The Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy (SMFT) program recently received reaccreditation for the next seven years from the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
For DeAnna Harris-McKoy, it’s a completion of a goal she set when she was hired to serve as the program’s director.
“When I joined the SMFT program at NIU in 2020, I made reaccreditation my top priority,” said Harris-McKoy. “I am so excited our program is reaccredited for the next seven years. 
First accredited in 1983, the Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy program at NIU is one of the oldest COAMFTE accredited program in the U.S. and is the only COAMFTE accredited program at a public university in Illinois.
“I wanted to ensure that the legacy of training ethical, culturally informed, systemic entry level marriage and family therapists continued,” Harris-McKoy said. “Reaccreditation was collective and collaborative process between SMFT faculty, the immediate previous program director, current students, SMFT alumni, site supervisors, employers of SMFT alumni and university administrators.”
Learn more about the SMFT program at NIU.
