Counseling program earns national accreditation

Valparaiso University’s Graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program has earned national recognition for its commitment to promoting the thorough education and effective preparation of licensed clinical mental health counselors.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited Valpo’s CMHC program as a Mental Health Program under its 2001 standards. The announcement was made following a comprehensive review of program evaluation data in addition to an on-site assessment of the program by a CACREP-appointed committee during the spring 2010 semester.

The vision, mission and core values of CACREP include promoting quality standards of ethical practice in counselor education. Programs accredited by CACREP ensure best practices are taught that support the diverse needs of an increasingly complex society which lends itself to optimal human development.

Currently there are 543 schools in 48 states across the United States that have CACREP approval. In Indiana, Valpo is one of only seven universities with CACREP approval for specializations related specifically to mental health counseling.

Valpo’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is a 60-credit-hour graduate program in the Department of Psychology. Upon completion, students will have earned a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and will be eligible to sit for the National Certified Counselor Examination (NCE). The CACREP accreditation will streamline the process for graduates of Valpo’s program to become licensed in the State of Indiana.

“Recognition of the Counseling program by CACREP is further testament to the quality of Valpo’s graduate programs, which aspire to the highest level of excellence and student engagement,” says David Rowland, professor of psychology and associate provost and dean of Valpo’s Graduate School. “But more importantly, students in the program have both the assurance of the highest quality and the benefit of an easier process of becoming licensed in Indiana or elsewhere in the U.S.”

More information on graduate-level accreditations is available online at valpo.edu/grad or by calling (219) 464-5313.