Student Newsletter

Welcome Dr. Karlesia Montague!

The Counselor Education Program at North Carolina Central University is pleased to announce the hiring of a new faculty member: Dr. Karlesia Montague.

Dr. Montague (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program at North Carolina Central University. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNCC).

Before joining NCCU, Dr. Montague was a faculty member in the Counselor Education Program at Valdosta State University. While at VSU, she served as the co-advisor of the Gamma Nu chapter of CSI and assisted with forming community partnerships with local mental health agencies for the newly developed clinical mental health counseling track. 

She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, licensed clinical addiction specialist, and national certified counselor. Dr. Montague has worked with teens and adults in inpatient (detox) and outpatient settings. Her research interests include suicide prevention within marginalized populations, crisis counseling preparation, and multicultural issues in mental health and higher education, specifically focusing on the Black/African American population.

Eagle Counseling, Consultation, and Research Clinic (ECCRC)

You may not have heard yet...the Counselor Education Program is opening a community counseling clinic on campus in the School of Education.  Thanks to efforts led by Dr. Helen Lupton-Smith, Dr. Alyx Beckwith, Dr. Tasha Becton, Dr. Taheera Blount, and graduate assistant Kevin Eason, the program has received a $199,000 grant from Blue-Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina to help fund this initiative.  

The plan is for the clinic to open at the start of the fall semester - with the intention of serving the Durham and surrounding communities (more about the clinic's vision and mission below).  The clinic will serve as a placement site for NCCU Counseling students for years to come.

Malaika Edwards, MS, LCMHC has been hired as the full-time clinic director.  Malaika is a doctoral student at NC State University in their Counselor Education and Supervision program.  More about Malaika and the clinic here: https://youtu.be/04igLvklP2w

Please stay tuned for more information about ECCRC and its opening this fall; we are excited about this opportunity to serve!

Vision: To serve as a model of counseling services, counselor training, and research focusing on community outreach and engagement, total wellness, substance use recovery support, telehealth counseling options, and school and community partnerships.

Mission: To provide affordable, accessible counseling services founded in cultural awareness, social justice, and wellness principles to improve the overall mental and emotional health of the Durham community and beyond while providing clinical training experiences for graduate counseling students.

Beliefs & Values:

• We value people. We honor every person and their history.
• We acknowledge that many people who have been systemically and historically disenfranchised as a result of their identity may not have had access to quality mental health services.
• We believe in the importance of breaking down barriers to mental health services for individual and community wellness.
• We believe in quality mental healthcare for everyone, regardless of their financial status or insurance coverage.

Summer School! 

If you are taking summer classes, it is important that you have your books and materials BEFORE classes begin.  Summer school moves very quickly.  Summer sessions move at about three to four times faster than the speed of a traditional fall or spring semester.  In other words, you will cover three to four weeks of material in one week during summer school.  Missing your textbooks for even one week will create significant issues in which you may not be able to recover, and you will need to drop your course(s) for the summer.  

Don't delay in ordering your books for the summer!  The textbook list can always be found here.

Labor Market Information = Job Opportunities

When we receive job postings or announcements, they are posted our website for three months.  Please feel free to visit this page often before and after you graduate.

We posted the following announcements in the month of June:

Would you like to receive text reminders and announcements from the Program?

Join our "Remind" group:

1. Text "@nccuco" to 81010, or
2. click on https://www.remind.com/join/nccuco

Did you know we also have our own app?  Click on THIS LINK in your mobile device or tablet.  Select "Add to Home Screen".

Student Liability Coverage in Practicum and Internship

We have a change in the requirement for professional liability coverage while in Practicum and Internship. Starting this summer, 2022, students will no longer purchase a blanket policy through the University.

Students will need to join either ACA, ASCA, or AMHCA and receive liability coverage through the organization (which should come with membership). Students will need to submit a “Certificate of Insurance” (COI) when they submit their Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). 

When you join one of the above organization, be sure to either download or request a copy of your COI.  It is only one of many benefits in joining a professional organization.

• American Counseling Association
• American School Counseling Association
• American Mental Health Counseling Association

Pursuing a Second Degree

For students who are graduating Spring 2022 or later, you MUST complete a minimum of 18 semester hours above and beyond your original plan of study in order to receive a second degree from NCCU.  There are very specific courses that must be completed to receive a second degree and these are specified on this page: http://www.nccucounseling.com/student2/index.php/advising/dual-major

If you are pursuing two degrees, make sure that you have completed the new form that ensures the University is aware of your intention to pursue two degrees at the same time.  This form is new as of fall 2021.  It can be found in the forms area of the student website ("Adding a Second Major").
http://www.nccucounseling.com/student2/index.php/forms.

This form is completed and sent to your advisor for processing.  Once the form has been processed, you should see both degree programs on your transcript in BANNER.

Please note that your second internship must consist of a 600-hour placement.  In other words, students receiving a second degree will complete a second 600-hour internship placement (600 hours for their first major, 600 hours for their second major).

Please speak with your advisor if you have any questions.

Latest Announcements from nccuCounseling

• Dr. Williams publishes an article in the SACES Newsletter 2022-06-17
• Chatham Central High School is hiring an Intervention Counselor 2022-06-10
• Center of Excellence (COE) for Suicide Prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs 2022-06-09
• Practicum/Internship Placement - Meredith College Office of Career Planning 2022-06-09
• Counseling Scholarships Available 2022-06-09
• Wake Tech is hiring - Career Coach 2022-06-09
• Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist Position - Henderson, NC 2022-06-09
• Student Newsletter - June 6, 2022 2022-06-06
• Social Justice Symposium at Mississippi State University 2022-06-01
• Campbell University is Hiring 2022-05-24

Upcoming Dates to Remember for nccuCounseling: 

• June 20-21: Summer Mid-program Reviews (for those in CON 5371)
• June 27: Last day of classes, Summer 1
• June 29: Final grades for Summer 1 due in Banner by 5pm
• June 30: First day of classes, Summer 2
• July 8: MOAs for fall 2022 due

Did you know that you can subscribe to the nccuCounseling calendar?  If you use a digital calendar, you can subscribe and have all of the information from the "Key Dates" letter auto-populate in your calendar.  Visit our website for more information.