Mission Statement and Program Objectives

Program Mission

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited Professional Counseling Program at William Paterson University seeks to prepare, educate, and mentor ethical and competent professional counselors who are culturally responsive, knowledgeable of life span development, and optimize client/student wellness. The program provides opportunities for students to enhance their self-awareness and build professional identities as counselors; gain skills in advocacy, develop collaboration skills with other providers, and practice their clinical and school counseling skills in a diverse and technological society. 

Program Objectives

  • To provide professional counselors with a knowledge base that encompasses the eight core curriculum areas as delineated by CACREP and the State of New Jersey. 

  • To encourage professional counselors to develop cultural responsiveness and to advocate for, and meet the intersectional needs of, diverse clients/students.

  • To prepare professional counselors who can provide competent and effective direct services to clients/students across the life span in clinical mental health and school settings. 

  • To prepare professional counselors who exhibit sound ethical decision making in their counseling practice, as well as their consultation in clinical mental health and school settings.

  • To prepare professional counselors to consider wellness, strength-based approaches, and prevention in their counseling practice.

  • To prepare professional counselors to access and apply evidenced based research in their counseling practice.

  • To prepare professional counselors to conceptualize client/student issues from a holistic, bio-psychosocial, and wellness perspective. 

  • To prepare professional counselors who exhibit professional dispositions appropriate for the counseling profession.

Program Learning Outcomes

(Program learning outcomes are demonstrated by the program’s critical assessments) 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate a knowledge base that encompasses the eight core curriculum areas as delineated by CACREP and the State of New Jersey as evidenced by performance on the pre-internship benchmark exam (PIB). 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate a broad understanding of multicultural issues and the ability to advocate for, and meet the needs of, clients/students from diverse backgrounds as evidenced by the PIB and the evaluation of the counselor trainee’s performance in Practicum and Internship. 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate the ability to provide competent and effective direct services to clients/students across the life span in clinical mental health and school settings as evidenced by evaluation of the counselor trainee’s performance in Foundations and Techniques of Counseling (CSP 6010), Practicum (CSP 6300 for School Counseling concentration or CSP 6320 for Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration) and Internship I and II (CSP  6860 and CSP 6870). 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate competent and ethical consulting services in community, mental health, and school settings as evidenced by the comprehensive case study project. 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate sound ethical decisions as evidenced by the evaluation of the counselor trainee’s performance in Practicum and Internship evaluations. 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate the ability to use and conduct research in the counseling field as evidenced by PIB and the comprehensive case study project. 

  • The counselor trainee will demonstrate the ability to conceptualize client/ student issues from a holistic and bio-psychosocial perspective as evidenced by the comprehensive case study project and PIB.

  • The counselor trainee will exhibit professional dispositions appropriate for the counseling profession as evidenced by evaluation of the counselor trainee’s performance in all coursework, including Practicum and Internship.