NCU - FIRST & ONLY COAMFTE Accredited Distance-Based MFT Program

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by ryoder, Jan 22, 2013.

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  1. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    FYI this sounds great. Don't know what COAMFTE is but NCU is the first one. Took this from the NCU home page.

    NCU - FIRST & ONLY COAMFTE Accredited Distance-Based MFT Program
    Dear Northcentral University Students,

    After seven years of dedication and hard work by faculty and administrators, I am pleased to announce that Northcentral University’s Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program has been granted accreditation from COAMFTE. NCU’s program is the first and only distance-based program to ever receive this coveted programmatic accreditation, ensuring that our program is aligned with national accreditation standards. In the past, distance-based programs were not even permitted to apply for COAMFTE accreditation, but we continued to tirelessly pursue this goal, meeting with regulatory bodies and demonstrating the effectiveness of online MFT education.

    At present, almost half of the states in the U.S. have a clause in their licensing laws automatically approving graduates from COAMFTE-accredited programs for licensure. This is great news for many students in our MAMFT program, who now face an easier process in applying for licensure in their state after graduation. Even in states that do not have this clause, graduation from a COAMFTE-accredited program is looked at very favorably in the licensure process. For example, some organizations such as the Veterans Affairs (VA) will only accept applicants that have graduated from a COAMFTE program.

    In addition to facilitating the licensure process, achieving COAMFTE accreditation is a demonstration of the dedication and commitment by faculty and the University to provide the best possible educational experience to NCU students by becoming a leader in the field of online MFT education.

    I would like to sincerely thank all our dedicated faculty, students, administration, and staff who participated in this initiative, especially those who helped us prepare for site visit that was conducted in May. Together, we have accomplished a historic goal, and we look forward to accomplishing many more in the years to come.

    Sincerely, Dr. Branden Henline, Chair of Marriage and Family Therapy Programs
    The MFT Team
    Pioneering Innovation in Marriage and Family Therapy Education
     
  2. managerial0550

    managerial0550 New Member

    For the Marriage & Family Therapy world, it's the biggest accreditation you can have. Our entire building (I work for NCU) celebrated when it was announced just because of the hard work the professors, chairs and Dr has done. I've met Dr. Henline several times and the man is just brilliant and so personable. He loves to talk to prospective students and just loves the whole MFT field. Only the master's program is COAMFTE accredited
     
  3. Phdtobe

    Phdtobe Well-Known Member

    Hey, both of you might have to start paying your fair share to keep degreeinfo going.
     
  4. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    What does that mean?
     
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 22, 2013
  6. Randell1234

    Randell1234 Moderator

    That is what I thought...
     
  7. ryoder

    ryoder New Member


    That is funny. I will tell you all about the really negative stuff at NCU as well as the good. It is just a school and all schools have problems. Trust me, I don't tell everyone to go there.
     
  8. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    COAMFTE is to Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists what CACREP is to Licensed Mental Health Counselors and what CASWE is to Licensed Clinical Social Workers. Many states require COAMFTE accreditation to be licensed and it is REQUIRED if you want to work for the government as a Marriage and Family Therapist.

    MFTs who do not have this accreditation have a severe disadvantage compared to those who do. So, it is a big deal for NCU to be the first online school to have it. This opens a lot of doors for people who want to become MFTs but are not able to commute physically to a program. Prior to this, the only accredited MFT program that I knew of was through Capella, but it has been accredited by CACREP... meaning that a person with that degree could be licensed as a Counselor, but could have difficulty being licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist. This might not seem like such a big deal, but to professionals this could mean the difference in being able to bill for certain services and/or qualify for certain jobs.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2013
  9. ryoder

    ryoder New Member

    Thanks for the clarification Hadashi. I knew it was something important. NCU has its issues but this seems like a bright spot for the school.
     
  10. JBjunior

    JBjunior Active Member

    At the very least they broke through a barrier for online schools, that is good for everyone.
     
