT guidelines) upon graduation, or a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC; under BBHT guidelines). Graduates of the CMHC program who wish to practice in another U.S. state or country may require additional eligibility criteria to qualify for licensure and/or certification in those locations. We are unable to confirm the licensure and/or certification requirements of other states or countries. Therefore, if you intend to pursue such credentialing in another state or elsewhere, it is advised that you contact the applicable state or country credentialing authority to familiarize yourself with its specific requirements and determine if this program meets the applicable eligibility criteria.

View Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy (BBHT) guidelines

Academic Programs of Concentration and CMHC Program

The CMHC program is one of several graduate counseling programs within the Department of Behavioral Health and Counseling. Each program has a unique identifier code for each course in students' degree map. Follow the four-letter rubric or program identifier code designated in your degree map for registration. The office manager will provide all necessary codes for you to enroll and space in course(s) is/are allocated for you in compliance with your degree map on file (3, 4, 5 or 6 year). You degree map will be indicated on your program of study. Failure to follow the assigned degree map will automatically place you in non-compliance with the graduate contract and you will have 10 days to meet with your advisor to modify and update your degree map. If you do not meet within the 10 days, your CMHC advisor will submit a PT degree map on your behalf. See the current degree maps located on the CMHC course homepage and/or the SCSU University Catalog.

Student Enrollment Status

Full-time Status (3-year Degree Map)

The university, including the Financial Aids Office and Graduate Office, views graduate students who have eight or more credits per semester as being “full-time”. However, in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, Full-time Status will be those students who are on a 3-year degree map. The approval of the graduate dean and your adviser is necessary to take more than the maximum full time credit load.

Part-time Status (4-, 5- and 6-year Degree Map)

The program accepts limited part-time Graduate students. Graduate who have fewer than six credits per semester are part-time by the university. Students can work with their advisor at any time to adjust their status.

Seeking additional coursework to meet LPC/LPCC licensure

The CMHC program faculty cannot advise coursework for alumni or outside students seeking coursework for licensure. The BBHT for the state of MN requires all inquiries to go through their application process. While we do regularly have community members taking such courses, the advisement for licensure purposes is at the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapies.

Visit our Faculty and Staff page for contact information

In order to best utilize technology as a means for informing members, the CMHC Program maintains a website. Contained within this page are resources relevant to admissions, enrollment (including all forms and paperwork), graduation, and professional development. This page is designed to be a virtual community for students, staff, faculty, and alumni. Students are encouraged to not only consult this page for information but to contribute to its dynamic flavor.

You may e-mail the CMHC program director with current news, announcements of contributions to the profession such as publications and presentations, photographs from CMHC program events, and alumni news following graduation. Contact the CMHC program director if you notice dead links or have suggestions for improvements.

The administrative offices are in Riverview. The program director and clinical coordinator are located in Brown Hall, nursing suite 202. Other faculty are located in Riverview. The Dean’s office is located in Brown Hall. All faculty members, including adjunct faculty, in the CMHC program receive mail through the administrative office in Riverview.

We have multiple classrooms and laboratory rooms that are used for academic meetings and other official functions of the program. Please see the office manager or administrative staff to reserve conference and meeting space. See administrative staff for technical instructions and assistance with all laboratory equipment and/or contact HuskyTech support.

There are four possible academic ranks for full-time, tenure-accruing teaching faculty at St. Cloud State University. In order of progression, they are: Probationary Assistant Professor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and Tenured Professor. Additionally, there are non-tenure career lines at the University, including but not limited to, adjunct faculty or fixed term faculty. All core faculty members in the CMHC program hold the academic rank of Probationary Assistant professor, and tenured professor. Faculty assignments are based on each faculty member's professional experiences, expertise, interests, and/or academic preparation, not their academic rank and are rotated every 3-5 years to provide time for course review. Promotion within the academic ranks, both tenure- and non-tenure accruing, is based on peer and administrative evaluations of the faculty member's performance in the program, school, college, and university in the areas of teaching, research, and service.

A faculty member's academic standing refers to the person's eligibility to teach graduate courses and to serve on graduate student supervisory committees at St. Cloud State University. This policy is new to SCSU and you can find materials located within the school of graduate studies regarding this designation.

Meet our faculty and view contact information

Required Orientation(s)

All new students (both full-time and part-time) must attend three Fall orientation meetings (Graduate school orientation (Synchronous Online Orientation), Clinical Mental Health program orientation, and Clinical experiences orientation). Important information about the graduate program is presented at these meetings. Also, there is time for students to ask questions. Equally important, the meeting provides an opportunity for the students to meet and socialize with each other and the faculty.

With sustainability in mind, each student will be e-mailed a link to the Graduate Handbook for Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Handbook for Clinical Experiences once admitted. Students are to review this handbook and sign the electronic Informed Consent Agreement.

ID Number

This 8 digit identifier ws included in your admission letter from graduate studies. It’s used to create your Star ID. You can also look it up through E-services.

HuskyNet Accounts/Email

If students don’t already have an SCSU email address, they should apply for a HuskyNet account and an e-mail address before the start of their first semester. Learn more about email access. It is the expectation of the program that you will check your e-mail daily, Monday – Friday. You are required to read and/or respond to all relevant program information that is sent to you via e-mail (Monday–Friday), as e-mail is the official communication method for SCSU. The CMHC program is required to maintain an alternative e-mail address for you. To comply with CACREP, we need to contact our alumni annually for information regarding their current employment and program feedback. The CMHC program director sends a weekly e-mail Message Monday to provide information regarding program changes, upcoming training opportunities, scholarship opportunities, etc. The CMHC program co-constructed the Message Monday email with CMHC students to bring program messaging to students in a consistent manner. (gratitude to Julian Gallego and Carlos Lops, class of 2022/23 for their efforts and Kyrsten Harper, Class of 2025).

HuskyID Card

The card is a standardized and convenient form of identification with the ability to function as a key access to a variety of University systems and services. The SCSU ID is an official ID card and is required for all students, faculty, and staff. The student’s card lists their ID number.

Degree Maps

All CMHC students are required to take the same courses throughout the program to graduate. The program has created the degree map to serve as a guided pathway document that students can review on their terms to have a better idea of what classes they can be expected to enroll in every semester. Students are encouraged to review the guided pathway throughout their time in the program as it will ensure that students are staying on track to graduate.

View the degree map in the University Catalog

School of Graduate Studies

An excellent SCSU resource for new graduate students to look into is the School of Graduate Studies website. Here, students can visit the Getting Started page where they can learn more about orientation and social events, international graduate student resources, and additional support with class registration and graduate assistantships. New graduate students should also regularly check their student emails to receive additional information about the School of Graduate Studies and graduate student support.

