School Counseling Program
The Masters Degree in Human Services/School Counseling
Certified teachers who complete the Masters Degree in Human Services/School Counseling will be eligible to become both certified as a Guidance Counselor and licensed as a Licensed Professor Counselor in the State of Illinois upon graduation. Non-teachers must complete three additional education courses to qualify for Type 73 certification.
To be admitted to the School Counseling Program, students plus complete the admissions process and pass the Basic Skills Test.
Students must complete HSC 534, the School Counseling Course, before being allowed to begin the practicum and internship experience. Also, students should expect to have a criminal background check conducted when they interview for the practicum/internship position.
The State of Illinois now offers a Type 78 Interim School Counselor Certificate. Prior to beginning practicum and internship, students are encouraged to download the form from the ISBE website and send the completed form to Dr. Bracki, along with an unofficial transcript and a signed advising form. The Type 78 certificate would give schools the option of paying students for their practicum and internship, but having the certificate is no guarantee that a paid position will be available.
For Students with Teaching Certificates:
Teachers must complete a 100 hour practicum and a 600 hour internship; half of the internship hours must be direct service. A minimum of 400 hours of internship must be completed in a school setting and include exposure to guidance counseling at the elementary, middle, and high school levels, with a primary focus at one level. 200 hours of internship may be completed in a community agency setting.
For Students without Teaching Certificates:
Non-teachers must complete a 100 hour practicum, and all 600 hours of internship must be completed in a school setting, with a minimum of 300 hours of direct service. It does not matter how many years of experience the student has been doing therapy, even if it was in a private school setting. Students must complete 600 hours in a public school setting, supervised by a certified school counselor.
In addition to all the requirements for teachers, non-teachers must complete three additional classes in the College of Education. All of these courses are graduate-level courses and cannot be replaced with undergraduate or community counseling courses.
SPE 500 Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adolescents/
Special Education (3 hrs)
EPS 539 Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in the Schools (2 hrs)
(Classroom Management)
EPS 509 Structure and Organization of the Educational System (2 hrs)
These courses do not need to be completed prior to practicum and internship or before completing the Masters Degree, but they must be completed in order to be awarded the Type 73 School Counseling Certification. The Type 73 application may be downloaded from the ISBE website. Send the complete form to Dr. Bracki, along with a transcript and non-teacher advising form signed by the student’s advisor. Information regarding the Type 73 Test may be found at www.icts.nesinc.com.
Post-MastersSchoolCounseling Certification for NLU Human Services Alumni
Students who previously completed a Masters Degree in Human Services/ Community Counseling at National-Louis University may apply to take additional coursework to become certified as a Guidance Counselor in the State of Illinois.
To be admitted to the post-Masters certification program, students must complete the admissions application process (including three letters of reference and a faculty interview) and pass the Basic Skills Test. If the student graduated prior to 1998, their transcript will need to be reviewed to determine if there are additional courses needed.
For non-teachers, the following post-Masters courses are required for school certification:
- HSC 534, School Counseling Course (3 hrs.)
- HSC 533 Practicum (3 hrs.)
- HSM 584 Internship:two quarters of internship/400 hours in a school setting , half of which is direct service (2 hrs)
- HSM 585 Internship Supervision: two quarters (2 hrs) corresponding to the internship experience (HSC 584)
- EPS 500 Introduction to Exceptional Children and Adolescents/ Special Education (3 hrs)
- EPS 539 Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in the Schools (2 hrs)
- EPS 509 Structure and Organization of the Educational System (2 hrs)
In addition, students must pass the Type 73 exam. When all requirements have been met, students may apply for Type 73 certification. The application may be downloaded from the ISBE website. Send the complete form to Dr. Bracki, along with a transcript and non-teacher advising form signed by the student’s advisor.
Background
On February 7, 2003 the Illinois State Board of Education Certification Board approved National – Louis’ proposal to become an “entitled” Type 73 program. It was approved by the full Board in March 2003. The Human Services Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling is now approved to offer the courses required for School Counseling certification.
The Program
The course of study leading to certification is a modification and extension of the existing Department of Counseling and Human Services Community Counseling program. This is a 48-semester hour degree that is already approved by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and the National Board for Certified Counselors. Students who complete this program are eligible for licensure in Illinois as licensed professional counselors (LPC – first level) and, after a period of approximately two years of supervised clinical experience, as licensed clinical professional counselors (LCPC – second level). Students pursuing the school counseling option will also be eligible for the Type 73 Certificate in Illinois.
