COLLEGE OF EDUCATION





DEPARTMENT OF 
COUNSELOR EDUCATION 

Practicum/Internship Handbook

 
2000-2001
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE..................................................................................................................................... 4
I.INTRODUCTION TO THE DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELOR

EDUCATION, NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY................................. 5

A.Department Program Objectives ............................................................... 5

1.Knowledge-Based Objectives............................................................. 5

2.Counseling Proficiency Objectives..................................................... 6

B.Description of the Curriculum................................................................... 6

1.Basic Core............................................................................................. 6

2.School Counseling Program................................................................ 7

3.Community Counseling Program........................................................ 7

4.Elective Courses................................................................................... 8

II.ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTICUM AND

INTERNSHIP................................................................................................................ 8

III.PREPARATION FOR SELECTING PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP SITES........ 9

IV.APPLICATION AND PLACEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THE

CLINICAL FIELD EXPERIENCE........................................................................ 10

V.THE PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE.......................... 11

VI.THE PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE...................................................................... 12

A.Purpose........................................................................................................ 12

B.Objectives for Practicum I, Group Supervision.................................. 12

C.Objectives and Clinical Competencies for Practicum II, Clinical Experiences13

1.School Counseling.............................................................................. 14

2.Community Counseling...................................................................... 15

VII.THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE...................................................................... 16

A.General Objectives and Expectations................................................... 16

B.School Counseling Internship................................................................ 17

1.Objectives............................................................................................ 17

2.Clinical Experiences........................................................................... 17

C.Community Counseling Internship....................................................... 20

1.Objectives............................................................................................ 20

2.Clinical Experiences........................................................................... 20

VIII.ROLE AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY, SITE, AND STUDENT21

A.The Role of the University, Department of Counselor

Education, and the University Supervisor........................................... 21

B.The Role of the Agency or School and On-Site

Supervisor.................................................................................................... 22

C.Expectations of the Student's Behavior and Performance............. 23

IX.CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF SITE SUPERVISORS............................... 24

X.GUIDELINES FOR ON-SITE SUPERVISION AND EVALUATION................ 25

A.Phases of the Practicum and Internship Experience....................... 25

B.Supervision, Relationship, and Contract............................................. 25

C.Assessment of Supervisee...................................................................... 26

D.Criteria for Evaluation of Student Performance................................. 27

IX.Procedures for Problem Resolution and Termination From Site............. 28

APPENDICES

Summary of Assignments

Practicum Assignments

Internship I Assignments

Internship II Assignments

Forms

Cooperative Agreement for Placement in Practicum/Internship

Site Supervisor Evaluation of Student

University Supervisor Evaluation of Practicum

Student Evaluation of Site Experience

Student Evaluation of Site Supervisor

Field Placement Weekly Time Log

Case Study Outline

Monthly Practicum Supervision Summary

Practicum/Internship Summary of Hours


PREFACE
This Handbook is prepared so that students, on-site supervisor, and department faculty supervisors will have the policies, procedures, objectives, and evaluation criteria that pertain to the practicum and internship experience.
There are many procedures, sequences of courses, deadlines, and academic requirements that students need to know so they may proceed smoothly through the program.This Handbook, in conjunction with the Student Handbook, will provide the basic information and guidelines in planning one's program.Each student has an assigned advisor with whom she/he is expected to keep on-going consultation.The student is the one primarily responsible for knowing the information in this Handbook and keeping apprised of deadlines and on-going requirements and responsibilities.

We believe that our students and supervisors represent high standards of dedication and professional commitment, and we invite you to join us in a mutually stimulating and positive practicum and internship learning experience.

The Department of Counselor Education

Masters of Arts in Counseling


Department of Counselor Education Program Objectives
The professional counselor works from an integrated understanding that combines theory and practice.For instructional purposes, however, this program is conceived in terms of a knowledge base and a range of counseling proficiencies. The objectives of the program are therefore presented in these two categories. The knowledge objectives are formulated in reference to eight common-core areas: human growth and development, social and cultural foundation, helping relationships, group work, lifestyle and career development, appraisal, research and evaluation and professional orientation.The counseling objectives reflect the CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs) criteria as well as the conviction of this faculty that a program that aims to prepare effective counseling professional must have a strong clinical orientation. 
1. Knowledge-based objectives 

In reference to the knowledge base of the program, the objectives are: 

