Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Behavioral Health

Program Objectives

In alignment with the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program has the following objectives:

• To facilitate the education and training of counselors who are clinically skilled and prepared to deliver ethical and effective services to clients in a variety of settings.
• To prepare students with the counseling skills to address the multidimensional needs of individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• To provide a rigorous and comprehensive curriculum that prepares students to obtain national certification and/or state licensure upon successful completion of the program.
• To prepare students to engage in professional issues in clinical mental health counseling through publications, research, and active participation in professional associations and professional development.
• To equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to assess, to develop case conceptualizations, and to develop treatment plans for diverse populations.

Accreditation Status

On May 22, 2025, a proposal to request approval for the change in the title of the current CMHC-R Program to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program was made and submitted by the University based on CACREP Standards on Accreditation, and the CMHC-R consultants. The program is seeking accreditation in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialized practice area. Therefore, to have Rehabilitation as a part of the name may have a potential to mislead or misrepresent CACREP accreditation status. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling each represent separate professional specialty areas accredited by CACREP. To address the CACREP policy, the proposal was submitted to adhere to the policy and accreditation requirements. With the exception of the program name and HEGIS codes, the CMHC-R Program curriculum as approved by MHEC on February 17, 2021, remains the same. The course numbers and names will remain the same, but the HEGIS codes will change to reflect CMHC. Students will continue under the CMHC program to receive preparation to become Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC) as well as Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC). With the program name change it will be clear through advertising about the nature of the Master of Science CMHC Program and its accreditation.

The 60-credit CMHC Program is currently in the process of applying to CACREP for certification. Upon receiving CACREP accreditation status, students graduating from the CMHC-R and the CMHC Programs within the previous three years will be considered to have graduated from the CMHC CACREP accredited program, since the accreditation status will be applied retroactively for three years prior to the date of accreditation.

For additional information, see the FAQ or contact Dr. James Stewart or Dr. Janet D. Spry.

Recruitment and Retention

The goal of the CMHC Program recruitment and retention process is to attract and identify the student who has the interest and attributes for completing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with the goal of becoming a professional trained and skilled to work with individuals with mental, physical, and emotional disabilities. Ensuring that all qualified individuals including applicants to the program with disabilities and minorities can participate in the educational and training process is key to meeting this goal. Additionally, students accepted into the CMHC Program will benefit from an educational environment that facilitates their success and retention through the support, accommodations as needed, and faculty involvement and effective engagement in academic learning and practical experiences.

Average Time to Complete the CMHC Program

As indicated in the 2023 – 2025 Coppin State University School of Graduate Studies Catalog:

Full-time/Part-time Status

Full-time graduate students pursue nine (9) credit hours of graduate course work during regular semesters. If a student desires to take more than nine (9) hours, he/she must obtain approval from the Dean of Graduate Studies. Part-time graduate students pursue three to eight (3-8) credit hours of graduate work during regular semesters.

Plan of Study and Advisement

A tentative Plan of Study should be developed in advance of or during the first semester of graduate study. The official Plan of Study must be presented to the Graduate Council with the application for Admission to Candidacy.

The tentative Plan of Study should be congruent with the academic and career goals of the student and determined in consultation with the advisor and Program Coordinator. It must include any courses that the student is required to complete as prerequisites to admission to that program of study, courses to strengthen research or communication skills, appropriate transfer credits, and all other requirements for the particular master's degree being pursued.

The official Plan of Study is the document used when students apply for Admission to Candidacy. It must include the following:

1. All information contained in the tentative Plan of Study.
2. All graduate courses taken by students (including transfer credits) with grades earned in each course.
3. A list of the courses the student plans to take to complete the program.
4. Any additional program requirements.

The plan is to be prepared by the student with the advisor or Program Coordinator’s assistance and submitted to the Dean who then presents the plan of study and the student's application for Admission to Candidacy to the Graduate Council for approval. Graduate Council meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month during the academic year.

