Master of Arts in Counseling

Ottawa University offers several distinct educational opportunities. The Master of Arts in Counseling meets the educational requirements in Arizona for licensure as an associate counselor. The MAC also meets the educational requirements in Wisconsin for licensure as a professional counselor in training.  Arizona students have the option of completing concentrated areas of study. The post-master’s certificates of advanced graduate studies (CAGS) is a program reserved for master’s level professionals who have received a master’s degree in counseling or a related field.

Concentrations Available:

• Addictions Counseling
• Christian Counseling
• Expressive Arts Therapy
• Gerocounseling
• Treatment of Trauma, Abuse and Deprivation
• Professional Counseling

Graduates of Ottawa University’s Master of Arts in Counseling are well-qualified professionals who have advanced their intellectual and academic development and have developed greater understanding and knowledge of concepts, ideas, and information in the profession through research, examination, inquiry, and application.

The goal of the Master of Arts in Counseling is to graduate well-qualified, competent, caring individuals who are prepared to:

• Achieve professional licensure as a licensed associate counselor (LAC) in Arizona or as a professional counselor in training in Wisconsin.
• Understand and follow ethical guidelines for professional counselors.
• Practice only at his/her level of competence.
• Have good, basic diagnostic skills.
• Have a good understanding of various treatment options relative to diagnosis/client needs (including multicultural sensitivity).
• Offer a good understanding of resources and referrals to meet client needs.
• Model healthy personal and interpersonal behaviors (e.g., conflict management)
• Demonstrate professional communication skills (spoken and written).
• Continue professional development through life-long learning.
• Have basic skills for management and practice development.
• Be a contributing member of his/her community.

Advanced graduate study prepares individuals to perform more effectively in current areas of service and to qualify for positions of greater responsibility. Independently licensed counselors may work in educational/university, health care, business, mental health agency counseling, and private practice settings, and/or may provide consulting, supervision, and training services.

Additional Information

Professional Certification/Licensure

All the programs offered in the Master of Arts in Counseling are designed to meet the education requirements of the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners in Professional Counseling and the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services, Professional Counselor section. Final decisions regarding licensure rest with a respective state’s licensing Board. Students interested in certification in a specialized area (e.g., expressive art therapy,) are responsible for requesting updated information from certifying bodies about current certification requirements in order to plan their graduate coursework. Final decisions regarding certification in areas of concentration are determined by the certifying bodies. Post-graduate individuals with a master’s degree in professional counseling or equivalent, which does not fulfill all the course/training requirements to meet eligibility for licensure, may complete such requirements through our certificate in advance graduate studies (CAGS) program. Also, professionals who are already licensed and wish to expand their expertise into new areas of specialization may do so through our CAGS program.

Field Placement: Practicum and Internship

Field placement is an 8 term experiential component of the Master of Arts in Counseling degree program. This is where the counselor in training (CIT) provides behavioral health services in a community behavioral health agency under the direct supervision of a licensed professional. In addition to participating at the clinical site, CIT's are required to participate in a weekly seminar on campus. The seminar, led by an Ottawa University Faculty Supervisor, provides a training opportunity for the CIT to exercise new skill sets, focus in on particular areas of interest, and refine theoretical integration utilizing case conceptualization.

While field placement is often the most anticipated component of the degree program it is the least flexible part of the program. There is a defined process for application to field placement. CIT's are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisor to determine the best time to begin field placement. CIT's may begin field placement in the Spring 1, Early Summer, and Fall 1 terms.

Eligibility

Counselors in Training (CITs) are required to have completed no less than 18 semester credit hours in the degree program, be in "good standing" and have completed the following coures earning a "B" or better (1) Counseling Theories, (2) Counseling and the Helping Professions, (3) Professional and Ethical Issues in Counseling, and (4) Advanced Psychodiagnostics.

Field Placement Process and Procedures

The following paragraphs outline the process and requirements for a CIT to be considered for a field placement start. These procedures are subject to change at the departments' discretion.

Intent Form - This form provides advance notice to the department that a CIT anticipates being ready for field placement for a specific term. This notice allows the department to begin a training file.

Field Placement Orientation (FPO) - Provides the opportunity for CITs to better understand the process, requirements, and allows a forum for questions to be addressed.

Field Placement Proposal - The proposal is a narrative outlining the specifics of how the CIT will be able to successfully complete their field placement. The proposal will be reviewed by faculty and may be returned to the CIT for revision as needed.

Field Placement Site Agreement - The site agreement is the contract between the CIT, the clinical site and the Addictions Counseling department.

