Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling

The rehabilitation and mental health counseling program, fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) as a clinical rehabilitation and clinical mental health counseling program, is designed to prepare students to function as rehabilitation and/or clinical mental health counselors for persons with a variety of needs including mental health issues impacting the individual and/or family, and persons with physical or mental disabilities to address psychosocial and vocational adjustment. The program is grounded in a strengths-based philosophy of client empowerment where the counselor’s role is to assist individuals to realize their optimum level of mental health and personal wellness, including vocational adjustment and independent living. This is done through the use of a variety of therapeutic interventions, including individual, group and/or family counseling, diagnosis, case management, the provision or coordination of evaluation, training, placement, and follow-up services. The demand for rehabilitation and clinical mental health counselors has exceeded the supply in recent years in public, private, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors.

Core graduate courses provide the basic knowledge and skills necessary to the fields of rehabilitation and mental health counseling. These include counseling theory, rehabilitation and mental health counseling principles and practices with an emphasis on psychiatric rehabilitation, individual and group counseling, assessment in rehabilitation and mental health counseling, diagnosis of mental disorders, evidence-based treatment of mental disorders, job placement, medical and psychosocial aspects of disability, human growth, career development, and research methods.

Concurrently, fieldwork of progressively increasing complexity takes place at a variety of community-based mental health and rehabilitation sites in the Chicago area. These include mental health and counseling centers, community rehabilitation facilities, the state department of vocational rehabilitation, rehabilitation centers, mental health centers, medical hospitals, and other facilities for persons with mental health concerns and/or disabilities.

For individuals currently working in the rehabilitation and mental health counseling field who are interested in pursuing a M.S. in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling at a slower pace, there is a part-time option available which is designed to meet the needs of the working professional. Courses are generally offered in the evening and via distance education, and the required fieldwork experiences (practicum and internship) are typically worked out with the student’s place of employment if it meets fieldwork site requirements. The part-time program takes approximately three years to complete.

This is a two-year, 60 credit hour program.

Curriculum

There are opportunities to apply for scholarships and traineeships, including international and multicultural counseling based on scholarship and economic need.