Kennesaw State University Counseling & Psychological Services Masters of Social Work Practicum
Kennesaw State University Counseling & Psychological Services (CPS) Practicum/Intern Training Program Kennesaw State University is the fastest growing and third-largest university in the state of Georgia. The university provides undergraduate and graduate education to over 24,000 commuter and residential students, including more than 1,700 students from 142 countries. The student body is a mix of traditional and nontraditional students with an average age of 24. Approximately 20 percent of students are members of ethnic minorities. Program Description At the CPS center, we seek to provide generalist training within a developmental model. Our goal is to provide students with a tailored experience that helps them to develop competence in the effective delivery of mental health services to university students. Our emphasis is on the quality of training, not the quantity of service delivery. Practicum placement at the CPS center provides the opportunity to work with a diverse student body who present with problems spanning the continuum of psychological health. Common presenting concerns to CPS include difficulties related to negotiating developmental transitions, problems in relating to others, managing stress, mood and anxiety disorders, as well as more severe problems such as personality disorders. Additionally, practicum students at CPS will be exposed to the various roles and functions of a university based mental health professional and will participate in staff meetings and clinical team meetings. As an integrated part of our staff, we hope that students get a real sense of what a career in a university counseling center would be like. Weekly Schedule Practicum students are expected to work approximately 16-24 hours per week. Below is a sample breakdown of the approximate amount of time you will spend in various activities. FALL/SPRING SCHEDULE Case Management 40% Clinical Assessments 20% Individual Counseling 15% Co-Lead Group Counseling 10% Outreach 5% Supervision 5% Clinical Team Mtg/Case Conference 5%
Direct Services Case Management Case Management in a university/college setting focuses on optimizing a student s ability to manage their daily living. Practicum students will be expected to address issues pertaining to accessing quality care, appropriate utilization of resources and coordination of care and service provision. Many of the student practicum students will work with are either coming out of or at risk of going into the hospital or residential setting, demonstrating concerning behaviors on the campus and/or need ongoing referral to off or on campus providers. Individual Counseling Practicum students will provide counseling services to KSU students using both short- and longer-term models of therapy. An intake/initial assessment is conducted with each student who presents for counseling. Practicum students will complete 1-2 intakes each week that will provide experience gathering therapeutically relevant information that provides the substrate for diagnoses, theoretical conceptualization, and treatment planning. Most of these cases will become the clients of the practicum student unless a referral is needed. In addition to completing 1-2 intakes, students will be expected to maintain 3-8 hours of weekly individual counseling. Group Counseling Practicum students, depending on scheduling and availability, will be expected to co-lead a therapy group with a staff member. These may be either problem focused groups (e.g., anxiety) or general process groups. There may also be some opportunity to become involved in groups targeting topics of special interest to the student. Psychoeducational Presentations/Outreach CPS is active on the KSU campus and provides a number of presentations to various classes and organizations. Frequent topics include things like: Stress Management, Boundaries, Diversity Issues, Choosing a Major, Time Management, etc. Students will be expected to deliver presentations on topics requested and/or host informational tables at campus events. Training Activities Individual Supervision Each practicum student will be assigned a primary supervisor for each semester of training. Students will meet with their supervisor for one hour each week to discuss their cases. Supervision meetings will occur on a regularly scheduled basis at a time that will be decided on at the beginning of the semester. Supervision of MSW students will be provided by a licensed clinical social worker.
Practicum students are required to video individual counseling sessions with clients. Videos will be reviewed during supervision with supervisors for constructive feedback to students. Practicum students are expected to come prepared each week for supervision. The Supervisors will establish expectations and set goals for what will occur during supervision. Preparation may involve reviewing case notes, reviewing session videos, preparing questions, or other tasks assigned by the supervisor. Supervisors at CPS represent a variety of theoretical orientations including psychodynamic, interpersonal, cognitive-behavioral, person-centered, and integrative. Practicum students will be encouraged to develop a flexible and individualized approach consistent with their chosen theory of personality and human behavior change. The staff at CPS believes that students should develop increasing levels of self-awareness as they develop as therapists. Because of this, students will be expected to reflect upon the contribution of their own thoughts, feelings, and experiences to the therapeutic relationship. Clinical Team Meeting/Training Seminar Every Thursday from 8:30 to 10:00 the counseling staff meets to discuss clinically related issues and present cases. Practicum students will be expected to participate as team members by offering insights and opinions, and provide one formal case presentation per semester. Up to 3 times per semester, CPS staff and/or community providers will provide presentations on clinical topics relative to working in a college counseling center. Evaluation Evaluation is a necessary part of practicum training. Formal evaluations will be completed at the beginning and end of each semester. Evaluations will be provided to practicum students in writing using either the CPS evaluation form or a form provided by the student s academic program. Students will also have the opportunity to evaluate all individuals from whom they receive evaluation and to respond to any evaluation they receive. Additional Notes All practicum students will be required to provide proof of malpractice/liability insurance. Insurance is not available through KSU. Practicum students are expected to have a business casual and professional appearance.
Practicum Student Selection and Application Procedure In total CPS center takes up to 6 clinical practicum students per academic year. Students must be currently enrolled in a masters or doctoral program in counseling, clinical/counseling psychology, social work, or related field. Selection of applicants is made without discrimination based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Students wishing to be considered should send via email a cover letter explaining your interest in working in a university counseling center and a current vita. After a review of materials, students selected for an in-person interview will be notified. Inperson interviews are a required part of the application process. We will do our best to inform all students concerning whether or not they are still being considered. Interviews are typically scheduled for Fridays beginning in the month of February and final decisions will be communicated to applicants by phone or email. All applications materials and/or questions for Masters in Social Work are directed to: Marcy Stidum, LCSW, MPA Counseling & Psychological Services (CPS) Kennesaw State University Phone: 770-423-6600 mstidum@kennesaw.edu