Grace College’s Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling was recently approved for an accreditation extension from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP accreditation provides recognition that the content and quality of a program meet professional standards. Grace College currently provides one of the most affordable CACREP-accredited online master’s degrees in the United States. More than 100 students are enrolled in the program.
“Accreditation is a critical process,” said Dr. Jill Brue, department chair of graduate counseling at Grace College. “More and more states, including Indiana, are requiring that counseling licensure applicants have a CACREP-accredited degree. We want to give our graduates full assurance that their degree will meet the requirements for licensing wherever they go,” she explained.
Grace College first earned its CACREP accreditation in 2004, and according to Brue, it’s been a staple of the program ever since. Accreditation demonstrates that a program has met educational and institutional standards set forth by CACREP, and the process to obtain accreditation is arduous. It requires a self-study process as well as an on-site visit and evaluation from the CACREP accreditation team.
In addition to its accreditation extension, Grace’s online master’s in counseling program was also recently named one of the “Best Master’s in Christian Counseling Degree Programs for 2021” by Intelligent.com.
“Our program strikes an important balance between the flexibility of online education and authentic connection with peers and faculty,” said Brue. “Our students frequently tell us that forming relationships at our week-long residency on Grace’s campus is one of the most impactful parts of our program,” she added.
Ryan Worley, a 2019 graduate, testified to this. “The residency provided an opportunity for me to get to know my professors on a personal level, whether it be eating in the cafeteria together, chatting between sessions, or interacting during outings. It also produced a camaraderie and support system in our cohort that carried us through good times and difficult times as graduate students. Many of those relationships continue to this day,” Worley said.
For more information about the online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grace College and the importance of CACREP accreditation, visit online.grace.edu/programs/master-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/ or call (888)-249-0533.
