RDCO 500. INTRODUCTION TO PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING.
This course includes the theoretical bases of processes used to enhance the mental health of individuals, families, and groups. Introduction to: 1) history; 2) roles; 3) organizations and standards; 4) professional issues; and 5) ethical, legal, and diversity issues will constitute the foundations for mental health program development. Contextual dimensions such as assumptions and roles, and community needs assessment will be comprehensively explored.
RDCO 502. PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION AND ETHICS IN COUNSELING.
This course is designed to introduce the student to the profession of counseling. The history of the counseling profession, its various settings and modalities, the major theories underlying the practice of counseling, and ethical principles will be studied. Included will be major discussions about current trends in the counseling profession and the outlook for work opportunities. Includes legal and ethical considerations, certification, licensing, and legislative advocacy for issues related to mental health.
RDCO 510. THEORIES AND PROCESS OF COUNSELING.
This course is a survey of counseling theories applicable to the field of counseling. Discussions will focus on each approach's basic concepts, such as the view of human nature, therapeutic process, and the client-counselor relationship. The following theories will be considered: Psychoanalytic, Adlerian, Existential, Person-Centered, Gestalt, Reality Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, and Narrative Therapy. The class will include discussions, case conceptualization, role play, and an integrated theory of counseling.
RDCO 511. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN COUNSELING.
The course is designed to heighten the students' sensitivity to the unique needs of consumers of diverse cultural origins, assist students in becoming culturally competent clinical mental health or rehabilitation counselors, and facilitate the integration of knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to provide quality services. Includes studies of change, ethnic groups, subculture, changing roles of women, sexism, urban and rural societies, population patterns, cultural mores, and differing life patterns.
RDCO 513. PRE-PRACTICUM AND TECHNIQUES IN COUNSELING.
The course aims to increase students' competence in the use of intervention procedures from major theoretical systems and develop clinical skills in preparation for Practicum and Internship experiences, including the use and application of diverse methods corresponding to the major theories of counseling. This class will utilize lectures, group discussions, out-of-class activities, video feedback sessions, and lab practice sessions. These activities will promote the development and refinement of facilitative communication in interpersonal interaction - interviewing and counseling skill development (active listening and attending to the other person, verbal and nonverbal communication, empathy, self-awareness, and appropriate use of counselor self-disclosure). In addition, systematic problem-solving skills promote effective interpersonal interactions in future clinical counseling practice. Prerequisite for CMHC: Approval from Advisor.
RDCO 514. PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND DIAGNOSIS (DSM-V).
This course is designed to provide rehabilitation and mental health counselors with basic information so that they may understand the major types of psychiatric conditions, as well as the implications of these conditions for the client's personal, social, and vocational functioning. This class uses DSM-5 as the organizing format. Psychiatric conditions will be considered in their description, diagnostic criteria, treatment planning considerations, and expected outcomes. Special attention is paid to the role of culture in etiology, diagnosis, and the development of treatment plans. The medical and psychiatric rehabilitation models and their interrelationships in providing services to persons with psychiatric disabilities will be discussed. Special emphasis will be placed on functional assessment of persons with chronic mental illness and studying and developing client-driven rehabilitation models for community re-integration. Prerequisite for CMHC: RDCO 564.
RDCO 515. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
This course will cover the physical, cognitive, emotional, psychological, and social factors in human development, from conception to death. This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of human development and significant changes that occur over a lifetime focusing on life stages of infancy, adolescence, and adulthood. Emphasis will be placed on standard physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development and diversity and socialization about perceptions of human development. Professional, clinical, legal, and ethical issues will also be addressed.
RDCO 517. BEREAVEMENT COUNSELING.
Theories and concepts related to the issues of dying and death, and guidelines for dealing with sensitive issues, are examined. Living with loss and guiding children through grief and loss will be given special emphasis.
RDCO 518. CRISIS AND TRAUMA.
This course examines crisis and trauma theory, including prevention and intervention counseling techniques. The course will allow students to gain knowledge and demonstrate skill practice in addressing the specific crisis and trauma situations such as homicide, suicide, natural disaster response, family crisis, sexual assault, domestic violence, assessment, posttraumatic stress, school/community crisis, and online crisis counseling.
RDCO 519. FAMILY THERAPY.
Interactions of the family unit from historical, contemporary, society, and small-group perspectives. Psychotherapeutic intervention extensively analyzes current therapeutic approaches, including communications theory models, systems theory models, and transactional theory models. Prerequisites: RDCO 500 and RDCO 510
RDCO 520. GROUP COUNSELING AND GROUP WORK.
This course will provide theoretical and technical foundations for the practice of group counseling. Students will understand how individual counseling theories can be modified and applied in group settings. The course will include an overview of systems theory as it applies to group dynamics, focusing on organizations, subsystems, etc. Students will also learn specific interventions applicable to group settings. As an experiential component, this course will include simulated group counseling sessions in which students will have the opportunity to apply, practice, and refine their skills. Prerequisites: Either RDCO 500 OR RDCO 501, and RDCO 502
RDCO 525 SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.
