Post-Masters Clinical Mental Health Licensure Eligibility Certificate

This certificate program is designed to assist individuals in meeting the educational requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Provider (LPC-MHSP) in Tennessee by allowing them to complete the necessary coursework and clinical experiences required for licensure eligibility. This program is specifically for individuals who have already completed a program in mental health counseling or a related field (e.g. school counseling) that need a limited amount of coursework to be eligible for licensure. Students in this certificate program will complete coursework that aligns with the core areas required for licensure eligbility and assiss students with meeting the educational requirement of 60 graduate semester hours in counseling. Students who need more than 27 hours to be eligible for licensure must enroll in the M.S. in Counseling program. Note: successful completion of this certificate program does not guarantee licensure eligibility.

Admissions Requirements

The prerequisite for pursuing this certificate is a completed Master’s program in mental health counseling, school counseling, or a closely related field.

Admission to the certificate program is competitive and informed by number of available openings in the program of interest in addition to the criteria listed below.

Application for admission
Application Fee: $45
Official transcripts from all colleges attended
Verification of lawful presence in the United States (i.e. submit a license or other approved document)
Military documents (if applicable)
Master’s degree in mental health counseling, school counseling, or a related field with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Three letters of recommendation
Personal statement: 2-3 page essay that responds to the prompt: “Please describe what is drawing you to the counseling field and prompting you to seek this certificate specifically. What strengths do you bring with you to the program and the profession? Finally, address your experience related to diverse populations and how that will inform your work as a counselor.”
Individual and/or group interviews with Counseling program faculty (interviews will be scheduled by program faculty after the initial application review)
Admission decision by department

Retention Policies

Students in the Counseling program certificate program must meet certain academic and professional standards to qualify for retention in and graduation from the program. These specific standards are outlined in the Counseling Program Handbook and include:

Students must earn a grade of “B” or higher in all required Program of Study courses.
Students must maintain ethical and professional behavior both in their academic work and their clinical work.
In the event that a student is placed on a remediation plan, the student must demonstrate the required progress on the remediation plan to remain in the Counseling program.

For more information about the application process, please visit apsu.edu/grad-studies.

Program CIP Code

42.2803

Program Modality

On-Ground
Online

Program Student Learning Outcomes

KLOA1:Professional Orientation& Ethical Practice Students will demonstrate knowledge of and skills related to ethical professional counseling practice. (CACREP 2. F. 1)
KLOA2: Social& Cultural Diversity Students will demonstrate knowledge of the role cultural context plays in professional counseling and applying culturally relevant skills for working with diverse populations. (CACREP 2. F. 2)
KLOA3: Human Growth& Development Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of human growth and development; as well as related contextual dimensions, to the practice of professional counseling. (CACREP 2. F. 3)
KLOA4: Career Development Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of career development to the practice of professional counseling. (CACREP 2. F. 4)
KLOA5: Counseling and Helping Relationships Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills of thee helping process; counseling theories and techniques; prevention, education, consultation, and wellness models; counselor self-understanding; and the change process. (CACREP 2. F. 5)
KLOA6: Group Counseling and Group Work Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills of group development, dynamics, theories, and techniques. (CACREP 2. F. 6)
KLOA7:Assessment& Testing Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of culturally and developmentally appropriate assessment and evaluation practices. (CACREP 2. F. 7)
KLOA8:Research& Program Evaluation Students will critically evaluate and utilize research, evidence-based practices, and/or program evaluation. (CACREP 2. F. 8)
KLOA 9: Addictions Counseling Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to address a wide range of issues in the context of addiction counseling, treatment, and prevention programs; neurobiological and medical foundation and etiology of addiction. (CACREP 5. A; CACREP 5.C)
KLOA10: Diagnosis& Psychopathology Students will demonstrate knowledge and application of culturally, situationally, and developmentally appropriate diagnosis practices; including the etiology, nomenclature, and treatment, of emotional and mental disorders.(CACREP 2. F. 8; CACREP 5. C)
KLOA11: Counseling Children& Adolescents Students will demonstrate the knowledge and application of culturally, situationally, and developmentally appropriate treatment strategies for addressing the specific needs of children and adolescents; including characteristics, risk-factors and warning signs of child/adolescent mental health and behavioral disorders; and common medications that affect learning, behavior, and mood. (CACREP 5. G)
KLOA12 (CMHC): Clinical Supervision Students will demonstrate knowledge and skills of professional supervision in a multicultural society, including best practices related to theories and practices of counselor supervision, purposes of clinical supervision, roles and relationships related to clinical supervision, and a personal style of supervision. (CACREP 1. B; CACREP 1. M; CACREP 5. C)
KLOA13 (CMHC): Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling Students will demonstrate the knowledge and application of theories and models related to clinical mental health counseling; roles and settings of clinical mental health counselors; mental health service delivery modalities; professional organizations, preparation standards, and credentials relevant to the practice of clinical mental health counseling. (CACREP 5. C)

Curriculum

Post-Masters Clinical Mental Health Licensure Eligibility