The program began with inspiring words from Dr. Eileen Burker and Dr. Christopher Ingersoll, followed by beautiful introductions of each student from Dr. Terra Rose.

Congratulations to the CRMHC Class of 2025!

One moment you’re fully engaged in your master’s program studies, and the next you’re supporting state and federal agencies in managing an unexpected natural disaster.

That was the life for Mason Poythress, a graduate student pursuing his Master鈥檚 degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC), when Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina and he was called to a State of Active Duty (SAD) by the North Carolina Army National Guard. Poythress is currently a Captain (CPT) in the North Carolina Army National Guard, the commander of Detachment 1, B Company, 2-151 Aviation Regiment, and served as a part of the North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) State Emergency Response Team (SERT) Air Branch during efforts to support North Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helene.听听

The responsibilities of the Air SERT Team are to coordinate aviation assets to support local missions that include search and rescues (SAR), supply distribution, and air movements. At the peak of the support effort for Hurricane Helene he helped to coordinate more than 50 military aircraft from other states and military branches to increase reach and capacity to help the many affected communities. In his role, he collaborated with federal agencies like Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to deconflict the airspace and ensure safe aviation operations, and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to understand supply needs and coordinate deliveries to Western North Carolina.

Balancing military duties and graduate school is not easy, but Mason was supported by his program faculty to do what he does best: help those in need. Once the immediate crisis of the hurricane passed, he returned to his classes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this time with a renewed sense of pride about his service, and an increased awareness of the critical needs for care within many North Carolina communities. His experiences as an Army officer, helicopter pilot, and his recent service coordinating emergency relief efforts deepened his commitment to mental health care, not just for service members, but for everyone who needs it. Mason cites that his experiences in the National Guard and working with soldiers from diverse backgrounds have guided his focus to pursuing a helping profession. He also states the CMHC program at 黑料网-Chapel Hill has been instrumental in preparing him for his future civilian career as a mental health counselor. 听

鈥�The CMHC program has been such an incredible launching point for my career as a counselor,鈥� said Mason. 鈥淲e’ve learned so much about the diversity of theoretical orientations and counseling modalities that I feel confident in how I want to develop a counseling approach that is both authentic and evidence-based.鈥�听

As he prepares for graduation in May, Mason reflects on his academic journey in the CMHC program, his military experiences, and how they have helped shape his identity as both a military officer and a future mental health counselor. The blend of academic rigor and real-world applications in the CMHC program has allowed him to explore new dimensions of leadership and empathy, both traits that were already deeply ingrained by his military service. Whether it is in uniform or sitting with a client in a counseling session, Mason says his goal remains the same: to serve with integrity, compassion, and purpose. After graduation, he plans to continue supporting individuals in need of mental health resources through support, connection, and validation. 听

The Division of Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling was ranked #7 by U.S. News & World Report in the publication鈥檚 2025 rankings of Rehabilitation Counseling programs in America. This is the third consecutive top 15 ranking for the program.

The program offers a unique and challenging 60+ credit master鈥檚 degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling with concentrations in working with individuals with developmental and/or psychiatric disabilities.

Graduates of the program are eligible for the national professional certification as Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and can receive their North Carolina state credential for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC).

Graduates are employed in a variety of positions in mental health settings, on ACT teams, working with individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries, and helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment. Graduates have recently been admitted to PhD. programs in rehabilitation counselor education, counselor education, clinical psychology, school counseling and school psychology.听 Last year 23 students graduated from the CRMH program.

What began as working with those who had experienced brain injury, stroke and/or spinal cord injury evolved into also supporting families who have been affected by intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Some commonly known forms of IDD include autism, cerebral palsy, ADHD, pediatric brain injury and down syndrome.

Morrison was recently awarded $250,000 over two years from the Eugene Washington Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institution (PCORI) for Project BENEFIT: Building Effective Networks to Engage Families in Improving Transitions. Dr. Diana Cejas, MD, MPH, a faculty member in the Department of Neurology and at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), serves as the project鈥檚 co-lead.

PCORI supports projects that encourage involvement of patients, caregivers, clinicians and other healthcare workers in patient-centered outcome research. The purpose of Project BENEFIT is to partner with and engage IDD stakeholders in patient-centered outcome research in the area of healthcare transition. Healthcare transition is defined, in this instance, as the transition from pediatric healthcare services to adult healthcare services.

鈥淗istorically, there is a large gap in healthcare transition because of the limited number of medical providers trained to work with the IDD population,鈥� said Morrison. 鈥淢any people with IDD could be in their 20s and still be working with a pediatric provider, but existing research shows that inadequate healthcare transition to adult providers can lead to poor health outcomes that affect community life, particular in IDD patients that are considered racially/ethnically marginalized.鈥�

Goals and Outcomes of Project BENEFIT

Project BENEFIT involves partnerships with IDD advocacy organizations, including 黑料网鈥檚 Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CIDD), Family Support Network of North Carolina (FSNNC), Virginia Commonwealth University鈥檚 Partnership for People with Disabilities, and Parent2Parent USA. Each of the partner organizations will play a unique role in supporting people with IDD and their families, with the primary goal of developing trusting, long-lasting research partnerships. Additionally, a stakeholder advisory group comprised of various IDD stakeholders with differing backgrounds鈥� individuals with IDD, physicians, researchers, family members 鈥� will oversee the project鈥檚 implementation, provide guidance and recommendations, and will co-create the project deliverables.

