History of PSU's Department of Counselor Education
The 1960s
During the 1960s, universities benefited from the availability of National Defense Education Act (NDEA), 1958, grant monies for the initiation of training programs to place counselors in our schools. PSU received some of these grant monies, which also provided stipends for graduate students, and counselor education in the School of Education was initiated. In 1968, the university provided formal approval for the curricular offerings and the "program", entirely focused on the preparation of school counselors, became an ongoing part of the School of Education's curriculum. At first, the program was focused on providing the TSPC-required course work for certification of school counselors; there was not much emphasis on granting degrees with a school counseling designation. It was not until the late 1980s that students' transcripts indicated anything other than the MA or MS in Education. At that time, it became possible to receive a transcript designated as an "MA or MS Education: Counseling" (or "Curriculum and Instruction", "EPFA", etc.). The Master's course work was limited to 45 credits, no differentiation was made between Practicum and Internship, and there were no provisions for videotaping and little on-site supervision.
The 1970s
As a result of the Community Mental Health Centers Act (1963), federal funds were made available throughout the nation for the creation of community mental health centers and by the mid-1970s more and more positions were available for Master's prepared counselors with a community/mental health specialization. Few universities had programs designed for the Master's level practitioner, although there were doctoral programs for counselors/therapists who wanted to work in a non-school setting. The American Counseling Association began to assume leadership in the conceptualization of what a Master's curriculum should "deliver" to graduate students through the efforts of one of its newly formed (1976) divisions, the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMCHA) and an affiliate group, now known as the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). By the late 1970s, PSU's counselor education faculty began to offer courses to counselor candidates interested in community/mental health counseling and began to increase degree requirements to work towards eventual accreditation by CACREP. At first, there was not much difference between degree requirements for a Master's with a school counseling focus and a Master's with a community/mental health focus. In 1977, Dr. Carol Burden was hired and, in 1978, Dr. David Capuzzi was added to the counselor education faculty to assist Dr. Neal Phelps, program coordinator and Dr. Charles Bursch. Dr. Phelps died in early 1979 and Dr. Phyllis Lee, who worked in a different component of the university, was asked to return to the School of Education and assist with the Counselor Education program. (Dr. Lee moved to OSU in the mid-1980s; Dr. Bursch retired in the mid-1980s and died in 1999).
The 1980s
In the early 1980s, the counselor education faculty developed an in-house clinic to provide graduate students with better opportunities to develop their counseling skills, under close supervision, in the context of work with clients referred by schools and clinics in the metropolitan area. The space for such a clinic was part of the fifth floor design at the time the School of Education was built; initially, however, the space was not equipped with video equipment and part of the development task was to ask for the funding needed to make the clinic operative. Such a facility would also be necessary for eventual CACREP accreditation.
The prototype for our current Master's program was created at the time that the 1988 federal funding, for the purpose of creating a rehabilitation counseling specialization, became available. At that time, Dr. Hanoch Livneh and Dr. David Capuzzi worked together to collect the data needed to apply for funding and, when the grant was funded, Dr. Livneh was brought onto the faculty to direct the grant. (There have been two three-year and two five-year funding cycles). At first, Dr. Livneh's salary was entirely funded by the federal grant. One of the terms of the funding was that the university would eventually provide funding for Dr. Livneh and, over time, this did occur. This grant provided impetus for a much-needed training program in the Pacific Northwest and provides stipends to our rehabilitation graduate students. (At the beginning of the 1999/2000 academic year, Dr. Lisa Wilson was added, via rehabilitation grant monies, on a half-time basis, to teach in the rehabilitation counseling specialty).
Because Dr. Livneh was required, by national training and funding requirements, to eventually apply for program accreditation from the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE), the curriculum was designed utilizing core courses already offered via counselor education followed by specialty courses then focused solely on rehabilitation counseling. This provided impetus for both the school and community programs to develop more discrete specialty offerings as a follow-up to core courses that all students completed and to expand the degree program to its current 72-credit format so that it would be possible to achieve CACREP accreditation. Dr. Carol Burden and Dr. Art Terry worked to develop the school counseling specialization; the community specialization also began to be refined.
The 1990s
In the early 1990s university dollars were available for the recruitment of minority faculty via a program called the "Target of Opportunity" program. The counselor education faculty was authorized to conduct a search and Dr. Liz Wosley-George was hired to develop the community specialization. Soon thereafter, the counselor education faculty successfully applied for and received CACREP accreditation for both the school and community-focused Master's and CORE accreditation for the rehabilitation-focused Master's. In 1994, because of the unexpected death of Dr. Art Terry, Dr. Russ Miars was hired, on a fixed-term basis at first, to offer some of the course work previously taught by Dr. Art Terry. Dr. Miars brought needed expertise to our program in areas such as testing and career and life style planning as well as human development across the life span. In 1997 Russ Miars was moved to a tenure track position. At the same time, a half-time clinic director was hired to better manage the increasing volume of clients and scheduled counseling sessions in the fifth floor clinic. Dr. Miars' previous employment was focused on university counseling center work and the program needed a replacement for the school counseling emphasis lost when Dr. Terry died. This led to the authorization of a counselor education/teacher education position and Dr. Rolla Lewis was hired in 1995. Dr. Lewis joined the counselor education faculty on a full-time basis in 1998/99, following the retirement of Dr. Carol Burden, and this precipitated the need to recruit for a counselor educator who could fill the half-time counselor education/curriculum and instruction position. In the spring of 1999, Dr. Susan Halverson was hired for the 1999/2000 academic year for this joint appointment; her background is in both school counseling and Couples, Marriage, and Family counseling.