  11. Hadashi no Gen

    Hadashi no Gen New Member

    You know, there is something interesting in the topic of professional accreditation in online masters level psychotherapy training programs... and your comment made me think about it just now.

    I'm just going off the top of my head here... but I can think of somewhere between 10-20 online MSW programs that are CASWE-accredited and only 5 or so Counseling programs that are CACREP-accredited. Also, I can't think of any online MSW programs (or any B&M MSW programs) that are not accredited... but there are many Counseling programs, on and offline, that are only RA and not professionally accredited. Does anyone have any thoughts, especially with NCU having the first online MFT program to be accredited by COAMFTE? What makes it easier for online Social Work programs to receive their professional accreditation than those in Counseling and MFT?
     
  12. JBjunior

    JBjunior Active Member

    I have no clue without checking in to it. I know when I was checking out CACREP programs they were few and far between but had I was never interested in the MSW. Several possibilities including more online friendly accrediting body, more forward thinking, less strict standards over all, or the MSW programs were easier to gear toward the accrediting standards than others.
     
  13. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Maybe it's out of pure necessity. I haven't really paid attention to whether most states require CACREP accreditation or not. My guess is that they don't because CACREP does not accredit masters in psychology and this is usually an acceptable degree for an LPC or LMHC. APA also does not accredit masters degrees. There are only a couple of states that require APA accreditation in order to become licensed as a psychologist even though many employers require it. In Texas, neither CACREP nor COAMFTE is required. However, CSWE is required for all three social work licenses (LBSW, LMSW, and LCSW).

    This page from CACREP implies that many states use CACREP rules as guidelines for their own rules and regulations on licensure, but that these states don't necessarily require CACREP accreditation.
    http://www.cacrep.org/detail/article.cfm?article_id=19

    I found some more information. According to Grand Canyon University, Oregon is the only state that requires CACREP accreditation. New Jersey briefly required it.
    http://blogs.gcu.edu/blog/2011/08/23/accreditations-state-requirements-professional-counseling-programs/
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 28, 2013
  14. Jonathan Whatley

    Jonathan Whatley Well-Known Member

    Liberty University Online has large RA but non-CACREP, non-COAMFTE DL MAs in counseling and in MFT. Liberty does the very useful service of publishing a list of "Problem States" for their own graduates, and some of this is relevant to anyone considering a program in counseling or MFT.
     
  15. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Maybe it's out of pure necessity. I haven't really paid attention to whether most states require CACREP accreditation or not. My guess is that they don't because CACREP does not accredit masters in psychology and this is usually an acceptable degree for an LPC or LMHC. APA also does not accredit masters degrees. There are only a couple of states that require APA accreditation in order to become licensed as a psychologist even though many employers require at least an APA internship which is hard to get into without an APA-accredited degree. In Texas, neither CACREP nor COAMFTE is required. However, CSWE is required for all three social work licenses (LBSW, LMSW, and LCSW).

    This page from CACREP implies that many states use CACREP rules as guidelines for their own rules and regulations on licensure, but that these states don't necessarily require CACREP accreditation.
    Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs -

    I found some more information. According to Grand Canyon University, Oregon is the only state that requires CACREP accreditation. New Jersey briefly required it.
    Accreditations & State Requirements: Professional Counseling Programs « GCU Blogs

    According to CSWE, most states require this accreditation.
    Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) - Student Questions

    I found a chart from Valdosta University that lists state requirements for marriage and family therapists. It's a few years old, however. The states that specifically list COAMFTE seem to also accept an equivalent degree that is aligned with COAMFTE standards.
    http://ww2.valdosta.edu/soc/mft/documents/StateLicensureComparisonChart.pdf

    So, I stand by my belief that schools seek out CSWE accreditation more than others out of necessity because the options for their students becoming licensed would be extremely limited without it. Schools can get away with not having CACREP, COAMFTE, and even APA accreditation.
     
  16. sanantone

    sanantone Well-Known Member

    Most of these states seem to have problems with distance degrees or not meeting state requirements and don't seem to care about COAMFTE or CACREP accreditation.
     

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