Unlock the power to make a difference
This degree program prepares students to aid in the recovery of people living with serious mental health conditions helping people gain access to resources needed to successfully integrate into the community. It is a dual-major, joint-degree program and is offered in partnership with Rutgers-Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Kean University, Georgian Court University, and Felician University.
Why Study Psychiatric Rehabilitation and Psychology at SHP?
Career opportunities exist in a variety of psychiatric rehabilitation and community mental health settings such as case managers, residential counselors, employment specialists and wellness specialists.
These career outcomes highlight the diverse opportunities available to our graduates to make a positive impact on the lives of individuals living with serious mental health conditions by contributing to the provision of mental health services and advocacy interventions.
Program Highlights
Our B.S. in Psychiatric Rehabilitation program is the only one of its kind in the country. The program prepares students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to obtain employment in mental health settings upon graduation and to take the national credentialing exam to become Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioners (CPRP).
Fast Facts:
Convenience of both in-person and on-line courses
A complete psychiatric rehabilitation career ladder from B.S. through Ph.D. degrees
Elective courses that prepare students to work with special populations
Graduates have a 100% pass rate on the CPRP exam
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Through our clinical practicum, students gain over 480 hours of hands-on experience in a community mental health program. In addition, students have an option to work with faculty on research projects.
Program Overview
Program Director: Peter M. Basto
Through intensive coursework and field experience, students learn the skills to help people with serious mental health conditions to live independently. Graduates are prepared to practice psychiatric rehabilitation in both group and individualized settings, helping people gain access to resources needed to successfully integrate into the community.
- Identify and assess psychiatric rehabilitation service modalities.
- Create wellness and recovery plans to assist in managing symptoms and functional deficits of serious mental illness.
- Describe community resources including housing, entitlement, and other essential resources.
- Adapt treatment and rehabilitation efforts for individuals based on personal history, developmental factors, and current medical and psychiatric history.
- Utilize communication techniques in a professional capacity with individuals, families, team members, and people in the community.
- Plan and facilitate rehabilitation groups.
- Provide psychiatric rehabilitation interventions to promote skill development and resource acquisition.
- Work effectively as part of an interdisciplinary team to provide wellness and recovery focused rehabilitation services.
- Describe and utilize evidence based psychiatric rehabilitation practices.
- Describe and utilize intervention strategies that target specialized populations such as persons with co-occurring disorders.
Career opportunities exist in a variety of psychiatric rehabilitation and community mental health settings, such as supported employment, residential, outreach programs including Integrated case management and assertive community treatment, peer run community wellness centers, and partial care programs.
- The program provides an excellent environment for professional networking, and many of our students obtain paid employment at their clinical practicum sites.
- Students are prepared for graduate education in fields such as Mental Health Counseling, Social Work, and Psychology.
Accreditation
Rutgers is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a voluntary, nongovernmental, peer-based membership association dedicated to promoting standards of excellence and improvement in higher education.
For more information, contact William Waynor, program director at waynorwr@shp.rutgers.edu.
Admission Criteria
Admission Criteria
- Overall GPA of 2.5
- GPA of 3.0 in any Psychology courses taken prior to admission
- Two letters of recommendation
- Written essay related to career goals
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary academic institutions attended
- Completed application
- Application fee
- For the dual major program with Kean, completion of at least 40 semester hours (including at least 3 psychology and/or psychiatric rehabilitation courses)
- For the dual major program with Rutgers NCAS, Georgian Court University, and Felician University: Completion of all required psychology and general education courses
SHP Tuition and Fees
For Tuition and Fees, please see the Undergraduate Tuition and Fees.
(Scroll down to 2023-2024 Rutgers Health Tuition and Fee Rates and click on School of Health Professions)
For Financial Aid information, please visit https://scarlethub.rutgers.edu/financial-services/
Curriculum
Students enter the program during their sophomore or junior year at the partner school where they fulfill their psychology and general education requirements.
At Rutgers School of Health Professions, students complete a 21-credit core in psychiatric rehabilitation, a 12-credit practicum sequence, and a minimum of 12 credits of electives in upper-level psychiatric rehabilitation course for a total of 120 – 131credits. The number of credits depends on the partner school’s requirements.
See the full B.S. in Psychiatric Rehabilitation & Psychology Curriculum
