Counseling and Human Services

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The Department of Counseling and Human Services, DCHS, offers an accredited master’s degree program that focuses on training quality Clinical Mental Health and School Counselors. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditations of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Additionally, DCHS provides advanced training for current school and mental health counselors in need of professional development for their respective licenses. DCHS provides a highly specialized graduate program in Counseling and Leadership through a partnership with the United States Air Force Academy. DCHS also offers a comprehensive Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services. This degree is designed to meet entry level workforce preparation in the broad and expanding field of Human Services as well as prepare students for continuation to graduate degree programs in the Social Sciences.  

Mission

The mission of the Department of Counseling and Human Services at UCCS is to provide excellence in the professional preparation of undergraduate, master, and advanced degree-seeking students. Experienced faculty delivers high-quality professional education that leads to transformational change.

Philosophy

The philosophy behind our training programs emphasizes that counselors assist clients and students with life challenges through dynamic, holistic, developmentally appropriate, strength-based interventions which emphasize the creation of healthy coping skills.

Further, through psychoeducational interventions, counselors seek to prevent problems before they are created by helping clients and students foster effective communication, problem-solving, and conflict resolution skills, as well as healthy and adaptive behavioral patterns.

Commitment to Personal Growth

The faculty members within the Department of Counseling and Human Services (DCHS) recognize the importance of human growth and personal development for all people throughout the lifespan. This includes counselors-in-training. A cornerstone of this program is our emphasis on the personal growth of our counselors-in-training.

The personality of the counselor and the capacity to effectively relate to and “join” with others in the counseling alliance are instrumental in delivering effective counseling interventions.

Therefore, the curriculum for programs includes significant experiential coursework designed to enhance the self-awareness, adaptability, and continuing personal growth of each student in the counseling program.

Applicants to our program must be committed to their own personal growth as well as their professional and academic development.

Faculty

• Joe Wehrman, Ph.D., Associate Professor
• Rhonda Williams, Ed.D,  Professor
• David Fenell, Ph.D., Professor
• Lori Notestine, Ph.D., Instructor
• Alfredo Palacios, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Kim Severn, MA, Instructor
• Diane Stutey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
• Jose Tapia-Fuselier, MA, Instructor

Programs of Study

Counseling and Human Services, MA

• Counseling and Human Services: School, MA
    
• Counseling and Human Services: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA
    
• Counseling and Leadership: Air Officer Commanding Cohort, MA
    
• Graduate Emphasis: Substance Abuse and Addictions Counseling
    
• Graduate Emphasis: Career Counseling

Counseling and Human Services, BA 

• Human Services, BA
    
• Counseling and Human Services Minor
    
• Undergraduate Certificate in Academy Military Training (AMT) Leader and Leadership Development
    

Programs

• Counseling and Human Services Minor
• Counseling and Human Services: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA
• Counseling and Human Services: School, MA
• Counseling and Leadership: Air Officer Commanding, MA
• Human Services, BA
• Undergraduate Certificate in Leader and Leadership Development: Academy Military Training (AMT) NCO
• Undergraduate Certificate in Substance Use and Recovery Counseling

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