  1. to orient students to the nature of professional counseling by 1) introducing them to the history, goals, professional roles, ethical and legal standards, preparation standards, professional organizations, and credentialing processes of the field and 2) helping them to measure their own strengths and limitations against the demands of the profession; 
  2. to help students to see the individual within a developmental context by introducing them to the basic theories, concepts, and principles that comprise the body of knowledge about normal and abnormal human development; 
  3. to acquaint students with the nature of social and cultural change within a pluralistic society and to prepare them to deal with the ramifications of on-going change in their work as professional counselors; 
  4. to introduce students to the major theories of counseling/psychotherapy, to help them to develop a working understanding of the relation between theory and practice in their work as counselors, and to guide them as they formulate their own personal theory of counseling -- an initial formulation that will be revised, modified, and reformulated as they grow and develop professionally; 
  5. to help students to understand the role of the counselor in terms of the counselor client relationship, the stages of counseling as defined by representative counseling models, and the counseling strategies and interventions that help to facilitate change in the client; 
  6. to introduce students to the principles of group dynamics, theories of group counseling, alternative leadership styles, and ethical considerations that comprise the body of knowledge about group counseling; 
  7. to help students to understand the processes and counseling implications of lifestyle and career development by introducing them to the theories, informational systems, planning models, assessment instruments, and placement and evaluation strategies that characterize this area; 
  1. to acquaint students with the principles, theories, and methodologies of educational and psychological appraisal (including psychometric statistics and computer-assisted approaches) that are appropriate to their work as professional counselors; 
  2. to introduce students to a theoretical framework for meeting the counseling needs of target populations in a programmatic fashion by focusing on the processes of population identification, need assessment, goal formulation, intervention design, and program evaluation. 
  3. to help students to understand social scientific research as a means of problem solving within the counseling field and require them to demonstrate their knowledge by reviewing, designing, and conceptualizing a relevant research project. 
2. Counseling proficiency objectives 
In reference to counseling proficiency, the objectives of the program are: 
  1. to involve students in the application of learning to practical situations by requiring within all didactic courses a range of self-assessment assignments, group process activities, case studies, and individual projects; 
  2. to help students to acquire, through supervised laboratory practice, the verbal and non-verbal interaction skills that are basic to the helping process, including appropriate physical orientation to the client; careful listening; communication of empathy through reflection of feeling and paraphrase; effective use of open and indirect questions, probing statements, summarization, and self-disclosure; and appropriate use of a range of challenging techniques; 
  3. to involve students in a range of group counseling activities by means of supervised counseling sessions in which they function as both group members and group leaders; 
  4. to require students to complete a minimum of 100 hours of closely supervised laboratory and practicum experiences in appropriate settings, in which they engage in on-going counseling activities with both individuals and groups, using a range of counseling models, interpretive frameworks, and intervention strategies; 
  5. to require students to complete, under both university an site supervision, a 600 hour post-practicum internship in which they demonstrate their readiness for the professional counseling role by performing all of the activities that a counselor employed in that setting would be required to perform.
C.Description of the Curriculum
1.Basic Core (24 credits)
COUN-401The Counseling Profession (3 cr.)

COUN-402Developmental Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-403Frameworks for Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-404Evaluation Techniques (3 cr.)

COUN-405Individual Counseling Skills (3 cr.)

COUN-406Group Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-407Community Counseling (Career and Community)

OR

COUN-468LSchool Counseling (School Sequences) (3 cr.)

COUN-408Research Seminar (3 cr.)

2.School Counseling Program - Advanced Courses - (24 credits each sequence)

Elementary School Sequence

COUN-411Career Development:Elementary School(3 cr.)
ELECTIVES:3 courses (9 cr.)
COUN-441Practicum I:Group Supervision in Elementary School Counseling (3 cr.) 
COUN-451Practicum II:Clinical Experiences in Elementary School Counseling (3 cr.)
COUN-461Internship I:Elementary School Counseling (3 cr.)
COUN-471Internship II:Elementary School Counseling (3 cr.)

Secondary School Sequence

COUN-412 Career Development Secondary School 

3 cr.)

ELECTIVES:3 courses (9 cr.)

COUN-442Practicum I:Group Supervision in Secondary School Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-452Practicum II:Clinical Experiences in Secondary School Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-462Internship I:Secondary School Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-473Internship II:Secondary School Counseling (3 cr.)

3.Community Counseling Program - Advanced Courses -(24 credits)

Community Sequence

COUN-413Career Development (3 cr.)
COUN-420Introduction to Family Counseling (3 cr.)
COUN-427Diagnostic Systems for Counseling (3 cr.)
ELECTIVES:1 course (3 cr.)
COUN-444Practicum I:Group Supervision in Community Counseling (3 cr.)
COUN-454Practicum II:Clinical Experiences in Community Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-464Internship I:Community Counseling (3 cr.)

COUN-474Internship II:Community Counseling (3 cr.)

4.Elective Courses

COUN-414Advanced Career Counseling

COUN-415Children, Youth and Their Systems

COUN-420Introduction to Family Counseling

COUN-421Advanced Marriage and Family Counseling

COUN-422Grief Counseling

COUN-423Counseling in Business and Industry

COUN-424Stress Management

COUN-425Counseling for Alcohol and Chemical Dependency

COUN-426Advanced Counseling for Chemical Dependency

COUN-427Diagnostic Systems for Counseling

COUN-428Counseling the Gifted

COUN-429Student Development in Higher Education
COUN-468BCase Conceptualization

II.ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP
Successful completion of a graduate education program in counseling includes characteristics beyond grades and test scores.The faculty of the Department of Counselor Education periodically reviews the progress of its students.This review is designed to identify those students who are having academic difficulty, personal problems, or problems related to interpersonal skills and functioning.
Formal evaluations of students are conducted yearly, when they apply for candidacy, and before practicum and internship placement.Formal assessment of each student is conducted in the following areas:

*academic performance (competencies and weaknesses)

*professional development

*personal development

Each student applying for practicum and continuing into internship must meet the following requirements to be eligible for placement in a practicum or internship site:

1.*minimum GPA of 3.0 (out of 4.0)

2.*successful completion of the following core courses (a grade of B or better is required in all clinical courses):

COUN-401 The Counseling Profession

COUN-402 Developmental Counseling

COUN-403 Frameworks for Counseling

COUN-404 Evaluation Techniques

COUN-405 Individual Counseling Skills

COUN-406 Group Counseling

3.*Practicum Prerequisites

a.Candidacy.Students apply for candidacy after COUN-401-406 are completed.Applications can be obtained from the Graduate College.
b.Submit 1 copy of a formal resume to the Practicum and Internship Coordinator with practicum application along with a separate summary of strengths and areas needing additional development (academic, professional, and personal).
c.Approval of department.
d.Career development course appropriate to one’s sequence.
e.Additional course completions in: 
The Community Sequence

COUN-420 Introduction to Family Counseling

COUN-427 Diagnostic Systems for Counseling
f.Substance abuse courses(s) for students who are planning to be at a site dealing with substance abuse issues.
*Internship Prerequisites

a.Successful completion of Practicum I and II with grades of B or better in each;

b.Approval of Department to begin Internship I;

c.Successful completion of each internship semester with a grade of B or better before being able to proceed to the next internship semester.

