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2001 STANDARDS
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Eligibility Requirements | Standards
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Eligibility Requirements
CACREP defines a program as a structured sequence
of curricular and clinical experiences for which accreditation
is sought. In the
context of these standards, "programs" are housed
within an "academic unit" (see
Glossary for definition of these terms).
As an example, an institution might have an academic
unit that includes both a Community Counseling program and
a Mental Health Counseling program.
CACREP recognizes that alternative instruction methods
(for example, distance learning) are currently used in many
counselor education programs. The following principles apply
when evaluating these programs:
a. programs that
use alternative instruction methods will be evaluated with
the same CACREP
Standards for accreditation as programs that employ more
traditional methods;
b. accreditation for such programs will be based on their demonstrated compliance with CACREP standards; and
c. programs that
use alternative instruction methods are subject to the same level of review as programs that employ more
traditional methods.
The CACREP Standards are minimal criteria for the
preparation of professional counselors, counselor educators,
and student affairs professionals. Applicants seeking accreditation
must document how each program meets the standards of Sections
I–VI and the appropriate program area standards. The Board believes that the following requirements must be present before
programs are eligible for review.
1.
Entry-level degree programs accepted for review will
have a minimum of 72 quarter hours or 48 semester hours of graduate studies.
Mental Health Counseling and Marital, Couple, and Family
Counseling/ Therapy will have a minimum of 90 quarter hours or 60 semester hours of graduate studies.
Doctoral degree programs
accepted for review will have a minimum of 144 quarter
hours or 96 semester hours which includes entry-level preparation.
2.
The academic unit that oversees the entry-level program(s)
will have a minimum of three (3) core faculty members whose academic
appointments are in counselor education; one of the three
members will be designated as the academic unit leader.
Doctoral programs will have at least two
(2) full-time equivalent faculty positions in addition to
positions required of entry-level program(s).
3.
Curricular experiences and demonstrated knowledge
in each of the eight common core areas are required of all
students in the program(s) for which accreditation is sought.
The common core curricular experiences include the
following areas (see, Section II, Standards K. 1–8):
a. Professional Identity
b. Social and Cultural Diversity
c. Human Growth and Development
d. Career Development
e. Helping Relationships
f. Group Work
g. Assessment
h. Research and Program Evaluation
4. Programs for which the Board renders accreditation
decisions are:
a. Career Counseling
b. College Counseling
c. Community Counseling
d. Gerontological Counseling
e. Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling/Therapy
f. Mental Health Counseling
g. School Counseling
h. Student Affairs
i. Counselor Education and Supervision (doctoral-level only)
Please note
that the above listed Program Area Standards are located
immediately after Sections I–VI of the Standards. The appropriate
Program Area Standards must be addressed for each program for which accreditation
is sought.
5.
The academic unit is located in and supported by
an educational institution accredited by one of the regional
or national institutional accrediting bodies recognized
by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
6. The program(s) require(s) supervised experiences, including
practicum and internship for all students, as identified
in Section III, Clinical Instruction.
7. The academic unit must have students currently enrolled in each
program area for which accreditation is sought.
8. Programs
seeking accreditation must have a comprehensive mission
statement (see Section II, Standard A).
Application for Accreditation
Eligibility Requirements Checklist
Please provide documentation illustrating that each of the eight (8) Eligibility
Requirements listed below is met.
Please refer to the previous pages for a complete
statement of each of those requirements.
For each item on the checklist, please reference
page numbers where documentation can be found in the self-study
or attach copies of original documentation to this application.
____________ (3) A common core of curricular experiences is
identified and
required.
____________ (4) Appropriate curricular experiences are required
for
program area(s).
____________ (5) Institution in which academic unit is housed
is accredited
by a regional or institutional accrediting body recognized
by
CHEA. Please name the accrediting body and provide
evidence of accreditation.
____________ (6) Practicum and internship experiences are required
for all students.