At about the time of Dr. Terry's death, the counselor education faculty was approached by a member of the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and asked to develop a course sequence, and possible specialization, for the preparation of Couples, Marriage, and Family therapists since no state-supported university provides such training and most licensees were from out of state. A planning committee, comprised of Dr. David Capuzzi and Dr. Cheryl Livneh (SOE), Dr. Sandy Anderson (Social Work), Dr. Shirley Hanson (OHSU School of Nursing), Dr. Stan Cohen (Oregon Board), Patrick Feeney (PSU Extended Studies) and one or two community representatives, planned a curriculum for a Couples, Marriage, and Family course sequence. Dr. David Capuzzi and Dr. Cheryl Livneh presented the proposal to the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and received conditional approval to offer the program in a way that would insure the licensure of PSU graduates. Subsequently, the counselor education faculty received university approval for a course sequence in Couples, Marriage, and Family counseling so that students could add the course work on to their 72-credit hour programs to achieve licensure in that area. The program began solely through the support of Extended Studies and the efforts of adjunct professors, hired by Extended Studies, to offer the majority of the specialty courses. During the 1999-2000 academic year, Couples, Marriage, and Family counseling was approved as the fourth specialty.
In 1999, the Department of Special and Counselor Education received final authorization for a much-needed doctoral specialization in Special and Counselor Education. This new doctoral program is in the early stages of development.
Current Status
In the fall of 2008 the Counselor Education Program became the Department of Counselor Education with Dr. Rick Johnson appointed Department Chair. At this time the Department's Couples, Marriage, and Family program is in the process of expanding to meet the CACREP requirements. In addition, the Couples, Marriage, and Family Continuing Education certificate is now offered through the Department of Counselor Education. Finally, in the fall of 2008 the program changed to a three-year-minimum format to provide students with a realistic pacing of the course work, reduced requirements in the summer,and internships that begin fall term rather than winter term.
General Information
Since applicants to the program have exceeded the number that can be accommodated via admissions each year, program faculty accepted more students than usual in return for the fact that Russ Miars was switched to a tenure-track position at the beginning of the 1997-1998 academic year. During the 1998-1999 academic year, the program conducted a self-study for CACREP since it hosted a CACREP team on campus during the spring of 2000 to reapply for accreditation for another 7-year cycle. Considerable faculty time was devoted to preparing for the site visit; this expenditure of effort was successful and resulted in CACREP accreditation through 2007.
Our programs are approved by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists and TSPC for licensure purposes, and our graduates have no difficulty in obtaining their credentials once their post-degree requirements for supervised practice are completed.
School Counseling Program
During the 1998-99 school year, the School Counseling Program initiated a collaborative off-campus clinic with the David Douglas School District. The Portland State University/David Douglas School District Collaborative Clinic is tied closely to the university mission by serving both the community needs and the students being trained.
CACREP recommendations and the 1998 Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) revisions in school counseling licensure have prompted revision of the school counseling program and a school counseling program core has been defined. Additionally, a Licensure Only option has been introduced in order to enable highly qualified students with MA/MS/MSW graduate degrees from clinical programs to be recommended for licensure as school counselors; prior to the introduction of this option, competent professionals outside of the school counseling program were unable to become licensed as school counselors in Oregon.
The completion of the School Counseling Program results not only in TSPC licensure as a school counselor, but also eligibility as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) through the state licensure board.
Rehabilitation Counseling Program
The 1999-2000 academic year marked the beginning of another five-year federal funding cycle and, as previously noted, facilitated the hiring of Dr. Lisa Wilson. This funding cycle will terminate in 2004 and will result in a total of 16 years of federal funding for this program particular. Because this program is fully accredited by CORE, the completion of the Rehabilitation Program results in eligibility for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) credential and Oregon state licensure as an LPC.
The Community Counseling Program
This program, along with the School Program, continues to have the largest number of applicants. The "block" of program courses in this area has been vastly improved in recent years. No major changes are anticipated in this program during the current academic year. The Community Counseling Program meets the requirements for the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of Oregon.
The Couples, Marriage, and Family Program
This program meets both the licensing requirements for LMFT (Licensed Couples, Marriage, and Family therapist) LPC in the State of Oregon. The program courses (with the exception of COUN 575) will be offered during the academic year starting with the 2001-2002 academic year.