Malpractice Insurance

Payment Receipt and Intent to Graduate Form - on average 98-99% of those who begin field placement complete their degree program as intended. Completing the form and submitting the fee allows a single collection point for Addictions Counseling CITs. Once the forms are received, reviewed, and approved the CIT will receive an electronic registration/enrollment form to complete and return. All forms are to be sent to the designated email address: mapcfieldplacement@ottawa.edu

Supervision

The clinical site assigns a clinical supervisor who provides weekly supervision to the counselor trainee. The site supervisor must be licensed as an independent practitioner at the master’s level or above in an area covered by the respective state. In addition to the site supervision, each student is assigned to a field placement course which meets with an Ottawa University faculty supervisor member.

Special Statement on Attendance for Counseling Students

Attendance at all class meetings is expected. The content of courses in counseling and the nature of counselor training require counseling students to look at aspects of human values, beliefs and behaviors that may be personally disturbing to them. It is necessary, however, for counselors to understand the full range of human development and experience and to maintain proper respect for the client as an individual, whether or not the professional agrees with or approves of aspects of the client’s life. It is important that counselors in training remain open to learning about the humanness of their potential clients. A counselor in training also may find that certain course content may trigger an issue from his/her past or present life that makes staying in class for a particular presentation emotionally difficult; therefore, it is important for counselors in training to have a means to excuse themselves from a course activity that may be personally disturbing. The procedure to follow in such cases is as follows:

• If anticipated, notify the instructor in advance to obtain a substitute assignment.
• Take responsibility to have a fellow counselor in training collect hand-out materials and share notes for the part of the class missed.
• If a counselor in training becomes aware of this situation during a class, the student should quietly leave the class, remaining in the area, and return to class as soon as possible to take part in the critique and discussion.
• The counselor in training also should notify the instructor at break or after class about the general reason for leaving and should seek a substitute assignment.

Non-academic: Special Statements on Student Behavior

Due to the sensitive nature of the work of counselors, student progress is also evaluated on factors such as personal integrity and emotional maturity.

The progress of each counselor in training will be reviewed once a year by Addictions Counseling administration and faculty. The review will focus on the development of the student’s character and academic process. The criteria for the review is based upon the goals of the counseling programs.

Policy on Student Impairment, Ethical Misconduct, Problematic Behavior, and Competence

Introduction

The purpose of this policy is to clarify and identify areas of professionalism and ethical conduct expected of the students in the graduate counseling program at Ottawa University (and/or taking courses designated as PYC/PYF in the professional counseling curriculum), and to describe the procedures for identifying, assessing, and addressing issues related to impairment, ethical misconduct, problematic behavior, and competence.

The program for graduate studies in counseling at Ottawa University has a responsibility to protect clients, students, faculty, and the public from harm. The program also has a responsibility to protect students’ rights. This policy has been developed with both of these principles in mind.

The policies are consistent with the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics and standards of practice. It is the responsibility of each student and faculty member to uphold the standards of professional and ethical conduct and to confront and question instances when unprofessional or unethical conduct is suspected. To have knowledge of unprofessional or unethical conduct and not confront it places one in violation of Section H.2 of the code of ethics and standards of practice of the American Counseling Association, which explicitly assigns professionals the responsibility to monitor peer conduct and confront unethical behavior. This policy of conduct applies to all students who enroll in PYC/PYF courses, independent of their degree/certificate program.

Definitions

Impairment

Defined as an interference in professional functioning that is reflected in one or more of the following ways:

• Inability or unwillingness to acquire and integrate professional standards into one’s repertoire of professional behavior;
• Inability to acquire professional skills and reach an accepted level of competency; or
• Inability to control personal stress, psychological dysfunction, or emotional reactions that may affect professional functioning.

More specifically, such health or mental health conditions often include, but are not limited to, the following:

• physical and emotional hardships
• chemical dependency
• stress, burnout, and workaholism
• extreme personal/relationship difficulties
• emotional and mental disorders

A person may experience health or mental health difficulties without being considered impaired. Thus, a definition of the term impairment must include both a deterioration in functioning and an associated health or mental health condition.

