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Our mental health counseling program is a two-year, 18-credit advanced certificate that bridges the training of school psychologists and counselors with additional course work in mental health counseling across the lifespan. As a student, you will receive significant counseling training with youth and adults. In the second year, you will complete a full-year, supervised internship. Training will include clinical work with a variety of referral conditions and disorders, across diverse populations and cultures. Working from a holistic approach, you will be encouraged to develop the necessary counseling and intervention skills for engaging all members of the community. The program is designed to complement the education of students who have completed a 60-credit graduate program in school counseling and school psychology.
After completion of the advanced certificate and 3,000 hours of supervised, post-degree experience, you will be license-eligible with the New York State Office of the Professions as a mental health counselor. The program is unique because you will be certification-eligible to work as a school psychologist or school counselor in schools as well as license-eligible to work independently as a mental health counselor. You will get the necessary counseling theory and skills to address a variety of referral concerns, and to provide evidence-based mental health counseling to ameliorate the lives of youth and adults. You can work in schools, hospitals, clinics, counseling centers, or private practices.
The program information listed here reflects the approved curriculum for the 2023–24 academic year per the Brooklyn College Bulletin. Bulletins from past academic years can be found here.
The 18-credit advanced certificate bridge Mental Health Counseling (MHC-AC) program focuses on clinical work with children, adolescents, and adults. The program is open to students matriculated in the School Psychologist Graduate and the School Counseling Graduate programs in the Department of School Psychology, Counseling, and Leadership (SPCL) or students with comparable 60-credit graduate degrees in school psychology or school counseling from other institutions. In addition to their training to work in schools, students who are accepted into the MHC-AC are also prepared to work as mental health counselors within medical, community, and private practice settings. Through rigorous academic coursework and clinical internship training, students learn to apply mental health approaches to contemporary practice, assessment, and treatment. After acquiring the Advanced Certificate and 3,000 hours of supervised, post-degree experience, students are eligible to take the licensure examination, which if successfully passed permits private and independent practice of mental health counseling in New York State.
Applicants must be matriculated in or graduated from either the School Psychologist Graduate or the School Counseling Graduate program in SPCL or present graduate degrees from another accredited institution. Students with 60 or more credits from an accredited school counseling or school psychology graduate program outside of Brooklyn College will have an individual transcript review to determine if additional courses will be required.
In addition to filing a college application, applicants must provide a personal statement, including discussion of related work, personal experiences, and goals. Applicants must also submit two letters of recommendation from instructors familiar with applicants’ professional and academic experience. The program invites selected applicants to participate in an interview and to complete additional admission assessments as required. A minimum graduate GPA of 3.30 out of 4.00 is required for admission.
In addition to successful completion of School Counseling or School Psychologist graduate program or evidence of equivalent degrees from an accredited graduate program, 18 additional credits including internship are required for the Advanced Certificate. Students must complete a full-year 600-hour internship in an approved mental health counseling setting under supervision of a licensed provider. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 (B). A student who acquires six credits below B- cannot be awarded the Advanced Certificate. The program of study must be approved by the department.
Students in or graduates from the Brooklyn College School Counseling Program or graduates from equivalent degree programs must complete the following courses:
Students in or graduates from the Brooklyn College School Psychologist Graduate Program or graduates from equivalent degree programs must complete the following courses:
Students who graduated from a 60-credit or more equivalent graduate degree program outside of Brooklyn College will have a transcript review, and may require additional course work beyond the courses above to meet licensing requirements of New York State. This will be articulated in a plan of study upon matriculation.
Three thousand hours of supervised post-degree experience are required to be eligible for licensure permitting private practice of mental health counseling. Information about New York State licensing for mental health counseling may be found here.
Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
Interview
Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions.
1107 James Hall E: paulmc@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.5876
Or contact:
222 West Quad Center 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 E: grads@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.4536
Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
To make an appointment with a graduate admissions counselor, visit:
BC Admissions Appointment Tool
Brooklyn College is an integral part of the cultural and artistic energy of New York City. Our faculty members in School Psychology, Counseling and Leadership offer incomparable expertise and tremendous talent, and each brings a unique perspective to their teaching and mentoring in and out of the classroom.
Dr. Elmadani earned a doctorate in counselor education and supervision from the University of Nor...
Paul McCabe is chair of the SPCL department and a professor in the School Psychologist Graduate P...
María R. Scharrón-del Río, Ph.D. is Associate Dean of the School of Education & Professor ...
Students complete a full-year 600-hour internship in an approved mental health counseling setting under supervision of a licensed provider.
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