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MASTER'S

Master of Science in Counseling · MSCO

Limited-Residency | 2 1/2 To 3 Years | Zoom Evening Classes
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Clinical Practice: Practicum and Internship

The purpose of the Clinical Practice portion of the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Counseling Program is to adequately prepare counselors-in-training to effectively and ethically provide theoretically-based treatment to clients under the direct supervision of both university and site supervisors. Counseling Program faculty collaborate with both students and site supervisors to promote the development of counselors-in-training and ensure client welfare. Professional practice, which includes practicum and internship, integrates theory and practice, solidifying clinical skills, and assimilating students into the profession of counseling. These experiences provide opportunities for students to counsel clients who represent the ethnic and demographic diversity of the Greater Wasatch Front and the nation. Practicum and internship applications are due shortly after the Orientation to Practicum and Internship Meeting one semester prior to Practicum.

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Counseling Skills Development

All students are required to complete a set of core courses on subjects including evidence-based practice, research methods, teaching and learning theory, qualitative inquiry, biostatistics, and scientific writing. These courses provide the foundation for enhancing instructional knowledge, mastering the research process, and formulating a dissertation.

Beginning or Entry Level Skills, Attitudes, and Behaviors (to be mastered as a condition for placement in Practicum in Counseling)

  1. Attending behavior
  2. Open invitations to speak
  3. Genuineness
  4. Congruence
  5. Non-judgmental respect
  6. Concreteness
  7. Empathy
  8. Encouragers
  9. Paraphrasing content
  10. Reflection of feeling
  11. Summarization
  12. Probes and questions
  13. Immediacy
  14. Recognizing patterns
  15. Client awareness
  16. Focusing
  17. Advanced level empathy
  18. Encouragement
  19. Pointing out client conflicts
  20. Confrontation
  21. Self-disclosure
  22. Interpretation

Intermediate Skills and Behaviors (to be mastered as a condition for placement in Internship in Counseling)

  1. Theoretical Orientation Development
  2. Strategy planning for behavior change & goal setting
  3. Contracting
  4. Reinforcement and support
  5. Demonstrate ethical behavior
  6. Theme awareness
  7. Role conflicts
  8. Conceptualization
  9. Child protection
  10. Crisis/emergency plans
  11. Focusing

 

Development of expertise in a single model (e.g., Reality Therapy) or in several closely related models (e.g., R.E.T. – Adlerian) under the direction of a supervisor with the appropriate interest and skills. In addition, the student is expected to present case studies in the Group Supervision Seminar including written and tape recordings of the case. All previous skills are expected to be continually demonstrated and improved upon.

Practical Experience in a field setting consistent with professional goals. This includes skills from all previous field experiences and case presentations in the Group Supervision Seminar which demonstrates the student’s level of integration of one’s program of study.

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Practicum and Internship

The Counseling Program requires practicum and internship experiences. The purpose of these experiences is to achieve integration of theory into practice, solidify clinical skills, and incorporate students into the profession of counseling.

While both the practicum and internship involve actual on­site counseling experience, each differs in its scope and purpose. The practicum is designed to give the student a limited experience in a specialized area of counseling and is supervised by both a designated on­site supervisor and a faculty supervisor.

The internship is arranged to provide the student not only with counseling experience but also with experience in all aspects of professional functioning, (e.g., referral, assessment, staff presentations, and use of community resources). In addition, the student receives supervision primarily by the designated on­site supervisor. Both practicum and internship students are required to attend group supervision and other seminars.

The practicum experience is a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week of on­site time for one full semester. The internship experience is a minimum of 20 hours per week commitment of on­site time for two semesters. (This can be modified as needed. For example, a full-time school counselor may be able to complete an internship in one semester of working 40 hours per week. Or it might take longer than two semesters if 20 hours a week is not possible.) To be successful, one will be required to find effective, responsible, and ethical ways to fulfill the practicum and internship experiences and maintain one’s employment.

  1. Prior to enrollment in practicum, students must have completed the required courses.

  2. Complete the orientation to Practicum and Internship Meeting.

  3. Complete the application to Practicum or Internship: Three months prior to the expected start date for practicum, students must submit an Application for Clinical Practice and Criminal Background Report (if required) to the Clinical Director.

