Information Session

Counselor Education

Northeastern Illinois University

Accreditation

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (60 Hours)

Family Counseling (60 Hours)

School Counseling (48 Hours) – with Professional Educator License

School Counseling (57 Hours) – without Professional Educator License

Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)

Rehabilitation Counseling (48 hours)

Benefits of Attending CACREP Accredited Program

Recognition that our programs have been evaluated and meet or exceed professional national standards.

Knowledge the graduate has met prerequisites for credentialing and is ready for entry into professional practice.

Automatically qualified to take NCE exam without evaluation of completed transcript.

Can sit for the NCE before graduating from NEIU.

All four degree programs meet educational requirements for State Licensure (LPC and LCPC) without audit.

CACREP Accreditation

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Northeastern Illinois University is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accreditation runs through July, 2016. (Note: The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is currently accredited under the 2001 standards for Community Counseling programs as a Community Counseling program. The CACREP 2009 standards combine the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling standards into standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs. The counseling program intends to seek accreditation for this program as a Clinical Mental Health Counseling program when it comes up for reaccreditation, per CACREP guidelines.)

CACREP Accreditation

• Students in Community Counseling accredited through July 2016.

• NEIU Transcript title: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC)

• Students graduating before July 2016 in CMHC will be accredited retroactively as CMHC by CACREP after Northeastern’s M.A. in Counseling programs have been reaccredited.

Eligibility for Licensure

Clinical Mental Health Counseling•LPC/LCPC

Family Counseling•AMFT/LMFT•LPC/LCPC

School Counseling•PEL•LPC/LCPC

Rehabilitation Counseling•CRC•LPC/LCPC

NEIU Campus

Completing in Two YearsExample: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (7 semesters)

Summer Fall Spring Total Courses Total Hours

1st Year Graduate Student

401 401402 402403 403

405 404420 405430 407

409/420

404 406406 415

427 409/420 425/427

9 Courses

11 Courses

27 Cr Hrs

33 Cr Hrs

2nd Year Graduate Student

408 408 409 425/427

439 430

407 438438 444

444

415 439425 464

464

9 courses

7 Courses

27 Cr Hrs

21 Cr Hrs

429 429474 474

2 Courses

2 courses

6 Cr Hrs

6 Cr Hrs

Total 20 Courses 60 Cr Hrs

Completing in Two YearsExample: Clinical Mental Health Counseling (6 semesters)

Summer Fall Spring Total Courses Total Hours

1st Year Graduate Student

401402403404

405420427430

8 Courses 24 Cr Hrs

2nd Year Graduate Student

406409439

407438444

408415464

9 courses 27 Cr Hrs

425429474

3 Courses 9 Cr Hrs

Total 20 Courses 60 Cr Hrs

When do Courses Meet?Fall and Spring Semesters

Courses meet once per week

4:15 – 6:55 pm

7:05 – 9:45 pm

Summer Semester

First and second 6-week terms (two meetings per week)

4:00 – 7:25 pm

6:00 – 9:25 pm

Full 12-week term (one meeting per week)

4:00 – 7:25 pm

6:00 – 9:25 pm

NEIUart gallery

Counselor EducationAdmission Criteria

Academic•Undergraduate GPA/Advanced Degree 0 – 3•GRE Verbal 0 – 3•GRE Analytical Writing 0 – 3•Essay (Writing Sample) 0 – 3

Experience•Recommendations 0 – 3•Work/Volunteer Experiences 0 – 3

Interpersonal

•Preadmission Workshop (PAW) 0 – 5

Standards for Admission

Minimum GPA = 2.75 for undergraduate degreeConsidered on Exceptionality for 2.25 – below 2.75GPA below 2.25 will not be admitted

Undergraduate GPA below 2.75 (without advanced degree) + GRE Verbal below 25th percentile will be denied admission

Applicant with advanced degree (e.g., masters) is exempted from undergraduate GPA requirement

PAW – problematic or poor performance will be denied admission

Meeting minimum requirements is no guarantee of admission

Denied admission – applicants may apply once more

NEIU Campus

Program Outcomes Reports

Current enrollment*Clinical Mental Health Counseling: 42Family Counseling: 31Rehabilitation Counseling: 26School Counseling: 45Total for all programs: 144 students

*Includes 12 students completing former program in Community Counseling.

Number of program graduates from past year – Class of August 2013For the graduating class of August 2013, there were 56 graduates completing one of our four programs in Community (now Clinical Mental Health), Family, Rehabilitation, or School Counseling.  Thirty-seven or 66% of the 2013 graduates returned our annual survey.

Program Outcomes Reports

Completion Rate

Of the students admitted to our program, approximately 90% graduated within the expected time period.  This is difficult to determine because admitted students have six years to complete our programs.  Currently, approximately 20 % of our students are attending on a full-time basis (three courses per semester).

Program Outcomes Reports

Licensure or certification examination pass rates

Of the 37 alumni, 33 took one or a combination of the following exams: National Counselor Exam (NCE), #181 Content Test in School Counseling (CTSC), and Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam (CRCE).  Only one individual did not pass one of the exams on the first attempt, resulting in a 97% pass rate on the first attempt.

