University of South Dakota

The mission of the Counselor Education Program at The University of South Dakota is to graduate competent and ethical professional counselors. The Clinical Mental Health specialization is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP) under the 2009 Standards. However, as per CACREP requirements, all program related materials and courses follow 2016 standards. The 60 credit hour specialization provides curricular and extracurricular experiences, as well as, supervised practica and internships, to educate and train professional clinical mental counselors. Clinical mental health counselors must demonstrate proficiencies related to the mental health environment such as etiology, assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and the prevention of mental and emotional disorders. Clinical mental health counselors work in settings such as agency/community mental health centers, private practice, correctional facilities, career centers, hospital or other medical centers, government/military entities, college campuses, and crisis centers.