The university says its master’s program prepares students to deliver remote counseling services in areas where specialized care can be difficult to access.

Organ Mountain News report

SILVER CITY - Western New Mexico University is emphasizing telemental health training in its fully online Master of Counseling program as it seeks to prepare graduates to serve rural and underserved New Mexico communities.

The 60-credit graduate program offers tracks in clinical mental health counseling, clinical rehabilitation counseling, school counseling and addiction counseling. WNMU said each track includes training intended to help students provide counseling services through remote technology.

“By integrating telemental health into our core curriculum, we are effectively removing the geographic boundaries that have historically limited mental health access in New Mexico,” said William Lane, an assistant professor in the WNMU College of Education. “Our goal is to ensure that a resident’s ZIP code no longer determines the quality of counseling they receive.”

The clinical mental health counseling track focuses on cases including trauma and depression through encrypted platforms, according to the university. The clinical rehabilitation counseling track prepares graduates to work with people with disabilities, while the school counseling track includes virtual crisis intervention and social-emotional learning for rural K-12 communities. The addiction counseling track focuses on supporting people in recovery who may lack local access to services.

WNMU also said it has partnered with TimelyCare to provide telehealth services to students, including on-demand counseling through TalkNow. The university said the service also supports remote students who cannot visit the Silver City campus counseling center in person.

Lane said the university aims to train counselors who can use digital tools while developing effective therapeutic relationships with clients.

“We aren't just teaching students how to use a webcam; we are training them to build meaningful, therapeutic alliances through a digital interface,” Lane said.

WNMU said its counseling program prepares students to qualify for the Board Certified-TeleMental Health credential.

More information about WNMU counseling programs and telemental health training is available through the university.