Program Information

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MAC Mission Statement

The Master of Arts in Counseling program is committed to preparing students to be highly competent mental health counselors with the knowledge, skills, and competencies requisite for the effective and ethical practice of counseling. The course work and clinical experiences are designed to promote cultural awareness and the development of a professional identity as a mental health counselor.

MAC Program Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the program of study, students will demonstrate:

1. Knowledge of and the ability to apply the American Counseling Association code of ethics to clinical practice.
2. Knowledge of multicultural and pluralistic differences in society and an understanding of the role of counselors as advocates in the community.
3. Knowledge of human development and behavior and the ability to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate strategies for counseling intervention and prevention.
4. Knowledge of the principles and theories of career counseling and skill in helping clients explore career-focused decisions.
5. The ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with clients.
6. Knowledge of group formation and dynamics and the ability to utilize ethical and culturally relevant strategies in designing groups.
7. Knowledge of the principles and utilization of appraisal techniques, including gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data about individuals.
8. Knowledge of the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession, including the ability to read and critique research.
9. Self-awareness and the development of a professional identity as a mental health counselor, including the roles and modalities in which counseling is utilized.

Philosophy of the Program

Doane offers a program of study and training leading to the MAC degree.  The goals of this program are to develop highly competent mental health counselors who are skilled in the delivery of direct services, knowledgeable about current empirical and theoretical developments, capable of critically evaluating clinical research, and able to assume leadership positions and to serve as respected consultants in a variety of mental health delivery systems.  The program follows a competency-based practitioner model.

The practitioner model places primary emphasis on preparation of students for productive careers as professionals in clinical counseling settings.  Course work and supervised practical experiences provide the opportunity to learn and develop skills in the assessment of problem behavior and in interventions with children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and groups.  Incorporated into this approach is exposure to ethical, professional, and inter-professional issues.  Students and faculty are expected to maintain membership and active participation in national, state, and local professional organizations.  Students are expected to join the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Nebraska Counseling Association (NCA).  Practicum and Internship students must maintain professional liability insurance as offered through ACA.

The program is dedicated to academic excellence and committed to principles of effective and ethical counseling practice.  Upon completion of the program, the student will have met all educational requirements for licensure as an Independent Mental Health Professional in the State of Nebraska.  The model of the counseling program is based on the standards put forward by CACREP. These standards are generally accepted as the minimal standards for training in the counseling profession. While it is the mission of the Doane MAC program to meet these minimal standards, the Doane MAC program strives to ensure a high quality educational experience; therefore, some standards in the Doane MAC program exceed those set forth by CACREP.