Graduate Clinical Counseling Association (GCCA)

The purpose of this organization shall be to promote professional development, research and scholarship, and leadership and excellence in counseling within the field of clinical mental health counseling. Members of this organization will be encouraged to attend professional conferences within the field of counseling. In addition, we will serve to provide mentorship to graduate students who have been newly accepted to our program to bridge the gap of professional involvement between first- and second-year graduate students.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tina M Sacin Advisor

Chi Sigma Iota: Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society International

CSI is an international honor society for counseling students and professionals. Its mission: “Our mission is to promote scholarship, research, professionalism, leadership, advocacy, and excellence in counseling, and to recognize high attainment in the pursuit of academic and clinical excellence in the profession of counseling.” (CSI 2018). At St. Cloud State University, we have our chapter of CSI, known as the Rho Alpha Delta chapter of CSI dedicated to promoting the mission of CSI within our graduate counseling programs. If you are a graduate counseling student, we encourage you to consider joining.

Faculty Advisors: Bill Lepkowski

CSI Eligibility to join

“Membership in Chi Sigma Iota, as specified in the CSI Bylaws, is by chapter invitation to both students and graduates of the chapters' counselor education programs. Students must have completed at least one semester of full-time graduate coursework in a counselor education degree program, have earned a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 system, and be recommended for membership by the chapter, including promise for a capacity to represent the best about professional counseling through appropriate professional behavior, ethical judgment, emotional maturity, and attitudes conducive to working to advocate for wellness and human dignity for all. Faculty and alumni of the program shall have met the overall G.P.A. requirement as graduates of a counselor education program and be recommended to CSI by the chapter. The primary identity of these persons shall be as professional counselors, including evidence of a state or national credential as a professional counselor.” (CSI 2018).

The CMHC program is established to prepare graduates to enter the profession of a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. The term profession in this context means an occupation or career for which there is a known body of knowledge, both theoretical and research-based, and to which there is an identified set of appropriate skills and a set of behavioral standards adhered to by members of the profession.

When admitted to the CMHC program, students are engaged in a professional preparation curriculum. Therefore, upon admission, the program faculty accepts students as professionals and expects them to act per the highest professional standards.

The most common manifestation of professionalism is adherence to professional ethical standards (ACA, CACREP, & ASGW). The program faculty members expect you to be knowledgeable of these standards and to act following them. However, professionalism encompasses much more than just adherence to ethical and/or other written standards. It includes appropriate and effective manners of interacting with people; personal conduct and selfpresentation; and respect for people, property, and processes.

Some of the more subtle aspects of professionalism, both in and out of the CMHC program, are addressed in this handbook. However, it is not possible to convey in this handbook all the aspects of professionalism pertinent to the various professions reflected in this program.

As a basic guideline, if a student has any concern about appropriate professional behavior for oneself or others, the student should contact immediately her/his faculty advisor. If the student is unable to contact her/his faculty advisor, or if the faculty advisor is not the appropriate contact person for the situation, the student should contact the CMHC program director, or another faculty member if the CMHC program director is unavailable. The student should not rely on the opinions of student peers, hesitate to contact a faculty member or feel forced to evaluate the situation on his/her own. Students can also submit the concern for student form. This is anonymous and alerts the faculty that there is a potential student concern.

The CMHC program is complex along several dimensions, including the numbers of students, multiple faculty members, and student matriculation requirements. Both formal and informal procedures are in operation in a complex organizational structure. For the CMHC program to operate efficiently and effectively, both the formal and informal procedures must function smoothly. The formal procedures are outlined throughout this handbook. The purpose of this section is to provide some guidelines about activities or subjects not addressed in other sections as a mentoring tool for students’ professional development.

The student is primarily responsible for effective progression through the program. Students should not assume that the university, program, college/dean's office, faculty members, staff, or their faculty advisor will take sole responsibility for making sure students get through the program. Students should read and review this handbook often throughout their program when they have questions or concerns about a policy, requirement, or procedure.

If a student, after reviewing the handbook, is unable to determine an effective response to a question or concern, she/he should contact his/her faculty advisor or the CMHC program director. If the faculty advisor/program director is not able to provide an effective response to the question or concern, the advisor should contact the department chairperson. This line of communication is essential to the effective operation of the program for several reasons.

• First, it is important to establish a professional relationship with your CMHC faculty advisor.
• Second, the CMHC Program Director is not able to be an advisor to all the students in the program.
• Third, the faculty advisor must know what the student is doing. Bypassing the faculty advisor is likely to cause future difficulties for the student. It is also disrespectful to the faculty advisor.
• Fourth, when the faculty advisor determines the appropriate response to the question or concern, the advisor can use the information for other advisees; thus, this is a parsimonious method of conveying information to students in the program.

Students need to understand that faculty members have many professional responsibilities other than teaching. And, while our work with students is the highlight of our profession, students need to become aware of all faculty responsibilities. Furthermore, these other responsibilities can consume large amounts of time and, therefore, it is sometimes difficult to schedule time with faculty members outside of their office hours. All CMHC faculty members are required to establish, advertise, and keep at least 10 office hours per week. These office hours will be listed each semester on your course syllabi. Faculty members may be contacted during their office hours.

What is an office hour?

Drop-in hours are times when students can meet with their instructors or advisors to discuss the material being discovered in class, questions or concerns they might have, and other related issues. In general, drop-in hours will be relatively unstructured. There is a myth that office hours are only for students who are performing below the grade requirement, for those who are working as a GA, or for those who are interested in doctoral programs. While these are all effective uses of the drop-in time with your faculty, they can also be for co-working time, a consultation, continuing a conversation from class, or for a coffee break. While you might see your professor or advisor working on their computer, please know that it is ok to interrupt us. Faculty use the time to prepare for class, grade, or respond to their email during that time (Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning).

Students are encouraged to ask faculty members what means of communication are most effective and preferred (i.e., email, phone, personal visit, scheduled appointment). When leaving a message for faculty, state your name, the date of your message, and how you may be contacted, such as your email address, phone numbers, and hours when you can be reached. Provide your contact information and leave a brief statement of your reason for the contact. Students are encouraged to practice professional e-mail communication. This means communicating in a clear, concise manner; communicating for yourself and not “on behalf” of the cohort, and with any/all required information necessary. For example, your student ID, appropriate subject heading to the concern, and marked urgent if attention is needed urgently.

Each faculty member in the program holds a doctoral degree and therefore merits being addressed as Dr. (name). However, individual faculty members have individual preferences for the use, or non-use, of the title "Dr.” It is appropriate for students to ask individual faculty members how they prefer to be addressed. However, as a matter of professional courtesy, nonuse of the title “Dr.” is appropriate only in individual, one-on-one situations. When other faculty members, staff, or students are present during your interaction with a faculty member, it is appropriate to use the title “Dr.”

The program telephones and materials (e.g., letterhead, envelopes, and other office supplies) are not available for use by students. Students must have direct authorization from a faculty member to use these materials. Students are permitted to use office telephones only in cases of medical emergency.

Program administrative staff members are prohibited from dispensing certain types of information. To protect students’ rights, privacy, and safety, administrative staff members are prohibited from disclosing information about students. Additionally, staff members will not disseminate faculty personal phone numbers or contact information. Being called at home or on a personal cell phone is a matter of individual choice among faculty members. Students should inquire of individual faculty members about their preferences for calls/text messages on their cell phones.