Thirty-two of the 37 alumni attained one or a combination of the following licenses or certificates: Associate License for Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT); Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC); Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC); National Certified Counselor (NCC); and Professional Educator License (PEL) in School Counseling.

Our graduates have been successful in passing national and state licensing and certification examinations.  Our graduates consistently have higher average scores than the national average on the NCE compared to graduates of both CACREP and non-CACREP approved programs.

Program Outcomes Reports

Job Placement Rate

Of the 37 alumni who returned the survey, 30 (81%) were seeking employment in the counseling field. 

Twenty-one (70%) of the 30 were employed in counseling when they returned the survey and nine (30%) were still seeking employment in counseling. 

Six of the alumni were not looking for positions in counseling for various reasons, including: remained working as a teacher or other area in education; home with children; and admitted to a Ph.D. program. 

Program Outcomes ReportsClass of 2013

How long did it take you to find your first job after completing your program?

Less than one month 6

1 – 3 months 4

4 – 6 months 4

7 – 12 months 3

**Still lookingNot all graduates searching for counseling job

9

Program Outcomes Reports

The following job titles or categories of jobs were reported by those working in counseling:

mental health counselor; clinician; school counselor; therapist; transition coach; college counselor; program coordinator; and vocational rehabilitation counselor. 

They reported working in the following settings:

hospitals; community mental health centers; schools; private practice; community colleges; family guidance centers; social service agencies; and Veterans Affairs (hospital and office).

Job TitlesCounselor Education Department

Alumni Surveys2012-2014

Job TitleAssociate Therapist Child, Adolescent, & Adult Psychotherapist College Advisor Counseling Coordinator Counselor Counselor/Case Manager Couples Counselor/TherapistCrisis Counselor Executive Director and CEO Family Counselor/TherapistGrant WriterElementary School Counselor High School Counselor Middle School CounselorMental Health Counselor/TherapistOutreach Worker Program CoordinatorRehabilitation Counselor School Counselor / Case Manager Senior Admissions Counselor Substance abuse counselor Vocational Program Manager

EmploymentCollege/University (Public, Private)Community CollegeHospitalK-12 Schools (Public, Private, Charter)Mental Health Agency/ClinicPrivate PracticeSocial Service Agency (Public, Private, Religious)Veterans Administration Hospital

Job TitlesCounselor Education Department

Alumni Survey2012-2014

How long did it take you to find your first job after completing the program?

Less than one month 32 - 40%

1 – 3 months 21 - 25%

4 – 6 months 5 - 26%

7 – 12 months 7.5 - 21%

**Still lookingNot all graduates searching for counseling job

15 - 20% (est.)

Factors to Consider in Applying to Counselor Education at Northeastern

Quality and diversity of the graduate students in Counselor Education

The following represent a sampling of universities from which our alumni and students have previous degrees:

Big Ten universities (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Wisconsin); Bradley, Chicago State, Concordia, DePaul, Eastern Illinois, Fort Hayes State, Harvard, Illinois State, Illinois Wesleyan, Loyola, Northeastern Illinois, Northern Illinois, Syracuse, Valparaiso, and Western Illinois Universities; Universities of Dayton, Illinois at Chicago, Notre Dame, and Pennsylvania, and South Florida; and Beloit, Elmhurst, and St. Norbert Colleges. Alumni and students also have degrees from outside the United States: for example, China, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia, and South Korea.

Factors to Consider in Applying to Counselor Education at Northeastern

Northeastern is ranked as one of the most ethnically diverse universities in the nation in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” publication.  Northeastern has held this distinction since 1997.  In addition, more than a hundred countries are represented in our student body.

• Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI): HSI is an official designation from the U.S. Department of Education. Defined as having a full-time equivalent undergraduate enrollment of at least 25 percent Hispanic students.

Factors to Consider in Applying to Counselor Education at Northeastern

National Accreditation by CACREP and CORE: Ensures quality and professional standards. Fulfills educational requirements for Illinois licensure.

Cost and Value: Northeastern is one of the most affordable public universities in Illinois. Northeastern Illinois University ranks sixth in the U.S. Best Investment in Newsweek's "College Rankings."

The department offers a limited number of tuition waivers and graduate assistantships. Further information is available from the Office of Financial Aid, 773-442-5009

Factors to Consider in Applying to Counselor Education at Northeastern

Quality and Diversity of the Faculty Scholarly production – books; journal articles; grants; research Practical experience in the fields they teach, including school counseling,

clinical and rehabilitation settings, and family counseling. 9, full-time, tenure-track faculty Balance of men, women, ethnic/racial background, disability Ratio of Student FTE:Faculty (10:1)

Advisement by Faculty

Admitted students will be assigned a faculty advisor for regular consultation throughout their course of study.

Application Process

See Application Folder

See Counselor Education Webpage

www.neiu.edu/counselor-education

NEIU Auditorium