Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
Clinical Mental Health Counseling CMHC Mission Statement
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Jacksonville University's School of Applied Health Sciences prepares professional counselors to serve effectively in today’s diverse, community-based and technology-integrated mental health settings. With an emphasis on academic rigor and ethical practice for the purpose of developing an effective counseling workforce, JU CMHC fosters a fair and adaptive learning environment that reflects the global mental health landscape.
Upcoming Events
| Task | Deadline or date |
|---|---|
| Applications, Fall 2026 | August 1, 2026 |
| Virtual Sessions | Tuesday, September 17 @ 12pm |
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Clinical Mental Health Counseling CMHC Program Objectives
The CMHC program is upheld by eight key objectives that guide all instruction and assessment. We work to ensure that upon graduation, our students demonstrate mastery toward (a) counseling discipline knowledge, (b) clinical skills and competence, and (c) professional dispositions (counselor identity and ethical reasoning) as the program strives to:
- Foster students’ ability to monitor personal reactions to clients and peers while assessing interpersonal impact on others.
- Create opportunities for students to demonstrate holistic and multicultural skills in working with diverse populations across the human life span.
- Support students while they highlight the interactive dynamics in a household and among extended family and society as individuals’ developmental needs to align or conflict with each other.
- Encourage students to contribute to the profession in a unique and specialized manner.
- Encourage students to demonstrate the ability to communicate recognized resiliencies and strengths of clients in treatment planning and counseling.
- Foster students’ applications of evidence-based practices in the treatment planning and counseling processes
- Enhance students’ ability to apply ethical standards in mental health counseling research and practice.
- Provide opportunities for students to accurately interview, assess, and identify clients' problems.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Why Choose JU's CMHC Program?
Jacksonville University's Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MS-CMHC) is:
- CACREP accredited
- A hybrid format ideal for working professionals
- Only 60-credit-hours
- Meets the educational requirements for State of Florida licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and state licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
About the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Course Catalog
“Our Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is more than a place to earn a degree, it is a community where students are challenged, supported, and prepared to become skilled, compassionate counselors. We are intentional about connecting what students learn in the classroom to the needs of the communities they will serve, preparing graduates who are ready to make a meaningful difference from day one.”
Mental Health Counseling Career Pathways
Primary Licensed Roles
These are the core therapeutic roles that graduates step into after fulfilling their clinical supervision hours and state licensing exams:
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC / LPC): Provide individual, group, or family psychotherapy. You'll evaluate, diagnose, and treat clients dealing with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental and emotional conditions.
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT): Specialize in relationship dynamics. You will help couples and families navigate communication issues, domestic conflicts, life transitions, and systemic behavioral problems.
- Substance Abuse & Addiction Counselor: You will work specifically with individuals struggling with alcoholism, drug addiction, eating disorders, or gambling with focus on recovery plans, coping mechanisms, and relapse prevention.
- Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS/CAS): A more advanced, specialized credential beyond general substance abuse counseling, focused on co-occurring disorders and complex addiction treatment planning.
- Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC): Work with individuals managing chronic illness, disability, or injury, helping them navigate vocational, educational, and independent living goals.
- School-Based Mental Health Counselor: Provide counseling services within K-12 settings, addressing behavioral, developmental, and emotional concerns while coordinating with teachers, administrators, and families.
- Integrated Behavioral Health Counselor: Practice within primary care or medical settings, partnering with physicians to address the mental health components of chronic disease management, health anxiety, and adjustment to diagnosis.
- Crisis Counselor / Crisis Intervention Specialist: Work in emergency, hotline, or mobile crisis response settings, providing immediate stabilization and safety planning for individuals in acute distress.
* Salary figures per the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics 2024 report.
2024 Media Pay*
Admissions How to Apply
Admission to the School of Applied Health Sciences (SAHS) is selective and limited to those students who have demonstrated potential for successfully completing the program. An admission decision is based on:
- evaluation of an applicant’s previous coursework and their grades earned
- a written personal statement
- a professional resume
- individual experience within the field, and three letters of recommendation.
- Where applicable, official GRE scores and a personal interview are also utilized in final evaluation for admission.
For detailed information about the admission process, read our Admissions guideline.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Endowed Scholarship
Mental health professionals are vital to community wellbeing, yet the need for licensed counselors far exceeds supply—especially in Florida, where access remains among the lowest in the nation. Meanwhile, graduate counseling students often face high tuition costs and unpaid clinical training, creating barriers for those most committed to serving others.
The Endowed Scholarship for Clinical Mental Health Counseling directly addresses this gap by providing financial support to graduate students preparing to become licensed counselors and therapists. A minimum $25,000* endowment establishes a scholarship that helps students offset tuition and clinical expenses. Thank you for your support toward our gal and August 1 deadline.
Accreditation
CACREP ACCREDITATION
Jacksonville University's Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) under the 2016 standards. The JU CMHC accreditation is valid through October 2027, at which time an application for re-accreditation will be submitted. All JU CMHC program graduates have been recognized as having graduated from a CACREP accredited program.
For answers to common questions about accreditation, please refer to the CACREP FAQs.
Licensure
State of Florida Course Requirements for Licensure
JU’s CMHC Core Curriculum has a specialization in clinical mental health counseling. It also offers a concentration in Couples, Marriage, and Family Counseling. This degree meets the academic requirements for licensure as designated in the Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling for both Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Students are encouraged to review the state standards and guidelines and notify the faculty advisor of practice preference so that the appropriate site placement is secured for the practicum and internship
Quick Links
- Contact Us
- Handbooks
- Programs & Degrees
- MS CMHC Program Objectives and Evaluation Plan (PDF)
- Admissions Process & Deadlines
- Upcoming Events
- 2023-2024 Annual Report (requires login)
- 2019-2025 Strategic Plan
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CMHC
Brooks Rehabilitation College of Health Sciences
JU CSI Eta Upsilon Chapter
Need to know Questions and Answers
Students begin the program in the Fall semester. The admissions deadline for the program is February 15th. Apply online.
Yes, in the second year of the program students complete a practicum and internship at a clinical site. Although it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to secure a placement, faculty advisors help students to pick appropriate pre-approved clinical sites, and there is an annual internship fair held each year for students to become familiar with clinical opportunities.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty pre-approves all sites available for student interns. Internships can occur at a wide range of placements including college counseling centers, community mental health agencies, hospitals, urban outreach facilities, and substance abuse treatment centers, and can include work with multiple populations.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program is pleased to offer three graduate assistantships for the 2026–2027 academic year. These assistantships pay $15/hour and require the student to work with a designated faculty member for 5 hours per week during the Fall and Spring semesters. Students must apply and potentially interview to secure these Graduate Assistantships. Please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid for specific scholarship and aid opportunities.
The JU CMHC program is delivered in a ground‑based hybrid format on the main Jacksonville University campus located in the Arlington area of Jacksonville, Florida.
Students must complete:
- 60 credit hours
- 700 hours of clinical practice
More details are available in the CMHC Student Handbook and course progression plan:
Detailed tuition and cost information is available here: Graduate Tuition & Costs
Still have questions?
Read complete FAQs or contact us at graduateadmissions@ju.edu or (904) 256-7000
Contact Information Request Information
For information about the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Programs contact:
LaTonya Summers, PhD
Department Chair
Contact Information Clinical Mental Health Counseling
School of Applied Health Sciences
Jacksonville University
2800 University Blvd N
Jacksonville, FL 32211
Phone: (904) 256-7000
Email: graduateadmissions@ju.edu