Mental Health and School Counseling

Overview

The Mental Health and School Counseling program at Cambridge College emphasizes the role of the school counselor in reducing barriers in the multicultural 21st century: a group worker skilled in developmental guidance, a broker of educational and community resources, an interpreter of assessment tools, and a consultant to students, parents, and staff. 

Students are prepared to meet the licensing standards of the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals, and of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

MTEL Required — The Mass. Communication and Literacy Test (MTEL) must be passed before a student may enter the School Counseling program. All new students must register for Mental Health Counseling until they pass.

Learning Outcomes

Students learn about normal and abnormal intellectual, social, and emotional development, dysfunctional behavior and mental illnesses. They learn and apply the principles and best practices of counseling and collaboration within schools and community counseling practice, including:

• Resources and skills for enhancing children’s and adolescents’ educational and vocational experiences and facilitating their ability to make good use of opportunities.
• Assessment, diagnosis and treatment of learning and behavior disorders and mental illnesses.
• Psychoeducational techniques for prevention and strategies for treatment of substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, mental illnesses, and violence in PreK-12 students and throughout the lifespan.
• Psychotherapeutic techniques for work with individuals, couples, families and groups.
• Group counseling, leadership and consulting techniques; and school and community resources for referral.

Students gain and apply knowledge of:

• Psychology of learning, curriculum frameworks, student testing.
• Research design and methodology.
• Relevant federal, state, and municipal laws and regulations.