The MFT Program at UNLV is designed to achieve several Educational Outcomes. Decisions we make as a faculty about the direction of a program are generally tied to developing better ways to measure the outcomes, achieve the outcomes, and revise the program with consideration to supporting the Educational Outcomes. In short, these outcomes uniquely distinguish UNLV’s MFT Program from any other. It is important that you acquaint yourself with these outcomes.

The term “Educational Outcomes” is a collective term to describe three different classes of outcomes — program objectives, student learning outcomes, and faculty outcomes (see below).

Each of these objectives are described below:

Program Objectives

Student Learning Objectives

• Program will contribute to the field of marriage and family therapy through: a) Faculty research, service and mentoring; b) Competent students; c) Training and research that is culturally sensitive.
• Program will contribute to the Las Vegas community through: a) Center for Individual, Couple and Family Counseling (CICFC), b) Internship placements , c) Serving diverse/underserved clientele.
• Program will contribute to the University through fulfilling the University mission.
  1. Complete all coursework and clinical requirements with a minimum grade of B/3.0.
  2. Complete all courses and requirements of the program.
  3. Maintain respect for differences and honor factors that reflect diversity in our community, including age, culture, environment, ethnicity, gender, health/ability, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, spirituality, and socioeconomic status.
  4. Identify the foundations and contemporary conceptual directions of the field of marriage and family therapy.
  5. Interpret and apply the major models of marriage, couple, and family therapy.
  6. Analyze a wide variety of presenting clinical problems in the treatment of individuals, couples, and families from a relational/systemic perspective.
  7. Address contemporary individuals, couples and families as pertaining to gender, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, etc; comprehend therapeutic strategies with diverse/multicultural populations.
  8. Comprehend principles, assessment, and treatment of sexual problems and dysfunction.
  9. Recognize and assess substance use and abuse in individuals, couples, and families.
  10. Diagnose mental health, considering major psychopharmacological interventions, physical health issues, using traditional psychodiagnostic and relational categories.
  11. Examine individual and family development across the lifespan.
  12. Maintain a professional identity, engage in professional socialization, and understand the MFT scope of practice, professional organizations, licensure, and certification.
  13. Define ethical issues related to the profession of marriage and family therapy and the practice of individual, couple, and family therapy, including: responsibility to clients, students and supervisees, research participants and the profession; issues of confidentiality; professional competence and integrity; the appropriateness of advertising and financial arrangements.
  14. Identify the legal responsibilities and liabilities of clinical practice and research, including record keeping, reimbursement, the business aspects of practice, and familiarity with regional and federal laws as they relate to the practice of individual, couple and family therapy.
  15. Use research in couple and family therapy, focusing on methodology, data analysis and the evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative research.
  16. Complete a substantive clinical experience in which students integrate and apply theoretical and practical knowledge from all didactic coursework in the treatment of individual, couple and family problems.

Faculty Objectives

• Obtain and maintain a valid Nevada Marriage and Family Therapist license or other mental health license with demonstrated marriage and family training and experience.
• Obtain and maintain the AAMFT Approved Supervisor designation.
• Maintain respect for differences and honor factors that reflect diversity in our community, including age, culture, environment, ethnicity, gender, health/ability, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, spirituality, and socioeconomic status.
• Improve pedagogy with the goal of enhancing student learning.
• Augment students’ learning by advising and providing mentorship.
• For faculty with a research appointment, develop and progress on a research agenda that contributes to the advancement of the MFT discipline and informs the clinical practice of relational therapy.
• Present scholarship or otherwise participate at professional conferences, such as AAMFT, AASECT, APA, AFTA, and NCFR.
• Disseminate research that reaches or impacts a wide variety of MFT practitioners, scholars, and clients.
• Serve on committees within the MFT program, the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, UNLV, the MFT profession, and the greater Southern Nevada community.
• Remain clinically active so as to enrich course teaching and student supervision with direct experiential knowledge.
• Full time faculty will maintain continuous membership in AAMFT.