____________ (7) Students are currently enrolled in the program.
____________ (8) A
comprehensive mission statement has been developed.
Submit this application, self-study materials, and the application
fee* to:
Council for
Accreditation of Counseling
and Related
Educational Programs
5999 Stevenson
Avenue
Alexandria, VA 22304
INTRODUCTION
The counseling profession evolves in anticipation
of and response to societal and other changes in the United
States and throughout the world. Counselor Education programs
prepare students to be effective in a dynamic world and
profession. It is imperative that programs explicitly prepare
students to be counselors first and counseling specialists
second.
CACREP Standards are written to ensure that students
develop a professional counselor identity and also master
the knowledge and skills to practice effectively. Graduates
of CACREP-accredited programs use their education and preparation
as paths to careers in community mental health and human
service agencies, educational institutions, and private
practice, government, business and industrial settings.
However, no professional preparation program is ever complete,
and advances in knowledge, skills and technology within
the profession require life-long continuing education for
counselors as well as monitoring and review of professional
standards.
CACREP policy requires periodic review, permitting
standards revision, including development of new standards
or the elimination of obsolete standards. The curricular
experiences required by these revised standards are based
on due notice and consultation with the professional community
and represent collective and informed judgment about their
relevancy and appropriateness.
These standards are not intended to discourage creativity
on the part of program faculties.
Programs wishing to justify variations from these
standards may submit statements of rationale as part of
their self-studies. CACREP
will determine whether those variations accomplish the outcomes
that the standards are designed to ensure.
Section I
THE INSTITUTION
A. The institution
in which the academic unit is housed is accredited by a
regional or institutional accrediting body that is recognized
by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
B. The current
institutional catalogue or bulletin accurately describes
the academic unit and each program offered, including admissions
criteria, minimum program requirements, matriculation requirements
(for example, examinations, academic-standing policies),
and financial aid information.
C. The academic
unit is clearly identified as part of the institution’s
graduate offerings
and has primary responsibility for the preparation of
students in the program. If more than one academic unit
has responsibility for the preparation of students in the
program, the respective areas of responsibility and the
relationships among and between them must be clearly defined.
D. Cooperative
relationships exist between the academic unit and other
academic units that contribute to the professional preparation
of students in the program as well as off-campus professional
and community resources.
E. The institution
is committed to providing the program with sufficient financial
support to ensure continuity, quality, and effectiveness
in all of the program’s learning environments.
F. The institution
provides encouragement and support for program faculty to
participate in professional organizations and activities
(for example, professional travel, research, and leadership
positions).
G. The institution
makes available to students in the program personal counseling
services provided by professionals other than program faculty
and students.
H. Access to
library and other learning resources is appropriate for
scholarly inquiry, study, and research by program faculty
and students.
I. The institution provides technical and financial
support to program faculty and students to ensure access
to information systems
and data analysis for teaching and research.
SECTION II
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND CURRICULUM
A. A comprehensive
mission statement has been developed that brings the program
into focus and concisely describes the program’s intent
and purpose. The mission statement
1. describes the types of students it serves,
its geographic orientation, and the priorities and expectations
of the faculty;
2. is the basis for the development of program
objectives and curriculum;
3. is
published and available to faculty and students; and
4. is
reviewed at least once every three (3) years and revised
as needed.
B. The program objectives
1. reflect current knowledge and positions from
lay and professional groups concerning the counseling and
human development needs of a pluralistic society;
2. reflect the present and projected needs of
a pluralistic society for which specialized counseling and
human development activities have been developed;
3. reflect input from all persons involved in
the conduct of the program, including program faculty, current
and former students, and personnel in cooperating agencies;
4. are
directly related to program activities; and
5.
are written so that they can be assessed.
C. Prgrams in Career Counseling, College Counseling,
Community
Counseling,
Gerontological Counseling, School Counseling, and Student
Affairs are comprised of a minimum of two full academic
years, defined as four semesters or six quarters of approved
graduate-level study with a minimum of 48-semester credit
hours or 72-quarter credit hours required of all students. Programs in Mental Health Counseling and Marital,
Couple and Family Counseling/Therapy are comprised of approved
graduate-level study with a minimum of 60-semester credit
hours or 90-quarter credit hours required of all students.