The following examples serve to illustrate some, but not all, possible forms of student impairment:

• A student is witnessed by his peers to be drinking alcohol during class breaks. He is falling behind in his academic work, and often falls asleep in class. Both faculty and students have noticed a drastic change in his behavior over the past few months.
• A student who is typically known to be quite competent organized gradually begins to fall behind academically. At first, she works with her instructors to make up the work. Then, after several weeks of sporadic attendance, she no longer attempts to get caught up.
• Other students notice that she is tearful and withdrawn whenever they see her. When they express their concern, she tells them she thinks she has become severely depressed.
• A clinical supervisor begins to notice that a student has been arriving on site later and later over the past several weeks. When she asks the student about this behavior, he makes an excuse and promises to improve. Not only does he continue to arrive late, he also begins to make significant mistakes on paperwork and to miss appointments with clients. Meanwhile, he tells several classmates that he is considering divorcing his wife of 10 years. He appears visibly distraught and distracted to his peers.

(Source: Wright State School of professional psychology handbook)

Incompetence

Defined as a lack of ability, which may include either professional or interpersonal skill, or academic deficiency. When students continue to provide psychological services beyond their current level of competence, this is an ethical violation.

Ethical Misconduct

Occurs when the ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct produced by the American Psychological Association (APA) and/or the American Counseling Association’s code of ethics and standards of practice are not followed. These codes are intended to provide both the general principles and the specific decision rules to cover most situations encountered by psychologists/counselors in their professional activities. They have as their primary goal the welfare and protection of the individuals and groups with whom psychologists/counselors work. It is the individual responsibility of each psychologist/counselor to aspire to the highest possible standards of conduct. Psychologists/counselors respect and protect human and civil rights, and do not knowingly participate in or condone unfair discriminatory practices.

Problematic Behavior

Refers to a student’s behaviors, attitudes, or characteristics that may require remediation, but are perceived as not excessive or unexpected for professionals in training. Performance anxiety, discomfort with clients’ diverse lifestyles and ethnic backgrounds, and lack of appreciation of agency norms are examples of problematic behaviors that are usually remedied and not likely to progress into impairment status. (Adapted from Lamb, Cochran and Jackson, 1991. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 22, 291-296.)

Procedures

Impairment, incompetence, ethical misconduct, and/or problematic behavior may be identified in a variety of ways and by a variety of persons, including but not limited to students, faculty, University staff, clinical supervisors, clients, and/or members of the public. Responses to concerns may range from informal advisement, to formal review with remediation, to formal review with temporary suspension from program, or to dismissal from graduate program.

Courses of Action

In some situations, informal action may be an appropriate first step. Here, the student, staff person, clinical supervisor, or faculty member speaks directly with the individual, discussing the area(s) of concern and attempting to guide the individual towards change. The individual making the informal intervention should document concerns and actions, as well as the student’s responses, in the form of notes, that are forwarded to the director of graduate studies in professional counseling. These notes would be retained in confidence and no further action would be taken unless there are similar reports by others and/or indication that the informal action was not successful for this student. Any reports to the director by this student are also documented by the director and held in confidence in the director’s files.

Making a formal charge of unethical or unprofessional conduct with either the director or assistant director of graduate studies in professional counseling is an appropriate initial action when the violation does not seem amenable to an informal corrective action or if the violation is of a more serious nature. It is also possible for the students, staff, clinical supervisors, faculty, or members of the general public to employ both informal and formal approaches. For example, one who intervenes informally in an instance of suspected unethical or unprofessional conduct and is not satisfied with the results of that intervention may decide to proceed to formal action.

Students, staff, clinical supervisors, faculty, or members of the general public who are unsure whether to intervene informally or formally (or whether they are obligated to take action at all) are urged to seek counsel and advice from the director or assistant director of graduate studies in professional counseling.

Formal Intervention

Initial formal, written reports of suspected unethical or unprofessional conduct should be made either to the director of graduate studies in professional counseling or, if related to practicum/internship activities, to the assistant director of graduate studies in professional counseling. The written statement should address the following questions:

• What are the actual behaviors that are of concern, and how are those behaviors related to the goals of the program?
• How and in what settings have these behaviors been manifested?
• What were the negative consequences for the graduate program, training agency or others (e.g., clients, other students) of the problematic behaviors.
• Who observed the behaviors in question?
• Who or what was affected by the behavior (other students, clients, agency, atmosphere, training program, etc.)?
• What was the frequency of this behavior?
• Has the student been made aware of this behavior, and, if so, how was it done, and has the feed back to the student regarding the behavior been documented in any way? What was the student’s response to the feedback?
• How serious is this behavior on the continuum of ethical and professional behavior?

(Adapted from Lamb, Cochran and Jackson, 1991.)