In some circumstances a student might be advised that certain conditions need to be met before he/she is ready for practicum or internship, and will need to meet the recommendations before being reconsidered for a practicum or internship placement.Or, Department may recommend that the student pursue another field of study.

III.PREPARATION FOR SELECTING PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP SITES

Students should begin thinking about possible populations, issues, and agencies with whom they might work as soon as they enter the program.Students may do informational interviewing with agencies regarding services provided and whether practicum/internships are possible.Often this can be coordinated with various course assignments or done independently to gain knowledge of agencies and services provided in areas of possible interest in the student.

In addition, the Practicum Internship Coordinator has binders with various site brochures and agency profiles of expectations of student interns and services.These may suggest additional possibilities.

IV.APPLICATION AND PLACEMENT PROCEDURES FOR THE CLINICAL FIELD EXPERIENCE

Application.During the summer or early fall semester the year before planning to do Practicum/Internship, students meet with their advisor to review readiness for practicum and to sign the application form.

Application for clinical experiences may be completed either by securing an application form from the department office, or downloaded from the Clinical Experiences web site at http://www.neiu.edu/~jkedward/clinical.htm. The application may also be completed electronically on line from that site.Applications for practicum/internship are due November 1st for fall placements.Students must then attend a practicum/internship orientation meeting, which is held approximately two weeks after the application deadline. Dates and place are posted on the website and the listserv.

At the orientation meeting, eligibility requirements are reviewed as well as the objectives of field placements, procedures for securing placement, appropriate procedures for arranging and interviewing potential sites and supervisors, and components of an effective resume.

Students will be given a list of recent placement sites to use as an initial guide in deciding possible sites of interest.Guidelines for deciding on a setting and population, and information and protocol needed in making contact with the sites will be provided and discussed at the orientation.A list of sites may also be secured through the clinical experiences website.

If the site supervisor and student concur after the interview, the student makes arrangements with the site supervisor to complete the Cooperative Agreement Form and return it to the Coordinator.Students and site supervisors will negotiate days and times for student hours.Students can begin no earlier than mid-August due to liability and university supervision issues.

Exceptions to Placement Procedures

1.If the student applies to do an on-site practicum or internship, she/he must submit an outline of at least 3 new experiences other than that which is regularly a part of the student's job, signed by student and site supervisor.This is turned into the Practicum and Internship Coordinator along with the agreement form.

2.If the student is terminated from the placement site, further placement will be at the discretion of the Department.

TIME LINE


 
September-November
Meet with academic advisor to review coursework and sign application
November 1
Application due
Mid-November
Orientation meeting
January
Arrange interviews with sites
February-April (and beyond as needed)
Interview with at least two sites; student sends thank-you note to sites interviewed; student notifies sites not accepted and sends thank-you note
June 30
Signed agreement form by site and student due to Coordinator
July
Student arranges with site supervisor initial starting date, days, and hours to be on-site


V.THE PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
During the clinical experiences, students will be involved in a practicum followed by an internship.Although each has its own expectations and requirements, the clinical experience is viewed as a minimum of a 700 hour “package.”As such, it is expected that both the practicum and internship will be completed at the same off-campus site.Also, although each has its own on-site hour requirements, “extra” hours earned during the practicum will be counted toward internship hours.
Students are expected to begin no earlier than mid-August and continue through the end of the summer semester the following August (even if 700 hours are obtained prior to August).It is challenging to get high client contact hours in the summer, so the bulk of accumulated hours needs to be obtained before June (a minimum of 15 hours a week at the site is needed to obtain 700 hours over 48 weeks).

NOTE:Students are required to have a tape recorder to tape counseling sessions (standard size only).Quality of recording needs to be very clear.

Students also need to prepare for reviewing taped sessions for supervision with on-site and university supervisors by listening to the tape before supervision and deciding on areas of concern, questions, feedback and successful interventions.

VI.THE PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE

A.Purpose


The Department of Counselor Education requires students to complete a supervised practicum that totals a minimum of 100 clock hours with a minimum of 40 hours of direct service to clients.The practicum provides for the development of individual and group counseling skills under supervision.The practicum provides an opportunity to perform, on a limited basis and under supervision, some of the activities that a regularly employed staff member in the student's specific field of endeavor (school, career, or community) would be expected to perform.
B.Objectives for Practicum I, Group Supervision
Practicum I, Group Supervision, is a weekly three-hour course designed to be taken concurrently with Practicum II, Clinical Experiences (in either an elementary or secondary school, in an appropriate adult career development setting, or a community agency).Practicum I meets once a week for three hours with the university supervisor.The focus is on group supervision of clinical experiences as well as on the integration of the conceptual frameworks, counseling skills, assessment, planning, and intervention procedures within the context of legal and ethical guidelines.

The objectives of Practicum I, Group Supervision, are

1.to acquaint counselors-in-training with important laws and ethical guidelines pertaining to their work with clients;

2.to acquaint them with an integrative counseling model to be used as a basis for understanding and working with clients;

3.to foster within the counselors-in-training an increasing respect for individual and cultural differences;

4.to require counselors-in-training to conceptualize and present a case study of a client seen during the practicum experience;

5.to review the purpose and structure of the DSM-IV and help students use it with practicum clients when necessary;

6.to help develop counseling proficiency by providing group supervision of their concurrent field experience;

7.to assist them in preparing a professional disclosure statement to be given to the client, parent/guardian, staff, or family.

