The Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling program prepares students to identify and address the need for culturally and contextually relevant counseling and social change for individuals, communities, and society. Through the use of technology, experiential practice, collaboration, and a curriculum designed to meet the nationally recommended counseling standards, M.S. in Mental Health Counseling students will be able to

• recognize the role of the counseling profession in the value and advancement of individuals, communities, and organizations;
• employ the professional counseling code of ethics;
• demonstrate cross-cultural competencies and skills;
• contribute to the advancement of mental health care for all citizens;
• analyze their place in the hierarchy of both social power and multiculturalism in relation to their counseling ethics, identity, and delivery of services;
• develop an appropriate skill competence for an identified theoretical model;
• deliver contextually appropriate counseling and remediation skills and interventions;
• establish identity through participation in professional state, regional, and national organizations;
• understand the counselor’s role as client-advocate with families, agencies, and institutions;
• effect positive social change as community leaders; and
• collaborate with counseling instructors and other mental health professionals to present data and findings to the professional counseling community.

Note on licensure: The M.S. in Mental Health Counseling is designed to prepare graduates to qualify to sit for licensing exams. This program is designed to meet the academic licensure requirements of many state counseling boards. Walden University’s M.S. in Mental Health Counseling is not accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), which is a requirement for licensure in some states. Because no graduate program can guarantee licensure upon graduation, we encourage students to consult the appropriate agency to determine specific requirements. For more information about licensure and for state licensure board listings, students should visit the National Board for Certified Counselors at www.nbcc.org/stateboardmap and contact the appropriate licensing body. International students are encouraged to identify and contact their appropriate licensing body.