STEUBENVILLE, OH — Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling has received accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

CACREP is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This accreditation adds to the program’s long-standing counselor licensure approval by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board. The CACREP accreditation is in effect for eight years before requiring renewal.

“CACREP accreditation advances Franciscan University’s mission of providing academically excellent programs,” says Dr. Christin Jungers, Department chair and associate professor in the program. “Accreditation is a visible way of ensuring students that they are receiving a quality education from a program that is willing to meet the highest academic standards and regularly evaluate its effectiveness.”

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program combines therapeutic counseling skills with a Christian understanding of the human person. The two-year program prepares graduates for counseling jobs in a wide range of settings, helping individuals cope with anxiety, addictions, marriage and family issues, grief, depression, and other issues.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, job growth in clinical mental health counseling is expected to occur at a rate 22 percent higher than average, with 64,000 job openings for mental health counselors up to the year 2022.