The course provides an overview of the evidence-based practices and standard practices for treating substance use disorders (SUDs). Emphasis is placed on the training of the interventions in the treatment of SUDs, the various treatment modalities and outcomes, and the components of the therapeutic process (from initial meeting to discharge).
RDCO 535. PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY.
Understanding the basic neurobiology of psychopathology and how psychotropic medications treat such conditions is the foundation of this class. An emphasis is placed on the role of the counselor as a member of a treatment team who helps facilitate client treatment compliance and monitors the efficacy and side effect manifestations of psychotropic treatment while helping to integrate that treatment with other nonpharmacological modalities.
RDCO 540. TELEMENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING.
TeleHealth uses online technology to meet the needs of delivering mental health counseling to consumers. This course introduces TeleMental Health Counseling, the study of the history, terminology, modalities, treatment, laws, ethics, including equipment and technology program options used to serve individuals.
RDCO 564. ASSESSMENT AND TESTING.
The course covers basic principles and theories underlying psychological tests, including reliability and validity. It focuses on various assessment procedures, including both observational methods and more traditional tests. Instruction is provided in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of intelligence, personality, interest inventories, and report writing. Emphasis is on special considerations necessary for using traditional tests with persons with disabilities and specific tests developed for this population.
RDCO 565. RESEARCH METHODS, STATISTICS, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION.
This course introduces fundamental concepts essential to understanding and conducting research in counseling. The course will include an analysis of research methods and designs and statistical tools necessary to examine research and evaluate programs. This course will promote a broad understanding of qualitative and quantitative research and provide a basis for interpreting and evaluating published research and fundamental knowledge of programmatic evaluation to better assist with disseminating evidence-based research through practice.
RDCO 571. CAREER DEVELOPMENT, JOB DEVELOPMENT, AND PLACEMENT.
The course provides a theoretical and practical foundation for understanding the relationships of career development theories to counseling practice. Includes vocational choice theory, lifestyle choices, occupational and educational information, decision-making processes, and career exploration techniques, focusing especially on ethical service delivery to diverse populations. Additionally, the contents will cover job development techniques, job analysis, and placement as applied to assist persons with disabilities in obtaining and maintaining competitive integrated employment. Strategies to involve the consumers, the family, the employer, and other stakeholders in all phases of career development and placement will be discussed.
RDCO 590. CLINICAL PRACTICUM.
This supervised clinical experience of 100 clock hours is designed to provide students with the first formal opportunity to utilize the knowledge acquired through coursework. In consultation with the faculty supervisor, the practicum site is selected from a list of accredited agencies serving consumers with various disabilities and mental health conditions, especially consumers from culturally diverse backgrounds. Prerequisite: The student must demonstrate knowledge, skills, competencies, ethical conduct, and professionalism conducive to serving people with significant disabilities and/or mental health conditions before being permitted to enroll. CMHC Prerequisite: Completion of core courses and Approval from Advisor.
RDCO 591 AND 592. CLINICAL INTERNSHIPS I AND II.
Students in CMHC are eligible to begin their Internship experience upon completing The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE). Three hundred (300) hours per field placement, for a total of six hundred (600) hours, in an agency setting under the supervision of a qualified clinical mental health counselor for supervised practice in counseling and related functions. The functions include individual and group counseling experience under the supervision of a licensed professional counselor or licensed professional counselor-supervisor. Critiques of student leadership styles, facilitative ability, and understanding of group dynamics procedures will be done systematically. Prerequisites: Completion of core courses, RDCO 590, passing the CPCE, and approval from the Advisor.
RDCO 593. CLINICAL INTERNSHIP III.
Six hundred (600) hours of field placement in an agency setting under the supervision of a qualified clinical mental health counselor. Prerequisites: RDCO 590 and completion of core courses, passing the CPCE, and approval from the Advisor.
RDCO 601. DEPARTMENTAL COMPREHENSIVE.
After successfully fulfilling the required course hours according to the official plan of study, all Master's degree candidates must register and pass the department's comprehensive examination before enrollment in Internship in Counseling (RDCO 591/592 or RDCO 593). The Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) will serve as the Departmental Comprehensive examination for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program.
OPTIONAL
RDCO 521. DYNAMICS OF PLAY THERAPY.
Includes a study of cognitive and affective functioning with an emphasis on play and fantasy in child behavior. Therapeutic meaning of symbolic representations in children's play with toys. Playroom acquisitions and management will also be covered. Pre-practicum experience required.
RDCO 522. THEORIES AND PRACTICE OF PLAY THERAPY.
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of a variety of play therapy theoretical orientations and specific skills, which can be used when working with children and their families using the developmentally appropriate setting of play. Prerequisite: RDCO 521
RDCO 523. TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF PLAY THERAPY.
This course studies essential theories and techniques used in play therapy. Most widely used theories such as Psychoanalytic Play Therapy, Jungian Analytical Play Therapy, Child-Centered Play Therapy, and Gestalt Play Therapy are among a few that will be introduced. The content of this course will contain advanced materials to develop skills, learn how to utilize techniques, and meet requirements as a registered play therapist. Prerequisites: RDCO 521 and RDCO 522.