The College of Education Counseling Programs consist of the following online, graduate level programs:
- Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Master’s of Education in School Counseling
- Master’s of Science in Guidance and Counseling
Program Mission
The University of West Alabama’s mission statement for the Counseling Program is unique in that it strives to provide a brighter future for individuals, families, and communities. By training emerging counselors to:
- Celebrate creativity, knowledge, & diversity.
- Teach students to view counseling as both an art and a science by providing them with the practical tools and knowledge to help facilitate change.
- Provide students with cultural experiences to help them grow into culturally competent practitioners.
- Advocate for client well-being through innovation and collaboration.
- Involving the clients in learning the resources by student involvement in providing resources in students to foster lifelong learning.
- Provide clinical skills needed to provide a wide variety of counseling services while maintaining the highest ethical and professional standards.
- Train students in knowledge and application skills that support multiple counseling service needs in a framework of national, state, and local ethical and professional standards.
- Encourage students to lead productive, responsible, and enriched lives.
Program Objectives
| CACREP Professional Identity Standard | UWA Program Objective |
|---|---|
| Professional Orientation and Identity | PLO 1 – Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice Students will be able to articulate the elements related to professional identity including; the history and philosophy of the counseling profession, the value of professional organizations, the need for legal and ethical practice, and advocating for the profession and clients that are served. |
| Social and Cultural Diveristy | PLO 2 – Social and Cultural Diversity Students will have knowledge and awareness of social and cultural diversity issues in counseling and be able to implement culturally sensitive counseling interventions. |
| Human Growth and Development | PLO 3 – Human Growth and Development Students will have knowledge of human growth and development, and will be able to apply personality and learning theories to facilitate change and growth in individuals and family systems at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts. |
| Career Development | PLO 4 – Career Development Students will have knowledge of career development theories and methods and be able to apply career counseling skills to facilitate client exploration and problem solving. |
| Helping Relationships | PLO 5 – Helping Relationships Students will have knowledge of helping processes and will have the interviewing and counseling skills to facilitate client engagement in counseling. |
| Group Work | PLO 6 – Group Work Students will have a theoretical and experiential understanding of group purposes, development, dynamics, theories, and methods in a multicultural society, and will be able to apply these skills to facilitate group processes. |
| Assessment | PLO 7 – Assessment Students will have knowledge of individual and group approaches for assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society and will be able to apply these skills to facilitate the helping process. |
| Research and Program Evaluation | PLO 8 – Research and Program Evaluation Students will have knowledge of research and program evaluation and will be able to apply basic quantitative and qualitative research skills. |
Accreditation
The University of West Alabama is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Training Model
In the UWA online model, students attend all classes online using both synchronous and asynchronous formats. Students also attend a residential training experience at the UWA campus during the program. The residency provides an opportunity to meet professors and classmates face-to-face, and to work on clinical skills development.
- Class Times: Synchronous classes take place in the late afternoons or evenings using Central Time Zone. Class days and times are listed in the course catalog for those classes requiring a live meeting. Synchronous classes include: CO 509, CO 546, CO 548, CO 558, CO 579, CO 589.
- Residential Training Experience: This format enables students to take all classes online and complete practicum and master’s-level internship locally, in their home community. Students attend a residential training experience at the UWA campus location. The residency is an opportunity to meet professors and classmates face-to-face. It includes intensive study and competency based skill training and culminates in a clinical interviewing assessment that is a prerequisite for clinical fieldwork.
Orientation
Students can begin the program throughout the year. At the beginning of each start term, an orientation is held for incoming students. This orientation is required so that students can learn the foundations of the program before classes begin.
Zoom Virtual Classrooms Support Online Learning Experiences
- UWA utilizes the Zoom video conference platform for weekly live virtual remote classes for many online courses.
- Classes include real-time lecture, discussion and clinical skills training enabled by videoconference technology.
- Online classes give students the opportunity to interact with a diverse student body and learn clinical skills through real-time interaction with instructors.
Field Placements in the Home Regions Help Establish Students in Their Communities
- UWA assists students in finding suitable practicum/internship placements in their communities.
- Students receive ongoing support throughout the practicum/internship experience.
- Supervision takes place at the student’s field placement site and from UWA faculty online.
Become a Nationally Certified Counselor upon Graduation
As a participant in the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) National Counselor Examination Graduate Student Administration (NCE GSA), the UWA Counseling programs have been evaluated and determined to provide the necessary educational coursework for eligibility for national certification. Any student approved to complete the examination through the NCE GSA has met the academic eligibility requirements for national certification.
Eligibility requirements to take either the NCE or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) as an enrolled student at UWA include the following:
· Current enrollment in the M.Ed. or M.S. in Counseling Program
· Must be in the last terms of matriculation (i.e., in final internship and/or final courses in the program)
· Must be a student in good standing (B or better GPA, no active or open remediation plans)
If you meet the above requirements and are interested in taking either the NCE or NCMHCE, you will be asked to submit your interest to Dr. Nisha Warbington. There are two exam administration periods per year; one in October and one in April. Upon expressing interest and verifying eligibility, you will receive an invitation from NBCC to participate in the exam administration with instruction on how to do so. The board certification application fee is $335.00, which includes examination registration fees and the maintenance fee for the first year.