D. Students
actively identify with the counseling profession by participating
in professional associations such as the American Counseling
Association (ACA), its divisions, branches, and affiliate
organizations, and by participating in seminars, workshops,
or other activities that contribute to personal and professional
growth.
E. Over the
course of one academic term, students meet for a minimum
of 10 clock hours in a small-group activity approved by
the program. This
planned group requirement is intended to provide direct
experiences as a participant in a small group.
F. Consistent
with established institutional due process policy and ACA
Ethical Standards, when evaluations indicate that a student is not
appropriate for the program, faculty should assist in facilitating
the student’s transition out of the program and, if possible,
into a more appropriate area of study.
G. Flexibility is provided within the program’s
curriculum to accommodate
individual differences in student knowledge and competencies.
H. Syllabi
are distributed at the beginning of each curricular experience,
are available for review by all enrolled or prospective
students, and include all of the following:
1. objectives;
2. content
areas;
3. required
text(s) and/or reading(s);
4. methods of instruction, including a clear description
of how content is delivered (e.g., lecture, seminar, supervised
practical application, distance learning); and
5. student
performance evaluation criteria and procedures.
I. Evidence
exists of the use and application of research data among
program faculty and students.
J. Each program
for which accreditation is sought must show a history of
graduates.
K. Curricular
experiences and demonstrated knowledge in each of the eight
common core areas are required of all students in the program.
The eight common core areas follow.
1. PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY
- studies that provide an understanding of all of the following
aspects of professional functioning:
a. history and philosophy of the counseling profession, including significant factors and events;
b. professional roles, functions, and relationships with other human service
providers;
c. technological competence and computer literacy;
d. professional organizations, primarily ACA,
its divisions, branches, and affiliates, including membership
benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphases;
e. professional credentialing, including certification,
licensure, and accreditation practices and standards, and
the effects of public policy on these issues;
f. public and private policy processes, including
the role of the professional counselor in advocating on
behalf of the profession;
g. advocacy processes needed to address institutional
and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success
for clients; and
h. ethical
standards of ACA and related entities, and applications
of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling.
2. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY - studies that
provide an understanding of the cultural context of relationships,
issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society
related to such factors as culture, ethnicity, nationality,
age, gender, sexual orientation, mental and physical characteristics,
education, family values, religious and spiritual values,
socioeconomic status and unique characteristics of individuals,
couples, families, ethnic groups, and communities including
all of the following:
a. multicultural and pluralistic trends, including
characteristics and concerns
between and within diverse groups nationally and internationally;
b. attitudes, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative
experiences, including specific experiential learning activities;
c. individual, couple, family, group, and community
strategies for working with diverse populations and ethnic
groups;
d. counselors’ roles in social justice, advocacy
and conflict resolution, cultural self-awareness, the nature
of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional
oppression and discrimination, and other culturally supported
behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human
spirit, mind, or body;
e. theories of multicultural counseling, theories
of identity development, and multicultural competencies;
and
f. ethical and legal considerations.
3. HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT - studies that
provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals
at all developmental levels, including all of the following:
a. theories of individual and family development
and transitions across the life-span;
b. theories of learning and personality development;
c. human behavior including an understanding of
developmental crises, disability, exceptional behavior,
addictive behavior, psychopathology, and situational and
environmental factors that affect both normal and abnormal
behavior;
d. strategies for facilitating optimum development
over the life-span; and
e. ethical and legal considerations.
