The blended Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) graduate program at the University of Nebraska Kearney prepares counselors to provide a full range of culturally sensitive services for individuals, couples, families, adolescents, children, groups and communities in community agencies, treatment centers, correctional facilities, medical settings, private/group practice, and Veterans Affairs clinics. Students learn to help clients explore emotions and experiences, adjust to difficult life challenges, improve family and other relationships, diagnose and treat mental and behavioral disorders, develop strategies for coping and change, and refer to other resources or services in the community.
Prerequisites: Bachelor’s degree
Employment of Clinical Mental Health Counselors is projected to grow 23% from 2016 to 2026. The average annual pay for a Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Nebraska is $56,070 a year in Nebraska as of May 2017.
"I feel like it's doable for sure. Everyone I know (in the program) usually has jobs and I think I can balance it pretty well. You just got to manage your time. I say go for it."
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program offers flexible course scheduling to accommodate students who are employed full-time. The program offers long distance accessibility with a combination of evening/campus courses, blended/online courses, and fieldwork to prepare graduates for immediate career application. This plan includes Licensed Drug and Alcohol Counseling (LADC) elective coursework for Dual Licensure as LMHP & LADC.
* Online or Blended
~ Online or On Campus
The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) and its international affiliate, the International Registry of Counselor Education Programs (IRCEP). These accreditations ensure that the program will qualify and prepare you for the National Counselor Exam (NCE), National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (CMHCE), Mental Health Practitioner License (LMHP), Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner (LIMHP) or other credentials needed for your counseling career. Each year the UNK Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is required to provide access to the CACREP Vital Statistics Report for prospective students, current students, community partners, and stake holders. Weave is our Annual Review of the Clinical Mental Health program, view the most recent report. For information on the number of graduates, pass rates on the national exam, program completion and job placement rates, view program statistics.
A graduate degree helps you advance your career by qualifying for higher positions with additional leadership opportunities. The median salary for those with master’s degrees is 16% higher than for those with an undergraduate degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.