Gardner-Webb Graduates Consistently Achieve 100% Pass Rate on Licensure Exams for Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling

Program Prepares Students with Experiential Learning, Review and Support from Faculty and Classmates

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The National Institute for Health Care Management reports that 49% of Americans live in a mental health workforce shortage area. Helping to meet this need are alumni of Gardner-Webb University’s accredited Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Master of School Counseling programs. Overall enrollment has steadily increased in the last few years. Students are attracted to GWU’s 100% pass rate on the required tests for licensure, which has occurred for several years. Additionally, all of the graduates who were seeking jobs in the counseling field found employment—some were even hired before completing their degrees.

Dr. Sharon Webb, coordinator of the clinical mental health counseling program, noted that Gardner-Webb intentionally designed its program to reinforce core curriculum standards established by Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Questions on the National Counselor Exam (NCE) for Clinical Mental Health Counselor License are based on these same content areas, including the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics. The Praxis for School Counselors incorporates these same content areas with an emphasis on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) School Counselor Professional Standards & Competencies.

The Clinical Mental Health program also includes a capstone course that provides additional NCE preparation. “Students take practice exams in each of the eight content areas, and we discuss them in class and explain the answers,” Webb explained. “Students also demonstrate how they would integrate theoretical techniques and experiential activities with clients.”

Besides exam preparation, the capstone course also gives students information they need to work as a professional. “I help them with the application for licensure and the post-graduate supervision process upon licensure,” Webb added.

They build a referral resource notebook that includes any possible resource they made may need in the county where they plan to practice. Examples are experts in psychiatry, finances, medicine and legal matters. They also discuss the importance of advocacy and procedures for providing online therapy, specialized areas for practice, and current legislation that impacts mental health services.

Dr. Linda Greene coordinates the school counseling program, which also begins with students learning theories and skills. However, their focus shifts to application in the school setting. “You’re specifically looking at a narrower age group,” Greene stated. “The license in North Carolina is K-12 and the curriculum addresses preschool through high school.”

Because of new standards required by CACREP, school counseling programs now require a minimum of 60 credit hours. To meet this new requirement, Gardner-Webb has added a capstone course to the School Counseling Program. Greene will also be teaching a course titled Counseling in the Schools that will cover theories more in depth and evidence to show how they work in school settings. The class will also discuss some additional approaches like integrated arts therapy and play therapy.

Gardner-Webb alumnus Bogdan Podgaisky appreciated the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program’s multiple opportunities for experiential learning, smaller class sizes, and supportive faculty. He is employed as a counselor in Gardner-Webb’s Counseling Center. “The GWU counseling program does an excellent job of equipping students not only for the NCE, but for the counseling profession beyond,” he affirmed. “Professors were attentive to our needs both as students and as individuals. The small class size in my cohort allowed for more questions and a deeper level of understanding regarding both the NCE and the counseling field.”

Podgaisky also valued the capstone course. “The sessions allowed me to recall material learned from previous years as well as showing me areas that could use improvement,” he stated. “The review sessions highlighted topics and material that resembled the NCE, which was especially helpful at breaking the ice and calming nerves.”

Amber Hartfield, a December 2023 alumnus of the School Counseling program, pointed to her practicum and internship experience as the most beneficial aspect of the program. She also enjoyed learning about the theories and how they correspond to the stages of human development. “The practicum and internship gave you so much experience,” Hartfield related. “When we met for class, we talked about our experiences. If somebody was experiencing a specific type of crisis at their school, you learned what they did. It gave us opportunities to share our stories and assistance in situations we might encounter. Going through this program not only prepared me to be a school counselor but made me a better person and a more self-aware individual.”