4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT - studies that provide
an understanding of career development and related life
factors, including all of the following:
a. career development theories and decision-making models;
b.
career, avocational, educational, occupational and
labor market information resources, visual and print media,
computer-based career information systems, and other electronic
career information systems;
c. career development program planning, organization,
implementation, administration, and evaluation;
d. interrelationships among and between work,
family, and other life roles and factors including the role
of diversity and gender in career development;
e. career and educational planning, placement,
follow-up, and evaluation;
f. assessment instruments and techniques that
are relevant to career planning and decision making;
g.
technology-based
career development applications and strategies, including
computer-assisted career guidance and information systems
and appropriate world-wide web sites;
h.
career counseling
processes, techniques, and resources, including those applicable
to specific populations; and
i. ethical and legal considerations.
5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS - studies that provide
an understanding of counseling and consultation processes,
including all of the following:
a. counselor
and consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence
helping processes including age, gender, and ethnic differences,
verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics,
orientations, and skills;
b. an understanding of essential interviewing
and counseling skills so that the student is able to develop
a therapeutic relationship, establish appropriate counseling
goals, design intervention strategies, evaluate client outcome,
and successfully terminate the counselor-client relationship.
Studies will also facilitate student self-awareness
so that the counselor-client relationship is therapeutic
and the counselor maintains appropriate professional boundaries;
c. counseling theories that provide the student
with a consistent model(s) to conceptualize client presentation
and select appropriate counseling interventions.
Student experiences should include an examination
of the historical development of counseling theories, an
exploration of affective, behavioral, and cognitive theories,
and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to
case studies. Students
will also be exposed to models of counseling that are consistent
with current professional research and practice in the field
so that they can begin to develop a personal model of counseling;
d. a
systems perspective that provides an understanding of family
and other systems theories and major models of family and
related interventions. Students will be exposed to a rationale for
selecting family and other systems theories as appropriate
modalities for family assessment and counseling;
e. a general framework for understanding and
practicing. Student
experiences should include an examination of the historical
development of consultation, an exploration of the
stages of consultation and the major models of consultation,
and an opportunity to apply the theoretical material to
case presentations. Students will begin to develop a personal model of consultation;
f. integration of technological strategies and applications within
counseling and consultation processes; and
g. ethical and legal considerations.
6. GROUP WORK - studies that provide both theoretical
and experiential understandings of group purpose, development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods
and skills, and other group approaches, including all of
the following:
a. principles of group dynamics, including group
process components, developmental stage theories, group
members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of
group work;
b. group leadership styles and approaches, including
characteristics of various types of group leaders and leadership
styles;
c. theories of group counseling, including commonalties,
distinguishing characteristics, and pertinent research and
literature;
d. group counseling methods, including group counselor
orientations and behaviors, appropriate selection criteria
and methods, and methods of evaluation of effectiveness;
e. approaches used for other types of group work,
including task groups, psychoeducational groups, and therapy
groups;
f. professional preparation standards for group leaders; and
g. ethical and legal considerations.
7. ASSESSMENT
- studies that provide an understanding of individual and
group approaches to assessment and evaluation, including
all of the following:
a. historical perspectives concerning the nature and meaning of
assessment;
b. basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized
testing and
other assessment techniques including norm-referenced
and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment,
performance assessment, individual and group test
and inventory
methods, behavioral observations, and computer-managed
and computer-assisted methods;
c. statistical concepts, including scales of measurement, measures
of central tendency, indices
of variability, shapes and types of
distributions, and correlations;
d. reliability (i.e., theory of measurement error, models of reliability,
and the use of reliability information);
e. validity (i.e., evidence of validity, types of validity, and the
relationship between reliability and validity;
f. age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, language, disability,
culture, spirituality, and other
factors related to the assessment
and evaluation of individuals, groups,
and specific populations;
g. strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting
assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques
in
counseling;
h. an understanding of general principles and methods of case
conceptualization, assessment, and/or diagnoses of
mental and
emotional status; and
i. ethical and legal considerations.