  1. Practicum is the first of the Clinical Practice courses that provides counseling students with direct opportunities to enhance their counseling skills within a structured, supportive environment. Students will be expected to demonstrate the intentional use of counseling skills with clients in an ethical and culturally responsive manner.
  2. Students will complete supervised counseling practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 clock hours over a full semester.
  3. Practicum students will complete at least 40 clock hours of direct service with actual clients that contributes to the development of counseling skills.
  4. Practicum students will have weekly interaction with supervisors that averages one hour per week of individual and/or triadic supervision throughout the practicum by a counselor education program faculty member, as well as one-hour weekly supervision by an outside site supervisor as applicable.
  5. Practicum students will participate in an average of 1½ hours per week of group supervision on campus on a regular schedule throughout the practicum.

  1. Building on the competencies developed in practicum, internship students will be expected to increasingly demonstrate the full range of competencies expected by a professional school or clinical counselor.

  2. After successful completion of the practicum, students will complete 600 clock hours of supervised counseling internship in roles and settings with clients relevant to their specialty area.

  3. Internship students complete at least 240 clock hours of direct service.

  4. Internship students have weekly interaction with site supervisors that averages one hour per week of individual and/or triadic supervision throughout the internship.

  5. Internship students participate in an average of 1½ hours per week of group supervision on campus on a regular schedule throughout the internship provided by a counselor education program faculty member. (Internship is typically done over at least 2 semesters.)

  • Follow an agreed-upon schedule with the site supervisor.
  • Dress appropriately for the clinical sites.
  • Demonstrate professional behavior during individual and group supervision.
  • Maintain professional correspondence in emails, text, online and verbal conversations with colleagues.
  • Comply with all agency or school rules and expectations.
  • Comply with all University policies.
  • Comply with ACA/ASCA Code of Ethics.
  • Ensure that supervision is being provided.
  • Apply information and experiences gained in supervision to the counseling process.
  • Continuously and actively grow and develop into an effective counselor.
  • Communicate any and all concerns with the faculty instructor and/or advisor.
  • Maintain liability insurance.
  • Fully licensed mental health professional or school counselor with a minimum of two years relevant experience.
  • Complete Rocky Mountain University training for supervisors.
  • Be on-site whenever practicum/internship student is providing services.
  • Maintain communication with Clinical Director and the faculty member.
  • Provide weekly (one hour) supervision including case conceptualization, tape review, professional identity development, and counseling skills and theory application.
  • Site supervisors will directly collaborate with university supervisors and/or the Clinical Director to promote counselor-in-training development and ensure client welfare.
  • Provide open, honest, and timely feedback of counselor-in-trainings’ counseling skills and theoretical application.
  • Work to create opportunities for learning that allow students to develop professional competencies.
  • Allow counselors-in-training the opportunity to become familiar with a variety of professional activities and resources, including technological resources, staff meetings, and additional trainings, during their practicum and internship.
  • Evaluate students using appropriate forms.

PLEASE NOTE: All supervisors will be asked to complete the RMU Clinical Supervision Training that is available online. A certificate of completion for these three hours of professional development will be provided. Also, RMU will provide additional professional development workshops and supervision consultation throughout the year.

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Placement Policies for Practicum and Internship

Decisions about clinical placements will be made by the Clinical Director based on the following considerations: (a) the training needs of the counseling student, (b) the student’s availability for a clinical site, and (c) the availability and strengths of on-site supervisors. Faculty have already developed a number of collaborative relationships with schools and counseling agencies in the area, which will serve as the primary placements for students in the school and clinical mental health counseling programs. If a student requests to be placed at an agency or school with whom the Counseling Program does not have a previously established relationship, the student will be expected to demonstrate that such a site will be an appropriate training placement. The Clinical Director will evaluate whether such an agency complies with both programmatic and accreditation (CACREP) standards. The program cannot guarantee that any deviations from the approved lists of schools and agencies will be granted.

Additional policies apply to counseling students who are already employed at a school or agency. School counseling students who are employed as teachers must complete practicum and internship experiences outside the student population with whom they currently work. Such school counseling students may not provide counseling services to children they currently teach, but may be permitted to accrue direct contact hours working with children from other classrooms at their schools. Ideally, school counseling students will complete all required internship experiences outside of their home school. To accommodate this policy, such students will be permitted to complete part-time internships that span over 2-3 semesters. Likewise, students enrolled in the clinical mental health counseling program will not be allowed to accrue practicum or internship hours providing counseling services to their regular clients. We may allow such students to complete an internship at their employing agency, but it must be clear that such students are providing mental health counseling services and that such services are distinctly different and separate from their regular employment responsibilities.