If students call or visit the program office to request information presented in this handbook or information that is prohibited from dissemination by the policies in this handbook, the staff, including administration and faculty, will advise them respectfully to consult this handbook and advisor. Students should not take this as an affront to their integrity as a person or as a professional; program staff members have been instructed to respond this way.

Although the underlying processes are sometimes integrally related, distinctions among the term’s advisement, career guidance, and personal counseling can be made.

Advisement

May be defined as a process wherein the student and the faculty advisor discuss the student’s academic plans and requirements, as well as the related program/school and/or university policies, regulations, and procedures. This handbook has been developed to serve as a major resource for advisement procedures. However, it is not intended to supplant advisement in terms of effective communication between the student and the assigned faculty advisor. The student has the right to effective advisement from the assigned faculty advisor. However, the student also has the responsibility to seek advisement from the assigned advisor or a faculty advisor who the student selects following program procedures.

This responsibility includes seeking advisement only from the faculty advisor. If students obtain advisement from other than their faculty advisor (e.g., from other students, department administrative staff, faculty in other programs or departments within the University, or faculty other than their faculty advisor), students will have to bear the consequences of behaviors resulting from such advisement. The CMHC Program does not assume responsibility for problems resulting when a student obtains incorrect advisement from other than his/her faculty advisor. If a student’s faculty advisor “misadvises” the student, the program will do whatever it is able, and to the student’s advantage, to correct resultant problems.

Career Guidance

May be defined as a process wherein the student and a faculty member or other professional work together to help the student to determine professional career-related goals. Career guidance thus encompasses consideration of a student’s professional development in a context much broader, and much more general, than that for advisement. All faculty in the CMHC Program are willing to assist students with career guidance within the context of this definition. Note, however, that the outcome of such career guidance may have significant implications for subsequent advisement processes.

Supervision

In the process of supervision, the supervisor often takes on multiple roles, such as advisor, teacher, mentor, coach, evaluator, or consultant. In these roles, the supervisor maintains responsibility for both the welfare of the supervisee(s) as well as the welfare of the clients of the supervisee(s) counsel (ACA Code of Ethics, 2005), Standard F.1.a). While there are similarities and overlaps between supervision and teaching, counseling and consultation, there are clear distinctions.

According to the CACREP 2016 standards, supervision is defined as “a tutorial and mentoring form of instruction in which a supervisee monitors the student’s activities in practicum and internship and facilitates the associated learning and skill development experiences. The supervisor monitors and evaluates the clinical work of the student while monitoring the quality of services offered to clients” (1016, p. 63). The CACREP 2016 standards mandate one hour per week of onsite individual/dyadic supervision and 1.5 hours of group supervision for practicum, and an average of group supervision for internship (CACREP, 2016, Section III.F,G).

Note: The group supervision will be a part of the student’s university-scheduled class time and conducted by CMHC faculty, while individual/dyadic supervision will be scheduled outside of the regular scheduled class. Individual/dyadic supervision for practicums is provided by CMHC faculty. Individual supervision, and not dyadic supervision, is a requirement for internship by your onsite internship supervisor.

Counseling

May be defined as a process wherein an individual works with a professional counselor to help alleviate personal (i.e., other than professional development) concerns or problems. Although all faculty members in the program are competent to provide such counseling services, it is inappropriate for them to do so for students because of students’ enrollment in the Program. If a faculty member were to provide personal counseling services for a student in the Program, it would place them in a dual relationship situation (i.e., the faculty member would be both the student’s counselor and his/her evaluator). Dual relationships of this nature are unethical, for both the student and faculty. If a student needs personal counseling services, he/she may obtain them from a variety of counseling service resources, including those on and off campus.

For campus career guidance and counseling services, students may consult the Career Resource Center or Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS). Each of these places may have community-based referral sources should a student wish to seek services outside the university.

Faculty Advisor and Change of Advisor

Upon Admission to the CMHC program, students are automatically assigned to the CMHC program director until the start of courses. The CMHC Program assigns advisors to each Integrative Course Design (ICD) team based on their learning style inventory. The name of the faculty advisor for each team will be announced by the conclusion of the 2nd week of classes for the Fall semester. It is the student’s responsibility to know who is serving as her/his faculty advisor. A student’s faculty advisor is her/his primary source of contact and communication with the program. Therefore, faculty encourages students to form effective, professional relationships with their faculty advisors. A major portion falls upon the student to be responsible for the formation of such a relationship with their advisor. Faculty encourage students to show initiative in getting to know their advisor.

Each student is to always have a designated faculty advisor while enrolled in the CMHC Program. A student may elect to change faculty advisors at any point before applying for graduation with the program and the graduate school. To change advisors, it is professional to discuss this with the current advisor and provide a reason for the change, identify and request if another faculty member is willing to serve as the advisor and notify the administrative staff of the change. Administrative staff will submit an advisor change form to the Graduate School notifying them of the change in advisor.

Admission, New Student enrollment/Orientation, Development while in the CMHC program (Student Matriculation): Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) System.

St. Cloud State University Graduate School, and the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program require a minimum grade point average of a B for all graduate work.

All international applicants seeking admission to the Graduate School and to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program must submit satisfactory scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

1. Admission
   1. COVID Vaccination attestation policy with potential internship sites
   2. CIT-Well (Fall 2025)
   3. CIT-B
   4. Alumni Survey
   5. Program of Study (before 12 credits of completion)
2. Pre-Practicum
3. Internship
4. Exit: Graduation
   1. Comprehensive Exams
      1. Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)- Required
      2. National Counselor Exam (NCE) – Optional
   2. Personal Growth (10 hours) verification
5. Alumni
   1. Alumni Survey

The CMHC graduate students are assessed through the Counseling in Training Benchmarks (CIT-B)

1. Readiness for Practicum
2. Readiness for Internship
3. Readiness for Practice
4. Counselor Skills (CSS)
5. Multicultural Development (MAKSS)

Admission to graduate studies does not constitute candidacy for a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Rather, a student who has been admitted to graduate study is advanced to degree candidacy upon the recommendation of the Clinical Mental Health Graduate faculty through the submission of the students program of study form and the process of development assessed through the Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) system.

View Program Requirements in the University Catalog

Students enrolled in the CMHC program are expected to participate as clients in an individual and group counseling experience during the time they are enrolled as graduate students. The pilot requires you to review this with your advisor and select to opt out if you plan to not participate.

This requirement recognizes the value of such an experience in the continuing development of self-awareness and personal identity. It is also based on the belief that firsthand experience as a client bridges the gap between intellectual and emotional understanding of the client/student experience. Students will participate in individual and group counseling with a qualified counselor or mental health provider approved by the faculty advisor (qualified mental health providers hold a professional license within their state of practice).

This therapeutic experience should focus on personal growth and awareness rather than specific skills training. Important components could include sharing of here-and-now feelings, working out communication blocks, interpersonal feedback, individual expression of concerns; as well as expression of feeling about self, significant people in one’s life, and other members of the therapeutic experience (for group setting). 

