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The University of Maine at Fort Kent is excited to announce their newest pathway for students to earn their Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician certification (MHRT/C). This certification, now offered online through UMFK, is highly sought after by employers in the mental field throughout Maine.

“We developed this pathway to respond to workforce demands,” said Shawn Graham, LCPC/CADC, a faculty member and the program coordinator of UMFK’s Behavioral Science program. “Employers are having a difficult time finding trained professionals to fill openings and respond to community needs. We realized that many individuals in the field, or people wishing to enter the field, cannot relocate to Fort Kent, so we are now offering different online options.”

“What is really exciting is that we are offering this in an accelerated format so people can quickly earn their provisional certification to begin working in the field while they complete their remaining requirements towards full certification,” said Graham.

While UMFK continues to offer the MHRT/C program on campus as part of its Behavioral Science program, this certification can now be earned as a stand-alone certification or within an Associate of Arts in Human Services degree. Individuals will have the option to work towards just the certification if they already have a degree, or are just interested in the certification, or they can enroll in a two-year Associate of Arts in Human Services.

“Students can now earn their MHRT/C fully online at a reduced tuition rate and begin work in the field as a provisionally certified mental health professional,” said Graham. “Class are set up in seven week sessions in order to move a student through the program more quickly.”

Due to the need for professionals in the mental health field throughout the State, UMFK is offering the MHRT/C program at a reduced rate of $150 per credit hour, which includes the course fees. Credits earned in the MHRT/C certification will count towards an Associate of Arts in Human Services and the Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science degrees from UMFK.

According to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the MHRT/C certification was brought about to ensure that employees providing community support services to adults living with mental illness would have the training they needed to provide quality services.

“The Muskie School’s Center for Learning takes great pride in the partnerships and collaborative networks we have created with many colleges and universities across the state,” said Jacinda Dionne, M.Ed., the Muskie School Center for Learning’s Behavioral Health Certification Specialist. “The Behavioral Science program at the UMFK was one of the first to revise and have their program approved to meet the new MHRT/C competency domains.  In an effort to further increase access to MHRT/C certification for the behavioral health workforce, they have established two additional online pathways for distance students. This compressed online model will allow a quicker, streamlined path toward provisional certification (and employment) while also ensuring that the required competencies are addressed.”

For more information on this certification at UMFK, the Associate of Arts in Human Services or the Behavioral Science program, please go to umfk.edu or call 834-7600.