BW counseling master's program has perfect pass rate, career placement, new grant

In a trifecta of achievement, BW's inaugural class of Clinical Mental Health Counseling students set the bar high for future success — earning 100% national exam passage and career entry in their field, plus helping fulfill an ever-growing community need.

Adding to the recent accolades of the 24-month master's program, BW was awarded $232,922 through the Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship Program (OBHS) to support scholarships for students enrolled in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

The new grant, offered by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, builds on already impressive scholarship opportunities available to students enrolled in the program.

The State of Ohio grant offers eligible students who commit to working in an Ohio underserved community grant funding of $15,000 a year, renewable for up to two years. BW is one of only 16 institutions statewide selected to receive the funding.

100% success on licensure exam, career entry

"It has been a summer of exciting news. The new grant is an affirmation by the State of Ohio that BW serves an important role in preparing licensed behavioral health professionals to meet a critical community need," said Dr. Erin West, LPCC, department chair of BW's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.

Among other successes of the program are the outstanding results achieved by this year's graduating class in passing the National Counselor's Exam, which is one of two types of exams required for counselor licensure in many states, including Ohio. Students are eligible to take the exam during the last semester of their academic program.

The first-time passage rate of the BW Clinical Mental Health Counseling students who took the exam was 100%. Complementing that achievement, 100% of the graduates who were actively seeking employment had job offers prior to graduation.

Licensed behavioral health professionals begin careers

Annie Decker '26 was a member of the graduating class. The Berea, Ohio, resident earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Wheaton College in Illinois before working as a teaching assistant for the deaf at an institute and as a registered behavior technician at a therapy center.

Today, Decker is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with OhioGuidestone, where she completed her practicum and internship as part of the BW program. In her new role, she provides individual, group and crisis counseling to many different populations, including kids and teens who have anxiety, depression and ADHD.

Like Decker, Jules Newbould '26, of North Royalton, Ohio, recently began her career as an LPC. She provides counseling services to clients ages 13+ individually as well as to couples at Wellness Grove, a private practice therapy center. This builds on her BW Bachelor of Science degree in psychology and previous work experience in adolescent psychiatry with Cleveland Clinic.

Scholarship-funded Clinical Mental Health Counseling program

According to a news story posted by the State of Ohio, the OBHS Program is part of a statewide effort to address critical workforce shortages in the areas of mental health and substance use treatment.

"The initiative aims to attract committed students who will remain in Ohio after graduation and serve in high‑need behavioral health settings. Eligible students may receive $15,000 per year, renewable for up to two years," the published story went on to say.

BW is currently accepting applications for the fall 2027 cohort of the Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The preferred deadline for the application is Feb. 1, 2027.

The program is offered in a full-time format that consists primarily of in-person classes. The program offers a fixed class schedule with classes occurring 1.5 days per week, only on Mondays and Tuesdays, so students can plan around a predictable course schedule. Courses are taken in sequence throughout the fall, spring and summer semesters.

"The counseling students at Baldwin Wallace are a dedicated, hardworking and compassionate group who come to class each day motivated by a genuine desire to make a difference in the lives of others," emphasized West.

"We are so grateful for the Ohio Behavioral Health Scholarship funding, which will have a meaningful impact on our students by increasing the affordability of earning this rewarding master's degree," said West.

"This financial support will allow them to focus on what matters most, serving individuals and families facing mental health challenges from the very start of their professional journeys," noted West.

"Mental health is a topic that crosses every aspect of our lives. The need for Licensed Professional Counselors is outpacing the number of available LPCs. As a licensed and practicing professional counselor myself, I see firsthand the value of this profession and need to address the shortage of mental health counselors," West said in a recent editorial that appeared on the BW website and on cleveland.com.

Rewarding career as a mental health counselor

For both Decker and Newbould, BW's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program was the perfect fit for their personal and professional goals.

"This is a program where you can be successful and have the best opportunity to fulfill the role of being a counselor as quickly as possible," emphasized Newbould.

"During our practicum, I was already seeing clients individually and felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do," she commented. "The BW program is an incredible bridge to your career goals and allows for several networking opportunities and meeting other peers in the small world of counseling.

Decker agrees. "The mental health counseling program prepared me to become a great counselor. You can see the knowledge you learned and practiced with classmates translate to real-world situations.

"As part of our studies, I worked in community mental health and provided support to those with Medicaid. I believe this was a very important part of my development as a counselor. I was exposed to clients with varying backgrounds and diagnoses," she noted.

"Mental health is a part of everyone's life, whether they have personally struggled with their mental health or know someone who has," explained Decker. "Because of the stigma surrounding mental health, many people may not know where to go when they need help or struggle to ask for support.

"I want to be someone who can provide a safe and supportive space to anyone who needs it," she said thoughtfully.