Masters Degrees in Mental Health Nursing, USA

Nursing

The Decker School of Nursing provides excellent preparation in nursing education, scholarship and practice, and offers graduate level programs of study ranging from certificates to the PhD. The Decker School of Nursing graduate nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through June 19, 2019.

In the Master of Science program (MS), students select one of four functional roles to pursue as a clinical nurse specialist, administrator, educator or nurse practitioner. Dual roles are also available for additional credit.

The Doctorate in Nursing Practice (DNP) program is designed to prepare Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists to respond more efficiently to changes in health care delivery and emerging health care needs. The DNP focuses on providing leadership for evidence-based practice, and will incorporate the advanced practice content currently included in the master's program.

Recent Doctorate in Nursing Practice graduate placements include: Nurse Practitioner for New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, Family Nurse Practitioner for Vestal Medical Associates, Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner at Columbia University Medical Center. Furthermore, our graduates pioneer in research, development, and new initiatives, such as one of our 2012 graduates who initiated an independent Nurse Practitioner primary care practice, Blue Ridge Medical Center.

Graduate Degrees Offered

MS in Nursing in the following specialty areas (Nurse Practitioner or Nurse Educator/Nurse Administrator programs available):
- Community Health Nursing
- Family Nursing
- Adult-Gerontological Nursing
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing

The Master of Science in Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing with Nurse Practitioner Certificate program is a 49-credit program designed for those who are interested in the field of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing and want to pursue an advanced role as a Nurse Practitioner. Students will be prepared and eligible to apply for state licensure and to sit for national certification as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner across the lifespan.

All applicants must submit the following:

- Online graduate degree application and application fee
- Transcripts from each college/university you have attended
- Two letters of recommendation (three letters of recommendation for DNP applicants)
- Personal statement (2-3 pages) describing your reasons for pursuing graduate study, your career aspirations, your special interests within your field, and any unusual features of your background that might need explanation or be of interest to your program's admissions committee.
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (max. 2 pages)
- Official GRE scores
- Nursing licensure

And, for international applicants:
- International Student Financial Statement form
- Official bank statement/proof of support
- Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic scores

Depending on your desired program, you must also meet the following requirements:
MS:
- Undergraduate degree in nursing from an NLNAC or CCNE accredited school of nursing
- Previous, successful completion of a course in descriptive statistics
- Computer literacy skills
- A current, unencumbered license to practice as a registered professional nurse
- One year of full-time employment as a registered nurse is strongly encouraged (Candidates without one year of previous full-time employment may wish to consider enrolling in a part-time program while they acquire the needed work experience)
- Note: all applicants are required to have taken and passed the NCLEX examination prior to the start of clinical courses

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The Master of Science in Behavioral Health (MSBH) at USF prepares you to address disparities in the current health care delivery system. As a student in our program, you will examine the intersection of social, physical and psychological factors that impact health and well-being. Through inter-disciplinary classes, fieldwork experiences, and a capstone project, you learn psychosocial interventions as well as tools for planning, managing and evaluating community-based programs and services.

Our graduates have learned to become effective team members, who have acquired the tools to improve the accessibility and delivery of health and mental health programs. We look to our graduates to become leaders in designing the evidence-based, integrated health practices that are the cornerstone of the Affordable Care Act.

Program Highlights

- Program can be completed in 12 months
- Classes meet twice a week in the evenings
- Courses are designed to teach practical, real world skills
- Curriculum is fully integrated so that courses build on one another
- Classes are small, inter-professional and highly interactive
- Internships, located throughout San Francisco and the greater Bay Area, allow students to apply classroom learning in the field under the guidance of a preceptor and USF faculty
- Faculty are accomplished academics and practitioners

What is Behavioral Health?

Some use the term "behavioral health" to refer strictly to mental health care or substance abuse counseling. At USF we think of behavioral health more broadly. In our MSBH program, behavioral health involves analyzing and understanding how human behavior is influenced by social, physical and mental factors and how human behavior, in turn, impacts physical well-being, empowerment, and engagement in all aspects of care.

The MS in Behavioral Health program is designed for people:

- Interested in human behavior, especially the intersection between mental and physical health
- Wanting to start a career in behavioral healthcare
- Currently working in the healthcare system and wanting additional skills in interdisciplinary team leadership, program evaluation, and project management
- Wanting a foundation for other careers such as medicine or dentistry

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Your compassion for others and willingness to help are prerequisites for this growing field of personal counseling. Young people and adults in transition will all benefit from the creative, clinical skills you develop at IUP.

PROGRAM ALSO OFFERED AT THE MONROEVILLE CAMPUS

The MA program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is also available at the Monroeville campus. It is a 60-credit degree designed to prepare students to work in a variety of settings, including mental health centers, drug and alcohol treatment programs, specialized community agencies, rehabilitation programs, correctional institutions, health care settings, and business and industry.

