Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

We are proud of Dr. Geraldine Miller for her recent feature in the Appalachian! Read the full article here.

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Congratulations to second-year CMHC students Sammi, Emma, Sydney, and Becky for being awarded Human Development and Psychological Counseling Spring 2020 departmental scholarships!

Sammi Brown - Legacy of a Lifetime Scholarship awardee
Emma Robinson - Grover Fielding Yancey and Kathleen Coggins Yancey Scholarship awardee
Sydney Rosenberg - Glenda T. Hubbard Graduate Scholarship awardee
Becky Shaffer - Legacy of a Lifetime Scholarship awardee 

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Congratulations to Dr Schwarze, Associate Professor and Director of the CMHC program for being appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the North Carolina Board for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors (NCBLCMHC)!

The mission of the NCBLCMHC under NC GS Article 24 section 90-329 states that, it is declared to be the public policy of this State that the activities of persons who render counseling services to the public be regulated to insure the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. The NCBLCMHC was established under provisions of the Licensed Professional Counselor Act (LPC Act), which became effective July 1st, 1994. Since implementation of the LPC Act in 1994, the Board has the responsibility of administering and enforcing the provisions of the practice act. In that capacity, the Board uses national standards od counselor preparation and ethical codes of the counseling profession for guidance. 

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Congratulations Dr Hammonds on being interviewed for the August cover story of Counseling Today, the most widely circulated magazine for professional counselors in the country!

CMHC faculty Dr. Dominique Hammonds along with Drs. Angie Cartwight, Janeè Avent-Harris, Loni Crumb share their thoughts about the challenges Black Americans face regarding mental health, racial trauma, and relevant clinical implications for helping professionals. Read the article, "Black mental health matters", here. 

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Congratulations to Jessie Butler, a second-year CMHC student, for being selected as a recipient of the 2020 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Addictions Counseling!

Butler received her B.S. in human development with concentrations in family studies and related services from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 2016. She is a Certified Substance Abuse Counselor in the state of North Carolina.

“With this fellowship experience, I hope to develop my skills and education in order to work with and advocate alongside underserved communities by providing more comprehensive mental health and substance abuse counseling services,” Butler said.

Upon graduating from Appalachian, Butler plans to work with members of the military veteran population who have co-occurring substance misuse and mental health diagnoses. Additionally, she plans to work with and advocate for individuals with drug-related criminal offenses to support them in successfully transitioning out of the criminal justice system.

The fellowship will provide Butler with further education through counseling conferences and training programs to develop necessary skills, enhance her cultural competency and establish her counseling identity to better serve these marginalized populations.

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Congratulations to second-year CMHC student Fiona Abrams for being awarded a 2020 NBCC Minority Fellowship for Addictions Counseling!

Abrams, who earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Vassar College in 2016, said the NBCC fellowship experience will allow her to better serve underserved populations by attending counseling conferences and related trainings.

“In addition to providing financial support, the fellowship will allow me to expand my professional identity and competency as a clinical mental health counselor,” she said. “The NBCC fellowship involves mentorship and educational training that will supplement my education within App State’s CMHC program, enhancing my ability to provide effective counseling services to diverse populations.”

After graduating from Appalachian, Abrams intends to work in addictions counseling with individuals with marginalized identities and those who have limited access to mental health services. She plans to use a holistic wellness approach while working primarily with women from rural communities who have experienced trauma.

This fall, Abrams will engage in a supervised practicum in Appalachian’s Department of Wellness and Prevention Services.

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This past week, the CMHC program held a very successful Fall 2019 Open House! Prospective students were invited to attend student research posters, tour the department, and talk with current faculty and students about the program.

 Photos of first year research posters are below. 

Pictured, left to right: Emmalene Robinson, Becky Shaffer, and Sammi Brown
Title of research poster: The Art of Coming Out: Utilizing Expressive Arts Interventions in Fostering Self-Acceptance

 

Pictured, left to right: Fiona Abrams and Justin Haber
Title of research poster: Contextualizing the Psychedelic Experience with Meaning-Centered Dreamwork to Further Relieve Death-Related Symptoms in Clients with Life-Threatening Illness

 

Pictured, left to right: Sydney Rosenberg, Shayla Mann, and Margaret Kirk
Title of research poster: Clay-making as Expressive Arts Therapy: An Attachment Regulation Tool for Adolescents Transitioning out of Foster Care

 

 

 

Pictured, left to right: Jessie Butler and Elaine Ticer
Title of research Poster: Ending the Cycle: Effectiveness of EMDR Therapy with Sexual Abuse Offenders 

 

Pictured, left to right: Hailey Fitzgerald, Rosemary Reeves, and Ashley Wurth 
Title of research poster: Is Wellness Counseling the Anti-Drug? How an Integrated Wellness Approach to Substance Use Disorder Treatment can Decrease the Likelihood of Relapse

 

Pictured, left to right: Alexis Lyda and Wiley Smith
Title of research poster: Caring for the Caregiver: An Exploration of the Effects of Intermodal Expressive Arts Therapies on the Resiliency of Hospice Caregivers

 

Pictured, left to right: Jordan DeWitt, Kayla Cheek, and Madison Hendry
Title of research poster: Canine-Assisted Therapy for Child Survivors of Sexual Abuse 

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We are excited to announce that Drs Hammonds, Rosen, and Schwarze accepted the “Masters Education Program of the Year” award on behalf of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program faculty and students tonight in Seattle, WA. The award, given by the Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision, is a prestigious recognition of the excellence of the CMHC Program’s students and faculty.

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Congratulations to Matthew Beason, second year CMHC student, on being awarded a $15,000 Counseling Fellowship!

Matthew was selected by the NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), for the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program-Addictions Counselors (MFP-AC). As an NBCC MFP-AC Fellow, he will receive funding and training to support his education, as well as aid in his addictions counseling work with underserved minority populations.

After graduating, Beason intends to pursue licensure as a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist (LCAS) and work directly in the addictions field. His previous experience counseling adolescents facilitated his interest in working with rural adolescent and young adults with substance use. He hopes to utilize experiential and Gestalt techniques in fostering an environment that promotes healing.

Earning this fellowship will allow Beason to further advocate for his population of interest, as well as continue pursuing knowledge in the field of addictions counseling by attending conferences focused on this population, networking with other counseling professionals, and growing his professional identity as an addictions counselor.

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Ashley Wurth Bare, a first year CMHC student, was recently featured in the Watauga Democrat for her excellent work at HOPE Connection NC. 

The article, titled “Local Post Overdose Response Team helps 63 people in first five months”, highlights Ashley’s role as the main point of contact for the Post Overdose Response Team - an initiative that “connects people to resources who are battling substance abuse items”. Ashley, a Recovery Peer Support Specialist, spearheaded the HOPE Connection program which focuses on helping drug users personally define success, set goals and seek solutions for their problems. She offers individual and community naloxone trainings as well as other related harm reduction services and post overdose support; keeping people safe and alive is her driving force. In the spirit of meeting people where they are at, Ashley also provides mobile syringe exchange services through a partnership with Olive Branch Ministry. 

 Read the full article here!

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