Students are required to provide written verification of at least 10 sessions of individual/couples counseling to their faculty advisor before completion of the master’s degree. The verification form will be provided by Dr. Kristen Langellier. Specifics of the counseling relationship will be kept confidential between the student/client and counselor per the ethical guidelines of the American Counseling Association (ACA). The group experience is met through attendance and participation in COUN 666. Students are urged not to wait until their final academic quarter to obtain the required number of counseling sessions.

Counselors must prioritize clients‘ needs based on clinical urgency; thus, they may not be able to accommodate counseling students who have no particular therapeutic issue to address.

Counseling is not free at the SCSU counseling center, but they do take insurance and offer a scholarship to those who cannot pay. Students could also consider licensed counselors, therapists, and qualified mental health providers in the community who offer rates and areas of specialization that may be more affordable or fitting for students‘ needs and interests. Students might find a resource on one of the following:

• Psychology Today
• Open Path Psychotherapy Collective

Student-Initiated Research Opportunities

There are several ways to get involved in research opportunities.

1. CMHC program faculty
2. Research Task Group
3. University level

If a student completed graduate level coursework, from another CACREP program, the student may want to transfer the course into the SCSU University. Consult graduate studies for SCSU’s requirements.

Students will receive multiple letters upon being admitted to the CMHC graduate program. The letter from the Behavioral Health and Counseling department will detail important information regarding orientation dates, registration, and book information.

There are two course registration periods for each academic term:

• Regular, or early, registration
• late registration

The regular registration period is scheduled during the term preceding the one in which classes will be taken. For example, regular registration for the Spring Semester is typically held during the middle of the Fall Semester. The late registration period is during the first two to three days of each semester. Students may only register on or after their designated registration appointment time. Students may only register for courses in the sequence of their degree map on file. As an admitted student you are guaranteed enrollment. You must register during the week of your ability to do so. This is typically a shift for most student’s undergraduate experience. Since the nature of our course sizes is small, especially in clinical courses, the dean’s office has the right to cancel any course that does not meet enrollment numbers. Therefore, students must comply with registration efforts within one week of ability to register.

If you cannot register during the first week, you must contact the program director to inform them. Class meeting times and locations are available on the course schedule and the course syllabus. It is the student’s responsibility to determine where and when their classes meet. These days/times are subject to change at any time. Students will be notified of any changes by the program director or office manager.

Note: If you have any difficulties registering for a course, please contact the office manager via email and include in the subject line your program of study (CMHC) and registration error. In the body of your email include your full name and SCSU ID.

Schedules and Registration

Full-time students will follow the 3-year degree plan provided to them at orientation (see Appendix A). Students enrolling in clinical courses will be notified before advance registration which section they are to register for by the clinical director or the office manager.

Policy expired in 2022, but maintained if reinstated by Minnesota State.

The Minnesota State System (MnSCU) requires that all students engaged in clinical, practicum, and internship experiences adhere to the COVID-19 vaccination attestation policy if their clinical site requires it.

1. Students who are in clinical will:
   1. Verify COVID vaccination status based on CDC guidelines OR
   2. Agree to weekly testing
2. Testing: Students are allowed to engage in the weekly testing at a location that is convenient to them. Students must be able to upload official records of their testing into the attestation site. At-home testing is not acceptable.
3. The MnSCU attestation process is the minimum standard. If your clinical internship site requires COVID vaccination, you are to comply with the internship site.
4. If a student’s internship site does not require a COVID vaccine or testing process, the student will adhere to the MnSCSU minimum standard (#1 above)
5. Attestation process in e-services:
   
   1. Students will be prompted to self-select a category that applies to them.
   2. The system office is working on adding a #4 (internship/practicum student)
      
      1. Please select #3 participate in college/University identified extra-curricular activity if option #4 is not available.
6. Courses that are impacted by this policy are all practicum and internship courses, and any elective courses that work directly with what would be deemed a student-clinical population.

Insurance Litigation involving practitioners in the counseling profession has increased dramatically in recent years for many reasons; the result is that every counseling professional is a potential target for litigation. Adherence to professional ethical standards and high standards for personal and professional conduct are perhaps the best ways for counseling professionals to avoid involvement in litigation. Nevertheless, since there is no “foolproof” way to avoid litigation, counseling professionals now consider liability insurance to be a necessity.

The CMHC Program, per CACREP accreditation, requires all students to obtain professional liability insurance upon first-term enrollment. Until a student registers for clinical courses, it is sufficient to maintain the policy in their student records. Proof of insurance is now a condition of enrollment in all clinical practicum and internships and must be submitted to the Clinical Coordinator with your Internship Contract. Proof may be in the form of a letter from the insurance provider and/or a copy of the insurance policy or insurance card.

Students can obtain professional liability insurance at a discounted rate as a benefit of membership through national professional organizations. Go to the following agencies that partner with ACA, AMHCA, AAMFT, and ASCA for more information: ACA Member Benefits (through HPSO), CPH & Associates, and ASCA Member Benefits (through Trust to Insure Educators). Note: As of 2018, liability membership is FREE with ACA student membership.

Financial and Graduate Assistantship (GA)

Graduate students may apply for graduate assistantships. Limited aid may be available through the department in this form. Graduate assistantships require full-time student status and include some work responsibilities (usually 10 hours per week). Graduate assistants are required to work the number of hours per week that are assigned and to submit a monthly timesheet to the CMHC program director. There are also other assistantships available elsewhere on campus (i.e. Counseling Center, Career Services, Students Disability Services, Atwood Center, and other departments). Students may qualify for these assistantships by taking as few as eight credits. All GA positions are located through Handshake.

Community GA

The CMHC program partners with community mental health agencies to offer a community GA. The application process for the Fall 2023/2024 academic year will not utilize the Handshake process during its pilot first year. These positions are to support BIPOC and first-generation students to foster professional development within the mental health workforce at the start of their program of study.

Graduate students may apply for several forms of financial aid. They include loans, work-study, and scholarships. Students interested in applying for loans and/or work-study need to contact the Financial Aid Office which is in the Administrative Services Building. Scholarships, handled by each department, occasionally are available. Students interested in applying for scholarships should explore opportunities at Huskies Scholarships.

CMHC designated scholarships at SCSU

The CMHC program has two community scholarships annually that are designated for BIPOC students within the CMHC graduate program at SCSU. These scholarships are annual and will be sent to students from the program director in conjunction with the community partner each year.

(Full-Time to Part-Time; Other Related Counseling programs within SCSU; or other)

Any changes or additions to the students' current degree map will place the student in an automatic status of part-time status. You must meet with your advisor to have a part-time degree map signed and on file. This is a necessary step to enable the office manager to ensure you have the appropriate permissions in place to register for your courses. You may not take any courses outside of your respective degree map unless you have received prior approval from your advisor. The CMHC program has been designed to meet the criteria needed to apply for the LPC/LPCC license with the state of MN. Any alternate courses will impact your ability to become licensed. Further, the CACREP policy statement delineates the framework for receiving a dual degree. This can only be done if the programs are done simultaneously, with a degree map on file. The respective programs do NOT merely meet licensure requirements because they are CACREP. They are reviewed by CACREP for their respective disciplines – as our program is reviewed only by the CMHC standards.

