CA M PUS N E WS
Equipped to Help Photos by David Norris
BY LANCE SCHWARTZ • CHIEF COMMUNICATION OFFICER
Clinical mental health counseling program director Dr. Benjamin Kohls.
First-ever master of arts degree program launched While the events of the past twelve months will certainly be remembered for a global health crisis, the history of Bethany Lutheran College will record much more than the happenings surrounding the pandemic. Early 2021 marks a significant milestone for the institution. Bethany is adding the institution's first-ever master of arts degree program. The new graduate-level course of study is in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC). While this new master's program has been in development for over a year, Bethany received full approval for the program from its accrediting agency, the Higher Learning Commission, on January 29, 2021. The first cohort of twenty-five students is now being recruited and selected for admission. The program's first classes will begin in the summer of 2021. While considering Bethany's first graduate program, a task force conducted a number of surveys with interested individuals throughout church and professional circles. The surveys were meant to gauge interest and the need for a master's program in clinical mental health counseling. The findings revealed considerable appeal for such a program. 10
The groundbreaking program will train clinical mental health counselors with its foundation firmly rooted in a Christian worldview. The program addresses a critical need within our society today, that is rapidly increasing mental health needs. Bethany Lutheran College's clinical mental health counseling program will be unique as it pairs clinical training with biblically-based values. The program will produce licensed mental health counselors who use best practices and the Word of God to serve clients. The new CMHC program can draw from the shared resources and expertise already in place at Bethany including several of the College's long-standing majors, primarily psychology which is the scientific study of the mind and behavior. Bethany's program will be unique because faculty will approach the mental health field focused on counseling situations that occur in both secular and religious settings. The program is designed with both traditional graduate students and working adults in mind. Students will be able to choose a plan of study that fits their needs with completion possible in as little as two years. A three-year option is available as well.