Determining Appropriate Action

The director and/or assistant director of graduate studies in counseling, or an investigative committee appointed by the director, will take appropriate action to evaluate the nature and severity of the issues raised in the complaint. Faculty, supervisors, or others identified in the report as related to the incident(s)/behavior(s) in question can be contacted for additional information on the complaint. The director and assistant director of graduate studies in professional counseling (and the director of another OU graduate program in which the student is enrolled, i.e., business or education, if appropriate) (hereafter known as the review team) will schedule a meeting with the student within 10 days of receiving the written complaint. At this meeting, areas to be reviewed and discussed will likely include the nature, severity, and consequences of the situation and specifics, as outlined in the nine questions addressed in the complaint. The student will be asked to reply to the issues raised. In addition, possible avenues of remediation will be discussed: the student will be asked to make suggestions for remediation, as well as those presented by members of the review team.

While each case is different and requires individual assessment, the following factors may indicate that the problem is more serious and may represent an impairment rather than a problematic behavior:

• The student does not acknowledge, understand or address the problematic behavior when it is identified.
• The problematic behavior is not merely a reflection of a skill deficit that can be rectified by training.
• The quality of service delivered by the person suffers.
• The problematic behavior is not restricted to one area of professional functioning.
• The behavior has the potential for ethical or legal ramifications if not addressed.
• A disproportionate amount of attention by training personnel is required.
• Behavior that does not change as a function of feedback.
• Behavior negatively affects public image of agency of the University or training site.

Ample time will be allowed in this meeting for the student to present his/her view of the situation and to ask questions. After this meeting with the student, the review team will meet to determine next steps. If it is determined that further steps are required in response to the situation, they will develop a written plan for remediation or some other appropriate course of action and will schedule a meeting to discuss this concern with the student within four weeks of their initial meeting with the student. Students may submit their own ideas for remediation in writing to the director of graduate studies in professional counseling during this period. The review team will consider the student’s recommendations in developing their own recommendations. The plan will be in writing and documented by the director of graduate studies in professional counseling. The written report of the review team will be reviewed in a second meeting with the student within four weeks of the first meeting.

Team findings and recommendations may include, but are not limited to:

• Student continues in program activities while completing, under monitoring, a recommended plan for remediation.
• Student continues in program but with a limitation on program activities while completing, under monitoring, a recommended plan of remediation.
• Student is temporarily suspended from program activities (leave of absence) while completing, under monitoring, a recommended plan of remediation.
• Student is permanently suspended from program with recommendations for personal remediation.

The student will be given the opportunity to accept the recommendations, to provide a written rebuttal, and/or to appeal. If the student chooses to provide a rebuttal, the review team will meet again to consider any new evidence presented by the student, and will provide written documentation of their decision within three weeks of the date the rebuttal was received.

If the student wishes to appeal the review team’s decision, he or she may contact the associate dean of human services and business. Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, the student and the director of graduate studies in professional counseling (and the director of the student’s graduate program, if appropriate) will schedule a follow-up meeting to evaluate the student’s adjustment to the process, and to recommend potential sources of guidance and assistance when necessary.

The remediation process will follow the written plan, which must include scheduled review dates and target dates for each issue identified. Examples of actions that may be included in the remediation plan include – but are not limited to – an increase in didactic instruction, a decrease in course load, a decrease in or temporary suspension of clinical responsibilities, increased supervision and/or faculty advisement, leave of absence, and individual psychotherapy. Progress must be reviewed at least once each semester for one year, or until the situation is considered remedied. Additional reviews may be scheduled as necessary. After each review, a copy of the current Remediation Plan, including student comments and the review team’s signatures must be filed in the student’s portfolio. If progress is viewed by the review team as insufficient, they may recommend either a change in the remediation plan or dismissal. The student will have an opportunity for rebuttal or appeal, as described above. Further grievance procedures follow those outlined in the Ottawa University student handbook.

Emergency Suspension

The director of graduate studies in professional counseling may impose an emergency suspension when a student’s behavior constitutes a grave breach of professional ethics, when such behavior places other people’s welfare in jeopardy, or threatens to disrupt the educational process of the school. Students placed on emergency suspension will not be permitted to continue to participate in some or all of the activities related to graduate study in professional counseling and/or PYC or PYF courses (e.g., to take examinations or submit papers or other course work, engage in practicum/internship activities) without written permission from the director of graduate studies in professional counseling. Emergency suspensions will remain in effect until the review team recommends another course of action.

Additional Points of Emphasis

• Clearly not every contingency can be covered in this policy.
• Exceptions may be made in unusual circumstances and/or
• if public/student welfare is at risk.
• Confidentiality should be maintained at all times.
• This policy is subject to annual review/revision.