School Counseling - Requirements for LCPC - Health and Human Development

The most important thing for students to know is that you will NOT be able to receive both a degree in school counseling and mental health or marriage, couples, and family counseling. You get one degree; however, you can take additional credits that should satisfy the educational requirements for the Montana Board of Behavioral Health.

Your first step is to decide if you want to take additional coursework that is focused either in mental health or in marriage, couples, and family counseling.

If you want to take courses that are more focused in mental health, you will need to take 12 additional credits for a total of 60 credits. Those credits must be the following courses:

6 credits – 600 hour clinical internship; You will need to secure your own internship in the community and have an ON-SITE licensed MH professional supervise you, as well as gain the permission of the MH Program Leader to register for the internship class.
Of the 600 hours 240 must be in direct client contact
3 credits- HDCO 564 Diagnosis & Mental Health (An abnormal psychology course must be completed before registering for this course)
3 credits – HDCO 568 Mental Health Methods and Treatment
Highly Recommended: 3 credits – HDCO 503 MH Professional Issues

If you want to take courses that are more focused in marriage and family counseling- We strongly recommend that you take 15 additional credits.

6 credits – 600 hour clinical internship; You will need to secure your own internship in the community and have an ON-SITE licensed MH professional supervise you, as well as gain the permission of the MFC Program Leader to register for the internship class.
Of the 600 hours 240 must be in direct client contact with half of those hours (120) being with families, couples, or children.
3 credits- HDCO 564 Diagnosis & Mental Health (An abnormal psychology course must be completed before registering for this course)
3 credits – HDCO 565 Marital and Relationship Counseling
3 credits – HDCO 569 Advanced Family Counseling
Highly Recommended: 3 credits – HDCO 503 MFC Professional Issues
**This focused area of study requires more credits because you need to consider the integrity of doing this type of counseling and the educational requirements that students who choose to pursue this area of study are completing.

NOTE: Finally, you need to be aware that your school counseling requirements take priority over any of this additional coursework. You will need to work out a plan for taking these additional courses and doing the clinical internship with the school counseling program leader.