Community Counseling

Important features:

Available completely online
No residency requirements
Emphasis on counseling skills and field experience

The Counseling and Rehabilitation Division offers a Master of Science degree in Community Counseling. The program is a 48-semester hour CACREP-modeled graduate studies with specializations in agency counseling, substance abuse, and a planned third in geriatric counseling. The decision to use the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards as the developmental model was to insure our pursuit of national accreditation similar to that of the Rehabilitation CORE accredited training program Thomas University has in place currently.

The master degree is the entry academic preparation that allows one to enter the professional ranks of counseling. This graduate education will cover all counselors in mental health, substance abuse, family services, corrections, developmental disabilities, and other state level agencies providing counseling services. This is a national trend at present. There were about 465,000 counselor positions in 2000. Over 110,000 were in rehabilitation counseling and 149,000 were family, mental health, and substance abuse counselors. These are estimated to grow at 15 to 18 percent.

Thomas University allows the flexibility to offer “catch-up” training opportunities on an attractive basis to working professionals. These do not affect the more traditional student population we will be courting nor the nontraditional aged students comprising the larger component of our students. The Division will offer a high quality graduate training opportunity to the undergraduate student body at Thomas University. Students who are interested in the fields of study that draw on counseling or want to enter the field of professional counseling in the human services should consider this program. This academic training program will pursue its CACREP accreditation as soon as possible. Clinical training in the local mental health, substance abuse, and family service agencies have informally begun.

For more information, e-mail TU Admissions or call 229-227-6925.

Faculty

James Patrick, Ph.D., CRC, Division Chair, Associate Professor, ext. 1117
Lisa DeGiorgio, PH.D., CRC, Assistant Professor
Theresa Reese, Ph.D., CRC, Assistant Professor – extension 1155
Pauline Patrick, LCSW, CRC, Assistant Professor & Director of Student Disability Support Services, ext 1149

Adjunct Professors:
Dale Arnold, MS, CRC
Bob Brettel, MS., CRC
Jana Clenney, MS., CRC
Patricia (Renee) Fedrick, MS, CRC
Karen Ferrington, MS., CRC, and Field Coordinator
Renee Giedl, MS., CRC
Vangie Hawkins, MS., CRC
Jennifer Howell, MS., CRC
Donna James, LCSW
Ed James, MS., CRC
Doug Prutting, MS., CRC
Carolyn Treadon, Ph.D.
Todd Van Wieren, Ph.D., CRC

Pauline Patrick, LCSW, CRC
Division of Counseling Professor and Director of Student Disability Support Services
Thomas University
1501 Millpond Road
Thomasville, GA 31792
229-226-1621 ext 249
850-933-5521 cell