Amy T. Banner, Ph.D., NCC
Director, Community Counseling Program
      Email: bannera2@scranton.edu
      Office phone: 570-941-4129
      Department phone: 570-941-4236
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Community Counselors

Community counselors work with individuals of all ages, cultures, and capabilities with the goal of helping them achieve their full potential. Specifically, community counselors help others gain perspective on their lives, explore options, make decisions, resolve problems, and take action, all the while relying on the clients' strengths and resources.  In addition, community counselors serve clients through outreach, advocacy, preventive education, and by influencing public policy.  As a nationally accredited program by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the Community Counseling Program prepares Professional Counselors for direct entry into and/or advancement in counseling positions in a variety of public and private settings.  The program prepares students for this work by providing a learning environment in which they acquire the academic competencies of the profession, refine these competencies through application, and experience personal and professional development to meet the standards of Fitness for the Profession.

Community Counseling Mission Statement

The purpose of the Community Counseling Master’s Degree Program is to prepare and train Professional Counselors to work in a variety of practice settings in the community (international, national, regional, and local). Professional Counselors are community leaders and self-reflective clinical practitioners, who serve as advocates for all citizens across the life span, understand and apply principles of group work in building community partnerships, pursue the realization of social justice in communities, and accept responsibility for improving professional practice through an active program of research and evaluation.

A Growing Field

The counseling profession is growing rapidly. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook for 2011-2012, employment opportunities for counselors are projected to grow “faster than the average for all occupations” through the year 2018. “Faster than average growth” will occur in specialties of Community Counseling such as mental, emotional and behavioral health, marital and/or family difficulties, alcoholism and drug abuse, career and vocational counseling, and aging. Employment settings for community counselors include private practice, community agencies, hospitals, schools, drug and alcohol treatment facilities, and many others.

Curriculum

The Community Counseling Program is a 60-credit curriculum leading to the Master of Science degree. The 60 credits include:

•    45 credits of principles and practice of counseling
•    3 credits of practicum
•    3 credits of internship
•    3 credits of advanced internship
•    6 credits of electives

For specific course information, review the Community Counseling Curriculum.

Program Accreditation

The Community Counseling Program is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP is the accrediting body for the counseling profession, recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Hence, graduates from our program meet all educational requirements for certification as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and are eligible to sit for the National Counselor Exam (NCE) sponsored by the National Board of Certified Counselors. Further, graduates meet all of the educational requirements for licensure as Professional Counselors in Pennsylvania.

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Professional Counseling

As a 60-credit curriculum, the Community Counseling Program fulfills all of the educational requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania and many other states.

For those students who have already completed a 48-credit master’s degree counseling program and would now like to pursue licensure, the CAGS allows for the completion of the remaining 12 credits of educational requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor.

Prospective Students

Individuals interested in the Community Counseling Program may find additional information regarding admission requirements, application deadlines, and graduate assistantships in the Graduate School Catalog.  Please feel free to contact the Department of Counseling and Human Services if you would like to speak with someone about the program directly.