Online Master’s Degree Programs in Community Mental Health Management
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.
“Community mental health (CMH) is a specialization that requires an in-depth understanding of mental health and related systems that impact marginalized communities…Students who complete an MA in CMH have the opportunity to contribute in positions and roles in community-based organizations.”
Kini Chang, LMFT, Chair of the Community Mental Health Program, California Institute of Integral Studies School of Professional Psychology and Health
Psychology is a fascinating and diverse discipline often valuable to professionals pursuing various career paths. Knowledge derived from psychology can be applied in countless ways in numerous settings, including business, human resources, child development, rehabilitation, education, and career counseling.
The need for trained counselors and therapists in the United States is robust. The National Alliance on Mental Health (2024) estimated that roughly one in five adults experience mental illness annually.
Several factors continue to drive the need for counseling resources. Some of these include the rapid pace of technological and societal change that creates feelings of profound dislocation and alienation for some people, the recent and lingering disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the high prevalence of substance abuse and addiction within the American populace.
Community mental health is one framework in which mental health and related services are conceptualized and subsequently treated. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the genesis of the community mental health concept is attributable to the Community Mental Health Act of 1963. Before the passage of this act, individuals with mental illness in the U.S. were often institutionalized, and the quality of the care they received in such settings varied significantly.
After 1963, the model of providing mental health treatment changed from institutionalization to the creation of mental health centers, which began offering treatment and other services to people in the communities where they live and work.
This shift in how mental health services are delivered resulted from a change in the theoretical foundation that informs how such services are conceptualized and then offered. The community mental health model is based upon the premise that communities are better able to create, operate, and sustain the mental health facilities and programs needed to meet the needs of their population. The American Psychological Association defines community mental health as activities that promote mental health that are performed in the community instead of in institutional settings.
Decades after the passage of the Community Mental Health Act, community mental health centers continue to play a vital role in the wellness of the communities they serve. A variety of staff often work at a community mental health center. These include social workers, psychiatrists, counselors, psychologists, and peer support specialists. These centers often serve as a critical resource and stopgap measure when other resources, such as psychiatric hospitals, state departments of public health-operated facilities, and private providers, are insufficient to meet the needs of both individuals and the broader local population. Such centers often provide critical referrals to other local service providers and directly contract with these other providers to provide services that effectively sustain a safety net in countless communities throughout the U.S.
Read on to discover community mental health and related academic programs in the United States.
| Featured Mental Health Administration Programs | ||
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| Walden University | PsyD - Behavioral Health Leadership | Program Website |
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For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details. |
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Meet the Expert: Kini Chang, LMFT
Kini Chang is the chair of the community mental health program at the California Institute of Integral Studies School of Professional Psychology and Health.
Previously, Chang was the assistant clinical professor and director of the counseling and forensic psychology graduate program at Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. At Holy Names University, she had the opportunity to build a culturally inclusive community of students, faculty, and leadership that embodied diversity and equity. She had the privilege of teaching and consulting for a number of higher education institutions.
Chang comes from a liberation and social justice lens when working with trauma associated with systemic oppression, social inequity, community violence, abuse and attachment, juvenile justice reformation, and traumatic grief and loss. Her role as an educator, activist, and healer are guiding principles in her work in the community.
In addition to her role at the university, she has a private practice in Oakland, CA, where she specializes in intergenerational and multigenerational familial trauma, transitional struggles and life challenges, anxiety and depression brought on by environmental and social impacts, multicultural couples therapy, and parent education and coaching on adolescent development and child-rearing.
MHAOnline.com:What is something you wish the public understood about master’s in community mental health programs?
Chang: The MA in community mental health has a clinical track for students who want to become licensed therapists who work in the community providing therapy services to the community.
Community mental health (CMH) is a specialization that requires an in-depth understanding of mental health and related systems that impact marginalized communities. Populations include but are not limited to folx who struggle with substance use and addiction challenges, homelessness, children in foster care and social services, severe mental illness, community violence, juvenile justice/criminal justice system, survivors of dating/partner violence, and other forms of system involvement that can impact overall well-being and ability to function and thrive.
