Location:

Portland, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Substance Abuse Counseling

Program Overview

Program Description:

The Professional Mental Health Counseling-Addictions program is dedicated to providing and maintaining the highest standards of academic excellence. Equipped with the best training available, our graduates are helping to transform the professional field in Oregon and beyond to bring new hope and assistance to individuals experiencing the impacts of the full range of mental health problems and addiction-related behaviors. Our program readies students to become licensed professional mental health counselors (LPCs) and certified drug and alcohol counselors (CADC-I) who are fully prepared to work with the realities of dual-diagnosis. We offer the only graduate-level program in mental health counseling and addictions in the Northwest with a research- and evidence-based integrated model for understanding and treating mental health disorders, co-occurring disorders, and addictions. We are unique in our approach to integrating social justice throughout our curriculum and supervised training. Our program uses a cohort model that fosters educational continuity, professional identity, and collaborative learning. Once students have completed foundational coursework, they engage in intensive clinical training that includes four semesters of practicum and internship at both our own clinic, the Lewis & Clark Community Counseling Center, and a community agency. This extensive, supervised clinical experience assures that students have a diverse and intensive practice experience under the guidance of highly trained faculty. We recognize the challenges facing mental health counselors who work with diverse and complex addiction-related behaviors. We therefore offer specific coursework that prepares students to work with clients who have alcohol and drug addiction, disordered eating, and problem gambling, and help students prepare toward certification in one or more of these professional areas. Our curriculum addresses the need for today’s mental health and addictions counselors to integrate an increasingly diverse range of knowledge across many fields to be prepared to meet the needs of clients. Key areas of focus of the curriculum include, but are not limited to: biological influences, socialization processes, social equity and contextual issues, psychological processes, and existential/spiritual factors. Given the impact of social equity on well-being, we encourage students to develop knowledge and sensitivity around issues of family, culture, ethnicity, abilities, sexual orientation, gender, and spirituality.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Lewis & Clark is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Graduate programs in education and counseling psychology are approved and accredited by the appropriate associations and agencies including: Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs CACREP, Commission on Accreditation for Marriage & Family Therapy Education COAMFTE, National Association of School Psychologists NASP, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education NCATE*, Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists OBLPCT, Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission TSPC.

Financial Aid:

Yes

Requirements:

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the foreign equivalent. Prior coursework in psychology recommended. Applicants must provide essays, resume, transcripts, letters of recommendation.

International Requirements:

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or the foreign equivalent. Prior coursework in psychology recommended. Applicants must provide essays, resume, transcripts, letters of recommendation. Proof of English proficiency required.