WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PRACTICUM IN HDC
YOU MUST HAVE:
- Completed pre-practicum courses
- HDC 501 Fundamental Issues and Ethics in Counseling
- HDC 502 Listening Skills
- HDC 503 Techniques of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy
HDC 504 Theories of Counseling I
- HDC 507 Theories of Counseling II
- HDC 508 Influencing Skills with a B- or better (School counseling students must also have completed HDC 531 Developmental School Counseling with a B- or better and students in Marriage and Family Therapy must have completed HDC 534 Introduction to Family Therapy)
- an overall GPA of at least 3
- filled out and submitted a practicum application form by February 15 for Fall semester and October 15 for Spring semester
THEN:
- the Area Coordinator (community, marriage and family therapy, or school) will review your application to determine eligibility
- you will be notified in time to attend an orientation session and register with an approved WPI
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
- obtaining and completing a checklist
- scheduling an appointment with your Area Coordinator to negotiate an appropriate placement consistent with your career goals
- completing a practicum agreement (Form P-5) with your on-site and faculty supervisors prior to starting on site
- joining the American Counseling Association and obtaining liability insurance prior to starting on site
- having the on-site supervisor complete and submit: (1) a resume; and (2) a site approval form (if these are not on file with HDC)
DURING YOUR PRACTICUM YOU WILL:
- meet one hour weekly with your faculty supervisor for individual supervision sessions
- meet regularly with your on-site supervisor (minimum one contact per week) meet at least one and one-half hour weekly for group supervision with your faculty supervisor
- spend at least 100 hours on site (an average of 6 hours per week for 16 weeks) 40 of which are direct service (direct service work must include a minimum of 15 hours of group facilitation or co-facilitation)
- Submit minimum of 12 audio or video tapes of clinical sessions with clients
Maintain an ongoing log of all clinical activities
EVALUATIONS AT THE END ARE COMPLETED BY:
- you (faculty supervisor, site)
- on-site supervisor (your performance)
- faculty supervisor (your performance)
IF YOUR SITUATION REQUIRES ANY SPECIAL CONSIDERATION:
talk with the area coordinator and submit a written request for review
Note: a student who has signed up for an initial clinical experience cannot have his/her name placed on an application list for the subsequent enrollment period at the same time.
DESCRIPTION: Each HDC student must complete a supervised practicum experience which emphasizes the implementation and refinement of individual and group counseling skills. The practicum experience will total a minimum of 100 hours which includes:
- a minimum of 40 hours of direct service work with clients on site, of which a minimum of 15 hours are spent facilitating or co-facilitating groups
- a minimum of 1 hour per week of individual supervision with the faculty practicum instructor
- a minimum of one supervision contact per week with the site supervisor;
a minimum of 1½ hours per week of group supervision via weekly practicum class meetings
- submission of a minimum of 12 audio or video tapes of clinical sessions with clients; and
maintain an ongoing log of all clinical activities. Practicum students are expected to spend an average of 6 hours per week for 16 weeks at the placement site. The practicum experience is designed to provide exposure to direct service work with clients as well as to other professional activities which are a part of the daily operation of the practicum site. Additional responsibilities of practicum students are outlined in the Practicum Agreement (Form P-5).
ELIGIBILITY AND WAIVER POLICY:
Eligibility for practicum includes full admission to the HDC program and completion of the following HDC Program core courses with a minimum grade of B in each pre-practicum course and 3.0 GPA.
- HDC 501 Fundamental Issues and Ethics in Counseling
- HDC 502 Listening Skills
- HDC 503 Techniques of Group Counseling and Psychotherapy
- HDC 504 Theories of Counseling I
- HDC 507 Theories of Counseling II
- HDC 508 Influencing Skills
- HDC 531 Developmental School Counseling (school counseling students only)
- HDC 534 Intro to Family Therapy (marriage and family therapy students)
- A positive recommendation for practicum must be given by the instructors of these courses (except 501) before final acceptance into practicum is approved by the HDC Program Committee. No waiver of practicum is allowed; students with graduate level skills will be able to improve in clinical courses.
Students must apply for practicum by February 15 for the fall semester and October 15 for the spring semester. Applications are available in the HDC office. Since practicum slots are limited, eligibility priority will be based on date of submission of application materials.
GRADING AND EVALUATION
On-site and faculty supervisors will provide a written appraisal of practicum students' performance at the end of practicum (Faculty Supervisor, Form P-1; On-site Supervisor, Form P-2). Assignment of the final grade of Credit/No Credit is the responsibility of the faculty supervisor. If students do not demonstrate acceptable competency levels by completion of 100 hours on site, 40 of which is in direct service that includes a minimum of 15 hours of group facilitation or co-facilitation, they will ordinarily receive a grade of No Credit. Any student who receives a grade of No Credit must reapply for practicum in order to continue in the HDC program. No special priority is granted in this process.
In unusual circumstances and at the instructor's recommendation, a student may receive an "R" (deferred grade) and may continue at the site with the permission of the on-site supervisor. If the student's faculty supervisor is unable to continue to provide supervision, students may petition the program to arrange supervision with another HDC faculty member. In the event competency is not demonstrated by the end of the additional term, students will be given No Credit and must reapply for practicum. Students may not enroll in Internship until Credit for practicum is earned.
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