Many of the individuals and groups in community mental health have experienced complex trauma and discrimination, and have limited access to resources. Students who complete MA in CMH have the opportunity to contribute in positions and roles in community-based organizations. Their positions have significant roles in supporting CMH populations in developing a safer environment to meet basic needs. These needs may be food, shelter, healthcare, therapy, and a general network of support and resources, providing the opportunity for CMH populations to build resilience, self-efficacy, and healing.
MHAOnline.com: What advice would you give to aspiring master’s in community mental health students?
Chang: I would have prospective students ask themselves whether they are interested in clinical or non-clinical so they can narrow down their search. Clinical track means a graduate degree that prepares students for licensure towards LCSW, LPCC, or LMFT. This will help them begin to formulate their goals and support their decision-making as they choose the best graduate program.
I would also advise them to gain work/volunteer experience in a community-based mental health organization to get a sense of the work in CMH. It is also essential to explore concepts such as cultural humility and attunement, their privilege and position, and the intersectionalities.
Lastly, it is a great idea to go to university info sessions with the specific program they are interested in to meet the faculty. This gives prospective students a snapshot into an area of expertise of the faculty at each university.
In addition, they will be able to ask questions directly during a Q&A with the faculty who teach the courses. Another component of this exploration process is to look at each program’s specific curriculum. The curriculum outline will allow students to get a glimpse into the coursework. At a glance, prospective students will have a sense of what to expect from their education.
Featured Programs in Community Mental Health
The following guide introduces seven master’s degree programs focused on community mental health or closely related programs such as public health management and community health.
The Grand Canyon University College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers a 34-credit-hour master of science degree in mental health and wellness with an emphasis in community mental health administration. The program is delivered in both online and in-person formats. The in-person program consists of evening courses that meet once per week. These formats prove particularly suitable to working professionals, those with families, and others with significant existing commitments for whom schedule flexibility is minimal. Prospective students should note that this program is not specifically designed to prepare students for licensure.
The curriculum integrates health, wellness, and leadership topics. Students develop knowledge of behavioral, mental, spiritual, and cognitive forms of health and key competencies in human resources, such as workforce diversity, talent management, and employee development. Particular skills the program emphasizes include program planning and development, such as budgetary concerns, policies, and procedures, as well as communications, ethics, and organizational governance.
Graduates find leadership, administrator, and other critical roles in various settings, including churches, hospitals, and community-based organizations.
- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Department of Counseling Psychology offers a master’s degree in community mental health. It is one of five programs offered through this department. This program incorporates social justice perspectives, cultural understanding, and numerous theoretical approaches, including psychodynamics, family systems therapy, trauma-informed therapy, and recovery and resiliency treatment models. It was designed in consultation with leading mental health service providers from the public sector to meet critical standards in professionalism, trauma-informed care, and cultural diversity.
The program features a flexible weekend format that allows working professionals and others with busy schedules to pursue such education. Students choose one of two options in this program. They may complete the 60-credit marriage and family therapist (MFT) or 67-credit LPCC tracks.
Graduates are skilled in providing evidence-based, collaborative psychotherapy services. They may practice in numerous settings, including hospitals, clinics, schools, government agencies, and community non-profits. A skilled faculty contributes to a thought-provoking atmosphere that encourages students to reframe their perspectives by learning from related subjects such as social justice advocacy for indigenous communities, social capital, intentional community, psychoanalysis, the discourse of capitalism, and the California Dream.
- Location: San Francisco, CA
- Accreditation: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 2.5 to three years
The City University of New York offers a 42-credit master of public health degree in community health. The curriculum focuses on the social and behavioral sciences within the discipline of public health. Students are trained in many competencies to meet the needs typical of urban communities. The nine specific core competencies students develop are evidence-based approaches to public health, public health and healthcare systems, planning and management to promote health, policy in public health, leadership, communication, interprofessional and/or intersectoral practice, systems thinking, and environmental sciences.
Graduates emerge prepared to assume roles where they will plan, manage, and evaluate health programs to reduce social and behavioral threats to community health. Given the curriculum’s focus on social determinants of disease, health inequality, and structural theories of change, graduates are equipped to work in many settings, including service, advocacy, and healthcare organizations.
- Location: New York, NY
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The Wayne State University College of Education offers a 30-credit master of science degree in community health. The program is designed for people seeking to work in community settings such as health departments, local health agencies, non-profit organizations, hospitals, universities, and businesses.
