Early Childhood and Family Clinical Counseling, M.S.

Major (08233) Academic Plan Code (330808MSS)

The M.S. in Early Childhood and Family Clinical Counseling degree program is designed to prepare students who wish to pursue California LPCC licensure. This program specifically focuses on promoting early childhood mental health through early childhood and family counseling. This famly focus is particularly critical for counseling of infants, toddlers, and young children.

Students must complete, in consultation with an adviser, an official program of study that includes 60 units of 500-, 600-, and 700-numbered required and elective courses (up to 15 units can be taken from 500-level courses with the approval of the adviser). The 60 units program of study is aligned with the state licensure requirements that include 13 core content areas (39 units), advanced coursework (15 units), and 280 hours of supervised clinical experience (6 units). Students must maintain a B average throughout the program and pass relevant qualifying/clinical examination to complete the Master of Science degree.

To fulfill the educational requirements to qualify for state licensure in LPCC as published by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences laws and regulations related to the practice of marriage and family therapy, licensed social work, licensed educational psychologists, and licensed professional clinical counselors (Senate Bill 788), students must complete an additional 27 units selected from the following courses as they are aligned with the core content areas as delineated in the requirements:

Counseling and Psychotherapeutic Theories and Techniques

CFD 634B - Seminar in Counseling Theories and Techniques Units: 3

Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan

CFD 670B - Seminar in Human Development Theories- Intervention and Prevention Lifespan Approach Units: 3

Career Development Theories and Techniques

CFD 660A - Seminar in Early Childhood Mental Health Career Development Units: 3

Group Counseling Theories and Techniques

CSP 670 - Theory and Process of Group Counseling Units: 2-3 (3)

Assessment, Appraisal, and Testing

CSP 623 - Ecobehavioral Assessment - Intervention Units: 3

Multicultural Counseling Theories and Techniques

CSP 615 - Seminar in Multicultural Dimensions in Counseling Units: 3

Principles of Diagnosis, Treatment Planning, Prevention of Mental and Emotional Disorders, and Dysfunctional Behavior

CSP 618 - Mental Health Recovery and the DSM: A Social Justice Perspective Units: 3
or
SWORK 720 - Seminar in Selected Topics in Human Behavior and Social Environment Units: 3
But not both.

Research and Evaluation

ED 690 - Methods of Inquiry Units: 3

Professional Orientation, Ethics and Law in Counseling, California Law and Professional Ethics

CFD 660B - Seminar in Professional Law and Ethics in Counseling Units: 3

Psychopharmacology (Includes Biological Bases of Behavior)

CSP 694 - Psychopharmacology for Marriage and Family Therapists and Counseling Units: 2-3 (3)

Addictions Counseling (Substance Abuse, Co-occurring Disorders)

* Focus on addictions.

CSP 687 - Family and Systemic Treatment of Substance Abuse Units: 1-3 (3)
or
SWORK 758 - Seminar in Social Work and Selected Fields of Practice Units: 1-3 * (3)
But not both.

Crisis/Trauma Counseling (Multidisciplinary Responses to Crises, Emergencies or Disasters)

CSP 650 - Trauma and Crisis Counseling in Multicultural Community Context Units: 1-3 (3)

Advanced Counseling and Psychotherapeutic Theories and Techniques

CFD 634A - Seminar in Family Therapy Theory and Techniques Units: 3

Advanced Coursework

In accordance with licensing requirements (4999.33 section 2), students are required to take 15 units of advanced coursework to develop knowledge of specific treatment issues and/or populations. The advanced coursework will focus on early childhood mental health in alignment with the concentration of this degree. The student may take courses not listed below upon approval of the student’s program adviser.

Required (Nine Units)

Select Six Units From

CFD 537 - Child Abuse and Family Violence Units: 3
CFD 595 - Early Childhood Mental Health: Theory and Practice Units: 3
CSP 635 - Sexuality and Intimacy in Couple and Family Therapy and Counseling Units: 1-3

Supervised Clinical Experience

To comply with LPCC requirements students must complete at least 6 semester units of supervised practicum to obtain the required 280 hours of supervised experience for licensure:

CFD 792 - Advanced Clinical Experience and Group Supervision Units: 3 (6)

Professional Liability Insurance

Students must purchase professional liability insurance in order to participate in the clinical experience component of the program. A background check, fingerprint clearance, and proof of negative TB test.

Post-Graduation Licensure Requirements

Upon completion of the degree, students may register as Professional Clinical Counselor Intern to complete required post-degree supervised clinical hours for licensure. Interns must complete 3,000 hours supervised experience over a period of no less than two years, including not less than 1,750 hours of direct counseling with individuals or groups in a clinical mental health counseling setting.

Examination: Passing score on the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE), recently adopted as the licensure examination for California LPCCs, and the Jurisprudence and Ethics Examination. Both examinations will be administered by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.