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Mental Health Counseling Concentration
The mission of the Mental Health Counseling Concentration (MMHC) program is to develop highly skilled counselors who are prepared to meet the mental health needs of their diverse communities in ways that promote social change and social justice.Counselors will develop self-awareness, empathic and empowering attitudes, and an understanding of a broad range of counseling principles and skills to bridge theory and effective practice.
MMHC meets the current education requirements for State licensure, including practicum. However, this program does not automatically confer status as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
It is the responsbility of you, the student, to keep current with all State requirements to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, including post-graduate supervised experience, and to pass the State Licensing Examination for your state.
Degree Requirements
- MMHC graduate students must earn a total of 60 credits to graduate, that include 17 courses and 4 practicums spread over 6 terms, each term being 4 months for a total of 24 months. (See Table B below)
- A maximum of 9 credits may be transferred from an accredited institution, if a final grade of B or above was obtained, and if courses are consistent with concentration requirements.
- All MMHC students must complete a graduate research project.
- The College authorizes the awarding of a Master of Science degree in Human Services for an approved "B" average or better.
The Master of Science Mental Health Counseling concentration is offered at the following locations:
The MMHC concentration is a full-time only program. Daylong classes meet on weekends as assigned each term. All courses are 3 credits each, with the exception of the Foundation courses which are 2 credits each. The required Foundation courses are common to all master's concentrations in the School of Human Services. (see Table A below)
| MCCP 625: Leadership: A Lifelong Journey | 2 credits |
| MCCP 626: Economics and Social Change | 2 credits |
| MCCP 628: Building Multicultural Organizations and Communities |
2 credits |
| MMHC 644: Counseling in Community Settings | 3 credits |
| MMHC 660: Treatment Modalities | 3 credits |
| PSYC 540: Psychology of Sexual Behavior | 3 credits |
| PSYC 612: Psychopharmacology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 623: Crisis Intervention | 3 credits |
MMHC Practicum Requirement
MMHC students are required to complete 1,000 hours of supervised work (practicum) while enrolled in the master's program. There are four practicums that are part of the curriculum, occurring in terms 3 through 6. This means you will need to accomplish 250 hours of supervised work for each of those four terms. The practicum experiences are hours that cannot be part of the student's regular work hours. Table B below provides the curricular sequence.
| Term One (11 credits) | |
| MCCP 625: Leadership A Lifelong Journey | 2 credits |
| MMHC 647: Counseling Theories | 3 credits |
| MMHC 667: Research and Evaluation | 3 credits |
| PSYC 613: Professional Ethics | 3 credits |
| Term Two (11 credits) | |
| MCCP 628: Building Multicultural Organizations and Communities |
2 credits |
| MMHC 617: Diagnosis and Psychopathology | 3 credits |
| MMHC 629: Counseling Skills and Modalities | 3 credits |
| MMHC 648: Multicultural and Diversity Aspects of Empowerment Counseling |
3 credits |
| Term Three (11 credits) | |
| MCCP 626: Economics and Social Change | 2 credits |
| MMHC 627: Human Growth and Development | 3 credits |
| MMHC 639: Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Treatment |
3 credits |
| MMHC 681: Practicum in Mental Health Counseling I | 3 credits |
| Term Four (9 credits) | |
| MMHC 630: Group Counseling Skills | 3 credits |
| MMHC 635: Family Counseling | 3 credits |
| MMHC 682: Practicum in Mental Health Counseling II | 3 credits |
| Term Five (9 credits) | |
| MMHC 683: Practicum in Mental Health Counseling III and select two courses (6 credits) from the following: |
3 credits |
| PSYC 540: Psychology of Sexual Behavior | 3 credits |
| PSYC 612: Psychopharmacology | 3 credits |
| PSYC 623: Crisis Intervention | 3 credits |
| MMHC 644: Counseling in Community Settings | 3 credits |
| MMHC 660: Treatment Modalities | 3 credits |
| Term Six (9 credits) | |
| MMHC 684: Practicum in Mental Health Counseling IV | 3 credits |
| PSYC 513: Psychological Testing | 3 credits |
| PSYC 643: Career Development and Counseling | 3 credits |
MMHC and Computing
MMHC courses with the exception of the Foundation courses have an online component. There will be a mandatory one-hour session with the instructor each week on-line, using Moodle which is the official learning management system for Springfield College.
Moodle will allow all students and the instructor to meet at the same time in a secure chat room on-line. Each instructor will determine the time and date for each session. You must complete the Moodle Online Student Orientation to ensure your familiarity with this system. You can access the orientation from the link entitled "Moodle Student Orientation Courses" that appears at the top left in all of your Moodle classrooms.
Due to this requirement, it is highly recommended that each student have his or her own personal computer with Internet access. At a minimum, you must have access to a computer 2 to 3 times per week for one hour for each session.