In addition to the above, each sequence has several objectives specifically geared to its setting:
School Counseling
1.to conceptualize strategies appropriate for assessing client development, problem solving, decision-making, self-esteem development, developing client goals and action plans, test interpretation, providing information, and utilization of referral resources;
2.to help students integrate individual and group counseling skills and conceptual frameworks in creating strategies responsive to the normal concerns of children/adolescents in the areas of personal, social, educational, and career-life development;
3.for elementary school counselors-in-training:assist students in understanding how children use metaphors in communication and how the art of metaphoric communication may be used.

Community Counseling

1.to introduce students to the nature and role of the intake interview;

2.to help students grasp the nature and importance of on-going clinical assessment, beginning with the initial interview and continuing throughout their sessions with clients;

3.to introduce a range of integrative frameworks and counseling strategies to be used with clients.
C.Objectives and Clinical Competencies for Practicum II, Clinical Experiences
Practicum II consists of 100 clock hours of supervised clinical experience in an appropriate setting in relation to the student's sequence (school, career, community).At least 40 of these hours are to be spent in direct service to clients.Practicum II is taken in conjunction with Practicum I, Group Supervision.University and site supervisors supervise students.
The objectives and student competencies for the clinical experiences vary for each sequence.

1.School Counseling

a.Objectives:The objectives for the Practicum II, Clinical Experiences for School Counseling include:

·to gain supervised experience in individual and group interactions with students, parents and school personnel;

·to become familiar with a variety of professional activities other than direct service work;

·to gain supervised experience in the use of a variety of professional resources such as appraisal instruments, computers, print and non-print media, professional literature and research;

·to use professional referrals,informational and legal resources that relate to work with clients;


·to offer prospective counselors a minimum of 100 hours of supervised field experience in an elementary or secondary school, including a minimum of 40 hours of direct service to students, parents and school personnel.
b.Clinical competencies:The clinical competencies for the Practicum II, Clinical Experiences for School Counseling, include the student demonstrating the following:
·Counseling process skills, including the ability to

-establish rapport

-provide structure

-communicate empathic understanding

-assess client strengths weaknesses, progress

-set goals and plan activities

-deal with termination issues

-conduct on-going assessment and follow-up

-understand ethical issues

·Administrative skills related to counseling (i.e., organization of IEP conferences, record keeping) involve:

-consultation with parents and staff

-testing (when applicable)

-referral

-information giving

-group guidance and group counseling;

-problem solving and decision-making strategies

3.Community Counseling

a.Objectives.The objectives for Practicum II, Clinical Experiences for Community Counseling are:

·to provide the opportunity for counselors-in-training to work under supervision in an appropriate setting for a minimum of 100 hours, 40 of which are to be in direct service to clients;

·to help them to review and expand their repertoire of micro-counseling skills;

·to allow them to put into practice the diagnostic and treatment planning strategies that they have learned in prior courses, including the concurrent Practicum I;


·to help them integrate counseling skills and conceptual frameworks to create strategies to assist their clients;
·to offer weekly individual supervision to the counselor-in-training.
b.Clinical Competencies:Students should demonstrate through clinical practice their understanding of the following:

·the ethical guidelines of the ACA, including stipulations regarding confidentiality, dual relationships, and professional disclosure;

·the Illinois Confidentiality Act;

·the preparation and presentation of a professional disclosure statement;

·the clinical use of DSM-IV-R;

·the on-going process of clinical assessment;

·the appropriate use of microcounseling skills and counseling strategies;

·the appropriate use of an integrated counseling model;

·problem-solving and decision-making strategies.

Mid-term and final evaluations of the practicum students' progress and proficiency will be conducted by campus supervisors in conjunction with site supervisors.If a student does not receive a grade of B or better in practicum the student is unable to proceed in the program.If a student receives a C or below, she/he will have to repeat the course in the following years upon the recommendation of the Department.

VII.THE INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

A.General Objectives and Expectations

The Department of Counselor Education requires studentsto complete a field based supervised internship of 600 hours, with a minimum of 240 hours of direct service work with clientele appropriate to the students' specific field of endeavor (school, career, or community).The internship is begun only after successful completion of the student's practicum and upon approval of the Department.The internship provides an opportunity for the student to perform all the activities that a regularly employed staff member in the setting would be expected to perform.

Students are expected to:

1.be self-initiating;

2.be introspective, open, and receptive to feedback;

3.be flexible in making appropriate changes in response to feedback;

4.be aware of and demonstrate behavior consistent with the ethical standards of ACA and of a caliber necessary to maintain effective professional relationships;

5.demonstrate the ability to integrate and put into practice concepts and skills relevant to required role behaviors;
6.maintain acceptable written records and reports of professional activities as required by the campus and site supervisors.
Mid-term and final evaluations of the intern's progress and proficiency will be conducted by campus supervisors in conjunction with site supervisors.If a student does not receive a grade of B or better in any internship semester the student is unable to proceed in the program.If a student receives a C or below, she/he will have repeat the course in the following year upon the recommendation of the Department.
B.School Counseling Internship

1.Objectives

Internship I and II focuses on the implementation of the role of the school counselor in the school setting. 