Student data files are maintained at the University, Graduate School, and CMHC program levels. The University maintains a directory listing for each student and employee. Note that access to student data files is restricted to program faculty members and staff and can be used only for official program/school or university business.

Each student’s initial file is created from information obtained during the application and orientation processes. From that point through graduation, it is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the student’s data file contains up-to-date information. Students need to notify program administrative staff within 10 business days, in writing, of any changes of name, contact information, or other relevant data.

Students’ failure to maintain accurate information in their data files (a) may result in the program being unable to provide important information to them, (b) absolves the program from ensuring that students have received important information, and (c) may have a significant negative impact on a student’s standing in the program and/or their effective progression through the program.

1. Students will receive an e-mail to complete the program of study form and turn it in to the CMHC program director. Program of study forms are completed during the second, full credit-taking, semester (Spring) of the first year; following students' mid-term Counselor Competencies Scale-Revised (CCS-R) and appropriate CIT-B review. (Note: The developmental timeline for the CIT-B process is located within the CMHC degree map.)
2. The CMHC program director will schedule an all-CMHC faculty program meeting to review all submitted program of study forms.
3. During the program of study meeting, CMHC faculty will review all Counseling in Training Benchmarks (CIT-B), academic performance measures, and the CCS-R to assess students readiness to progress to candidacy in compliance with the CIT-B process and make recommendations for graduate studies on each students readiness for candidacy.
4. Students will be notified by their CMHC advisor of the result of their program of study review, at which time students will receive either a letter of satisfactory submission to candidacy or a letter to request to meet with their CMHC program advisor to address any concerns.

Non-Academic Degree Aspects of Development

Why does the CMHC program look at non-academic degree aspects of development?

The American Counseling Association (ACA) Codes of ethics holds faculty/supervisors to an ethical code of Gatekeeping and Remediation (ACA, F.6.b). The CMHC faculty considers the student development process to be one of the most important aspects of counselor training. Yet, the Counselor Education literature describes much inconsistency in how to address non-academic development. Furthermore, several studies suggest that graduate students are at greater risk for mental health issues than those in the general population. This is exemplified by the data that shows there is a nationwide problem of universities graduating impaired students (Brear et al., 2008; Gizara & Forrest, 2004). Finally, Wolf, et.al. (2014) discussed the challenges graduate programs have to ensure that student fitness or student impairment is monitored, developed, and held to the standard of practice the ACA Code of ethics demands. As a result of this dilemma, the CMHC faculty spent 18 months looking at this issue and how to address it for the CMHC program at SCSU.

The Counselor Education literature lacks an agreed-upon definition of impairment, though it has been well established in the literature that there are higher levels of psychological problems among master’s level counseling students than the general population (Brear et al., 2008; White & Franzoni, 1990). The CMHC faculty spent over one year looking into the literature on this issue and explored how, as a program, we can provide a more structured approach to student development and a student-centered evaluation system that offers a clear and consistent path of growth and development. Therefore, the CMHC faculty have chosen to follow a prevention, strength-based student development model that is both transparent to student/faculty/supervisor users and one that provides a context of clear and measured benchmarks within 6 competency clusters that inform the student and faculty/supervisor on what is expected of them. This is referred to as the Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) System.

Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) System

The CIT-B system is modeled after the American Psychological Association's (APA) Benchmarks Evaluation System relevant for training in competencies for Counseling Psychology and has been adapted to align with the Clinical Mental Health language for the CMHC graduate program at SCSU.

The CMHC program has instituted a developmental benchmark system that allows students to matriculate through the program at the student‘s ability and/or readiness level while demonstrating competencies necessary for the counseling profession.

As a matriculating graduate student in the CMHC program, these essential functions are measured by the Counselor In Training Benchmark (CIT-B) Evaluation System, the Counseling Competencies Scale (CCS-R), and the Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills Survey (MAKSS). The CIT-B measures students in 6 Competency Clusters, where students must possess fundamental abilities and skills (both academic and non-academic) in the following 6 areas:

1. Professionalism
2. Relational
3. Science/Evidence-Based Practice
4. Application
5. Education
6. Systems

Within each CIT-B Competency Cluster there are core competencies to obtain:

1. Professionalism
   
   1. Professional Values and Attitudes
   2. Individual and cultural Diversity
   3. Ethical, Legal Standards and Policy
   4. Reflective Practice/Self-Assessment/Self-Care
2. Relational
   
   1. Relationships
   2. Social Efficacy
3. Science/Evidence-Based Practice
   
   1. Scientific Knowledge and Methods
   2. Research/Evaluation
4. Application
   1. Evidence-based Practice
   2. Assessment
   3. Intervention
   4. Consultation
5. Education
   
   1. Teaching
   2. Supervision
6. Systems
   
   1. Interdisciplinary Systems
   2. Management/Administration
   3. Advocacy/Social Justice

Why the 6 Competency Cluster System?

The content of the Benchmarks builds on several decades of work to identify core competencies in professional Psychology. This work was in large response to the rising demand for higher education to be accountable with outcomes-based instruction. This is demonstrated by CACREP’s move to incorporate Student Learning Outcomes and later Key Performance Indicators as a measure of the accreditation review process. The CMHC program considers the CIT-B System to align nicely with the CMHC emphasis on Integrative Course Design (ICD) pedagogy that evaluates students across a Taxonomy of Significant Learning.

The CMHC program is eager to incorporate the Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) competency evaluation system that provides students with a transparent expectation of what students are going to achieve and how students are going to be evaluated on that achievement. The CIT-B system was designed to help training/education programs evaluate, track, and document student competencies that the CMHC program expects students to achieve as they matriculate throughout the CMHC program.

History of 6 competency Cluster and Benchmark Evaluation System

The Benchmark system was developed with large stakeholder group involvement (educational and training communities in professional psychology), and through several iterations, over several years.

Deadline dates to hand in forms will be communicated by CMHC program faculty, but are typically Feb/March.

Advancement to degree candidacy requires that the candidate must:

1. Have completed between 12 and 15 semester hours of graduate study at St. Cloud State
   University with a minimum grade point average of 3.0
2. Have submitted to the adviser one completed program form signed by the student.
3. Have demonstrated the aptitude and ability to pursue graduate work and exhibited a commitment to counseling as a profession, evidenced by academic performance and the CIT- B, CCSS development process.
4. Have demonstrated potential for a successful career in the field of study selected.
5. Have not been placed on academic probation by graduate studies and/or SCSU.
6. The student has complied with the Student Development process and/or has completed a disposition plan by the student development committee.

Admission to degree candidacy is not an automatic process, but rather the advancement to candidacy is approved by the CMHC program faculty only after careful evaluation of all pertinent bfactors. Refer to the section on a program of study regarding the timeline and process.

Admission to Candidacy

The program of Study form is located at Graduate Studies. This is completed before students' completion of 12 graduate credit hours. Students will meet with their program advisor to discuss their career and research goals at this time.