The mission of this program is to advance health equity by creating professionals trained to understand the impact of social determinants and the other structures and factors that influence individuals’ lives, such as families, communities, and local policies. Graduates are trained to see the community as where they will practice their analytical, assessment, planning, advocacy, intervention, and research skills.
Academically gifted students still completing their undergraduate degree are encouraged to consider the Accelerated Graduate Enrollment (AGRADE) program. This program permits students to simultaneously complete master’s degree coursework while completing their bachelor’s degree. AGRADE students have the opportunity to complete both degrees in an accelerated timeline.
The WSU Community Health program is unique among such programs because it prepares students to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, offered through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing. The CHES certification is the only nationally and internationally accredited health education and promotion certification on the market.
- Location: Detroit, MI
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The University of Michigan offers a 60-credit residential master of public health degree (MPH) in health management and policy. This program prepares students for leadership in both public and private sectors in careers in public health policy, planning, and advocacy.
The curriculum focuses on factors influencing population health, such as socioeconomic circumstances, cultural values, behavioral risk factors, and environmental conditions. Program content is based upon a set of core competencies necessary to effectively train professionals who will bring excellence to their health management and policy work. The HMP Competency Model provides details regarding these competencies.
Another critical requirement of the master’s degree program is a 10- to 12-week internship students complete during the summer term (May-August) between their first and second years of study. Internship placements are guided by the student’s professional interests and unfold under the mentorship of a preceptor. The internship not only provides students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a hands-on way but also a means to further develop a network of professional contacts that often prove of value to their future careers. Internship settings include hospitals, health systems, health insurance plans, health departments, community health centers, advocacy organizations, professional associations, think tanks, foundations, and government agencies. Many internships are paid experiences.
Students receive substantial career development support both before and after graduation. During their degree program, students meet with faculty and staff to further refine their career goals and obtain guidance in developing application materials such as resumes and cover letters and executing an effective job search strategy. After graduation, students benefit from a robust alumni network throughout the United States and abroad.
- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
The University of North Dakota College of Education and Human Development offers a fully online master of arts degree in counseling with an emphasis in community mental health counseling. This program is designed to:
- Prepare students to be culturally mindful and social justice-oriented practitioners capable of working with various client populations, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, families, and the elderly
- Fulfill state licensure requirements in multiple states
- Provide students the foundational preparation for subsequent pursuit of a PhD, PsyD, or another terminal degree program
Students must complete 60 to 65 credits to earn their degree. Throughout their studies, they develop skills in counseling assessment, consultation, teaching, and research. They also become proficient in providing access to mental health resources, developing evaluation and interview skills necessary for effective counseling practice, and learning to consistently apply an industry-based code of ethics to ensure the safety of their clients and the growth of their careers.
To graduate, students must complete an internship requirement. Specifically, they complete at least 600 internship hours in service to a population of interest. Of the required hours, 240 hours must be direct client contact hours.
- Location: New York, NY
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two to four years depending on study pace
The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences within the New York University School of Global Public Health offers a master of public health (MPH) degree program. This program features nine concentrations designed to permit students to specialize their expertise further.
One of the MPH program concentrations is the community health science and practice concentration. This 46-credit program prepares students to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and policies designed to create and sustain healthy communities. Health equity is a guiding principle in creating such policies and programs. In addition to traditional classroom-based coursework, students must complete a public health internship of at least 180 hours to be eligible to graduate.
Graduates possess the skills necessary to assume leadership roles throughout the world. Particular skills graduates hold include the ability to:
- Collect and analyze community health data and behavioral, social, cultural, economic, environmental, and institutional factors to assess community health and the design of suitable programs
- Identify evidence-based interventions that promote population and community health
- Adapt and implement evidence-based strategies to promote healthy communities and health equity
- Establish effective community partnerships with stakeholders for the ultimate purpose of creating effective population-based health programs
Students are admitted twice a year. In addition to standard application requirements such as an online application, a resume, personal statement, official transcripts, and letters of recommendation, an applicant must also have taken the GRE in the last five years and have a satisfactory score.
- Location: New York, NY
- Accreditation: Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two to four years, depending on the pace of study