Within the field of experience for each internship the student will:

a.document 300 hours of field related activities with 120 hours of direct service to students;

b.engage in one on-site supervisory session with the designated site and supervisor for at least one hour per week;

c.engage in one on-site supervisory session with the designated site and university supervisor each semester.

d.engage in supervisory sessions with the university supervisor every other week.

e.submit at least four individual/group counseling tapes to the university supervisor for critiquing during the semester;

f.participate in a seminar on-campus every other week, for group supervision, focusing on case presentations, audiotape critiques, and acquisition of information and skills relevant to environmental concerns;

2.Clinical Experiences

Clinical experiences for elementary and secondary school internships should be selected from the following:

a.AREA I.ORIENTATION.The school counselor provides orientation by

·providing information regarding school policies, programs and services to entering students, transfer students, and students at the elementary/secondary school level;

·providing students with information needed to select extra-curricular activities;

·providing information needed to facilitate transitions to the elementary schools, and to the world of work and/or post secondary educational and training settings.

b.AREA II.APPRAISAL.The school counselor provides for student appraisal by

·providing information relative to student achievement, aptitudes and interests to students, faculty, and administrators;

·identifying students for staffing and/or referral due to cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral problems;

·providing students and parents with appraisal data and interpretation needed for self understanding, decision making and planning.
c.AREA III.CAREER DEVELOPMENT.The school counselor facilitates career development by
·involvement in career development programs including awareness and exploration activities;
·providing career development resources and consultation to teachers for infusing career development activities into the curriculum;
·involvement with community business and industry representatives for purposes of enriching career development resources and experiences;

·providing direct service to students via systematic guidance and counseling activities focusing on such areas as:

-individual appraisal for self awareness;

-the dissemination of information necessary for career awareness and exploration;

-developing self-esteem;

-assisting students in identification of feelings, in making course selections; appropriate to their level of development and in identifying interests and career goals;

d.AREA IV.PERSONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT.The school counselor facilitates student development in these areas by:

·providing direct service to students via systematic guidance and counseling activities focusing on such areas as:

-acquiring self-understanding and self-management skills in the physical, psychological and social aspects of personal development;
-developing effective interpersonal relationship and communication; skills with peers, siblings, parents and significant others;
-preparation for new roles to be assumed as adolescents/young adults.
·providing consultation and referral resources to students, parents, teachers and administrators that facilitate personal and social development of students.
e.AREA V.CONSULTATION.The school counselor provides effective consultation by:

·being a resource to teachers, parents, administrators and other school support personnel regarding student placement and progress in educational programs and/or students' development in personal and social areas;

·engaging in learning activities that will enhance the consultation efforts, i.e., by participation in workshops, staff development programs, additional course work and conventions of professional organizations;

·coordinating efforts on behalf of students with:

-community health, law enforcement, and court officers;

-counselors in government and private employment, mental health and rehabilitation agencies;

-representatives of local business, industry and Armed Forces.

f.AREA VI.RESEARCH.The school counselor's involvement with research includes such activities as:
·designing, implementing and interpreting applied research relating to various aspects of student development;
·assisting on a consultative basis, faculty and administrators in their efforts to conduct and interpret research relative to their professional responsibilities;
·providing information and making recommendations regarding research findings that relate to student development and the overall educational mission of the school.
g.AREA VII.PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.The school counselor engages in professional development through such activities as:

·participating in training relevant to student development as either a presenter or subscriber at local, state, regional, or national levels;

·identifying areas of personal and professional growth that need to be pursued in order to become a more effective professional counselor;

·serving on committees and holding office in professional organizations.

D.Community Counseling Internship

The focus of Internship I and II is on the implementation of the role of the counselor in a community service program, family guidance center, community mental health center, hospital, substance abuse treatment program, aging center, or court services setting.Interns will be working under the supervision of a site supervisor and university supervisor.


1.Objectives
Within the field experience for each internship the student will:
a.document 300 hours of field related activities selected from, but not limited to, those areas listed below under Clinical Experiences for Community internship;
b.engage in a minimum of 120 hours of field activities involving direct service to clients in the areas of career, educational, and personal and social development;

c.engage in a one-on-one supervisory session with the on-site supervisor for at least one hour per week;

d.engage in one on-site supervisory session with the designated site and university supervisor each semester; 

e.engage in supervisory sessions with the university supervisor every other week;

f.submit at least four individual/group counseling tapes for critiquing during the semester;

g.participate in a seminar on-campus every other week for group supervision focusing on case presentations, audio tape critiques, and acquisition of information concerns;

2.Clinical Experiences

Field related activities are selected from, but not limited to the following:

Internship I

a.the initial or intake interview;

b.client history taking;

c.using assessment instruments in the evaluation of clients;

d.using various diagnostic systems, including the DSM-IV;

e.negotiating counseling intervention goals;

f.designing counseling intervention programs;

g.participation in case staffings;

h.working under supervision of the on-site supervisors;

i.identifying personal issues as they arise that inhibit counseling effectiveness;

j.using structured group and classroom activities in which specifically relevant client-related topics are explored;

k.reviewing audio and video taped samples of the intern's interactions under the supervision of the university supervisor.

Internship II

a.involvement with community, business, and government representatives as they related to program activities and goals;

b.providing direct service to clients through informational, experiential group and individual counseling;

c.working with related staff, psychiatrists and outside mental health support services to assist in achieving individual client and program goals;

d.acquiring additional specific knowledge pertaining to the special issues of clients serviced at the site;

e.designing, implementing, and interpreting evaluation efforts pertaining to individual and program success;

f.providing information and making recommendations regarding research findings that relate to client development and program issues;

g.recognizing field research opportunities and assisting colleagues in the design and execution of action-oriented research studies pertinent to the site;

h.participating in on-site or professionally related workshops or in-service training to improve professional skill development;

i.working closely with the university and on-site supervisor to identify areas of personal and professional growth;

j.reviewing audio and video taped samples of the intern's interactions.Phone contact and additional on-site supervision will be scheduled as needed.

VIII.ROLE AND EXPECTATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY, SITE, AND STUDENT

A.The Role of the University, Department of Counselor Education, and the University Supervisor

1.The university's insurance plan will provide liability coverage for students in practicum and internship placements.