Standard of Scholarship

Graduate students are making satisfactory academic progress if they maintain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA. If students receive notification from graduate studies regarding academic probation, they have 10 business days to contact and meet with your CMHC program advisor. This notice could warrant a supportive remediation plan to ensure your success in program completion.

Candidates for a Master's Degree

Must maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average in the major field, the total program, and all graduate coursework taken at St. Cloud State University. If you fall below a 3.0 see Standard of Scholarship Information regarding Academic Probation by Graduate Studies and follow that process.

Candidates in All Graduate Programs

Courses in which a letter grade of I (Incomplete), IP (In progress), N (No grade reported), W (Withdrawal), F (Failure), FN (Failure for nonattendance), or U (Unsatisfactory) is received will be treated as credits attempted but not completed. Courses in which a mark of C-, D+, D, D-, is earned will count as credits completed but will not be accepted toward graduate program completion. If a course is repeated, both marks are used in determining the total grade point average.

A student who fails in the first course of a sequence cannot take the following courses in that sequence until the course has been completed with a passing grade. Continuation in the program of study may be denied at any time during the program by not maintaining the standard of scholarship of the University.

All policies and requirements held by graduate studies are in the School of Graduate Studies.

Pre-Professional Requirement

There are no specific undergraduate pre-professional academic majors required for entry into the CMHC graduate program. Students admitted reflect a wide variety of academic majors.

Counselor in Training Benchmark (CIT-B) System

As mentioned above in section 3B, students of the CMHC program will be consistently evaluated throughout their time in the CMHC courses. The CMHC utilizes the developmental benchmark system so that students can matriculate through the program at the student‘s ability and/or readiness level while demonstrating competencies necessary for the counseling profession. This process is an essential function that is required for students to fully matriculate to graduate.

Social Efficacy

Learning to be a Clinical Mental Health Counselor necessitates that students must possess the emotional health required for the full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attending to the development of mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with clients, and the diagnosis and treatment of clients. Students must be able to tolerate challenging workloads and to function effectively under stress. Students must be able to adapt to changing multicultural environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the facets of uncertainties inherent in the programs of many clients. Empathy, compassion, integrity, interpersonal skills, cultural fluency development, professional aspirations, and personal motivation are all qualities that are assessed during the admissions and education process.

Students must attend the clinical orientation to apply for an internship after completing coursework. Students are admitted to the internship by permission after the required coursework and competencies have been met. Internship application is the successful completion of the internship contract by the due date provided at the clinical orientation. Note: Refer to section 4 of this handbook for Internship information.

To graduate from the CMHC program, students will need to successfully pass the CounselorPreparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) exit exam, published by the Center for Credentialing and Education Inc. in the last semester of their graduation. Students must pass the CPCE overall total score within 1 Standard Deviation of the National Average for graduation scores. Students must not have more than 2 content areas outside of the 1 Standard Deviation without remedial work within the specified content areas.

Upon graduation, students will have a choice between taking the National Counseling Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) both administered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. To be eligible to apply for licensure in the state of Minnesota students will need to successfully pass one of these exams.

Exams

Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

• Exam purpose: The CPCE is a comprehensive, evaluation tool that assesses students’ competence of foundational, counseling-related knowledge.
• Timing of exam: Final Semester of Graduate School Work (i.e., spring semester for summer graduation).
• Content overview: The CPCE covers eight of the CACREP common-core areas including; assessment and testing, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling and group work, human growth and development, professional counseling orientation
  and ethical practice, research and program evaluation, and social and cultural diversity.

National Counseling Exam (NCE)

• Exam purpose: The NCE is a multiple-choice examination designed to assess knowledge, skills and abilities determined to be important for providing effective counseling services. The NCE is an accepted examination by the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy for licensure application.
• Timing of exam: Post-Graduation from the CMHC program prior to applying for LPC/LPCC licensure.
• Content overview: The NCE consists of 200 multiple choice questions that align with the
  eight CACREP content areas. The are six examination domains including; professional practice and
  ethics, intake, assessment and diagnosis, area of clinical focus, treatment planning, counseling skills and interventions, and core counseling attributes.

Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)

• Exam purpose: The NCMHCE consists of 10 clinical simulations designed to sample a broad area of counseling competencies. The NCMHCE is an accepted examination by the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy for licensure application.
• Timing of exam: Post-Graduation from the CMHC program prior to applying for LPC/LPCC licensure.
• Content overview: The case simulations assess clinical problem-solving ability, including identifying, analyzing, diagnosing and treating clinical problems. The examination covers the areas of assessment and diagnosis, counseling and psychotherapy, and administration, consultation, and
  supervision.

All CMHC students should apply for graduation one semester prior to their final semester. Students must apply for graduation to be eligible to register for commencement. Commencement and Graduate Hooding are two separate events. Graduation Commencement is the large ceremony combined with the undergraduate degrees.

Graduate Hooding Ceremony

The graduate hooding ceremony is only for graduate students. The masters graduation regalia is different, in that the sleeves are distinguished and there is a hood that is draped over graduates shoulders by their advisor when their name is called. This is a special moment for families, graduates and faculty alike.

Students who do not apply to graduate a minimum of six weeks prior to commencement will not have their names printed in the final commencement booklet.

• Apply for graduation
• Order regalia through the SCSU bookstore
• Find information about commencement

Enforcement

Policy Endorsement is made at the time of graduation audit and appears on the student’s transcript, through completed graduation.

Letters of Recommendation

Faculty are willing to provide recommendation letters within two years of graduation. Following the two years, it is up to the faculty member and their professional contact with alumni at that time to ethically recommend you for a position when they have not had contact with your professional work in the past two years.

Recommendation through social media

Faculty will not write professional recommendations on social media sites, such as LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a professional social media site geared for you to have professional recommendations from your place of employment. Therefore, faculty will not respond to such requests.

References

Faculty are happy to serve as a reference for you for an internship application. For internships it is appropriate to ask your clinical course instructor to serve as the recommender, as they are the most capable to speak on your clinical skill strengths and areas of growth and your academic advisor, as they are the most capable to speak on your academic growth.

Credentialing

Faculty cannot serve as letters of recommendation or reference for credentialing purposes. (This includes but is not limited to your application for insurance panels, specialty certifications postgraduation, etc.).

State Credentialing

License Eligibility with M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

In Minnesota there are two licenses available for mental health practitioners. One license is available for licensed professional counselors (LPC) which requires a 48 hour masters program, two years of supervised experience, 12 post degree credits in a specialization area, documentation of good character and completion of a nationally standardized counseling examination such as the NCE. The second is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) which requires a 60 hour masters program, 4000 hours of supervised experience and documentation of good character and completion of the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling (NCMHCE). The Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health (BBHT) is the agency that administers the Minnesota licensure. To learn more about state credentialing visit the Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy website.

National Credentialing

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)

Graduate Student Application for National Counselor Certification is offered to graduate students in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. The National Board for Certified Counselors is an independent, non-profit organization which was established to monitor a national certification system, to identify for professionals and the public those counselors who have voluntarily sought and obtained certification, and to maintain a register of those counselors.

