Advanced Graduate Community Mental Health Counseling Certificate

The Department of Counselor Education admits applicants to an Advanced Graduate Community Mental Health Counseling Certificate program. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (1999), four of the leading causes of disability for persons age five and older are mental disorders. In the United States, major depression is the leading cause of disability. Also near the top of these rankings are manic-depressive illness, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. Mental disorders also are contributors to mortality, with suicide representing one of the leading preventable causes of death in the Unites States. Unfortunately, Nevada is a state with a high proportion of people who have experienced mental disorders. This may be attributed to the high transient nature of the Las Vegas community. Another contributing factor could be that the consumption of alcohol in Nevada is higher than in any other state and it has been noted that alcohol and other drug use have been tied to many mental health issues that have an immense impact on families and children in Nevada.

The Advanced Graduate Certificate in Mental Health Counseling is an extension of the M.S. degree and is geared for those individuals who have graduated from CACREP accredited or equivalent programs, but do not meet the necessary educational requirements for the Nevada licensure for Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC). The certificate consists of 12-24 credits, based on the student's master's degree training. For example: 1) students who have completed a 54-credit CACREP accredited program of study in Community Counseling will be required to complete 12 additional credits; 2) students enrolled in the Department of Counselor Education school counseling program might take 12-24 credits; 3) students with a non-CACREP counseling degree might take 24 credits; and 4) students with a counseling related degree such as psychology or social work, might take up to 24 credits.

Typical Course Sequence for Student with 48 Credit Master's in School Counseling or non-CACREP accredited master's in a Helping Profession (18-24 credits)
Note: The following program of study is for illustrative purposes only. Students must plan an appropriate course of study for this certificate program with their assigned faculty advisor.

Year 1
Summer	Fall	Spring
	CED 738 Introduction to Community Mental Health Counseling (3) CED 745 Assessment, Treatment and Case Management in Addictions & Mental Health (3)	CED 645 Trauma & Addiction (3) CED 755 Planning, Management, and Evaluation of Addictions & Mental Health Programs (3) CED 731 Social Justice & Advocacy in Counseling (3) (if equivalent course not taken in master's program)

Year 2
Summer	Fall	Spring
	CED 775 Advanced Internship in Addictions and Mental Health Counseling (3)	CED 766 Psychological Aspects of Dysfunctional Behavior (3) CED 710 Relationships Across the Lifespan (3) (if equivalent course not taken in master's program)