Section 1: The Learning Environment

The following standards apply to all entry-level and doctoral-level programs for which accreditation is being sought unless otherwise specified. Programs will need to provide evidence of meeting the standards for all program delivery types.

THE INSTITUTION

A. The counselor education program is clearly identified as part of the institution’s graduate degree 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 between them must be clearly documented.
B. The institutional media accurately describe the counselor education program, including:

counselor education program faculty with full-time appointments;
CACREP specialized practice areas offered;
program delivery types, including geographic locations;
admission criteria;
accreditation status;
minimum degree requirements;
program costs; and
financial aid information.

C. The institution provides the program with financial and administrative support to ensure continuity, quality, and effectiveness for all program delivery types.
D. The institution provides support for counselor education program faculty assigned to the program to participate in professional activities, scholarly activities, and service to the profession.
E. The institution provides technology for all counselor education program faculty assigned to the program. Technical support is provided to all faculty and students, for all program delivery types and geographic locations, to ensure comparable access to information systems for learning, teaching, and research.
F. For all program delivery types, the institution provides access to counseling skills training environments and necessary technology that are conducive to instruction and supervision of individual and group counseling while protecting counseling students’ privacy and confidentiality.

COUNSELOR EDUCATION PROGRAM

G. Entry-level degrees consist of graduate-level study with a minimum of 60 semester credit hours or 90 quarter credit hours required of all students.
H. The counselor education program has a process for identifying underrepresented populations and makes continuous and systematic efforts to recruit, enroll, and retain students that enhance and support the diversity of the program.
I. The counselor education program intentionally creates and effectively maintains an inclusive and equitable learning community that respects individual differences.
J. Entry-level admission decision recommendations are made by the counselor education program and include consideration of each applicant’s

career goals,
aptitude for graduate-level study consistent with program delivery type, and
potential success in forming effective counseling relationships with diverse populations.

K. Before or at the beginning of the first term of enrollment in the counselor education program, the program provides a new student orientation for all program delivery types during which:

the student handbook is discussed,
students’ ethical and professional obligations are discussed,
personal growth expectations as counselors-in-training are explained, and
eligibility and requirements for licensure/certification are reviewed.

L. Students actively identify with the counseling profession by participating in professional counseling organizations and by participating in seminars, workshops, or other activities that contribute to personal and professional growth.
M. The student handbook, for all program delivery types, includes:

the mission statement and objectives of the counselor education program;
degree requirements;
expectations of students;
technology resources and competence needed to complete the program;
individual student assessment procedures, including key performance indicators and professional dispositions;
academic appeal policy, including potential outcomes;
policy for student retention, remediation, and dismissal from the program;
diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility policies;
information about disability services and reasonable accommodation processes at the institution;
information about personal counseling services provided by professionals other than counselor education program faculty and students;
information about professional counseling organizations, opportunities for professional involvement, and activities appropriate for students;
professional counseling certification and licensure requirements; and
written endorsement policy explaining the conditions for recommending students for credentialing and employment.

N. Syllabi consistent with program delivery types are available to students enrolled in the course at the beginning of each academic term and include:

content areas aligned with CACREP curricular standards;
key performance indicators and/or student learning outcome expectations;
methods of instruction;
required text(s), reading(s), materials, and technology;
student performance evaluation criteria and procedures;
diversity, equity, inclusion, and accommodation statement;
a disability accommodation policy, procedure statement, and institutional contacts; and
course schedule.

