School Mental Health Certificate

Jump to: Rationale for the Certificate | The Counselor Ed Department | Target Population | Nature of the Certification Program | Tentative Schedule of Courses | Fee Schedule | Admissions Requirements

Rationale for the Certificate

As the primary institution serving most children, U.S. schools are given the responsibility of protecting and nurturing the mental health of young people. Yet there are increasing numbers of U.S. children and youth who are experiencing severe mental health problems. School counselors are often in a pivotal position to recognize and intervene with children and youth having mental health problems. To do so, school counselors need to be knowledgeable concerning the possible familial, substance abuse, and cultural diversity issues that may undergird young people's mental health concerns, and to be skilled in consulting the family members and educators responding to these young people. This certificate program is designed to deepen school counselors' clinical knowledge and intervention skills so as to become an even more important resource in addressing thse complex social problems. In addition, this certificate program will aid in the recognition of school counselors' advanced professional training through their eligibility for state licensure as mental health counselors.

The Counselor Education Department

The Department of Counselor Education prepares counselor educators (Ph.D.), marriage and family therapists (Ed.S.), mental health counselors (Ed.S.), and school counselors (Ed.S.), who generate, use, and disseminate knowledge about human development and human relating to enrich the quality of life for all people, and who collaborate with others to solve critical personal, family, educational, social, and vocational problems in a diverse global community.

All entry-level and doctoral programs in mental health counseling, marriage and family counseling, and school counseling and guidance are fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The school counseling and guidance program is fully accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

In 2009, U. S. News and World Report ranked our Department as number three among all counseling/personnel programs in colleges of education across the nation. The Department has ranked among the top five programs nationally for the last 12 consecutive years.

Target Population

The School Mental Health Certification (SMHC) is a certification program designed for school counselors who have previously earned a master degree (of at least 48 credit hours) and now wish to pursue Florida Licensure as a Mental Health Counselor. This SMH certification program may also be appropriate for other counseling professionals who have a master degree of at least 48 credit hours in a related field and wish to be eligible to take the mental health licensure examination in the state of Florida.

Nature of the Certification Program

The School Mental Health Certification (SMHC) is designed to broaden counselor knowledge of mental health issues and advanced counseling practices. The curriculum is based on the standards of the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and consists of four online courses (for a total of 12 credit hours) and a supervised internship in a mental health services setting (meeting the state mental health licensure requirements of 60 plus credits). Each course is designed to allow students to interact with the instructors as well as with other students in the course. Activities, exercises, and hands on experiences will be required of the students. The following online courses comprise the certificate:

• MHS 6020 Counseling in Community Settings (3 credits)
• MHS 6071 Diagnosis and Treatment of Mental Disorders (3 credits)
• MHS 6450 Substance Abuse Counseling (3 credits)
• MHS 6471 Sexuality & Mental Health (3 credits)
• MHS 7830 Internship in Mental Health Counseling
  

Tentative Schedule of Courses

Fee Schedule

For a three credit course, students will pay:

• $1,188.42 (Florida resident)
• $1,278.42 (Non-FL resident / off campus)
• $3,078.99 (Non-FL resident / on campus)
• Please note: Fees are subject to change each Fall.

Admissions Requirements

• A completed Graduate Certification Application Form
• An official transcript from each institution attended (both graduate and undergraduate)
• Master's degree
• Two letters of recommendation
• For more details on admissions requirements, please refer to the instructions on the Certification Application Form
• For further information, contact Dr. Edil Torres Rivera by email at edil0001@ufl.edu or by phone at (352) 273-4325.