Clinical Mental Health Counseling (GRAD)

Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling

Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) in the Department of Health Sciences offers a unique and challenging 60+ credit master of science degree in clinical mental health counseling with concentrations in working with persons with developmental and psychiatric disabilities.

Graduates are eligible for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential, and additionally meet educational requirements for licensure in a majority of states.

Mission of the Division

The mission of the Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (the “division”) is to serve the people of North Carolina by educating clinical rehabilitation counselors (“CRCs”) and clinical mental health counselors (“CMHCs”) with the knowledge and expertise to serve the state’s citizens with mental, behavioral, or neurodevelopmental disorders with an emphasis on those citizens who have psychiatric and/or developmental disabilities. The mission is based on the fundamental belief in the dignity and worth of all people, and in the rights of people with disabilities to live self-determined lives in inclusive communities of their choice. The CRCs and CMHCs will use the counseling relationship and their skills to work collaboratively with individuals to: (i) maximize functional capacity, productive and independent living skills, and quality of life; (ii) provide access to culturally sensitive and evidence-based counseling practices; and (iii) manage personalized services to support the unique needs and preferences of each individual, their family, and community. Fundamental to this effort is a focus on the whole person—their psychological, vocational, spiritual, and physical aspects—as well as family, social, work, and community relationships. Furthermore, the division is dedicated to inclusive practices, appreciating diversity, reducing health disparities, and serving marginalized and under-represented communities.

The division seeks to educate CRCs and CMHCs who possess the knowledge, skills and personal and professional qualities required to forge new models of community practice that address the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities now and in the future. In carrying out this mission, the faculty of the division has the obligation to acquire, discover, preserve, synthesize, and transmit knowledge, to serve as models of professional leadership, and to create a culture of educational excellence that will nurture students’ intellectual and ethical development. Students have the responsibility to fully engage in an educational process of research, free inquiry, and personal responsibility and to become foremost practitioners, scholars, researchers, and leaders in the professions of clinical rehabilitation counseling and mental health counseling.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is recognized, nationally and internationally, as a leading center of scholarship, research, and creative work with a mission to serve the people of North Carolina and the nation. The mission of the division is to contribute actively and substantively to this tradition.

Mission of the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s program at UNC prepares students with knowledge, clinical practice expertise, cultural humility, knowledge, dispositions, and skills to work with diverse individuals with a broad range of mental health issues. Graduates are prepared to be successful in careers in mental health treatment, human services, education, research, private practice, government, military, and business and industry. The curriculum provides extensive training in principles of mental health counseling, the nature and etiology of mental health and behavioral disorders, culturally responsive counseling approaches, and evidence-based practices. Graduates achieve mastery in clinical mental health counseling and are competent in clinical practice, individual, professional, and systemic advocacy, leadership, consultation, and collaboration to assess client’s mental health needs, goals, resources, and barriers. Graduates of the UNC program will be proficient in developing and implementing mental health treatment and prevention programs and in providing consultation, leadership, and advocacy to individuals across the age spectrum and to groups, organizations, and communities. Counselors trained at UNC will successfully fulfill their professional counselor roles in practice, research, leadership, and community advocacy in the clinical mental health counseling specialty area.

Objectives of the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Graduates of the CMHC Master’s Program will:

Effectively apply established counseling theories and evidence-based practices in clinical mental health counseling within a community-inclusion model.
Accurately assess the mental health counseling needs of individuals with mental health and behavioral disorders, including substance use and provide mental health services within the continuum of care (e.g., inpatient, partial-hospitalization, outpatient).
Acquire specific knowledge and skills to address the mental health counseling needs of individuals, including the impact of biological and neurological mechanisms, and the impact of crisis and trauma on mental health.
Work collaboratively with professionals, family members, community providers, and policy makers to achieve optimal treatment outcomes for individuals with mental health and behavioral disorders.
Demonstrate multicultural and social justice counseling competencies, including cultural humility practices.
Demonstrate strong clinical skills in mental health counseling (biopsychosocial case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment planning and delivery).
Engage in a process of lifelong learning, collaboration, collegiality, and ethical relationships as part of ongoing professional development for CMHCs.
Have the necessary leadership, business and management, and public policy skills to assume leadership roles in CMHC; and
Promote and support consumer empowerment and self-advocacy of individuals with a broad range of mental health issues.

M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Requirements for Admission:

A bachelor's degree transcript from an accredited college or university
A pre-admission interview with the program faculty
Eligibility to meet student requirements to participate in clinical training
Minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores as required by the UNC Graduate School for any non-native English-speaking applicant.
Three letters of reference
Personal statement/statement of purpose
Responses to five supplemental questions

We complete a holistic file review and consider academic success, experiences especially those relevant to working with people with disabilities, and how well a candidate's career interests and goals align with our program curriculum and clinical training opportunities.

Graduate-level Courses

CRMH 700 Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to introduce the field of professional counseling, with a concentration on mental health counseling. This course focuses on mental health counseling history, philosophy, values, legislation, policy, and practice (models and methods of service delivery).