O. Counselor education programs have and follow a written policy for student retention, remediation, and dismissal from the program consistent with institutional policies and procedures, the counseling profession’s ethical codes, and standards of practice.
P. Students in entry-level programs have an assigned academic advisor throughout the program who helps them develop and review a planned program of study.
Q. Students have regular, systematic opportunities to evaluate their experience with and access to academic advising within the counselor education program.
R. Students have regular, systematic opportunities to evaluate the counselor education program core and affiliate faculty. The written procedures are available to the faculty.
S. The counselor education program identifies underrepresented populations and makes continuous and systematic efforts to recruit, employ, and retain faculty that enhance and support the diversity of the program.
T. The counselor education program has faculty resources of appropriate quality and sufficiency to meet the demands of the program and program delivery types. For entry-level programs, the counselor education program must employ a minimum of three full-time core counselor education faculty members who teach in the entry-level program. For doctoral programs, the counselor education program must employ at least two additional full-time core counselor education faculty members.
U. To ensure that students are taught primarily by core counselor education faculty, for any 12 continuous months, the combined number of course credit hours taught by core faculty must exceed the number of credit hours taught by affiliate faculty.
V. Utilizing the institution’s definitions of full-time, the ratio of full-time equivalent (FTE) graduate students to FTE core and affiliate faculty must not exceed 12:1 for any 12 continuous months.
W. The teaching and advising loads, scholarship, and service expectations of core counselor education faculty members are comparable to those of faculty in other graduate programs at the institution that incorporate clinical supervision.
X. The program has policies and procedures for maintaining privacy and confidentiality of all protected health information of clients, for all program delivery types, associated with training requirements and is in compliance with applicable institutional, state, federal, international, and legal requirements.

FACULTY AND STAFF

Y. Core counselor education faculty must have full-time appointment to the counselor education program. Core faculty must meet one of the following qualifications:

have an earned doctoral degree in counselor education, preferably from a CACREP-accredited program; or
have a related doctoral degree and have been employed as a full-time faculty member in a counselor education program for a minimum of one full academic year before July 1, 2013; or
have been employed as a full-time doctoral-level faculty member in a CORE-accredited master’s program prior to July 1, 2017; or
have graduated from a rehabilitation doctoral program prior to January 1, 2018.

Z. Core counselor education faculty participate in professional activities, scholarly activities, and service to the profession. All core counselor education faculty must identify with the counseling profession through each of the following:

have sustained memberships in professional counseling organizations;
relevant professional counseling credentials; and
show evidence of sustained professional engagement through at least two of the following:
a) professional development and renewal activities related to counseling,
b) professional service and advocacy in counseling,
c) ongoing counseling practice, or
d) research and scholarly activity in counseling commensurate with their faculty role

AA. For each CACREP specialized practice area offered by the program, at least one core counselor education faculty member must identify with the specialized practice area. A faculty member can identify with more than one CACREP specialized practice area. The identified faculty member for the area must:

have relevant professional counseling credentials related to the CACREP specialized practice area and
show evidence of sustained professional engagement through at least two of the following:
a) professional development and renewal activities related to the CACREP specialized practice area,
b) professional service and advocacy in the CACREP specialized practice area,
c) ongoing counseling practice in the CACREP specialized practice area, or
d) research and scholarly activity in the CACREP specialized practice area commensurate with their faculty role.

BB. Within the structure of the institution’s policies, the core counselor education faculty have the authority to determine program curricula and to establish operational policies and procedures for the program for all program delivery types.
CC. Affiliate faculty may be employed who support the mission, goals, and curriculum of the counselor education program. All affiliate faculty must have graduate and/or professional degrees in a field that supports the mission of the program.
DD. The counselor education program orients affiliate faculty to program and accreditation requirements relevant to the courses they teach, program delivery types, and program and institutional policies and procedures.
EE. All core and affiliate counselor education program faculty have relevant preparation and/or experience in relation to the: (a) course content they teach and (b) delivery types.
FF. The counselor education program has clearly defined leadership that is coordinated by one or more core counselor education faculty. Written job description(s) for faculty providing this leadership include:

having responsibility for the coordination of the counselor education program,
responding to inquiries regarding the overall counselor education program,
providing input and making recommendations regarding the development of budget and expenditures,
providing or delegating year-round leadership to the operation of the program(s), and
receiving release time from faculty member responsibilities to administer the counselor education program.

GG. The counselor education program has identified one or more program faculty and/or staff as practicum and internship coordinator(s). Individual(s) serving in this role must:

have written job description(s),
be responsible for the coordination of practicum and internship experiences in designated CACREP specialized practice areas,
be responsible for responding to inquiries regarding practicums and internship, and
have a master’s degree in counseling or related profession if hired after July 1, 2024.

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