2.The Department shall designate a faculty member who will serve as the university supervisor during the practicum and internship experience.

3.The Department will evaluate the student's academic, personal, and interpersonal readiness for practicum and internship and recommend students for field experience.

4.Major responsibility for maintaining communications between the Counselor Education Department and the agency/school rests with the Practicum and Internship Coordinator or university supervisor; however, the site is encouraged to initiate contacts when indicated.

5.During the practicum experience the university supervisor conducts a weekly seminar for all students and provides the student with one hour per week of individual supervision and two and one-half hours per week of group supervision at the university.

6.During the practicum experience the university supervisor will provide a minimum of one supervisory session at the practicum site with the student and on-site supervisor, with at least one telephone call at the end of each semester.

7.During the internship experience the university supervisor conducts seminars for all students every other week, providing the students with an average of three hours of group supervision per session meeting.

8.The clinical practicum and internship grade will reflect the evaluation of both site and university supervisors, with the university supervisor having the final responsibility for grade assignment.

B.The Role of the Agency or School and On-Site Supervisor

1.The site shall provide orientation for the student in regard to site's purpose, function, and administrative procedures.

2.The site shall be responsible for the assignment and administrative supervision of tasks within the student's capabilities which allow him/her to use and further develop her/his counseling knowledge, attitudes, values, and skills.This will include direct work with clients, relationships with other staff and other agencies/careers/schools, and attendance at staff meetings.

3.The site will provide space, equipment and supplies as needed by the student to carry out site assignments.This should include clerical service for agency records if this service is provided for other staff.
4.The site will allow the student to gain supervised experience in the use of a variety of professional resources, such as appraisal instruments, computers, print and non-print media, professional literature, and research.
5.The site will allow the student to obtain audio and/or videotapes, for use in supervision, of the students' interactions with clientele, with written permission of the clients involved.
6.The site is responsible for all the student's work under their supervision.
7.The assigned supervisor will provide one hour per week of supervision for the student(s) and be available for consultation.
8.The site supervisor will provide a midterm and final written evaluation of the student's knowledge, skills, and personal and professional development during the practicum experience and during the internship semester.These forms will be provided by the Department of Counselor Education, or they may be downloaded from the Clinical Experiences website.It is understood that the clinical practicum and clinical internship grade will reflect the evaluation of both the on-site and university supervisor, with the university supervisor having the final responsibility for grade assignment.
9.The site supervisor is strongly encouraged to initiate contact with the university supervisor, or Practicum and Internship Coordinator as soon as there are any questions or concerns regarding the student, expectations, or responsibilities.

10.The site supervisor will participate in the development of the student's plan for thesemester.


C.Expectations of the Student's Behavior and Performance
1.The student shall assume responsibility for making and keeping his/her schedule with the practicum and internship site.She/he is required to work a minimum of 100 hours under supervision for the practicum experience, 40 of which are in direct service to clients; and a minimum of 600 hours under supervision for the internship experience, 240 of which are in direct service to clients.
2.The student will be responsible for notifying the site supervisor and university supervisor of any emergency, anticipated absence, or necessary schedule change.
3.The student will attend and participate in university and site supervision and coordination sessions with university and site supervisors.
4.Students are expected to evidence increased counseling skill as demonstrated on a minimum of four audio-tapes that are submitted for critical feedback from the university supervisor each semester.

5.The student will participate in weekly seminars on campus during practicum and bi-weekly seminars on campus during internship.

6.The student shall assume responsibility in regard to:

a.the basic principles of counseling methods, especially the confidential nature of the work;

b.ethical relationships with the site supervisor, fellow workers, clients, and community;

c.adherence to the ACA Ethical Standards;

d.appropriate dress and personal grooming.


7.The student shall complete records and assignments as required by the site and the university supervisor.
8.Students are expected to:
a.be introspective, open, and receptive to feedback;
b.demonstrate flexibility by making appropriate changes in response to feedback;
c.evidence behavior in counseling relationships that reflects a non-judgmental attitude; be genuine, sincere, and understanding; conveys positive regard; and be free of personal views and behavior.

9.Students will formally evaluate their university and site supervisors at the conclusion of the internship experience.

10. The student shall assist in continuous planning for the practicum and internship experience through:

a.discussion with appropriate site personnel;

b.discussion with university supervisor;

c.written evaluation of the site experience at the end of the last semester to be made available to the agency (upon request) and the Department of Counselor Education.

IX.CRITERIA FOR SELECTION OF SITE SUPERVISORS

The criteria for the selection of site supervisors are based upon a combination of the following:

*respect for and understanding of students with the ability to designate appropriate assignments;

*professional competence;

*interest in and ability to teach;

*background in training, supervision, and teaching is desirable;

*ability to help students translate theoretical knowledge into practice;
*ability to work cooperatively with the university, complete all required forms, attend site visits;
*availability of adequate time to supervise;
*earned Master's or doctoral degree in counseling, social work, counseling psychology, or psychology;
*have a minimum of two years of post master's experience;
Interested persons are also asked to submit the following items to the Practicum and Internship Coordinator for consideration before being accepted as a supervisor for the Department of Counselor Education's nationally accredited program at Northeastern Illinois University:

*a description of your probable, or actual, supervision style, highlighting areas of skill, knowledge, and strength

*a current resume

X.GUIDELINES FOR ON-SITE SUPERVISION AND EVALUATION

A.Phases of the Practicum and Internship Experience


For both practicum and internship there are three phases of the experience.The beginning phase focuses on gaining information about the counselors' roles, the work setting, applicable rules and regulations, and duties and responsibilities of other staff.The second phase is a movement from information gathering to beginning practice as a cooperative effort with the supervisor or other professionals.For example, students might engage in co-therapy, assist a social worker on home visits or intakes, co-lead a group, or assist in parent conference, etc.Finally, phase three signals the students' assuming major responsibility for providing services with an emphasis on individual counseling.As must be evident, movement from one phase to the next is not discrete and overlapping will certainly occur.Additionally, the actual time necessary in each phase will vary depending upon the student and requires professional judgment on the part of the supervisor as to the appropriateness of movement to the next phase.The student will need clear expectations of his/her roles and responsibilities during each phase.
B.Supervision, Relationship, and Contract
Following the first meeting between student and on-site supervisor, both need to have clear expectations about supervision and the student's activities and responsibilities during the semester.A written contract should be developed, taking into consideration the following:

1.How frequently will you meet, for how long, and where?