All graduate students are responsible for meeting the degree requirements specified in this Catalog. Since clear charting of a degree program is important, all incoming graduate students must contact the Program Coordinator as soon as possible to be assigned an advisor who will assist them in developing a plan of study. This must be done prior to registration, if possible, or within the first six (6) weeks of the first semester of study.

Residency Requirement

1. All degree-seeking students must complete a minimum of twenty-one (21) credit hours on the Coppin State University Campus.
2. All master’s degree-seeking students must complete the degree program within five (5) years from the date of their first enrollment with degree status, unless this limitation is waived.
3. Doctoral students must complete the degree program within seven (7) years from the date of their first enrollment with degree status.
4. Regular full-time students must complete a minimum of nine (9) credit hours per semester.
5. No student can complete a degree program in less than one (1) year of full-time study.

Estimated Cost

Come to Coppin for an excellent academic experience at a true value. Please refer to the link below for current tuition, fees, and course-related expenses. To estimate the cost to attend Coppin State University, use our Net Price Calculator.

Coppin State University Tuition and Fees

Available Scholarships

For information on financial assistance, students are encouraged to contact the CSU Office of Financial Aid:

Monday-Thursday: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

Location: Miles Connor Administration building., first floor

Telephone: 410.951.3636
Fax: 410.951.2551

Annual Report

Program Outcomes

The CMHC Program offers the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Post-Master’s Certificate in Professional Counselor Licensure. For students interested in applying to the CMHC Program, the deadlines for submission of all credentials are May 15 for the fall semester, and October 15 for the spring semester. The program admits an average of 12 students per cohort in both the fall and spring semesters.

Currently the CMHC Program has an enrollment of 54 students in the Spring 2025 semester. The program has six (6) full-time faculty and seven (7) very committed, dedicated, and credentialed part-time faculty. The instructor to student ratio in the CMHC Program is 1:12. For the Internship and Practicum courses the ratio is 1:8. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA each semester to remain in good academic status.

Graduates from the CMHC Program was 12 students for May 2024, and 12 students for May 2025.

Students completing the CMHC Program at CSU qualify to sit for the NCE and CRC exam. Students are required to complete a total of 100 practicum hours, and 600 internship hours as well as the required coursework of the curriculum.

For information on the CRC application requirements, refer to the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CCRC) website.

CMHC Program students may elect to take a Comprehensive Examination, the NCE, or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam. The comprehensive exam is offered twice a year and the current passing rate for CMHC Program students is approximately 98%.

Information on the Comprehensive Examination may be accessed from the 2023-2025 Graduate Catalog.

Information on the NCE may be obtained on the National Board for Certified Counselors website.

Information on the CRC exam may be obtained from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification website.

CMHC Program Student Employment Status Upon Graduation

From the postgraduate questionnaires, telephone contacts, and emails received from 2022-2024, thirteen (13) of the CMHC students reported having paid employment upon graduation. This data is based on a review of questionnaires, telephone contacts, and emails received by the CMHC Program Coordinators.

A total of 18 students graduated from 2022-2024. A 72% response rate was received. Five (5) students from the CMHC Program have not yet responded for the reported time frame. Once the students officially report their status, the total report from this time frame will increase to 18. Currently, the reported student employment rate is 100% based on the students that responded. Once we are officially informed of the remaining students’ employment statuses the chart will be updated.

Employment Settings Where Graduates Work

The CMHC Program has graduates who are employed with:

• Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers
• Hospitals
• Private Practice
• Schools and Universities
• Community Mental Health Agencies
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Residential Treatment Centers
• Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)
• Correctional Facilities
• Telemedicine
• Maryland State Division of Rehabilitation Services
• Private Rehabilitation Companies
• Maryland Workers Compensation Commission
• Public Sector
• Veterans Administration

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

Students completing the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at CSU qualify to sit for the NCE. Students are required to complete a total of 100 practicum hours, and 600 internship hours as well as the required coursework of the curriculum.

