Program Overview

Program Coordinator Amy Nitza, (845) 257-3479, nitzaa@newpaltz.edu
Program ID 292
Credits 15
Program Length Program can be completed in 1 semester if enrolled full-time
Modality Online
Full-time/Part-time Full-time or Part-time
Transfer Credits 0

Program Description

The Advanced Certificate in Trauma and Disaster Mental Health consists of 15 credits: three required core courses (Disaster Mental Health; Evidence-Based Assessment and Treatment for Trauma; and Assessment and Interventions with Children, Adolescents, and Families), plus two electives to allow students to focus on populations of interest. Students may complete the program completely online or to include a one-weekend summer option. The certificate can be completed within one year or extended to accommodate the student's schedule.

The program is intended for two groups:

  • Professionals who have already earned a Master of Arts, Master of Science, or higher degree in counseling, social work, or a related field
  • Students who are currently enrolled in master's- or doctoral-level counseling or social work program and who have already completed their first year of coursework or who can demonstrate completion of a graduate-level counseling theories and skills course

Matriculated students enrolled in the SUNY New Paltz M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs may take up to three courses towards the Advanced Certificate in Trauma and Disaster Mental Health while enrolled, with those credits counting towards M.S. requirements. Following the completion of their M.S., they may apply for the certificate program and take the remaining two courses to complete the Advanced Certificate.

Courses are taught by a combination of SUNY New Paltz faculty members who are affiliated with the Institute for Disaster Mental Health and by adjunct instructors with expertise in treating trauma in specific populations.

NOTE: This program does not lead to licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor.

Apply to a SUNY New Paltz graduate programAdmission Requirements

Minimum admission requirements are as follows:

  1. One official copy of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work.
  2. Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for all undergraduate and graduate coursework.
  3. Successful completion of a graduate-level counseling theories and skills course.
  4. Completed online application.
  5. Statement of professional goals.
  6. Resume or CV (only required for applicants who have already earned an MA, MS or higher degree)

Curriculum Requirements

Required Courses (9 Credits)
COU565Disaster Counseling and Crisis Intervention3
COU561Evidence-Based Assessment & Treatment of Traumatic Stress3
COU562Assessment and Interventions with Children, Adolescents, and Families3
Electives (6 Credits)
Select two of the following:6
COU563
Assisting Veterans and First Responders
COU566
Assisting Vulnerable Populations
COU567
Grief, Loss and Bereavement
Total Credits15

Program Learning Outcomes

  • Possess the knowledge and skills necessary to practice as highly competent counselors. 

  • Demonstrate intellectual curiosity and a commitment to continually expanding their counseling knowledge and proficiency. 

  • Understand and model the professional standards and ethics of their profession. 

  • Attend to their own personal growth, as well as that of their clients, through utilizing supervision, valuing interpersonal feedback, and engaging in ongoing self-evaluation. 

  • Show mastery of the research process and understand its central role in counseling practice and conducting program evaluation. 

  • Are open-minded and respectful of multicultural and intellectual diversity. 

  • Use their counseling knowledge to function as compassionate and caring practitioners, advocates, and leaders within their profession and within the communities they serve.