Department of Counseling and School Psychology
P.W. De Barbieri, Ed. D., L.P.C. – Professor and Chair March 2, 2010
DEPARTMENT MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the Counseling and School Psychology Department is to prepare front line practitioners in the mental health profession who contribute significantly to the social, emotional, academic and physical development of children, youth and families in a multicultural society. We prepare outstanding
Clinical Mental Health Counselors, Professional School Counselors and School Psychologists, through evidenced-based quality teaching methods, active clinical and field practice and related scholarly research.
All three nationally accredited programs [CACREP- Council for the Accreditation of Counselor and
Related Educational Programs, and NASP- National Association of School Psychologists] are part of the
NCATE [National Council for Accreditation of teacher education] accredited School of Education and strive to meet the highest professional standards of training. Each program prepares graduates who demonstrate mastery of the program objectives and upholds the highest ethical principles of professional conduct for certification and/or licensure. Graduates of our three programs impact and provide leadership to organizations, schools and related mental health facilities locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.
SAILS is the metaphor adopted by the School of Education through which our values, beliefs, and dispositions are revealed. It is the conceptual framework that ties course work, field experiences, and faculty-student-teacher interactions together; it is what guides and informs our practice.
SCHOLARSHIP: is an essential ingredient to becoming a lifelong learner. All students will:
 Demonstrate the content knowledge needed to function at the highest professional level in your discipline
 Engage in life-long continuing professional development
 Assess student/teacher/school performance and incorporate that assessment into planning for
 more effective instructional environments
Successfully use technology to support learning
ATTITUDES and DISPOSITIONS: influence behavior. What candidates do is consistently influenced by what they believe.
 Value diversity
 Reflect on job performance
 Engage in self-assessment
 Model best practices
1

Department of Counseling and School Psychology
P.W. De Barbieri, Ed. D., L.P.C. – Professor and Chair March 2, 2010
INTEGRITY: provides the ethical framework that guides our actions.
 Act in a professional, ethical, and moral manner
 Demonstrate honesty and empathy, both professionally and personally
 Adhere strictly to the Ethics Codes of our specific professions
LEADERSHIP: is the responsibility of teachers, counselors, psychologists, and coaches as well as superintendents and principals.
 Appreciate the interconnectedness of the relationships of students, teachers and parents
 Engage in critical thinking
 Bring best practices to the school and other community agencies
SERVICE: is a sense of caring, and giving to others.
 Contribute time and expertise to community in which s/he works, lives or learns
 All CSP students must document no less than 20 hours of community service in order to graduate from the program.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Our department offers three separate programs:
 Clinical Mental Health Counseling
 School Counseling
 School Psychology
CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING PROGRAM
Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs prepare graduates to work with clients across a spectrum of mental and emotional disorders, as well as to promote mental health and wellness. Clients may be seen individually, in couples, families, or group settings. Clinical Mental Health Counselors are knowledgeable in the principles and practices of diagnosis, treatment, referral and prevention and often work in interdisciplinary teams with other health professionals (e.g., psychiatrists, social workers, MDs).
Employment opportunities may include private practice, community-based mental health centers, hospitals and other treatment centers.
Master of Science Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The M.S. program in clinical mental health counseling is a licensure track program designed to meet the requirements of the State of Connecticut License Professional Counselor (LPC). The program in clinical mental health counseling (60 credit hours) prepares students to work in a variety of community counseling agencies, substance abuse clinics, college counseling centers, and hospitals. Students develop skills and theoretical knowledge in doing individual, group, and career counseling with diverse populations in either public or private community mental health agencies, or colleges and universities.
All students complete practicum and internship experiences. Students specializing in counseling work in community mental health settings find practicum and internship placements in a variety of settings,
2

Department of Counseling and School Psychology
P.W. De Barbieri, Ed. D., L.P.C. – Professor and Chair March 2, 2010 including community counseling centers, child guidance centers, crisis stabilization programs, rape crisis and domestic violence programs, substance abuse programs, youth services programs, and inpatient and residential treatment programs. Students specializing in counseling in higher education find placements in community colleges as well as public and private college and university counseling and career services centers.
Sixth Year Professional Diploma in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The sixth year advanced graduate studies program provides the opportunity for counselors holding a master's degree in counseling to enhance their counseling competencies. This program can be designed to help counselors who graduated many years ago (with 36-48 credits) to pursue the State of
Connecticut Licensure (LPC) requirements. At least 30 credits beyond the Master of Science Degree is required for the sixth year diploma.
SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM
School counselors are employed primarily in educational settings. They use their counseling knowledge, insight, and skills to promote human welfare and educational success, and to improve the institutions and programs in which they are involved. All Professional school counselors must have a Master of
Science Degree and meet certification requirement as defined by the State Department of Education .
School counselors:
 provide developmental guidance for students in the school to promote academic,