Information on the NCE may be obtained on the National Board for Certified Counselors website.

Certified Rehabilitation Counselor

Students completing the Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at CSU qualify to sit for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam. Students are required to complete a total of 100 practicum hours, and 600 internship hours as well as the required coursework of the curriculum.

For information on the CRC application requirements refer to the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CCRC) website.

Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) Statement

The Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) releases the Outcome Data Report to universities and colleges that meet the minimum requirement of 5 or more students/graduates who have sat for the exam for the first time during any given academic cycle. The CRC is a nationally accredited program, and this policy protects anonymity of students and graduates and aligns with CRCC’s accreditation policy.

Once the CMHC Program has reached the required threshold, the CRCC will be able to provide the data report. From 2022–2024 no CMHC students have reported taking the CRC exam.

For information on the professional counselor licensure application requirements refer to the Maryland Board of Professional Counselors and Therapists website:

• Licensed Graduate Professional Counselor (LGPC)
• Professional Counselor

 National Counselor Examination (NCE) Results

The National Counselor Examination (NCE) is a 200-question multiple-choice exam used to assess a counselor's knowledge, skills, and abilities for effective practice. It's a requirement for counselor licensure in the State of Maryland and is also used for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification. The NCE evaluates a candidate's understanding of core counseling principles, ethical practices, human development, and other essential areas of the profession. The State Board of Professional Counselors & Therapists License verification website was used to verify the status of licensure reported by students. The student's date of graduation was verified through the University’s EagleLINKS system for a review of transcripts.

From 2022-2024, fourteen (14) students have successfully passed the NCE Exam.

Student Achievement

CMHC Program students may elect to take a Comprehensive Examination [The Counselor Education Comprehensive Exam (CECE)], the National Counselor Examination (NCE), or the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) exam. The Comprehensive Exam (CECE) is offered twice a year and the current passing rate for CMHC Program students is approximately 98%.

Information on the Comprehensive Examination (CECE) may be obtained in the 2023-2025 CSU Graduate Studies Catalog from the following website: https://hoshop.top/download/downloads/id/1479/2017-2018_graduate_catalog.pdf 

Information on the NCE may be obtained on the National Board for Certified Counselors website at  https://nbcc.org/exams/nce.

Information on the CRC exam may be obtained from the following website: https://www.crccertification.com/.

Comprehensive Exam Results

Internship & Clinical Requirements

The field work/internship component is an integral part of the program and is, therefore, mandatory for all students. The practicum component of the program is one (1) credit and consists of a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in a rehabilitation agency/facility. The internship component consists of three (3) courses for a total of nine (9) credits. To earn three (3) credits in any of the three (3) internship courses, a minimum of two hundred (200) clock hours of supervised clinical experience in a rehabilitation agency/facility is required. Students must complete the practicum course and clock hours prior to completing internship course requirements. Students complete practicum and internship requirements at state, federal, and local agencies providing mental health counseling services as well as public vocational rehabilitation agencies, private rehabilitation companies, Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission, public sector, and the Veterans Administration among others.

