Counseling and Human Services
What We Do:
We train students to become counseling and human service professionals who are to be to be self-reflective practitioners, competent care-givers, and community leaders. We encourage our students to strive for excellence in academic and professional competencies.
We are committed to the enhancement of human development across the lifespan. Our bachelor's and master's programs prepare students for work in a variety of settings and in cultural, family, and community (local, regional, national, and global) contexts.
How We Stand Out:
- Small university for individualized attention
- Service-learning and field-based opportunities provide real-world experience
- Teaching rooted in Jesuit values like cura personalis (care of the whole person)
- Seniors can take up to 12 credit hours toward graduate study through our accelerated BS to MS program (if they qualify)
- Unique concentrations allow for a more focused education
- One of only five Council for Standards of Human Service Education (CSHSE) accredited programs in the Northeast
Programs:
The Counseling and Human Services Department offers curriculum leading to both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Each program provides students with clinical experience opportunities as practicum and/or internship experiences congruent with appropriate career goals for each degree. A minimum of two clinical experiences are required in all our degree programs. Specific curricular requirements are listed under the respective programs.
Undergraduate:
allows students to explore career opportunities in the field of human services.
- This program allows students to complete up to 12 credits of graduate work during the undergraduate program if they qualify for the accelerated program.
Graduate:
Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
Master of Science in School Counseling
Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Professional Counseling
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Applied Behavior Analysis
Meet Our Faculty:
We strive to serve as role models and mentors throughout your academic experience at the University. Our experienced faculty bring a wealth of clinical knowledge, professional expertise and enthusiasm for their field into the classroom.
You’ll collaborate with professors who truly enjoy sharing their experiences and are passionate about the lessons and methods they teach.
Just a few examples:
- Dr. Paul Datti has been featured in IDEAL (Individuals with Disabilities Express About Life) magazine, IGNITE and the Chronicle of Higher Education. He is also President-Elect of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association.
- Gerianne Barber has garnered numerous accolades including the 2012 Sursum Corda Award for Professional Staff, the Children’s Advocacy Center Child Advocate Award and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association Outstanding Administrator Award.
- Dr. Eschbach has authored numerous scholarly articles, presented at institutions across the country and received several professional accolades throughout her career, including The ²ÝÁñÉçÇø Distinguished Service Award.Ìý
Rebecca Spirito Dalgin, Ph.D., CRC
Chair
Professor and Department Chair
B.A., Quinnipiac University
M.S., Ph.D., Syracuse University
Phone: 570-941-7819
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Lori A. Bruch, Ed.D., CRC, LPC
Faculty Fellow, Office of the Provost and Associate Professor
B.S., M.Ed., The Penn State University
M.S., The University of Wisconsin - Stout
Ed.D, The George Washington University
Phone: 570-941-4308
Send an email
Paul Datti, Ph.D., CRC, HS-BCP
Director, Counseling and Human Services Program
B.A., The Pennsylvania State University
M.S., ²ÝÁñÉçÇø
Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University
Phone: 570-941-4127
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Vanessa Ann Jensen, Ed.D., BCBA-D
Director, Applied Behavior Analysis Program
B.S., M.S., ²ÝÁñÉçÇø
Ed.D. Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Phone: 570-941-5810
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Mary Troy, Ph.D., NCC, LPC
Kevin Wilkerson, Ph.D., NCC, ACS
Director, School Counseling Program
B.A., Colgate University
M.S., University of Vermont
Ph.D., Syracuse University
Phone: 570-941-6649
Send an email
Benjamin Willis, Ph.D., NCC, ACS
Professor and Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program
B.A., M.S., Ph.D., The University of North Carolina
Phone: 570-941-6172
Send an email
Inside the Classroom:
Lessons in counseling and human services reach far beyond the classrooms at The ²ÝÁñÉçÇø. As a part of our Jesuit tradition, compassion and service to others is engrained in every lesson we teach. In our programs, you’ll find like-minded individuals – classmates, faculty and staff – empowered to make a difference just like you.
- Rigorous and rewarding coursework
- Focus on theory to practice with real-world examples
- Opportunities for personal, professional and academic growth
Community Based Learning:
You’ll have access to a variety of wonderful field opportunities with area organizations like Marley’s Mission, which provides equine therapy to children who have experienced trauma. Our department places close to 100 interns in the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø community each year.
Career Outcomes:
You’ll find ²ÝÁñÉçÇø graduates with a counseling and human services degree working in:
- Rehabilitation services
- Centers for independent living
- School counseling
- Higher education
- Substance abuse programs
- Mental health corporations
- Specialized non-profit agencies
Accreditation:
- The Counseling and Human Services undergraduate program is fully accredited by the .
- All students graduating with a degree in CHS are eligible to apply for the Certified Human Services Professional credential upon graduation through the .
- Our Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, and School Counseling programs are accredited by the .
- CACREP is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the .
See our CACREP Vital Statistics Report
Certifications & Licensing:
- Graduates of our Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and School Counseling programs meet all the educational and experiential requirements for becoming a .
- Graduates of the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program also meet all necessary requirements to be recognized as a .
- To receive these certifications, candidates must pass a national examination, which is typically taken during their final semester of study or shortly after graduation.
- Graduates of our School Counseling program also meet the academic requirements for the Educational Specialist I certificate in elementary or secondary school counseling granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
- 60 graduate credits are required to become a in Pennsylvania. Graduates of all of our professional counseling programs meet the specific educational coursework requirements for licensure.