Goals of the project include:

• Developing trusting, sustainable partnerships to co-create research materials that will help improve engagement of IDD stakeholders in future patient-centered outcome research
• Developing research materials and an infrastructure that increases capacity to conduct future patient-centered outcome research in the area of IDD healthcare transition
• Creating a sustainable network of IDD stakeholders to help plan and conduct future clinical effectiveness trials, so that meaningful evidence-based healthcare transition supports are developed for the IDD and underserved communities.

鈥淭he true outcomes we seek through Project BENEFIT are determining how to best 鈥榗o-create鈥� a healthcare transition research roadmap, with input from IDD stakeholders,鈥� said Morrison. 鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to answer questions about what research steps need to be taken within this area, and what future research should look like.鈥� Other project deliverables include an IDD-accessible video on patient-centered outcomes research and a partnership framework to enhance researcher practices and use stakeholder-informed approaches to IDD research.

Morrison hopes that Project BENEFIT will support the creation of a culture of IDD stakeholder-led research that will help reduce healthcare disparities for people with IDD. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about educating,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his project will help educate and improve healthcare professionals and researchers understanding of effective patient-centered healthcare transition research and services, so they can better meet the unique healthcare needs of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.鈥�

The program offers a unique and challenging 60+ credit master鈥檚 degree in clinical rehabilitation and mental health with concentrations in working with persons with developmental and psychiatric disabilities.

Graduates of the program are eligible for national professional certification as Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and can receive their North Carolina state credentials for Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC). During the past five years, graduates of the program have had a CRC examination pass rate of 100 percent, much higher than the 2022 national average of 71 percent.

Additionally, graduates are employed in a variety of positions in mental health settings, on ACT teams, working with individuals with autism, developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries, and helping individuals with disabilities find meaningful employment. Graduates have also been admitted to PhD. programs in rehabilitation counselor education, counselor education, clinical psychology, school counseling and school psychology.

Beginning fall 2023, one program will become two separate programs 鈥� a Master of Science in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Concentrations/tracks are offered in working with persons with developmental disabilities and/or psychiatric disabilities in both programs.

Novachek鈥檚 Personal Beginning with Parkinson鈥檚 Disease

Novachek received her bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology from Appalachian State University. While in college, she mentored a high school student with disabilities, leading her to desire a career involving work with people with disabilities.

Her decision to pursue a master鈥檚 degree in CRMH was personal. While in college and spending time with a significant other鈥檚 family, Novachek noticed the grandfather 鈥� who was diagnosed with Parkinson鈥檚 disease 鈥� trying to keep up with family conversations by writing down his thoughts. He was unable to do so because of his disease and eventually stopped trying.

鈥淲atching him slowly stop being a part of his family conversations stuck with me – he had no voice and no one to advocate for him,鈥� Novachek said. 鈥淚 wanted to be that advocate for people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and show others that those who cannot advocate for themselves are not less valuable.鈥�

While pursuing her master鈥檚 degree, Novachek was simultaneously pursuing her passion to work with people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease by establishing Rock Steady Boxing NC Triangle.

Knocking Out Parkinson鈥檚: Rock Steady Boxing NC Triangle

Rock Steady Boxing NC Triangle was established in 2017, the same year Novachek graduated from the CRMH program, to help change the lives of people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease. The program combines boxing and physical activities with mental health activities.

鈥淧hysical activity helped me manage my own anxiety and depression, which changed my life,鈥� Novachek said. 鈥淚 knew I wanted to incorporate physical activity therapy as a form of rehabilitation for this population for the same reason.鈥�

Rock Steady Boxing offers boxing, yoga and functional fitness classes. The company has grown from offering four classes a week with 25 people to now serving more than 100 people in two locations and online 鈥� an option for people who want to join classes from other locations.

Novachek is most proud of the sense of community built behind the program. 鈥淲e鈥檝e all become each other鈥檚 family,鈥� she said.

The Journey Continues with Growth in Mind

Novachek admits that she cried when she found out she was included on the Triangle Business Journal鈥檚 40 Under 40 list.

鈥淚 know what I do is very valuable and important to the people around me, and people are appreciative, but not many people are vocal about it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile going to graduate school and starting a business was difficult, it also felt like nobody saw it. Now, the recognition is a nice reminder to keep going.鈥�

The plan for the future of Rock Steady Boxing is its continuation and ongoing growth. Novachek is interested in moving into more therapy aspects of mental health to reach people with Parkinson鈥檚 disease and other life stages.