COUNSELING PROFESSION IS GROWING

Our program gives you the skills you'll need to work in a number of settings, including mental health centers, drug and alcohol treatment programs, specialized community agencies, private practice, vocational or rehabilitation programs, correctional institutions, health care settings, social services, business, and industry. The 60-credit-hour program includes a series of counseling skills courses, including individual and group practicums, and a 600-hour field experience under the supervision of a qualified supervisor.

The counseling curriculum is based on the educational standards as set forth by the National Board for Certified Counselors. Students who successfully complete their course work will be eligible to take the National Certification Exam. Upon passing the exam, students will be board-eligible counselors.

Prospective students for the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling must meet departmental admissions requirements and procedures in addition to those of the School of Graduate Studies and Research.

Prospective students should contact the department to determine these requirements. Applicants are required to attend an admission workshop as the final step in the admissions process. Workshops are held two times a year, and applicants should contact the department to obtain the dates of workshops and deadlines for applications to reach the department.

The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

The program philosophy is to approach helping from an educational and developmental perspective, emphasizing prevention and promoting enrichment in people's lives while also providing skills for effective intervention. The wide variety of employment settings in which our graduates are found reflects this developmental, preventative, and interventionist focus.

THE MA DEGREE WILL PREPARE YOU TO

-Acquire the state and national licensure needed to practice.
-Broaden your view of multicultural issues with regard to mental health.
-Assist youth and adults who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse.
-Guide individuals through career planning and career transitions.
-Obtain necessary training as an individual, group, and systems counselor.
-Find work in the following settings: mental health and substance abuse clinics, forensics settings, private practice, consultation services, and career counseling programs.
-Pursue a doctoral degree in counselor education or counseling psychology.
-Be a part of an occupation that is projected to have a “much faster than average” job growth through 2022, with a 16 percent growth rate in Pennsylvania.

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Why get a dual degree in public and behavioral health?

The MPH-MSBH dual degree has been designed to prepare practitioners who are committed to eliminating health disparities, working with vulnerable populations, and creating social and physical environments that promote good health for all. This program is ideal for students who want a broad, in-depth knowledge base in public health with an emphasis on behavioral health skills. Courses are practice oriented and applied skills are emphasized. Dual degree students graduate with the knowledge to design, implement, and lead evidence-based health care and community programs.

The dual degree requires approximately 60 units. Full-time, dual degree students should be able to complete their course work in 6 semesters (24 months). Students can attend on a part-time basis and spread the program over three years. The course sequence can be adjusted on an individual basis.

On completing the dual degree program, graduates will have two degrees: Both the Master of Public Health and the MS in Behavioral Health. By pursuing this dual degree option, students will achieve a substantial savings in time and credits over completing these two degrees separately.

The dual degree has been designed to help students understand and address the social, emotional and environmental determinants of health and wellbeing. The program stresses the needs of underserved and at-risk populations. It teaches students how to implement and monitor programs; set up budgets, timelines and tracking tools; and write a grant proposal. Students also learn about ethics and policy, research methods, epidemiology, and statistical analysis and their roles in program development.

There is substantive focus on how to develop evidence-based interventions that have a high likelihood of success, use behavior change theory and holistic models and frameworks, and are based on community needs and assessment.

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The individualized post-master’s program, culminating in a letter of completion, consists of a minimum of 12 semester hours.

The Department of Psychology’s certificate program will allow students to obtain the additional post-master’s credit hours needed to fulfill the Pennsylvania state 60-credit educational requirement to be licensed as a professional counselor. The program is tailored to individual students based on their prior course work at the master’s level and their interests. The admissions process includes the development of an individualized, planned course of study designed to allow students to complete course work in areas necessary to be eligible for Pennsylvania licensure as a professional counselor. Students, in consultation with program advisers, will select courses from the current graduate offerings in the Department of Psychology. Courses will be selected by examining students’ master’s degree programs and determining areas of need, based on the following licensing content areas:

• Human Growth and Development: studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental stages.
• Social and Cultural Foundations: studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society.
• Helping Relationships: studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes.
• Group Work: studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches.
• Career and Lifestyle Development: studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.
• Appraisal: studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
• Research and Program Evaluation: studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics, and ethical and legal considerations in research.
• Professional Orientation and Ethics: studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning, including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing.
• Field Experience: Includes 100 clock hours of supervised practicum experience and 600 clock hours of supervised internship experience. The supervised internship experience shall begin after completion of the supervised practicum experience. (Note: These practicum and internship hours are in addition to the 3,600 hours of supervised postmaster’s professional counseling practice experience that the board also requires.)

Note: The Department of Psychology at West Chester University has no role in the administration or awarding of the licensure of professional counselors. Each student is responsible for ensuring that he or she has met all of the state’s licensure eligibility requirements.

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