MSCR Curriculum and Outcomes
Catalog, Program Curriculum, And Academic Calendar
The catalog and listing of curricular content for each educational program in the Department of Clinical Counseling and Mental Health are available for download as a PDF file at the following website address: https://www.ttuhsc.edu/health-professions/catalog.aspx
Accreditation
The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), exists, in part, “to promote high standards of graduate preparation in counseling.” Effective through March 2029, CACREP has conferred accreditation on the following areas:
Addiction Counseling (M.S. degree), Online delivery method;
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S. degree), Online delivery method;
Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (M.S. degree), Online delivery method;
Endorsement for Credentials
In order to successfully complete the program and be endorsed for any relevant certifications or licensure, students must demonstrate academic performance and professional dispositions meeting or exceeding department standards. These standards are applicable across settings, including: classes, advising sessions, clinical sites, and all verbal and written communication.
Mission and Philosophy
The mission of the Masters of Science Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling (MSCR) program at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center forwards the mission of the University by providing a practitioner training program focused on the unique needs of diverse communities, especially in rural settings. We are committed to preparing entry-level clinical rehabilitation counselors to work competently and ethically through the mastery of evidence-based practices. Our focus centers on empowering people with disabilities to make informed choices, build viable careers, and live more independently within the community.
The goal of the program is to prepare students with the counseling and rehabilitation knowledge and skills to assist people with a wide range of physical and psychiatric disabilities, chronic conditions or diseases, and social disabilities in achieving their education and career goals. To accomplish this, the program provides educational and clinical experiences that allow students to meet the following knowledge and outcome expectations: The objectives of our program are linked to our mission statement. They are to provide:- Educational experiences that facilitate the development of knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to practice as qualified rehabilitation counselors with a diverse population in a wide variety of contexts.
- Learning opportunities to support the ability to implement culturally responsive and ethically sound rehabilitation counseling practices throughout their careers, and to advocate for individuals with disabilities and the profession.
- Clinical training experiences focused on translating acquired knowledge, attitudes, and skills to evidence-based practice in a wide range of real-world environments.
The field of rehabilitation counseling and the discipline of rehabilitation counseling are premised by a set of underlying values. Articulated by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC), these values provide an underpinning for the provision of services to persons with disabilities. These values include: - Facilitation of independence, integration, and the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment and the community.
- Belief in the dignity and worth of all people.
- Commitment to a sense of equal justice based on a model of accommodation to provide and equalize the opportunities to participate in all rights and privileges available to all people; and a commitment to supporting persons with disabilities in advocacy activities to achieve this status and empower themselves.
- Emphasis on the holistic nature of human function which is procedurally facilitated by the utilization of such techniques as:
1. interdisciplinary teamwork
2. counseling to assist in maintaining a holistic perspective
3. a commitment to considering individuals within the context of their family systems and community
- Recognition of the importance of focusing on the assets of the person
- Commitment to models of service delivery that emphasize integrated, comprehensive services that are mutually planned by the consumer and the rehabilitation counselor.
The MSCR program is dedicated to the education of competent practitioners and leaders in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling. The curriculum is designed to involve the learner as an active participant in the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for competent practice in the field. Program faculty are drawn from a variety of disciplines within the Department of Clinical Counseling and Mental Health in the TTUHSC School of Health Professions. The intent of the program is to reflect the truly interdisciplinary nature of rehabilitation counseling and to facilitate the sharing of knowledge across health professionals and counseling specialties.
The curriculum conforms to the stated requirements for the graduate education of rehabilitation counseling professionals as set forth by the accrediting body, the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).While ensuring conformity to the curricular and skill requirements as established by the accrediting bodies, it is the intent of the program to graduate students who are:1. Ready to acknowledge the importance of rehabilitation counseling in ensuring dignity, independence, and wellness for persons with disabilities;2. Dedicated to key values, standards, and codes of ethics involved in the practice of clinical rehabilitation counseling, as set forth by state and national licensing and certifying bodies;3. Engaged in reflective, creative problem-solving;4. Responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities;5. Sensitive to the collaborative therapeutic/helping relationship;6. Involved in leadership roles to develop and enhance the discipline of clinical rehabilitation counseling;7. Aware of, and able to respond to, the needs of their communities;8. Able to act as an advocate for quality of life issues for persons with disabilities. The curriculum will provide the personal and professional development learning processes necessary for students to acquire both competence and leadership abilities.
Goals of Program
The goals of the MSCR program are to ensure that graduates have the knowledge, skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary to provide the highest quality clinical rehabilitation counseling services.
To achieve this goal, the MSCR program provides students with the opportunity to:
- Acquire an advanced education in clinical rehabilitation counseling.
- Enter the public and private clinical rehabilitation counseling fields with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to provide effective services to individuals with disabilities, including those with the most severe disabilities.
- Assist individuals with disabilities to identify and use resources to meet their developmental, vocational, independent living, and educational goals.
- Develop a life-long commitment to the profession of clinical rehabilitation counseling.
- Keep their skills updated through continuing education throughout their careers.
- Engage in ethical practice, and exercise their skills and competencies with personal integrity.
- Develop as lifelong learners and critical thinkers.
- Develop a commitment to the profession of counseling, and the rehabilitation counseling specialty.
- Facilitate the full integration of persons with disabilities into society, and the acceptance of persons with disabilities as valued and contributing members of society.
- Participate in the program without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or marital status.
Certification and Licensure
Upon completion of the MSCR program, graduates will possess the competencies and experiences necessary to pursue national certification or state licensure as a counselor. These credentials are essential to furthering the graduate's career. As with most professional credentials, these credentials are not automatically acquired by completion of the academic program. Rather, the completion of scholastic work and attainment of the Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling makes the graduate eligible to apply for various national certifications and state licensure as a counselor.
National Certified Counselor (NCC): The NCC is offered by the National Board for Certified Counselors. Board certification demonstrates to colleagues and the public that you have voluntarily met high national standards for the practice of counseling. NCCs may also hold specialty certifications such as the Master Addictions Counselor (MAC), Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC), and National Certified School Counselor (NCSC). Further information is available about the NCC by contacting:
National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), Inc. and Affiliates
3 Terrace Way
Greensboro, NC 27403
336-547-0607
State Licensure- Graduates of the MSCR program will also be eligible for licensure in many states. Various examples of professional counseling licenses that graduates may qualify for are: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), or Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), depending upon the state. For more information about specific requirements and qualifications, please contact your respective state counselor licensure board.The following website provides helpful resources and links: https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/licensure-requirements
National Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC): The CRC is considered the leading national rehabilitation counseling certification. The certification is offered by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC) https://www.crccertification.com/ The MSCR program will contribute to the development of practitioners, educators, and researchers through its program academic instruction and clinical educational experiences.