 personal/social, and career development in a proactive and preventive manner; provide individual and group counseling for students and parents identified in need; consult with teachers, parents, faculty, and administrators concerning student academic, personal/social, and career success;
 provide a liaison with community agencies to garner services for students and families.
Accreditations
The program is accredited by the State of Connecticut, the New England Association of Schools and
Colleges and the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP).
Master of Science Degree Program
The school counseling program consists of a 52-credit Master of Science degree. The Master of Science degree program prepares professionals to work at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and consists of a focus on human growth and development, social and cultural foundations, helping relationships, group work, career and lifestyle development, appraisal, research, program evaluation and professional orientation, including ethics and professional standards. A comprehensive exam is required for graduation. There are two field experiences, a practicum and an internship within the school counseling Master of Science degree program. Practicum offers students the opportunity to develop, refine, and demonstrate individual, group and developmental guidance counseling skills.
Students are required to work under the supervision of a certified school counselor for a minimum of
100 hours over the course of one semester within a school setting. Internship is an intense and diversified experience that exposes students to a full range of school counselor responsibilities
3

Department of Counseling and School Psychology
P.W. De Barbieri, Ed. D., L.P.C. – Professor and Chair March 2, 2010 appropriate to the setting. Internship consists of a fulltime 10 month counseling work experience under the supervision of a certified school counselor in a school setting. Individuals in the school counseling .
Sixth Year Professional Diploma
The sixth year advanced graduate studies program in counseling provides the opportunity for counselors holding a Master of Science degree in counseling to enhance their counseling competencies. This program can be designed to help counselors who graduated many years ago to pursue the State of
Connecticut certification requirements. At least 30 credits beyond the master's degree are required for the sixth year diploma. Consideration is given to demonstrated achievement in a Master of Science degree program in counseling.
Certification
The master's and sixth year programs are designed to meet the requirements for certification as a school counselor in Connecticut with reciprocity in many other states.
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM
School psychologists are employed primarily in educational settings. They use their psychological knowledge, insight, and skills to promote human welfare and educational success, and to improve the institutions and programs in which they are involved.
School psychologists:
 consult with teachers, parents, and school personnel about learning, social and behavior problems; help others to better understand child development and its relationship to learning and behavior;
 assess children's learning aptitudes, academic skills, social skills, personality and emotional
 development, and eligibility for special education programs and services; intervene to help solve conflicts and problems related to learning and adjustment by working directly with students and families, providing counseling, social skills training, crisis intervention, behavior management, and other interventions;
 conduct research to evaluate the effectiveness of academic programs, behavior management procedures, and other services provided in the schools, and to generate new knowledge to improve learning and mental health adjustment.
Program Description
The school psychology program consists of a 37-credit Master of Science degree, followed by a 32-credit
Sixth Year Professional Diploma. Students with a bachelor degree are admitted to the Master level program and must reapply for the Sixth Year program upon successful completion of their Master of
Science. Applicants currently holding a Master of Science Degree who are applying for the Sixth Year
Professional Diploma in school psychology are required, in addition to the general admission criteria, to have demonstrated superior achievement in a Master of Science degree program in school psychology or highly related area.
4

Department of Counseling and School Psychology
P.W. De Barbieri, Ed. D., L.P.C. – Professor and Chair March 2, 2010
Master of Science Degree in School Psychology
The Master of Science Degree program consists of a focus on educational and psychological foundations; theories and applications of counseling, statistics, and research methods; individual appraisal; introduction to the role and function of the school psychologist; and ethics and professional standards. A comprehensive examination is required upon completion of the master's program of courses. Students may attend either full- or part-time. Full-time study consists of either three or four courses per semester. Students attending part-time must commit to no fewer than two courses per semester.
Sixth Year Professional Diploma in School Psychology
The Sixth Year Professional Diploma program provides advanced professional study and training in the areas of counseling (individual and group), assessment (intellectual, achievement, and personality), consultation, and intervention. Within this program are two field experiences: a practicum and an internship. The practicum consists of approximately 400 hours (four days/week) in a school setting. The internship is an intense and diversified, 10 month experience consisting of no fewer than 1,200 hours; it may be completed full-time in one year, or part-time over up to two years. Both experiences are completed under the supervision of a certified school psychologist. This level of the program requires full-time study.
Certification
The combined Master of Science degree and Sixth Year programs are designed to meet the requirements for certification as a school psychologist in Connecticut and most other states. The majority of our graduates also elect to qualify as nationally certified school psychologists.
5