CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 13, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Cambridge College' School of Psychology and Counseling is pleased to announce the "Geriatric Mental Health" Concentration for the Master of Education degree. The concentration will be available to graduate students beginning in Fall 2012.

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According to Dr. Niti Seth, Dean of the School of Psychology Counseling at Cambridge College, there is a well-documented shortage of clinicians able to provide competent mental health care to older adults.  "The workplace demand for professionals with expertise in elder care is expected to grow rapidly in the coming decades with the aging of our population," says Dr. Seth. "By launching this program, Cambridge College recognizes the necessity of training a professional workforce capable of meeting this emerging need in our communities."

The 62-credit program is designed to prepare highly-trained elder-care professionals.  It allows graduates to sit for state licensure as mental health counselors and simultaneously apply for certification as "geriatric care managers" through the National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers. In addition to those already working in human or health services, including clinicians, mental health counselors, case workers and social workers, the program also welcomes individuals seeking to enter the field of mental health counseling who have a special interest working with elder populations.

As with all Cambridge College programs, students have the opportunity to complete a graduate degree with a high demand concentration while maintaining their full time employment and meeting family obligations.  

"With the changing demographics of our country, the need for mental health clinicians trained to work with older adults is simply a fact," says Program Chair Katherine King." This program provides students with the knowledge and skills necessary to treat this population competently and compassionately.  It shows that Cambridge College continues to be a forward-looking institution, committed to serving underserved populations as well as to providing its students with the skills expected to be in great demand in years to come."

For more information please contact Niti Seth (Dean, School of Psychology) at niti.seth@go.cambridgecollege.edu or Katherine King (Program Chair) at katherine.king@cambridgecollege.edu.

Cambridge College:
Cambridge College (www.cambridgecollege.edu) is dedicated to providing academically excellent, time-efficient, and cost-effective higher education for a diverse population of adult learners for whom those opportunities may have been limited or denied.  Founded in 1971, Cambridge College is a private non-profit institution of higher education accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, (NEASC CIHE). Comprised of four schools –Undergraduate Studies, Education, Psychology and Counseling, and Management – Cambridge College enrolls more than 8,000 students each year in professional education and undergraduate, graduate and doctorate-level degree programs at the main campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts and across seven regional centers nationwide in Springfield and Merrimack Valley, MA; Chesapeake, VA; Memphis, TN; Augusta, GA; San Juan, PR; and Inland Empire, CA. The College accepts selected transfer credits for both graduate and undergraduate programs, and schedules evening and weekend classes designed for adult learners. 

SOURCE Cambridge College