2.How will you use audiotapes, videotapes, case notes, etc., in supervision?For example, will you review one videotape in supervision together and take two audiotapes to review yourself between sessions?Will the tapes reviewed in-session be the same or different clients each week?How should the supervisee prepare a tape for in-session supervision (e.g., pre-select segments; complete a standard evaluation form for each session)?How will confidentiality of the client be assured?

3.What structure or procedure will you follow each supervision session?For example, will you begin with a brief review of each client, an audiotape, or the supervisee's specific requests/questions?

4.How will you handle "emergency" situations (e.g., suicidal clients)?How can your supervisee reach you?What does the supervisee do if you are unavailable?

5.How will the supervisee be evaluated?What criteria will be used?

6.What roles will the student observe the supervisor in, or any other professionals' roles on-site which seem appropriate?

7.How and when will the student engage in co-counseling, co-consultation, co-referral, or other activities in which both the supervisor and student can undertake?
8.With what type of clients will the supervisee work? Who does the screening and assignment of clients?Can the supervisee express preferences (e.g., career clients, adolescents, couples)?What happens if there is an insufficient number of clients to provide the supervisee with enough experience to fulfill practicum or internship requirements?
In initial sessions, the supervisor should assess the supervisee's performance counseling skills, cognitive counseling skills, and developmental level.This data will help establish learning goals and a "treatment plan" of appropriate supervision interventions.
The site supervisor will meet with the university supervisor and supervisee within the first month of placement to clarify and negotiate the specific requirements, expectations, goals, evaluation procedures, and contact between the supervisors.The university supervisor is responsible for setting up this meeting at the placement site at a time that is convenient to the three parties.

C.Assessment of Supervisee

Before the first supervision meeting the supervisorwill also want to consider how she/he will assess the supervisee's counseling skills.Assessing the students' counseling performance skills, cognitive counseling skills, and developmental level are included in this process.The initial assessment will probably span several supervisory sessions, will include both supervisor’s evaluation and supervisee's self-evaluation, and will serve as the basis for a joint statement of learning goals for supervision.The more concrete it is, the easier it will be to translate the assessment statements into goal statements, monitor progress, and evaluate changes.


Counseling performance skills.Counseling performance skills refer to what the counselor does during a session or his/her counseling behaviors.Included are the basic helping or facilitative skills (e.g., warmth, genuineness, concreteness, primary and advanced empathy, self-disclosure, confrontation, and immediacy), theoretically-based techniques (e.g., two-chair exercise, systematic desensitization, reframing), more procedural skills (e.g., opening and closing a session), and those that are issue specific (e.g., assessing lethality of suicidal clients).
Cognitive counseling skills.Cognitive counseling skills refer to how the counselor thinks about the client and chooses interventions.
Developmental level.Assessment of developmental level can help identify professional and personal issues a supervisee is facing and suggest appropriatesupervision interventions.The amount of experience is a first step in assessing a supervisee's developmental level.The supervisee's individual attributes, such as needs, motivations, and cognitive-developmental level, will influence the rate of growth through the developmental stages.Research has indicated that experience level and developmental level are not equivalent (e.g., Borders, Fong, & Meinmeyer, 1986; Stoltenberg, Solomon, & Ogden, 1986; Wiley & Ray, 1986).

References

Borders, L. D., Fong, M. L., & Neimeyer, G. J. (1986). Counseling students' level of ego development and perceptions of clients. Counselor Education and Supervision, 26, 36-49.

Stoltenberg, C. D., & Delworth, U. (1987). Supervising counselors and therapists:Adevelopmental approach. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Stoltenberg, C. O., Solomon, G. S., & Ogden, L. (1986). Comparing supervisee and supervisor initial perceptions of supervision:Do they agree?The Clinical Supervisor, 4(3), 53-61.


Wiley, M. L., & Ray, P. B. (1986). Counseling supervision by develop­mental level.Journal of Counseling Psychol­ogy, 33, 439-445.
D.Criteria for Evaluation of Student Performan­ce
Students are given separate grades for the field practicum and the group supervision seminar class and one grade for each semester of internship.Overall, the students are expected to adhere to the following criteria:

1.be regular in attendance and participation in seminars and field work;

2.demonstrate professional behavior and interpersonal interactions in seminars and field work;

3.demonstrate quality in completed field work requirements;

4.demonstrate quality in completed seminar requirements;

5.be self-initiating;

6.be introspective, open, and receptive to feedback;

7.be flexible in making appropriate changes in response to feedback;

8.be aware of and demonstrate behavior consistent with the ethical standards of ACA and of a caliber necessary to maintain effective professional relationships;

9.demonstrate the ability to integrate and put into practice concepts and skills relevant to required role behaviors;
10.maintain acceptable written records and reports of professional activities as required by the campus and site supervisors.
To evaluate students' level of performance in the site, the site supervisor completes the Student Evaluation form each semester.This will be obtained from the Practicum and Internship Coordinator.
IX.Procedures for Problem Resolution and Termination From Site

Supervisors need to make sure that there is, and has been, due process regarding the parameters of the supervision experience.The student should know what is expected of her/him to do well.Supervisors must monitor the student's progress closely and offer intervention if the student is not performing well personally, interpersonally, and/or professionally.Periodic feedback, preferably in writing that both student and supervisor sign, is recommended.

