Passion and Purpose
Passion and Purpose
Passion and purpose are the cornerstones of Union’s Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling Graduate Certificate program.
Students enter the profession because they have a deep desire to help individuals recover and sustain the recovery of persons with mental and substance use disorders. Antwan McKenzie-Plez entered the program for that reason. “I am prepared to make a positive impact on lives. Union has given me the best training possible.”
“Our mission is to support every student as a future professional colleague in gaining counseling concepts and skills, but also encourage reflective personal growth,” said Rosalyn Y. Brown Beatty, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, Director, Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling – Graduate Certificate Program.
Antwan agrees. “The self-knowledge I have acquired through my studies at Union allows me to be a better counselor. I just completed my internship and was hired by the company because of my excellent training.”
September is National Recovery Month and offers the opportunity to highlight the important work of the M.A. with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counseling – Graduate Certificate Program.
“The M.A. is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and led by scholar-practitioners. Our accreditation ensures that students receive a curriculum based on the highest educational standards. CACREP is the accrediting body for master’s and doctoral degree programs in counseling and its specialties offered by colleges and universities in the United States and the world,” said Dr. Brown Beatty. “Our counselor educators pride themselves on being able to teach the theories, techniques, and skills required to become a counselor using decades of combined counseling experience to adequately prepare students to become practitioners in the field of counseling and building connection to the broader counseling professional network,” said Dr. Brown Beatty.
The Union certificate in Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling is a fully online graduate certificate offered as a stand-alone program or embedded in the M.A. major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
“This program trains and prepares professionals for a career in counseling individuals with substance use and abuse problems,” said Dr. Brown Beatty. “The certificate can be completed in just one year. An alcohol and drug abuse counselor specializes in providing counseling and support to individuals and families experiencing problems with substance use or dependence. This may include individual, family, or group counseling about the causes and effects of addiction support for families dealing with addiction, and/or referrals to treatment.”
A benefit only available to Union students is the fully online library. Access to the library is a service few universities can match. It provides access to a growing collection of more than 125,000 electronic full-text periodicals via 150+ online licensed research databases, available to students 24/7, 365 days a year.
In addition, career services lead students to employers looking for their skill set through the job alert network. The career counselor also offers resume and interview services to successfully market students to a rewarding career.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates a high growth rate for both occupations with a salary range of $39,000 to $65,680 for the mental health counselor field and a salary range of $39,600 to $73,050 for a drug and alcohol counselor.
“Union is known for transforming lives and communities. The UI&U Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling Graduate Certificate program offers the opportunity to enter a rewarding profession that makes measurable improvement in the quality of the lives of clients, families, and society,” said Dr. Brown Beatty.