Counseling and Mental Health Professions Department
Mental Health Counseling Program
On July 12, 2024, the New York State Department of Education approved the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) degree for the designation of diagnostic privilege (MHC-D). Current students and alumni of the program who can demonstrate successful completion of the curricular requirements approved for this designation within their academic transcript will be eligible for pursuing diagnostic privilege.
The chart on page 2 details the coursework satisfying each of the four content areas required for preparation for this designation. These courses will be used by the Registrar to complete Part D of the NYS Mental Health Practitioner Form 2D, Certification of Education for Diagnostic Privilege. Applicants should complete Section I of the application and then send a signed copy of this form to the Registrar’s Office for their completion.
Graduating from Hofstra University’s Mental Health Counseling Programs does not automatically guarantee you have completed all the educational requirements for diagnostic privilege; this is dependent upon your date of entry or graduation from the program. If you are uncertain, you should request an unofficial transcript from the University to make a personal assessment. (To request a transcript, you may visit: https://www.hofstra.edu/academic-records/transcripts.html.) Below you will find guidance on who may or may not satisfy the course requirements based on the chart below.
- Meets all the academic requirements: Alumni who began their MHC degree program at Hofstra in Fall 2014 and after. Alumni who completed the Advanced Certificate in MHC program at Hofstra after receiving a master’s degree from Hofstra University.
- Likely meets the requirements: Alumni who began their MHC degree program at Hofstra in Fall 2009 through Spring 2014 may have taken COUN 262 and COUN 230 if they took them as electives (they were listed as Preferred Electives in those bulletin years).
- Does not meet all the academic requirements: Alumni who began their MHC degree program at Hofstra before Fall 2009 would not have taken COUN 230 or COUN 262. If you feel you completed an equivalent course in another graduate degree or certificate program, you will need to seek verification from that institution.
- Needs to seek consultation from degree-granting school on approved courses: Alumni who completed the Advanced Certificate in MHC program at Hofstra after receiving a master’s degree from another university. Hofstra will only be able to verify courses taken that satisfy Part C of Section II of the application.
Coursework to Satisfy NYS Diagnostic Privilege | ||
|---|---|---|
Content Area | Approved Courses | Notes |
| A. diagnosis and assessment-based treatment planning in the specific mental health profession | COUN 230: Advanced Counseling Skills and Strategies COUN 262: Treatment Planning in Mental Health Counseling | Alumni of the Advanced Certificate in MHC can use COUN 230 to meet this content area. |
| B. assessment, evaluation, and diagnosis using accepted classification systems in the specific mental health profession | COUN 261: Understanding Psychopathology in Counseling | Alumni prior to 2002 can use COUN 280A: Psychopathology in Counseling to meet this content area. |
| C. developing and implementing assessment-based treatment plans in the specific mental health profession | COUN 253: Mental Health Counseling Practicum COUN 298: Internship in Mental Health Counseling I COUN 299: Internship in Mental Health Counseling II | Alumni of the Advanced Certificate in MHC can use COUN 298 or 299 to meet this content area. Alumni with an initial degree in School Counseling should not use COUN 253, as it was not a mental health counseling practicum. |
| D. clinical mental health counseling interventions with diverse populations | COUN 270: Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling | Alumni with an initial degree in School Counseling prior to Fall 2021 can use COUN 224 to meet this content area. |
Alumni interested in the diagnostic privilege designation for New York State may find the directions on how to apply at the website below. Under Application Materials, click the link for Mental Health Practitioners Diagnostic Privilege. You will be taken to another site with all the application forms, including 2D, Certification of Education for Diagnostic Privilege.
To ensure proper processing of Form 2D by the Counseling and Mental Health Professions Department and the Registrar’s Office, please follow the detailed instructions below. Failure to do so will result in a returned application and/or a delay in its processing.
Application Instructions
- Access the website for application for Mental Health Practitioners Diagnostic Privilege from the link above. Complete Section I of Form 2D, Certification of Education for Diagnostic Privilege. Print and sign this form. Do not complete Section II, Part D; this will be completed by the University.
- Request an official copy of your transcript from https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/33227/institution and save a copy of this document as a PDF.
- Send the application and PDF transcript copy to the CMHP Department at (DiagPriv@hofstra.edu). In your email, identify the courses you feel should be listed in Section II, Part D.
Once the department populates Section II, your form will be emailed to the Registrar’s Office (Registrar@hofstra.edu) for final processing and approval. (You will be copied on this email.) Once finalized, the Registrar will automatically send it to the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions. Please allow up to four weeks upon receipt of your materials for the application to be processed at Hofstra.