Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Overview

The Masters of Mental Health Counseling (MCMHC) program has been in existence since the Fall of 2018. The program is one of 12 graduate programs offered within the Graduate School at Indiana University Southeast. The MCMHC program is part of the School of Social Sciences and is housed within the Psychology Department. It is one of two graduate programs offered by the School of Social Sciences. The MCMHC program is a 60-credit-hour degree that is designed to provide quality educational and clinical experiences for students in order to become licensed mental health counselors (LMHC).

The MCMHC program has changed since its inception in 2018. Prior to 2020, the MCMHC Program was an integrated program with the other Indiana University system regional campus counseling program. In 2019, the faculty decided to pursue CACREP accreditation to better serve the needs of students who live in southern Indiana and northern Kentucky. Indiana University Southeast is located on the state border between Indiana and Kentucky. Students desire to become licensed in both Indiana and Kentucky. Currently, Kentucky counseling licensing requires that applicants graduate from a CACREP accredited program. As a result of this decision, the MCMHC program was created and became a stand-alone counseling program which was no longer an integrated program with the other regional campuses as those campus counseling programs did not desire to pursue accreditation. In the Fall of 2020, the new MCMHC Program was approved.

In 2023, the Masters Mental Health Counseling Program was approved to change the name of the program to Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. This name change was initiated to better reflect the professional employment requirements.

The MCMHC program is currently pursuing accreditation by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Attaining this accreditation will allow MCMHC program students to have more career opportunities and license portability. It is anticipated that we will learn of the accreditation either this spring or early fall.

Program Statistics

Licensure

• The MCMHC program has graduated four cohorts. In 2024, the MCMHC program graduated 12 students.
• All 2018 cohort students who graduated in 2020 are now either LMCHAs or LPCAs. Ten of the 2018 cohort graduates are licensed in the state of Indiana, one is licensed in Kentucky and Ohio, and one is licensed in the state of Washington.
• Of the 2020 cohort students who graduated in 2022, 9 are LMHCAs, and 2 are pursuing the LADC. One graduate is working in Vocational Rehabilitation. The remainder are pursuing a Ph.D. or are in non-counseling positions. All graduates who pursued licensure are licensed in the state of Indiana.
• The 2021 cohort students who graduated in 2023 includes 8 students who have their LMHCA and 5 who have a temporary license. All of these graduates are licensed in the state of Indiana.
• The 2022 cohort students who graduated in 2024, 2 graduates currently hold an LMHCA license, and 8 graduates have their temporary license. All graduates are licensed in the state of Indiana.

Licensing Examinations

• All the 2018 cohort graduates have successfully passed the National Counselor Exam (NCE) which is required for initial licensure. Data is not available regarding the NCMHCE graduates take in the state of Indiana to earn their independent LMHC license.
• Eleven (84%) of the 2020 cohort who graduated in 2022 have passed the NCE.
• Ten (83%) of 2021 cohort who graduated in 2023 have passed the NCE.
• Two of the 2022 cohort who graduated in 2024 have taken and passed the NCE. The remaining graduates who are pursuing licensure are still under a temporary license and therefore have not yet taken the NCE.

Employment

• Graduates of the 2018 cohort are 100% employed as professional counselors in counseling centers, private practice, and counseling group practices.
• Graduates of the 2020 cohort who chose to practice are 100% employed as counselors. Two graduates are pursuing full-time Ph.D. degrees.
• Graduates of the 2021 cohort who graduated in 2023 and who chose to practice, 12 (75%) are employed in a counseling or counseling related position. Three were either working in a position unrelated to counseling or their employment could not be verified.
• Graduates from the 2022 cohort who graduated in 2024 and 10 (90%) who chose to practice are employed full or part time as a counselor in community mental health. One graduate’s employment could not be verified.

Program Completion

• Masters Clinical Mental Health Counseling student rates of completion of the program for both the 2020 and the 2021 cohorts are 86% and 75%, respectively. The completion rate for Cohort 2022 is 64%.