8. RESEARCH
AND PROGRAM EVALUATION - studies that provide
an understanding of research
methods, statistical analysis, needs
assessment, and program evaluation, including all
of the following:
a. the importance of research and opportunities
and difficulties in conducting research in the counseling
profession,
b. research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research;
c. use of technology and statistical methods in conducting research
and
program evaluation, assuming basic computer literacy;
d. principles, models, and applications of needs assessment,
program evaluation, and use of findings to effect
program modifications;
e. use of research to improve
counseling effectiveness; and
f. ethical and legal considerations.
Section
III
CLINICAL INSTRUCTION
Clinical instruction
includes supervised practica and internships that have been
completed within a student’s program of study.
Practicum and internship requirements are considered
to be the most critical experience elements in the program.
All faculty, including clinical instruction faculty
and supervisors, are clearly committed to preparing professional
counselors and promoting the development of the student’s
professional counselor identity.
A. Each regular or adjunct program faculty member
who provides individual or group practicum and/or internship
supervision must have
1. a
doctoral degree and/or appropriate clinical preparation,
preferably from an accredited counselor
education program;
2. relevant
professional experience and demonstrated competence in counseling; and
3. relevant
training and supervision experience.
B. Students serving as individual or group practicum
supervisors must
1. have
completed counseling practicum and internship experience
equivalent to those within an entry-level program;
2. have
completed or are receiving preparation in counseling supervision;
and
3. be
supervised by program faculty, with a faculty/student ratio
that does not exceed 1:5.
C. A site supervisor must have
1. a
minimum of a master’s degree in counseling or a related
profession with equivalent qualifications, including
appropriate certifications
and/or licenses;
2. a
minimum of two (2) years of pertinent professional experience
in the program area in
which the student is completing clinical
instruction; and
3. knowledge
of the program’s expectations, requirements, and evaluation procedures
for students.
D. A clinical instruction environment, on- or
off-campus, is conducive to modeling, demonstration, and
training and is available and used by the program. Administrative
control of the clinical instruction environment ensures
adequate and appropriate access by the faculty and students.
The clinical instruction environment includes all
of the following:
1. settings
for individual counseling with assured privacy and sufficient
space for appropriate equipment (for example, TV monitoring
and taping);
2. settings
for small-group work with assured privacy and sufficient
space for appropriate equipment;
3. necessary
and appropriate technologies that assist learning, such
as audio, video,
and telecommunications equipment;
4. settings
with observational and/or other interactive supervision
capabilities;
and
5. procedures
that ensure that the client’s confidentiality and legal
rights are protected.
E. Technical assistance for the use and maintenance
of audio and
videotape and computer equipment is available
as well as other
forms of communication technology.
F. Orientation, assistance, consultation, and
professional development opportunities are provided by counseling
program faculty to site supervisors.
G. Students must complete supervised practicum
experiences that total a minimum of 100 clock hours. The practicum provides for the development of counseling skills
under supervision. The student’s practicum includes all
of the following:
1. 40
hours of direct service with clients, including experience
in
individual counseling and group work;
2. weekly
interaction with an average of one (1) hour per week of
individual
and/or triadic
supervision which occurs regularly over a
minimum of one academic term by a program
faculty member or a
supervisor working under the supervision of a program
faculty member;
3. an
average of one and one half (1 1/2) hours per week of group
supervision that is provided on a regular schedule over
the course of the student’s practicum by a program faculty
member or a
supervisor under the supervision of a program faculty
member; and
4. evaluation
of the student’s performance throughout the practicum including a formal evaluation after the student completes
the practicum.
H. The program
requires students to complete a supervised internship of
600 clock hours that is begun after successful completion
of the student’s practicum (as defined in Standard III.G).
The internship provides an opportunity for the student
to perform, under supervision, a variety of counseling activities
that a professional counselor is expected to perform.
The student’s internship includes all of the following:
1. 240
hours of direct service with clients appropriate to the
program of study;
2. weekly
interaction with an average of one (1) hour per week of
individual
and/or triadic supervision, throughout the internship, (usually
performed by the on-site supervisor;)
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