TITLE 16             OCCUPATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSING

CHAPTER 27     COUNSELORS AND THERAPISTS

PART 2                MENTAL HEALTH CORE CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

 

16.27.2.1               ISSUING AGENCY:  Regulation and Licensing Department Counseling and Therapy Practice Board

[16.27.2.1 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001]

 

16.27.2.2               SCOPE:  All individuals applying for licensure as professional clinical mental health counselors, professional mental health counselors, and licensed mental health counselors.

[16.27.2.2 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001]

 

16.27.2.3               STATUTORY AUTHORITY:  These parts are promulgated pursuant to the counselor and Therapist Practice Act, Sections 61-9A-1, 61-9A-3, 61-9A-5, 61-9A-9, 61-9A-11, and 61-9A-15, NMSA 1978.

[16.27.2.3 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001; A, 11/30/2021]

 

16.27.2.4               DURATION:  Permanent

[16.27.2.4 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001]

 

16.27.2.5               EFFECTIVE DATE:  June 15, 2001 unless a later date is cited at the end of a section.

[16.27.2.5 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001]

 

16.27.2.6               OBJECTIVE:  The objective of Part 2 is to define the mental health core curriculum.

[16.27.2.6 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001]

 

16.27.2.7               DEFINITIONS:  Mental health clinical core curriculum as used in Parts 4, 8, and 9 means a curriculum for training counselors that includes graduate-level coursework within 10 core curriculum areas.  Course work that makes up the 48 semester hours or 72 quarter hours needed to meet the statutory requirement includes – 45 clinical semester hours including nine semester hours of practicum, or 72 quarter hours including 12 quarter hours of practicum. The remaining course work needed to complete the 48 graduate semester hours or 72 graduate quarter hours is to be distributed as electives among the 10 core curriculum areas derived from program approved courses.

[16.27.2.7 NMAC - N, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 11/30/2021]

 

16.27.2.8               MENTAL HEALTH CLINICAL CORE CURRICULUM:  The core curriculum must be met using only transcript courses dedicated to the required course area. Thesis or dissertation will not be accepted. Partitioning, dividing, or sectioning of courses into various core course areas will not be accepted.  The 10 core curriculum graduate areas of study apply to applicants who hold a related-field degree and include the following: 

                A.            Human growth and development: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels.  Essential components include, the following:

                                (1)           theories of individual development and transitions across the life-span;

                                (2)           theories of learning and personality development;

                                (3)           human behavior including an understanding of developmental crises, disability, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and environmental factors as they affect both normal and abnormal behavior;

                                (4)           strategies for facilitating development over the life span.

                B.            Social and cultural foundations: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of issues and trends with multicultural and diverse populations.  Essential components include, the following.

                                (1)           theories of multicultural counseling;

                                (2)           prejudicial attitudes and behavior based on such factors as age, race, religious preference, physical disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, family patterns, gender, socioeconomic status, and intellectual ability;

                                (3)           individual, family, and group strategies with diverse populations.

                C.            Helping relationships: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of counseling and consultation processes.  Essential components include, the following:

                                (1)           counseling and consultation theories including both individual and systems perspectives;

                                (2)           counselor or consultant characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes, including age, gender and ethnic differences, and personal characteristics;

                                (3)           client or consultee characteristics and behaviors that influence helping processes, including [ate] age, gender and ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors and personal characteristics, traits, capabilities, and live circumstances.

                D.            Group work: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods and skills, and other group work approaches.  Essential components include, the following;

                                (1)           theories of group dynamics including group process, developmental stages, and group members roles and behaviors;

                                (2)           group leadership styles and approaches including the various types of groups;

                                (3)           staged appropriate group counseling techniques and methods of evaluating effectiveness.

                E.            Career and lifestyle development: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of career development and related life factors.  Essential components include, the following:

                                (1)           career development theories and decision-making models;

                                (2)           labor market information resources, and including accessing computer-based career information systems;

                                (3)           career development program planning, organization, implementation, administration, and evaluation;

                                (4)           interrelationships among work, family, and other life roles and factors, including multicultural and gender issues as they relate to career development;

                                (5)           assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision-making.

                F.            Appraisal: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.  Essential components include, the following:

                                (1)           theoretical and historical bases for assessment;

                                (2)           selection, administration and interpretation of psychological tests considering examinee characteristics such as age, gender and cultural background;

                                (3)           validity and reliability of appraisal instruments;

                                (4)           psychometric statistics, including types of assessment scores, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, standard errors, and correlation's;

                                (5)           age, gender, ethnicity, language, disability, and culture factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals and groups;

                                (6)           strategies for selecting, administering, interpreting and using assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling.

                G.            Research methods: A minimum of three semester hours or four quarter hours of graduate coursework and studies that provide an understanding of types of research methods, basic statistics, and ethical and legal considerations in research.  Essential components include, the following:

                                (1)           basic types of research methods to include qualitative and quantitative research designs;

                                (2)           uses of statistics software programs.

                H.            Professional orientation: A minimum of three semester hours four quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of professional functioning including history, roles, organizational structures, ethics, standards, and credentialing.  Essential components include the following:

                                (1)           history of the helping professions;

                                (2)           professional roles scope of practice, including similarities and differences with other types of professionals;

                                (3)           professional organizations, primarily the American counseling association, its divisions, branches, and affiliates, including membership benefits, activities, services to members, and current emphases;

                                (4)           ethical standards of the American counseling association and related entities, ethical and legal issues, and their applications to various professional activities;

                                (5)           professional credentialing including certification, licensure and accreditation practices and standards.

                I.             Specialized clinical studies:  A minimum of 12 semester hours or 18 quarter hours of graduate coursework in studies that provide an understanding of all aspects of diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. Studies in this area to include but are not limited to, the following:

                                (1)           clinical case study

                                (2)           psychodynamics and psychotherapy

                                (3)           treatment planning

                                (4)           clinical supervision

                                (5)           psychopharmacology

                                (6)           advanced testing

                                (7)           addictions

                                (8)           psychopathology

                                (9)           clinical theory and practice

                J.             Supervised practicum: A minimum of nine semester or 12 quarter hours of graduate coursework in practicum or internship is required.  The practicum or internship training shall focus on counseling services within a professional setting under the direction of a faculty member or on-site supervisor designated by the college or university.

[16.27.2.8 NMAC - Rp 16 NMAC 27.1.7.24, 6/15/2001; A, 7/1/2004; A, 11/19/2007; A, 11/30/2021]

 

HISTORY OF 16.27.2 NMAC:  [RESERVED]