Enrollment in one of the M.A. licensure programs does not guarantee a degree from Liberty or qualification for professional licensure. Students are responsible for meeting all academic and professional requirements for graduation. Further information regarding these academic and professional requirements is outlined in this handbook. Further, it is the sole responsibility of the student, not the program, to obtain information regarding prerequisites for licensure as outlined by their particular state board of counseling or marriage and family therapy.

The 60-hour Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Counseling degrees are designed to lead to professional licensure as outlined by individual state boards of counseling. Before enrolling in a licensure program at Liberty University, students should consult the rules and regulations regarding Clinical Mental Health Counseling and/or Marriage and Family Therapy for their particular state.

More specifically, students should be aware of the following before enrolling in one of Liberty University’s counseling programs:

1. State regulations regarding licensure opportunities if an applicant has a previous felony conviction.
2. State regulations regarding the type and number of academic courses and practicum/internship hours.
3. The state accreditation requirements for educational institutions.
4. The state regulations and requirements for online graduate education programs.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Community Care and Counseling (DCCC) is to produce ethically and spiritually aware marriage and family therapists who possess the knowledge, values, skills, and personal disposition to promote the mental health and holistic wellness of clients across diverse populations with unique worldviews.

The DCCC purpose is to accomplish this mission by the professional development of the student across the following domains:

1. Attainment of scholastic competency in all coursework,
2. Acquisition of, and ability to, apply marriage and family therapy skills with a diverse population to a standard acceptable by licensed marriage and family therapists,
3. Demonstration of emotional and mental stability and maturity in interaction with others including the ability to maintain healthy boundaries, communicate appropriately, successfully manage personal anxiety or uncomfortable feelings, work collaboratively with others and resolve interpersonal conflict
4. Adherence to the Professional Identity and Standards outlined by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and Liberty Graduate Student Code of Honor, and
5. Demonstration of the ability to integrate faith and spirituality into marriage and family therapy where appropriate in an ethically competent manner

Commitment to Diversity

Liberty University is a school founded upon fundamental Christian values like grace, truth, and love for all persons. As believers in Christ, we must demonstrate our commitment to loving others (cf. Matthew 22:34-40; Mark 12:28-34; Luke 10:25-28).

We approach marriage and family therapy as a profession that fosters holistic human growth and development in the cognitive, emotional, behavioral, relational, and spiritual domains of life. Our marriage and family therapy approach also supports the worth, dignity, potential and uniqueness of others who are made in the image of God. This means for us that all persons possess dignity and worth because they are unique subjects of Divine Creation. Our vision is focused on nurturing an academic community of diverse people and ideas and assuring that diversity enhances academic excellence and individual growth.

Our faculty and students are comprised of persons that represent various national, ethnic, spiritual, and denominational backgrounds. Learning to be respectful and appreciate other cultures will add to each student’s experience at Liberty. For that reason, we are committed to nurturing and training a diverse student body in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of differences.

The DCCC provides an academic community for students, faculty, and staff to teach and learn from the experiences of others and to submit personal values and assumptions for reflection and critical examination. Student learning, professional and personal growth occur in a climate that encourages a deepened appreciation of differences. Therefore, we do not discriminate in our educational and counselor or MFT training programs on the bases of: race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national/ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and physical or mental disability.

While recognizing the importance of all dimensions of diversity as mentioned above, the DCCC adheres to the following initiatives:

• To increase, through recruitment and retention measures, the diverse representation of students, faculty, and staff;
• Promote full implementation of professional standards of practice and multicultural therapy competencies across the curriculum and in specialized courses;
• To include issues of diversity throughout the instructional programs and professional development activities;
• To develop graduate assistantships opportunities to serve diverse student groups;
• To provide departmental opportunities for students and faculty to engage in the exchange of ideas and information related to diversity; and
• To maintain ongoing educational opportunities and equality of access to our academic community.
• To equip students to ethically utilize spirituality as a force for healing when and where appropriate.

Students in the MFT program must exhibit the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy standards and ethics of the marriage and family therapy profession regarding sensitivity to and celebration of diversity.