Department of Counseling and Human Services

1

EDC 600 (601/602) (18)

MENTAL HEALTH INTERNSHIP

COOPERATING COUNSELOR’S HANDBOOK

Department of Counseling and Human Services

Please note that additional information and SUPERVISORY TRAINING MATERIAL for cooperating counselors is provided through our Department web pages located at Use the link titled “Practicum and Internship Help for Cooperating Counselors”.

Conceptual Framework: The School of Education and Human Services builds its programs on the three interrelated dimensions of Knowledge, Professionalism/Leadership and Service to others.

Knowledge: The counseling program prepares students with the necessary historical, philosophical, theoretical, legal, and practical knowledge necessary for successful counseling practice.

Professionalism/Leadership: The counseling program is designed to promote attitudes and behaviors indicative of professionals who are able to practice effectively and assume leadership roles in counseling. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration and on reflective practice.

Service: Canisius College is committed to the education and care of the whole person. By its nature, counseling is a process that is in service of the client’s needs. Candidates are expected to work effectively with diverse populations and respect the dignity and worth of others.

CONTENTS:

Page 3 Letter of Introduction

Page 4 Candidate Information

Page 5 Goals and Objectives of Internship

Page 7 Events to Monitor

Page 8 Methods to Monitor

Page 9 Reflections on Mentoring Graduate Students

Page 11Evaluation of Student Counselor

Page 12Competency Assessments

Page 19Agreement Made by Canisius College and the Agency

Page 21Agreement Made by Student Counselor

Page 22Agreement Made Between Student Counselor

and Cooperating Counselor

1

Canisius College

Department of Counseling and Human Services

Mental Health Internship

Letter of Introduction

Dear Cooperating Counselor:

The degree candidate, who will be working in your agency, is a registered graduate student at Canisius College in the counseling program and has completed a field based Practicum experience. This internship is designed to develop the candidate’s professional counseling skills in a site-based experience before transitioning from a graduate student to an effective professional mental health counselor.

The enclosed information is designed to give you an overview of the internship expectations as we work with you in providing the candidate with a field based experience to learn the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to be a competent mental health counselor.

Enclosed you will find:

a.Descriptive information regarding the student counselor.

b.Description of the course goals and objectives.

c.A summary listing of events to be observed or monitored during the semester.

d.Suggestions for monitoring of objectives.

e.Cooperating counselor evaluation form (Please be sure to complete the evaluation form and return it to Canisius College at the middle and at the end of the semester).

f.Agreement made by the student counselor.

g.An agreement between you and the student counselor.

h.Responsibilities of the College and of the Agency.

We appreciate your commitment in helping the candidate prepare for a career in counseling. Thank you in advance for your supervisory work with this candidate.

Sincerely,

Faculty and Staff of the Department of Counseling and Human Services

Canisius College

Candidate Descriptive Information

Date ______

Name______

Address______

______Zip______

Tel. No.______email______

Counseling courses taken to date (title of course):

Title of DateGradeTitle of DateGrade

CourseCompletedCourseCompleted

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

Educational Background:

Year

SchoolCompletedDegreeMajor field of study

H.S.______

College______

Other______

A current resume is available to cooperating counselors directly from the student intern.

Candidate’s Signature:

______

Canisius College

Department of Counseling and Human Services

Mental Health Internship Goals and Objectives

This course is designed to provide interns with an in-depth experience of mental health counseling consisting of a broad range of professional activities. It is the “capstone” course and interns are prepared to assume all regular duties of the agency counselor after a short period of observation and experience at the site. We recognize that each site and internship experience is unique, which may not allow for interns to have an in-depth experience related to each objective. Interns are required to complete a minimum of 600 clock hours of field experience including 240 direct service hours. The major objectives of this class are organized using the Conceptual Framework of the School of Education and Human Services and reference related CACREP Curriculum Standards.

Knowledge:

1. Interns will demonstrate the ability to conceptualize client issues including differential diagnosis, treatment planning and strategies to access community resources.

2. Interns will identify addictive factors in client history and current behavior.

3. The interning counselor will identify clients in need of psychiatric assessment for medication and work appropriately with psychiatric professionals.

4. Students will be able to identify community mental health education programs related to their field experience.

5. Student interns will identify and address career and vocational needs of clients.

Professionalism and Leadership:

6. Interns will work cooperatively and collaboratively with other professionals in the community mental health service system and demonstrate consultation skills associated with professional and consumer relationships.

7. Interns will develop an understanding of working methods of practice using principles, theories, and best practices in community mental health counseling intervention.

8. Students will embed ethical practice and ethical decision-making into their role as an interning professional counselor.

9. Student interns will identify applications of needs assessment, program

evaluation, and related processes in the field experience site.

Service:

10. Interns will provide direct counseling services to clients successfully establishing a therapeutic relationship. Services may include but are not limited to intake interviews, mental status evaluations, the use of assessment instruments, the development of a biopsychosocial history, treatment planning and counseling interventions.

