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Program Mission

The Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech prepares graduates to become skilled Marriage and Family Therapists with multicultural competence, expertise in rural mental health care, Medical Family Therapy (MedFT) and substance use disorder treatment.

In strong collaboration with local child and family service organizations, health care and mental health care providers, the MFT Program supports and strengthens mental health care and child and family services in rural southern Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Objectives

• Teach foundational knowledge related to human development, basic counseling skills, MFT theories and interventions, assessment and diagnosing, cultural humility, rural mental health care, and research.
• Train trauma-informed and culturally competent marriage and family therapists.
• Teach the integration of mental health and addiction and recovery in the etiology and treatment of co-occurring disorders.
• Train marriage and family therapists in Integrated Behavioral Healthcare and Medical Family Therapy practices.
• Increase awareness of issues of diversity, inclusion and social justice for the delivery of culturally-responsive and culturally-sensitive family therapy.
• Promote the importance of ethical principles while upholding ethical standards that are consistent with the AAMFT Code of Ethics and the ACA Code of Ethics.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Student Learning Outcomes 

1. Theoretical Knowledge
   Competency: Apply principles and constructs of various human development and systems theories to marriage and family practice.

2. Clinical Knowledge
   Competency: Apply family therapy skills and techniques to assess, structure and direct therapy, help clients to find solutions, identify strengths, and stay engaged in the therapeutic process.

3. Professional Identity and Ethics
   Competency: Develop professional identity consistent with professional attitudes and behaviors outlined in the AAMFT Code of Ethics and applicable laws and regulations, with particular attention to cultural competence.

4. Cultural Competency
   Competency: Demonstrate knowledge about sytstemically and culturally contextualized experiences of members of socio-cultural majority and minority groups, integrating that knowledge into ethica practice as marriage and family therapists.

5. Research
   Competency: Analyze research and translate research findings for improvement of family therapy services using statistics and program evaluation methods.

6. Interpersonal Effectiveness
   Competency: Achieve personal development and demonstrate positive relationship skills via effective communication, respect for others, and awareness of their impact on others. 

Summary of Student Learning Outcomes

The Marriage and Family Therapy faculty formally assess the student learning outcomes which are summarized in the annual program assessment report. Additional details can be found in department assessment records.

Program Curriculum Map

The curriculum map for the Marriage and Family Therapy program can be found on the catalog web page on the Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ Tech website, www.oit.edu/catalog.