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 University of Phoenix and Education Management Solutions (EMS) today announced that University of Phoenix has enhanced its Phoenix-based Master of Science in Counseling program with the addition of EMS' system, Total Counseling, a training, assessment and debriefing software that enables educators to easily evaluate students' progress in the clinical environment, leading to better student and client outcomes.

The system has been installed in the University of Phoenix Counseling Skills Center in Phoenix, Ariz., where the program's students and faculty provide community members with free counseling in areas including mental health, wellness, multicultural concerns and marriage and family counseling.

"For more than 20 years, University of Phoenix has been an innovation leader in higher education and we are proud to continue that tradition today with the implementation of EMS' Total Counseling," said Dr. Patricia Kerstner, University of Phoenix College of Social Sciences Campus College Chair. "EMS' Total Counseling will enable our faculty to provide a more comprehensive and integrated learning experience for our students so that they may hone their skills, build their confidence and provide a better experience for their clients."

Total Counseling allows users to build complete electronic client files containing session videos, electronic client documentation and session outcome assessments. The ability to record and debrief real and simulated counseling sessions in a safe environment allows faculty to monitor and help their students develop competencies and client management skills, while ensuring compliance with protocol.

Some of the benefits of EMS' Total Counseling include:

• Tagging/bookmarking videos with comments for counselor feedback/supervision and behavior observation research
• Eliminating paper-based activities and streamlining processes
• Automating the scheduling and reservation of counseling rooms and participants
• Ensuring that client files are secured to a HIPAA-compliant level

• Enabling data collection and analysis of clinical outcomes

The 2009 Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs Standards explicitly requires audio-videotaping and/or live supervision of a student's interactions with clients. This endorsement validates the importance of digital recording of counseling and role-playing sessions as a central tool in counselor education.

"We believe that any counseling practicum clinic, university counselor education program, or university counseling center dedicated to training excellence will realize substantial benefits by incorporating our integrated audio-video recording system and the HIPAA compliant, cloud-based counseling management solution," said Anurag Singh, President and CEO of Education Management Solutions. "I'm confident that the result will be a more productive learning experience, delivering improved skills and clinical outcomes."

University of Phoenix's Master of Science in Counseling program teaches current trends and applications in mental health counseling. Course curriculum is designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed by competent, ethical professionals in today's world.  Faculty are leaders in the field and licensed mental health professionals.

For more information about University of Phoenix counseling programs, visit Phoenix.edu/SocialSciences.