Benefits of National Certification

• Promotes professional accountability and visibility.
• Identifies to the public and professional peers those counselors who have met specific professional standards.
• Advances cooperation among groups and agencies actively involved in professional credentialing activities.
• Encourages the continuing professional growth and development of National Certified Counselors.
• Ensures a national standard developed by counselors, not legislators.

Criteria for Certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC)

• A master’s degree with a major study in counseling from a regionally accredited university.
• Successful completion of the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and
  Certification (NCE).

Practicum/Internship Policies

There will be two clinical orientations provided by the CMHC clinical director. You must attend both orientations to maintain enrollment in clinical courses (Practicum and Internship).

At the Clinical Orientation the following items are covered:

1. Practicum/Internship guidelines
2. CACREP requirements for clinical experience(s)
   1. Case Presentations with audio/video of counseling session.
   2. Site Visits for Internship (1-2, if 2 one can by through video)
3. CACREP requirements for supervision requirements for practicum/internship
   1. Supervision Contract
   2. Supervision Goals
   3. Weekly/Bi-weekly group supervision by CMHC program faculty
   4. Weekly individual/dyadic/triadic supervision by either CMHC program faculty or onsite supervisor.
4. How to log and track hours
5. Internship Application Process and timeline
6. Review of information provided to Internship Site Supervisor
   1. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) – [students submit information to Handshake]
   2. Cover letter; internship manual; link to internship evaluation forms; link to CIT-B.
7. Review of end of semester materials
   1. Student will complete the checklist and submit all documents on final day of semester.
      1. Copy of hours log signed by student and supervisor
      2. Copy of all signed evaluations
8. Review process if issues arise at student’s internship site: It is the role of the CMHC faculty supervisor to both assist the student in negotiating their rights as an intern and assist the site supervisor in holding the reasonable expectations for their intern. This may include meetings or phone calls on the part of the faculty supervisor.

Supervised On-Site Practicum Overview

The purpose of an On-Site Practicum: Practicum means an opportunity to practice what you have learned and/or are currently learning. The course activities are designed to enable learners to perform at their own individual level of competence, grow through helpful suggestions from more advanced learners and peers and be critiqued by supervisors and professors.

The CMHC program offers two semesters of practicum: Group Practicum and Individual Practicum. They practicum’s courses provide for the application of theories and techniques to both individual and group counseling experience and incorporate live supervision, weekly supervision, and group supervision.

If you do not follow your program of study, or need a change in your program of study, this must be approved prior to practicum enrolment by your program advisor. Clinical courses are small (6 students to 1 faculty ratio), and we have to account for the course numbers one academic year in advance. Any change in your original program of study may result in delayed internship and graduation.

Emergency Training Clinic Procedures

If, at any time, a student counselor is uncertain about the safety or well-being of a “student volunteer” during or after a session, please consult with the CMHC practicum supervisor immediately. Should a student counselor become concerned about the “student volunteers” immediate well-being, or perceive any sense of urgency regarding treatment, or if the “student volunteers” expresses a desire for hospitalization, the following steps should be followed:

1. Contact the Practicum Supervisor. The Practicum Supervisor might not be viewing your session in that immediate moment, so please step out of the room and consult with the Practicum Supervisor located in the main control viewing room.
2. While decisions are being made, inform your “student volunteers” that you have sought consultation and assistance.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at SCSU requires students to complete the following as per CACREP 2016 Professional Practice standards.

Supervised Counseling Internship Overview

The counseling practicum and the majority of the coursework should be completed before taking
the internship.The internship experience will provide practical agency experience in a work
setting. In general, sites need to:

1. The CMHC program requires sites to provide a variety of clinical experiences to interns in the following recommended areas. Interns cannot have experience in only one area, but a variety of clinical exposure/experiences: 
   1. Group Counseling
   2. Individual Counseling
   3. Couple and/or Family Counseling
   4. Child/Adolescent Counseling
   5. Assessment, including but not limited to a Diagnostic Assessment (DA)
   6. Parenting and/or educational opportunities
   7. Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS)
   8. Children’s Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS)
2. Students must ensure that the site meets all CACREP supervisor requirements and clinical hours requirements as outlined in the CACREP, 2016 Standards.
3. Located within approximately a 90-mile radius of St. Cloud (If you are applying for a site over the 60-mile radius, you must first talk with the CMHC clinical coordinator before the application process).
4. The selected sites must have final approval by St Cloud State University and of the CMHC counseling faculty. The CMHC clinical coordinator will need to verify if the site has a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) with SCSU. If not, there will be additional paperwork/contracts to be completed in coordination with the College of Health and Wellness Professions. A list of sites that have a current MOA is located on the program website.

Criminal Background Checks

Both prospective and active students should be advised that certain criminal activities may influence their ability to take the National Counselor Exam or to become licensed in Minnesota and/or other states. Additionally, certain items on a student’s background check may influence an internship site’s decision to accept you as an intern or to hire you as an employee. You must discuss any potential infractions on your background with your CMHC program advisor upon admittance.

Recruitment

Program faculty work with the graduate studies office to update program brochure and make it available to current and prospective students. All students who express interest in the program are mailed the brochure for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program by Graduate Studies.

Applications Reviewed

Require admission to graduate school with three letters of reference, transcript, resume, and admission statement. Applications are reviewed by the CMHC faculty and interviews are conducted during spring semester. Applicants are screened and interviewed to assure students are informed of program requirements before admission. The application rubric and interview rubric are utilized.

Interviews

Key questions from the list of Standard Graduate Interview Questions will be recommended for each round of the interview process. Faculty and student interviewers will complete the Standard Graduate Interviewer Rating Form for each student in each group. The combination of these will be evidence to support our decision for admission.

There will be three groups of interviewers. Each group will have at least one faculty member, and one graduate student. Graduate students will help with hosting, interviews, and answering questions. From these interviews the faculty accepts 15-20 students, carefully attending to numbers of full time and part time interest.

Academics

Students are expected to maintain a high level of academic excellence in each of their courses and to follow graduate studies standards of 3.0 GPA. If a student is placed on academic probation by graduate studies, you must notify your program advisor within 3 business days. Being placed on academic probation will facilitate you into the student development process immediately.

Student Review: Transition Points

Student performance is assessed following the CIT-B process, CCSS, and MAKSS reviewed at each of the transition points as outlined in the 3-year degree map. Detailed information is in Section 3 of this handbook.

Remediation & Development

Student development is a key feature focus of CMHC faculty. The Counseling profession, through its accrediting bodies, requires that students be measured on both academic and nonacademic measures. These concerns might be captured by academic performance, CIT-B process, or other observed or communicated concern. These are formally documented through the CIT-B process.

CACREP

There is a requirement from CACREP to report on academic, skills and dispositions for graduate
students. This is a 3-step process:

• Step 1: Program Level. Students will adhere to the CMHC process and procedures.
• Step 2: Department Level
  Students will be referred to the department level based on the CMHC process.
• Step 3: Graduate School Level. Refer to Graduate Student handbook or the department document for guidelines.

