Mission and Goals

 The mission of the MHS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree program is:

• to provide a curriculum that allows students to acquire competencies, skills, and techniques in clinical mental health counseling;
• to develop a rich culture of research and scholarship to promote the application of evidence-based practices;
• to equip students with the ability to utilize critical thinking and decision making to address clinical needs;
• to prepare students to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to interact with a diverse, multicultural, and global society.

Aligning with the CACREP standards, the following specific learning outcomes are identified: 

1. Students will identify and experience opportunities while participating in the program that instill the four core tenets of Catawba, including scholarship, character, culture, and service.
2. Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary for client assessment, diagnosis, case conceptualization, and treatment planning for diverse client populations.
3. Students will develop an eclectic range of therapeutic skills and techniques to implement with a diverse client population
4. Students will experience growth and development as counselors and receive evaluation of their progress through self-evaluative means, as well as feedback from program faculty, peers, and site supervisors.
5. Students will acquire the knowledge and understanding to implement counseling services within an ethical scope of practice.