Please note that this is an opportunity and not a requirement. You are also able to wait until after graduation to take the appropriate exam for certification and possibly licensure. If you intend to use the exam for state licensure, be aware of your specific state requirements for which exam to take and whether taking the exam while enrolled as a student can count as your licensure exam. California and New York do not accept NCMHCE scores for licensure if the examination was taken before graduation and without state approval.
NCE/NCMHCE Exam FAQ’s:
- Why should I take the NCE now?
- It’s cheaper!
- You can “bank” your scores for licensure in most states. (Please check your state’s testing requirements!)
- You are more in touch with the material now than you will ever be
- More states require the NCE than the NCMHCE
- What is the difference between the NCE and the NCMHCE?
- The NCE is a multiple choice content exam covering your main core areas that, along with supervised clinical experience and your master’s degree, allow you to apply to be a Board Certified Counselor. Here are some PRACTICE QUESTIONS
- The NCMHCE is a practice based exam that involves clinical scenarios that are required for licensure in the state of California (even though the graduate administration cannot be used for licensure). What can happen with this exam is that it can be used, along with your degree and supervised practice, to apply to be a Board Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor. Here are some PRACTICE QUESTIONS
- My state requires the NCMHCE for licensure. I should take the NCMHCE for LPCC licensure, right?
- Yes and no. You may take it for in many states for licensure but you probably do not need to take it now unless you just want to practice. For example, the California licensure board does not accept test results on the CMHCE that occur prior to eligibility for licensure.
To learn more about the benefits of taking the exam prior while still a student, please visit the following website: https://www.nbcc.org/resources/applicants/students.
To learn more about the differences between certification and licensure, please visit the following website: https://www.nbcc.org/certification/licensure.
For more information about your states requirements for licensure or testing, please contact Dr. Kelly Owenby (kowenby@uwa.edu)
Resources
ALSDE Standards for School Counseling
24-25 School Counseling Master’s Program Handbook
24-25 CMHC Master’s Program Handbook
Tevera
Tevera is an integrated platform serving more than clinical counseling. Instead of developing separate products that perpetuate academic and healthcare silos, Tevera offers workspaces for each field within a single system. This creates a unified platform that supports all fields within the behavioral health, mental health, and social work domains.
Tevera takes a very specific approach to every professional field that we serve. For example, we’ve developed standardized workflows and form sets aligned with CACREP standards to support the majority of counseling programs.
Tevera’s field education software makes it easier to manage placement sites, track student performance, and develop career skills in support of CSWE, CACREP, ASCA, and COAMFTE accreditation.
Tevera is purchased during the CO 500, Professional Orientation course. Students will purchase this product directly from Tevera. The current price is $205 for a Lifetime Membership.
STUDENT
https://knowledge.tevera.com/space/OS
FACULTY
https://knowledge.tevera.com/space/OF
SITE SUPERVISOR
https://knowledge.tevera.com/space/OFI
Site Supervisor Information
The faculty and students of Counseling Programs at the University of West Alabama wish to thank you for your generous contribution of valuable time in serving as an on-site supervisor to one of our students. As they embark on this journey towards becoming professional counselors, this step represents perhaps one of the most important parts of their training. Your efforts will help promote excellence in the field of Counseling, and the supervisory role you play will greatly elevate the quality of education and professional development of the students at your site.
The University of West Alabama follows the standards set by the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP standards state that all on-site supervisors must receive orientation, assistance, and consultation regarding clinical supervision of interns and our program. In order to meet this requirement, we have prepared this information for you as you make ready for your role as supervisor. The information includes an overall orientation to the expectations we place on our interns, our On-Site Supervisors and other information relevant for both school and community agency supervisors. We hope you will find it helpful and informative.
In order to properly document that our On-Site Supervisors have received this preparation, we ask that you view the information and note on your Site Supervisor Registry and Agreement form in Tevera the date you completed your review.
- Review the UWA Site Supervisor Presentation
- Review the UWA Site Supervisor Handbook
- Review the UWA Site Supervisor Orientation to Clinical Experience
**Note that a faculty supervisor from the university will be in touch with you periodically throughout the placement and is here to provide whatever assistance you may need. If you have any questions or require additional information, please let us know.
The contact for clinical placements for both Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling is Dr. Necoal Driver – ndriver@uwa.edu
UWA Site Supervisor Presentation
UWA Site Supervisor Orientation to Clinical Experiences
Annual Data Report
The Counseling Programs have developed and implemented a comprehensive assessment plan that guides both student-level and program-level assessment. The counseling faculty participate in an annual review of curriculum, processes, student learning, and student and program outcomes through a systematic process of evaluation and assessment.
The Counseling Programs collect and post each year outcome data to include student graduation rates, completion rates, employment data, and licensure pass rates on credentialing exams.