Rationale and Importance;
- Mental health issues are increasingly critical in Somalia due to conflict, displacement, and trauma.
- There is a growing national and regional demand for trained mental health counsellors grounded in social work values.
- SNU has been leading the academic development of social work since 2018, making it the most appropriate home for this program.
- Globally, similar programs are offered under faculties of social work or humanities (e.g., University of Toronto, Monash University, City University of Mogadishu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences to name a few).
Program Objectives
- Equip students with counselling skills that are culturally and religiously relevant to Somalia.
- Foster community-based approaches to mental health.
- Enable graduates to design, implement, and evaluate psychosocial programs.
- Strengthen national capacity in trauma-informed care and social reintegration.
Career opportunities for Master of Mental Health Counselling Graduates
- Clinical Mental Health Counsellor
- Trauma Specialist in Hospitals and Care Centers
- School Counsellor
- Researcher and Educator
- Policy Analyst/Advisor
- Mental Health Program Lead
- Accredited Trainer and Consultant
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Psychotherapist
Program Courses
Year One/Semester One
| Course Name (s) | |||
| 1. Mental Health and Society in Somalia | |||
| 2. Counselling Theories & Skills | |||
| 3. Human Growth & Personality Development | |||
| 4. Ethics & Human Rights in Counselling |
Year One/Semester Two
| Course Name (s) | |||
| 1. Trauma & PTSD Interventions | |||
| 2. GBV & Child Protection Responses | |||
| 3. Psychosocial Case Management | |||
| 4. Trauma & PTSD Interventions |
Year Two/Semester One
| Course Name (s) | |||
| 1. Supervised Field Practicum I | |||
| 2. Research Methods in Social Sciences | |||
| 3. Community-Based Mental Health Models |
Year Two/Semester Two
| Course Name (s) | |||
| 1. Leadership & Organizational Behavior | |||
| 2. Graduate Thesis |