Who reports concerns?

As a professional counselor in training, you are to abide by the same credentialing bodies that faculty are. Thus, as a CIT student self-referral or peer referral is part of the process. CMHC faculty, adjunct faculty, faculty in another department, administrative staff, support staff, and outside community member who has supervised you in a similar clinical role are all examples of who might initiate the process (Counselor in Training: Counselor Development Concern Form [CDC-F]).

The department follows the student grade appeal process for St. Cloud State University.

St. Cloud State University students have many rights and responsibilities that include but are not limited to Academic Integrity, Grade Appeals, and Student Complaint Concerning Faculty, which are all located in the SCSU student handbook.

Workplace & Classroom Sexual Harassment

Harassment of students and employees based on race, national origin and other protected characteristics is prohibited by state law, federal law and the MnSCU board rules and regulations.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination which is prohibited by state and federal law. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually motivated physical conduct, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or education, evaluation of a student's academic performance, or term or condition of participation in student activities or other events or activities sanctioned by the college or university.
2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment or academic decisions about participation in student activities or other events or activities sanctioned by the college or university; or
3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of threatening an individual's employment, interfering with an individual's work or academic performance, or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work or educational environment.

Sexual Violence

Suppose you choose to write or speak about having survived sexualized violence, including rape, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking, and specify that this violence occurred while you were an SCSU student. In that case, federal and state education laws require that your instructor notify the Title IX officer will contact you to let you know about accommodations and support services at SCSU and possibilities for holding accountable the person who harmed you.

If you do not want the Title IX Officer notified, instead of disclosing this information to your instructor, you can speak confidentially with the following people on campus and in the community. They can connect you with support services and discuss options for holding the perpetrator accountable.

View Sexual Violence and Misconduct resources

Students who are members of any branch of the U.S. military reserves or National Guard and who are unable to complete a semester due to having been called to active duty have two options regarding their academic records.

Contact the office of the School of Graduate Studies to complete the necessary forms. Students must provide copies of their military orders, including notification of the date of departure.

The provisions of this policy do not apply to 14-day annual active-duty training requirements.

Military Medical Withdrawal

Military service members and veterans who are enrolled in courses have the following rights:

• Withdraw from courses and receive a refund of tuition and fees for the course(s).
• Be granted a grade of “Incomplete” and complete the course after medical treatment or recovery.
• Continue in the course and have absences due to medical treatment or medical condition be counted as excused absences.

Students who need to withdraw for medical reasons must fill out a Request for Late Withdrawal Form. A request for a tuition refund must be submitted in a written request attached to this form.

Contact the office of the School of Graduate Studies to complete all necessary forms.

Graduate students who are planning to take a leave of absence or who are returning to St. Cloud State University after a leave of absence from graduate work may require readmission.

Refer to graduate studies for updated policy information.

What is discussed with your advisor is protected by law. Without your permission, faculty cannot discuss your academic program with parents, friends, or other students. Your academic record may be shared among program faculty and other University officials when it is in your educational interest.

Faculty should not be considered counselors for students in the program, as this would constitute a dual relationship. Thus, confidentiality guidelines for counseling relationships do not apply to faculty-student interactions.

Social networking sites are available for the benefit of students and assist in the development of networking and professional growth. These sites are used to keep students and alumni updated about upcoming events and professional opportunities and provide a forum for the sharing of information. Sites are provided from GCCA and alumni on Facebook and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an appropriate professional site to be utilized. Career Services offers workshops to creating a professional LinkedIn site.

Faculty members will not “friend” students on any social networking sites outside of LinkedIn, nor should student’s “friend” faculty until following graduation from the program. Once students have entered into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, it is important to be aware of what is being placed on social networking sites and students are expected to represent themselves in a professional manner. It is critical to remember that such sites represent you and may be viewed in the professional world. Site examples are not limited to: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Ello, Reddit, Imgur, Tumblr, SnapChat and other social media sites or apps.

To fulfill the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate’s program mission, “The CMHC program mission is to inspire future mental health counselors who are passionate about pursuing the highest standard of clinical practice with cultural fluency” our classrooms must offer an environment in which all participants feel able to engage in free, open, respectful discussion of complex, sensitive, and consequential questions. In training the best counselors they can be, students must be able to try on different perspectives, change their minds, and take risks. This requires all of us to respect the rights, dignity, and differences of others, pursue integrity and honesty in dealing with all members of the community in person and online, and to accept personal responsibility in these efforts.

Social media may present a danger to this method of learning by taking statements out of context and making students and/or faculty afraid to fully participate. Because of the potential permanence and widespread dissemination of communications through social media and other forms of communication designed to reach members of the public, if statements made in class are quoted or described with attribution in those media, students may be reluctant to approach any question, particularly controversial ones, with the openness and vulnerability they need to grow as counselors in training and learn from one another.

When using social media or other forms of communication designed to reach members of the public, no one may repeat or describe a statement made by a student or professor in class in a manner that would enable a person who was not present in the class to identify the speaker of the statement.

This includes but is not limited to written statements made in classroom-related spaces (Zoom, D2L). In the spirit of open classroom dialogue and discussion, faculty can adopt additional guidelines, providing that they are stated clearly before the class starts.

The 6 Competency Clusters are measured throughout the CMHC program through the CIT-B, CCSS, and MAKSS evaluation systems. It is recognized that degrees of ability vary widely between individuals. Individuals are encouraged to discuss their disabilities with the CMHC program directly and, jointly, disability services and consider technological and other facilitating mechanisms needed to train and function effectively as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor. The CMHC program at St. Cloud State University is committed to enabling its students to use any reasonable means or accommodations to complete the course of study leading to a degree. For those with physical, learning, and other disabilities the following services are available: adaptive technology and assistive devices, text-to-speech hardware/software, FM auditory assistance devices, priority registration, and special test accommodations. Readers, interpreters, and notetakers are available. Verification of a disability is required.

The SCSU campus in most settings provides barrier-free buildings, rest rooms and water fountains equipped for wheelchair access, and elevators that have Braille and raised print signs. TDD available: 320-308-4080.

Pilot suspended until full integration complete with School Counseling.

Students are invited to engage 2 times per year in a group feedback council session. The feedback session is designed to bring all 3 cohorts and faculty together to discuss program concerns and work toward collaborative solutions.

5-year program suspended until full integration complete with School Counseling.

Students interested in research will meet monthly with CMHC program faculty to brainstorm and engage in scholarly activities. This could be joining current CMHC faculty projects or generating project areas of interest to conduct one's research.

7.4.a. Counselor in Training (CIT-Well). Students can participate in the pilot CIT-Well program.

7.4.b. CHWP Practicum Training Clinic. Students can assist in the triage and clinical assignment of clients.

7.4.c. Nursing Wellness Program. Students can participate in facilitating the wellness plans for first semester nursing
students.

7.4.d. Peace Officer Pilot Program. Students can participate in facilitating the wellness plans for the first semester peace officer students in the Criminal Justice Program.