If the student is not responding to feedback regarding responsibilities, personal, interpersonal, and/or professional behavior and skills, the site supervisor should contact the university supervisor and discuss the problem(s).A joint meeting with both supervisors and the student will then take place.Areas that need improvement along with methods to bring about change within a specified and reasonable time should be specified in writing.

If students are unable to demonstrate improvement after the established time frame, and the client's welfare or the student's own personal and/or professional well-being is at stake, the site and university supervisor may terminate the student from the placement.

Site supervisors may terminate a student immediately, upon conferring with the university supervisor, for unethical behavior.

Termination of the student within a field placement can also occur for the following reasons:inadequate provisions on the part of the site as outlined in the manual; and inadequate performance of students' responsibilities in the seminar.

Issues that need to be clarified prior to discussion of a student's termination from placement are:

1.What is the problem(s)?

2.Who is involved? Who sees it as a problem?

3.How long has it existed?

4.What has been attempted to solve the problem?

5.What has to be different for the problem to be solved?

6.What would be small signs of progress in the solution of this problem?

If a student does not receive a grade of B or better in any practicum or internship course, the student is unable to proceed in the program.If a student receives a C or below, she/he will have to repeat the course in the following year.




APPENDICES

Practicum Assignments
STUDENT
On-Campus Seminar
1.Weekly group supervision seminar meetings.
2.Every other week supervision with university supervisor.
3.Four audiotapes, one of which is fully transcribed and critically analyzed.
4.Formal oral case
presentation.

5.Submit weekly log of on-site hours of counseling and activities.

6.Submit weekly summary of all sessions with clients.

7.End of Semester summary of

hours.

8.Prepare professional disclosure statement.

9.Self-assessment of

strengths, weaknesses,

things to work on, and 

goals for semester.

SITE SUPERVISOR

1.Provide orientation for student regarding site’s purpose, function administrative procedures.

2.Assessment of student skills and developmental level.

3.Assign responsibilities and increase as appropriate.

4.Weekly one hour individual supervision at regular designated time.

5.Mid-term (October) and final (December) evaluation (provided by university).

6. One joint meeting with university supervision and student, initiated by university supervisor (first is within first 3 weeks of semester).

7.Supervisors meeting on campus with all site supervisors (mid morning and lunch, on a Friday.CEU’s available).

STUDENT

On-Site

1.One site visit by university supervisor with student and site supervisor.

2.One hour weekly supervision with site supervisor.

3.Individual and group/family counseling (40 hours of direct client contact).

4.Additional activities, as assigned by site supervisor, paperwork, preparation for client sessions observations, etc. (60 hours).

UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR

1.Provide individual supervision every other week.

2.Arrange one on-site meeting with site supervisor and student. 

3.Midterm and final practicum evaluation.

4. Call site supervisor at 

end of semester.
Internship I Assignments
STUDENTSTUDENT
On-Campus Seminar
1.Every other week group supervision seminar meetings.
2.Every other week supervision with university supervisor.
3.Four audio tapes.
4.Case presentations and tape critiques.
5.Formal written case

presentation.

6.Written test interpretation with audiotaped feedback/interpretation

(any time during the year).

7.Weekly log of on-site hours of counseling and activities.

8.Summary of all sessions with clients.

9.End of semester summary of Internship I hours and overall totals (including practicum).

SITE SUPERVISOR

1.Provide weekly one hour individual supervision at regular designated times.

2.Increase student responsibility as appropriate.

3.Midterm (end of February/early March) end of semester evaluation (May).

4.Recognition reception (May) for supervisors at NEIU.

On-Site

1.One on-site visits for supervision with university supervisor site supervision.

2.Supervision with university supervisor every other week. One-hour weekly supervision with site supervisor.

3.Individual and group/family counseling (120 hours of direct client contact)

4.Additional activities, as assigned by site supervisor, paperwork, preparation for client sessions observations, etc.(180 hours)

UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR

1.Provide individual supervision every other week

2.Arrange two on-site meeting with site supervisor and student 

3.Recognition reception for supervisors at NEIU (May)

Internship II Assignments
STUDENTSTUDENT
On-Campus Seminar
1.Every other week group supervision seminar meetings.
2.Every other week supervision with university supervisor.
3.Four audiotapes.
4.Written case presentation. 
5.Weekly log of on-site hours of counseling and activities.

6.Summary of all sessions with clients.

7.Revised professional disclosure statement.

8.End of semester summary of Internship II hours and overall totals (including practicum and internship I).

8.Evaluation of field placement.

9.Evaluation of site supervisor.

SITE SUPERVISOR

1.Provide weekly one hour individual supervision at regular designated times.

2.Increase student responsibility as appropriate. 

3.End of semester Evaluation (August).

4.Evaluation of NEIU Counseling Program.

On-Site

1.One on-site visit with site supervisor and university supervisor.

2.Supervision with university supervisor every other week.

3.One hour weekly supervision with site supervisor.

4.Individual and group/family counseling (120 hours of direct client contact).

5.Additional activities, as assigned by site supervisor, paperwork, preparation for client sessions observations, etc. (180 hours).

UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR

1.Provide individual supervision every other week.

2.Arrange one on-site meeting with site supervisor and student.

3.Call site supervisor at end of semester. 

FORMS