11. Interns will identify appropriate counseling modalities for their clients

including individual, group or family interventions.

12. Students will apply multicultural competencies when working with diverse populations and ethnic groups and explore the counselor’s role in confronting social justice issues, advocacy, prejudice, discrimination and other dynamics that block human growth and wellness in community counseling settings.

MENTAL HEALTH INTERNSHIP

LISTING OF EVENTS TO BE MONITORED

The following activities are suggested to help the student fulfill the requirements for the Internship. Strict adherence to the activities, as listed, is not mandatory. They are provided as guidelines only and as a reference for providing the student counselor with an opportunity to develop his/her competencies.

MINIMUM QUOTA

EVENTS PER SEMESTER

1.Supervision with cooperating counselor including review of recorded counseling sessions and/or live supervision...... Weekly _____

2.Cooperating counselor completes evaluation of student's competencies at midterm and course completion...... …………. 2 Minimum _____

3.The intern delivers a minimum total of 600 contact hours for the internship done over one semester or two semesters including 240 direct service hours if doing a full-time internship or 120 direct service hours if doing a part-time internship. Direct service hours are client content experiences such as intake services, individual counseling, group counseling, education groups, test administration/interpretation, phone contact or family consultation………...... _____

4.Intern fills out treatment documentation on clients required by agency...... …………………………………… 25 Minimum _____

5.Intern participates in one workshop or in-service session...... ………………………….. 1 Minimum _____

6.Intern attends case conferences with staff...... 5 Minimum _____

7.Intern attends staff or team meetings...... 2 Minimum _____

8. Intern makes referrals ...... …………. 2 Minimum _____

9.Intern uses a variety of professional resources such as assessment instruments, technologies, professional literature, and research

as used within the agency ...... _____

10. Other activities may be developed by the cooperating counselor.

SUGGESTED GUIDELINES FOR CARRYING OUT

THE MONITORING OF WEEKLY SPECIFIC

BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

A wide range of methods may be employed for monitoring or observing the events listed below. The methods employed are limited only by the cooperating counselor's ingenuity and environmental limitations. The methods suggested below are included merely as guidelines to the cooperating counselor.

1.Individual Counseling Sessions, Group Counseling, and Case Conferences: May be monitored in a variety of ways. Direct observation, video taping, dual counseling, audio taping, use of observation rooms, and interpersonal process recall are reasonable methods to use.

2.Making Referrals and Referral Follow-up: Referral processes as practiced by the agency should be discussed and taught. This process will vary in individual agencies.

3.In-Service Sessions: The intern should have the opportunity to participate in an in-service or supervisory sessions with other counselors, case-workers and other service providers.

4.Orientation of New Clients: The intern should have the opportunity to engage in intake procedures with new clients.

5.Staff Meetings: The intern should have the opportunity to attend staff meetings. The learning and observation potential of such an experience is evident.

6.Client Evaluations of Counselor: This activity is suggested to provide the student counselor with the opportunity to gain insight to client perceptions of his/her counseling. It is suggested that the coordinating counselor randomly select the evaluating clients from among the population assigned to the student counselor.

Reflections on Mentoring Internship Experiences

Introduction:

This section provides a summary of ideas generated by professors, cooperating counselors, and graduate counseling students regarding various factors that contribute to a successful internship experience.

From the Professors:

Without professional counselors who are willing to be mentors to our students, Canisius would not be able to effectively train future counselors. Graduate students begin their internship experiences with various levels of professional background and comfort. Graduate students need to be trained from a developmental perspective, meaning that each should be assessed individually and supported according to his or her needs. Some graduate students may be immediately ready for more independent activity in the internship while others may need to be brought along more slowly.

It is important to meet with students each week and talk about the value of all of the activities that they experience at the site. Students need to process and understand these experiences. While there is considerable value in having students become involved in some of the behind the scenes paperwork and other organizational activity of the counselor, these kinds of activities should not preclude direct client contact.

Students should be expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner. In addition, the intern should feel part of a professional team. Their participation in team meetings or staffing activities is vital for developing their own professional identity. In addition, most students are as yet unaware of their own theoretical orientation and are just developing techniques to help people change. They need to be aware of the cooperating counselor’s theoretical and practical framework. This kind of discussion is an important step in helping graduate students make the transition from having theoretical ideas to developing successful practical skills.

Although cooperating counselors can expect at least one contact from the internship professor during the semester (either by phone or in person), they should feel free to call the student’s professor at any time. In those rare situations where there are issues with a graduate student, the quicker everyone is aware of the concern, the better chance there is to resolve the concern with a positive outcome. On a related topic, your evaluation of the student intern should accurately reflect performance; it is not expected that everyone does “A” work. While the cooperating counselor's suggested grade for the student is given considerable weight, the professor has the ultimate responsibility for the course grade.

From Cooperating Counselors:

The internship experience should be a professional, developmental experience for the cooperating counselor as well as for the student counselor. Planning and organizing a "defined path" for the graduate student has benefits not only of efficiency, but also in considering one's own professional identity.

