National Board for Certified Counselors recognizes UCCS program for excellence

The master’s degree program in counseling and human services at UCCS recently received a 2012 Professional Identity Award from the National Board for Certified Counselors Inc.

NBCC, based in Greensboro, N.C., is the premier counseling certification organization in the United States and certifies more than 52,000 National Certified Counselors.

Each year, NBCC presents the Professional Identity Award to three counselor education programs in the United States in recognition of exemplary efforts to prepare the next generation of counselors. In addition to an award plaque, the honored programs receive $5,000.

In her award letter, Devika Dibya Choudhuri, chair, NBCC Board of Directors, cited the quality of the faculty at UCCS and their commitment to the counseling profession. Other recipients for 2012 are the University of New Orleans and the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

“The Department of Counseling and Human Services offers tremendously strong programs,” Mary Snyder, dean, UCCS College of Education, said. “The College of Education is thrilled and honored by this recognition. We take seriously the challenge of educating the next generation of counselors in the areas of clinical mental health and school counseling.”

Snyder said faculty in the Department of Counseling and Human Services will make recommendations about how best to use the award funds to benefit the program. She also expressed her appreciation to Leann Morgan, assistant professor, College of Education. Morgan submitted the nomination on behalf of the counseling program.

The College of Education’s clinical mental health counseling and school counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. The College of Education is known for its focus on diversity and has pioneered partnerships with educational institutions in Asia, including the acclaimed Daegu Gyeongbuk English Village at Yeungjin College in South Korea and Milo International Kindergarten in Guangzhou, China.

In addition to preparing clinical mental health and school counselors, the department offers a specialized counseling and leadership program for the United States Air Force Academy. Each year, 20 mid-career Air Force officers are selected by the USAFA for training in counseling and leadership.