Bridget Glass, Program Director and Assistant Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, South University, West Palm Beach

In an interview with Invest:, Bridget Glass, program director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MA) Program at South University, discussed how technology supports programming and student enrollment. “We built a streamlined learning path so the students can use their energy effectively on the ground, and have a work-life balance,” Glass said.

What recent changes have had the biggest impact on the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at South University?

We recently earned our accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. It’s the National standard for mental health counseling programs across the country, which means we are doing all the things required for our students to attain technical skills for practical and theoretical learning. We received eight years of accreditation, which is the longest period that can be awarded.

How is the mental health education landscape evolving in Palm Beach and South Florida?

One of the things to consider is the implementation of AI for creating clinical notes and counselor education. We ensure that students who graduate from South University have all the tools required as they go into the world now, instead of when it was 20 years ago. Our counseling faculty consist of private practice clinicians.

We are on the front lines of different trends. We’re using AI frequently in class to teach students, from how to write a clinical note and conceptualize a specific diagnosis to strengthening their skills as a clinician.

There’s this thought that if we don’t understand something, we cannot be sure if it’s going to be beneficial, so let’s not teach our students anything about it. But, that’s not going to equip them with the skills to be marketable when they graduate.

How does the university leverage technology to boost the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program?

I was given the responsibility to shift our program from completely on-ground to a hybrid model. While we know COVID had many challenges and traumatic impacts on our society, we have to recognize there are some things we learned from it. Students don’t necessarily have to be in a class three nights a week. We use not only our on-ground technology in our labs, but we also use asynchronous modules. Students can take a class but never have to come to campus for that specific class. One of the fantastic tools we’re using is called Skillsetter, where they introduce a brief video of a group, couple, or individual, and students have to respond as if they are in real-time conversation with them. They are able to review the footage, make sure they meet all of the things within a rubric, and send it to the class instructors. We can still observe their clinical skills without being face to face. We review those on a weekly basis and evaluate whether they need to practice in person. This shows that we can blend the human perspective with the practical skills which can be acquired at home.

How does the university prepare the next generation of clinical mental health professionals in South Florida?

According to 2023 findings reported by Mental Health America, there are approximately 550 Florida residents to every one mental health clinician. The clinicians are not only therapists, but also nurse practitioners, psychologists, and psychiatrists. As of 2024, The US Bureau of Labor Statistic describes occupations in the field of mental health as demonstrating strong growth through 2032, but access to services continues to demonstrate gaps. It is really crucial to address this, not necessarily from a revenue perspective but simply being able to provide counseling.

With virtual counseling, we can get through barriers for individuals within our community who may not have access to transportation, have children to care for, or work multiple jobs. We train our students to conceptualize their clients from their strengths, and to recognize that these individuals deserve treatment. We help them navigate access to treatments and provide the opportunity to practice with virtual counseling through Skillsetter, as well as at their internship sites. We have many partners within the community where students can complete their internships in person with the required supervisor. I constantly network and make sure people know that they can support our students, especially as mental health counseling in our community is so desperately needed.

What is the value proposition of mental health education?

We try to impress upon our students that this is their holistic education. They will not just be reading books, answering questions, or writing a research paper. Those are great pieces but not the whole puzzle. They need to be doing advocacy work. Professional organizations within our state are incredibly important, not only for networking and connecting with other professionals, but also for creating lasting change. We make sure our students are locked into those opportunities in the community. Conferences are learning experiences that provide something different than the textbooks. Giving them a well-rounded experience will support their endeavor once they’re in the field. I try to tell them to take the opportunity to be a learner regardless of their age, because one day they will be sitting across someone very vulnerable who needs their help who isn’t looking for a textbook answer. They will be looking for all the different experiences collected over the learning period that would serve their treatment in kind and meaningful ways.

How does the university teach balancing soft and hard skills in preparing students for future potential?

In business, or in whatever work we do, we definitely need to have emotional intelligence. For example, we need to be able to engage our team to be successful, or ask for resources and connect with others. When we instill these skills, it boils down to being present, being able to listen, and being able to step back. In general, most things are not about us. It’s about whatever comes towards us. We need to assess how to meet the individual’s needs from a lens of observation, rather than being triggered, and this skill can be powerful in all fields.

How does the university address the challenges facing the healthcare education landscape?

We engage individuals who don’t necessarily have the funding for higher education. We strongly believe that counselors should be supported and given the opportunity to grow despite their financial issues. Our wonderful financial aid office works directly with students to help with their needs. In the end, it’s about the clients who one day will be fortunate enough to have our students who are trained so well to help them develop how they see the world. There’s so much incredible changes that can happen from counseling, and money should never hold that back.

What is your outlook for the mental health education landscape in the few years? 

We have innovated the hybrid model. There might be some mindsets reluctant to embrace change. But, since we started the new program two years ago, it’s only been growing and improving, especially as we learn more about AI and facilitate its usage into our programs. AI is sometimes seen as the enemy making students cheat, or at least lessen their learning, but we can teach them how to use it appropriately in building their skills.