What do school counselors do?
Crisis intervention, peer mediation, substance abuse prevention, anti-bullying, violence prevention, career counseling, parent consultation, group counseling, classroom guidance and collaboration with teachers are a sample of some of the activities in which recent school counseling graduates are involved. These graduates are working in elementary and high school buildings and putting their new skills to immediate use. Two recent graduates are working on a project sponsored by the Illinois Attorney General’s Office called “Listening to Youth.” In this project, students meet with a counselor in small groups to discuss special topics and develop strategies for making their school a better place as well as developing their own self- esteem and new ways to relate to others.
Professional Identity
Until recently to become a school counselor in Illinois, it was necessary to have been a teacher. In 2004 legislation was passed to allow non-teachers to become school counselors. In the former system, teachers then became aligned with their new profession, but many continued to have strong allegiances to teaching. With the new policy, counselors who have been employed in other settings, or students who want to become school counselors, may do so. For many, this is a shift from mental health, addictions, career counseling, or other specialties. In addition, students must understand the legislative requirements that “No Child Left Behind” and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (2004).
The faculty strongly recommends that students join the professional organizations that support school counseling. Within the state, the Illinois Counseling Association has been quite active in the legislative arena as well as engaging in advocacy for school counseling issues at the national level. The Illinois School Counselors Association is a division of ICA and is devoted to provide training, networking, and whatever school counselors need for its members. In addition to participation in the fall ICA conference, ISCA holds an annual spring conference. The American Counseling Association is a strong voice for all professional counselors, including school counselors. The American School Counselors Association is the national organization which represents the interests of those in schools. A national conference is held in late spring, early summer.
This program makes certain that students understand the ethics documents subscribed to by each of the professional groups.
Provided below are the web addresses for the organizations:
www.schoolcounselor.org
American School Counselor Association website
www.ilcounseling.org
Illinois Counseling Association
www.isca.org
Illinois School Counselors Association
www.counseling.org
American Counseling Association
For many counselors, students, and parents, September means "back to school." The ACA Office of Public Policy and Legislation is pleased to provide the following back-to-school resources for school counselors. All documents are available to ACA members on the ACA Public Policy web site at: http://www.counseling.org/Content/NavigationMenu/PUBLICPOLICY/RESOURCESFORSCHOOLCOUNSELORS/Resources_for_Schoo.htm
Resources for School Counselors
· What is a School Counselor: A Resource Guide for Parents and Students. This online brochure provides a quick overview of the role and value of school counselors.
· School Counselor: Making a Difference in the Lives of Students with Special Needs. This online brochure, from the National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education, provides an overview of the role of school counselors in special education.
· ACA Student to Counselor Ratio Chart for Elementary and Secondary Schools. Find out what the latest student-to-counselor ratios are in your state, broken down by elementary and secondary school.
· No Child Left Behind: Sources of Funding that Support School Counseling and Mental Health Services. This guide provides an overview of provisions in NCLB that allow use of funds for mental health and counseling services.
· Elementary and Secondary School Counseling Program (ESSCP) Briefing Paper. Provides a recent update on the funding status of the only federal grant program that helps school districts hire more school counselors.
· Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act. Provides an update on the status of reauthorization for career and technical education programs.
· Anti-bullying/Harassment Legislation. Find out how you can support legislation that would amend the Safe and Drug Free Schools Act (SDFSA) to include bullying and harassment prevention programs.
· Forum Guide to Protecting the Privacy of Student Information (NCES). The Forum Guide gives a general overview of privacy laws and professional practices that apply to the information collected for, and kept in, student records.
· The Truth About School Counseling. Facts and myths about school counseling, with research bibliography.
· Review and Analysis of Current Outcome Research in School Counseling. From the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research, This paper reviews some of the issues in school counseling outcome research and how these issues relate to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Legislation.
· Articles Supporting Efficacy of School Counseling. Bibliography of school counselor research compiled by ACA.
* American Counseling Association 2006 Publications Catalog. Find and purchase the latest publications on school counseling.
Please contact Chris Campbell with ACA's Public Policy and Legislation staff for more information at (800) 347-6647 x-241. For more information on federal issues impacting school counselors, visit www.counseling.org/public.