Highlights and Updates

• The Substantive Change Application has been successfully approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) and Middle States for:
  1. a 60-credit hour program as required by CACREP
  2. the name change from Master’s in Rehabilitation Counseling to Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Rehabilitation Program (CMHCRP)
  3. the degree change from M.Ed. to M.S.
  4. the name change from CMHC-R to CMHC has been approved by the University and is in the process of submission to MHEC and USM for review and approval
• Students have attended and presented at conferences:
  1. DORS Maryland Rehabilitation Conference, Baltimore, MD
  2. American Association of Behavioral & Social Sciences Conference, Las Vegas, NV
  3. American Counseling Association
  4. Coppin State University Technology Conference
  5. Maryland Counseling Association
  6. The National Council on Rehabilitation Education
• Eligible students are inducted into the Chi Sigma IOTA International Counseling Honor Society.
• The chapter of the Rehabilitation Counseling Student Association developed the constitution and by-laws for this association and planned National Disability Awareness Month activities that take place in October and participated in a virtual panel with the Maryland Rehabilitation Association (MRA). Additionally, these students had a virtual fundraiser walk-a-thon to benefit individuals with disabilities.
• The Graduate Council has approved a new certificate in Forensic Rehabilitation Counseling developed by the CMHC Program, which has been submitted to the MHEC.
• The University Systems of Maryland approved four post baccalaureate certificates and one post master’s certificate.
• The Undergraduate Rehabilitation Services Program serves as a feeder into the CMHC Program.
• The grant from the Baltimore City Office of Senior Programs (SCSEP) and the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) was renewed, which will continue to provide a work force of senior citizens who will assist with the daily operations of the CMHC Program as well as other departments across the university.
• The CMHC Program is a recipient of a State of Maryland Grant to provide services through an inclusive higher education program for students with developmental disabilities. It is a program for students with Intellectual Disabilities. The Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP) at CSU provides integrated academic, career, and independent living instruction in preparation for gainful employment. The CTP provides internship opportunities for students as well as stipends, scholarships, and mentorship opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students.
• The CMHC Program has a cooperative agreement with Baltimore City Public Schools and hosts the Transitioning Students Program at CSU. CMHC Program students receive internship and practicum experiences from this program by providing independent living skills training to the transitioning students. Services and workshops are provided in the Independent Living Lab at CSU.
• The CMHC Program has been awarded Employment Network status with the Social Security Administration’s Ticket-to-Work Program. CSU is one of few universities in the U.S. with this status. Rehabilitation counseling services are provided to SSA beneficiaries and CMHC Program students receive practicum and internship experiences from this program, which operates in the Independent Living Laboratory at CSU and provides practicum and internship experiences for our students.
• The CMHC Program has a collaboration with the Baltimore City Department of Aging to provide employment/training opportunities to senior citizens looking to maintain and develop marketable skills. Although the ultimate goal is matching skills with employment needs at CSU, the program also supports independent living by applying practical skills for senior citizens to become active job seekers for suitable gainful employment. Additionally, the program benefits CSU by expanding and adding to the administrative structure at the university.
• The CMHC Program has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with St. Peter’s Adult Learning Center in Baltimore, MD to provide vocational, evaluation, and assessment services to their consumers. CSU’s CMHC Program Internship & Practicum students receive practical training experiences from this collaboration.
• The CMHC Program offers the Post-Master’s in Professional Counselor Licensure for those students seeking this professional status and have a current master’s degree approved by the Board of Professional Counselors.
• Graduate students have the opportunity to obtain additional training and skills in vocational assessment and evaluation with Pro Bono Counseling Services of Maryland. Through these experiences students are able to obtain valuable internship experiences as well as receive clinical hours toward professional counselor licensure requirements.
• The CMHC Program hosted the Maryland Counseling Association Conference on 09/28-29/2023. The details of the conference are provided in https://mdcounseling.org/event-5160052. Graduate students from the CMHC Program served as volunteers and 12 students received paid registration from the Ticket-to-Work program. Faculty from CUS’s Psychology, Counseling, and Behavioral Health department attended.
• Seven (7) CMHC Program students registered to participate in the Maryland Mental Health First Aid Training held at CSU on 09/25/23, and students are continuing to receive this certification.
• The CMHC Program hosted the National Disability Awareness Month activities and shared information on disability awareness during the week of 10/22-28/2023. A panel was presented consisting of experts in the field of counseling and community providers to share information on social justice and the treatment of minorities with disabilities. Panel experts consisted of representatives from Disability Rights of Maryland, faculty from the Department of Criminal Justice, Department Psychology, Counseling, and Behavioral Health, alumni, the Maryland Commission on Individuals with Disabilities, and law enforcement. The panel was held 10/26/23. Students have continued to participate in and attend panel discussions designed to share information on mental health and disabilities during the month of October.