Students have different levels of professional background when they begin an internship. For some students recognizing the need for professional dress cannot be taken for granted. For other students, a whole set of professional skills and experiences are already in place. A hidden benefit for cooperating counselors comes when they are able to utilize the strengths of the graduate student to contribute to their counseling programs. Cooperating counselors recognize that students should not be considered "cheap labor", but at the same time, it is necessary to teach student-counselors practical tasks, which may involve some degree of tedium. When the purpose behind such activities is discussed, students are able to see the value of the work.

Experiences that allow students to be integrated and to network with regular staff members are important. Strategies toward this end include involving the student counselor in presentation projects, in team meetings, and in other consultation activities. In addition to providing the intern with opportunities to enhance counseling skills, cooperating counselors should offer experiences that give the intern practice in consultation, advocacy, coordination, and leading groups.

Proper supervision of students and good communication between interns and cooperating counselors is crucial. Student counselors should be allowed to make some mistakes and be taught that mistakes are acceptable. Regular communication with the graduate student will allow learning from mistakes as well as successes. Graduate students need to be told that being proactive, independent, and self-directed are expectations. Passive behavior on the part of the graduate student will generally lead to a less than satisfying experience for the student and for the cooperating counselor. When cooperating counselors contact the College professor they can expect support and assistance.

From Graduate Students:

Graduate students feel some anticipatory anxiety about starting the internship. Establishing a set of goals during the initial meeting at the site can be a helpful procedure. Communication is a critical component of a successful experience.

Field experiences are considered by students to be the most important experiences of their graduate training. Descriptive and balanced feedback provided in a timely manner by the cooperating counselor is essential. Interns need a wide variety of counseling experiences in order to develop their own approach. Having a mentor to direct, support, and teach is an integral part of professional development.

Additional Factors:

1. It is acceptable for students to stay on at their sites after the college semester is over. Many students stay on at their sites after the close of a semester, and some must continue at their sites to complete service hours. In these situations, a professor is “on call” from the College.

2. Some professional counselors have found that it is a good experience to take more than one intern at a time. The energy and collaboration of two or more interns can add another dimension to the internship experience.

CANISIUS COLLEGE

MENTAL HEALTH INTERNSHIP EVALUATION

Student Counselor (Candidate)______

Cooperating Counselor ______

Internship Site______

Phone ______

Midpoint Eval (use 6 pt. scale) ______Final Eval (use 6 pt. scale) ______

Please rate the student counselor using the Field Placement Competency Assessment Form that follows on page 8 at the eighth (8th) and fifteenth (15th) week. Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions are assessed. Use pencil for the eighth week and pen for the fifteenth week. Please use the following system for assessment:

Scoring

1. Exceptional – Consistently exceeds performance standards. Currently has the potential to be an outstanding first-year counselor.

1. Advanced – Performance is consistently above the average performance standards. Demonstrates the likelihood of becoming an excellent counselor with more experience and mentoring.

1. Acceptable/adequate – Meets the average performance standards. Demonstrates acceptable level of performance.

1. Minimally Acceptable – Meets, but does not exceed the minimum performance standrards. Demonstrates basic level of performance.

1. Needs Improvement – Is inconsistent in meeting minimum performance standards. Does not demonstrate sufficient depth on required competencies.

1. Unsatisfactory – Does not meet minimum performance standards. Does not perform at an acceptable level on required competencies.

Qualitative comments may also be made. At the 8th week evaluation, recommendations must be listed in any area where the candidate is rated unsatisfactory. On the 15th week evaluation, specific reasons must be given in any area where the candidate is rated unsatisfactory. During the final week of the semester, please forward this assessment form to the college supervisor.

FIELD PLACEMENT COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT FORM

RATING: 6=Exceptional, 5=Advanced, 4=Adequate, 3=minimally Acceptable, 2=Needs Improvement, 1=Unsatisfactory, NA=not applicable.

1. DIAGNOSTIC AND EVALUATION SKILLS:

1. Exhibits knowledge of the understanding of the process involved in and conducting intake and initial interviews with mental health clients for the purpose of assessment, case assignment and management.

Rating ____/_____

1. Demonstrates ability to describe cultural, racial, ethnic, and other individual differences that may impact accurate diagnosis.

Rating ____/_____

1. Demonstrates ability to apply theories, models, and methods of assessment of mental status and identification of psychopathological behavior.

Rating ____/_____

1. Demonstrates understanding and appropriate use the diagnostic categories as described in the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).

Rating ____/_____

1. Exhibits awareness of reliability and validity factors that contribute to or interfere with accurate assessment and diagnosis.

Rating ____/_____

1. Demonstrates awareness of the substances that could cause the disorder presented by the client.

Rating ____/_____

1. Demonstrates awareness of medical conditions that could cause the disorder presented by the client.

Rating ____/_____

1. Exhibits skill in conducting assessments and interpreting results.

Rating ____/_____

COMMENTS:

B. KNOWLEDGE OF COUNSELING AND TREATMENT PROCESSES: