Clinical Mental Health Counseling Counselor Education Program University of South Florida PRACTICUM SUPERVISION MANUAL 2011-2012 For MHS 6800 Mental Health/Community Counseling Practicum (4 credit hours) Practicum Manual 1
INTRODUCTION Thank you for offering to host a Practicum Student! We know our students learn a great deal from their on-site supervisors. Your experiences are a valuable resource and we very much appreciate your willingness to share your expertise and skills with our students. This manual has been developed to provide guidelines for the counseling professionals in agencies who have agreed to be a site supervisor for Practicum students in the Counselor Education Program at the University of South Florida. The intent is to ensure all students have a well supervised practicum experience that includes the necessary activities for skill and professional development. This manual specifically describes those requirements that need to be met at the school, career center, or agency site. It is important that site supervisors provide opportunities for Practicum students to meet these requirements. If you, as a site supervisor, have concerns that you cannot provide these opportunities, please contact the Practicum Supervisor listed below. For your information, a description of the practicum requirements is provided in addition to a description of the faculty supervisor's role. For practicum, the faculty supervisor has the primary responsibility for clinical supervision. However, we encourage the availability of the site supervisor to help coordinate the experience and provide assistance to the student when needed. The Practicum Student has a practicum manual, which contains additional material that may be of interest to you. The students will share the manual with you upon request. The following persons will be glad to help you with other questions: Dr. Herb Exum Program Coordinator (813) 974-8395 Exum@coedu.usf.edu Dr. Carlos Zalaquett CMHC Coordinator (813) 974-8220 carlosz@coedu.usf.edu Sandy Turner Program Secretary (813) 974-3515 VTurner@coedu.usf.edu Practicum Manual 2
PRACTICUM GOALS A successful practicum is essential to prepare students for the internship. During the practicum, students are encouraged to develop and refine skills by risking new behaviors and experimenting with new methods while assuming responsibility for the well being of clients. The Practicum student in a mental health setting is expected to focus on desirable counseling skills including appropriate intake interviews and the use of assessment instruments including the current version of the DSM. There is an emphasis on the application of counseling theories and techniques to develop the counseling relationship and treatment plans appropriate to the needs of the client either individually or in a group. The goals of Practicum are as follows: Primary Goal 1: Primary Goal 2: Primary Goal 3: Secondary Goal 1: Secondary Goal 2: Secondary Goal 3: Help students with basic skill building Help the students with intervention skill building such as conceptualizing cases, defining priorities and developing change strategies. Help students clarity their interpersonal style and define assets and limitations. Help students give assistance to peers and respond to direct or indirect requests for assistance. Help students recognize interpersonal issues that interfere with progress. Help students recognize when personal problems are interfering with their work and seek assistance. Practicum Manual 3
Student Objectives The Counselor Education Program expects that the student will develop and demonstrate the following skills through the practicum experience: 1) Demonstrate skills in establishing a counseling relationship with a child, adolescente, or adult client; 2) Accurately identify client concerns and conflicts, both conscious and unconscious; 3) Outline a rationale for human behavior and behavior change; 4) Demonstrate the ability to cooperatively develop counseling goals with a client; 5) Develop a counseling approach consistent with one s personal values, psychological traits, and theoretical orientation but flexible as to its application; 6) Demonstrate skills in practicing empathic active listening with accurate reflection of client feelings; 7) Demonstrate skills in using counseling interventions appropriately; 8) Develop critical awareness of one s own counseling performance and of the counseling performance of others; 9) Demonstrate ability to successfully defuse client anger, or hostility; 10) Identify issues of diversity that may impact both understanding and intervention in the counseling relationship; 11) Demonstrate appropriate interventions based on a multicultural perspective; 12) Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of individual values and the way values are communicated in the counseling relationship; 13) Demonstrate the ability to assist clients in self-concept exploration and selfesteem building; 14) Identify examples of transference that occur in the counseling situation; demonstrate skill in confronting this issue; 15) Identify developmental tasks and issues of client population; 16) Identify components of positive mental health and appropriate approaches to use in facilitating the development of these traits; 17) Demonstrate skill in maintaining appropriate counseling records and writing professional reports; 18) Identify and practice the ethical principles of the professional counselor as delineated in the ACA Code of Ethics (2005). Practicum Manual 4
Requirements for Practicum Completion Site Supervisor Responsibilities The program requires students to complete a supervised practicum that totals a minimum of 180 clock hours. The practicum provides for the development of individual and group counseling skills while being supervised by a field supervisor and a university faculty supervisor. This is an opportunity for students to perform, on a limited basis and under supervision, some of the activities that a regularly employed counselor in that setting would be expected to perform. Specific Requirements to be Completed on Site The following requirements must be met on the practicum site, and it is expected that the site supervisor will coordinate opportunities for the Practicum Student to meet these expectations. 1. 40 hours of individual counseling ; 2. 10 sessions of group counseling; 3. Individual supervision one hour a week with the site supervisor; 4. Practicum Student must document having spent a minimum of 10 hours per week in the practicum setting for 12 weeks during this semester. 5. Opportunities to gain supervised experience in the use of a variety of professional resources commonly found in the practicum setting, such as appraisal instruments, computers, print and non-print media, treatment plans, and intake forms. 6. Understanding of the services offered in your counseling office and through your counseling program. (Please provide the opportunity to observe staff, clinical case review, or consultation team meetings). 7. The Site Supervisor will be asked to evaluate the Practicum student at mid-term and at the close of the Practicum experience. These evaluations may be discussed with the Practicum Student during individual supervision. The site supervisor will also be asked to sign the Practicum student s logs and forms, most of which attest to the presence of the student in the setting. Practicum Manual 5
Individual Counseling All students must complete a minimum of forty (40) clock hours of direct individual counseling service with clients. For elementary school Practicum Students, 10 of these hours can be classroom developmental guidance. Students are reminded that the requisite 40 hours are considered minimal for skill building and additional counseling hours are strongly recommended. The site supervisor is asked to screen clients and make referrals to the Practicum Student so that she or he can achieve the required number of client contact hours. The site supervisor is asked to provide a place on site where the student can meet clients in private. All 40 hours of direct service will be taped and 15 of these will be submitted to the practicum supervisor for review. Students must audio-tape all of their counseling sessions in order to get feedback from their faculty supervisor and their peer practicum group. We have provided a permission form to be sent home for parent permission to counsel school-based students. We recognize that some counseling sites may have their own required material for informed consent or client records. Since we do not want to be redundant, the student may use the site forms. We appreciate your assistance with obtaining the required signatures. Students in school counseling have been clearly instructed that they may not counsel any student who has not submitted a signed parent permission form. If there are other requirements to counsel students within your school site, please inform the student and the faculty supervisor. We will do our best to meet the needs of the school. For the maximum professional growth of each student, it is required that at least four clients seen during the semester have an extended counseling relationship with the practicum student, i.e., that these clients have six to eight counseling interviews. Other client contacts may be of a shorter duration. The supervising instructor may require that the practicum student complete additional hours of counseling, do appropriate readings, and perform other relevant assignments necessary for the student's full professional preparation. We also appreciate any suggestions you may have to supplement or augment the student s skill development. Practicum Manual 6
Group Counseling In addition to the 40 hours of individual counseling, each Practicum Student must complete 10 sessions co-leading a group. This may be one group for 10 sessions, or 2 separate groups meeting for 5 sessions each. It is preferable for the site supervisor to co-lead the group with the Practicum Student, but it is also acceptable for another counselor based on that site to co-lead. The session length should be similar to the length of time of other groups provided by the site, i.e., if other groups offered by the site typically run for 90 minutes, the group offered by the practicum student should also be 90 minutes. The practicum student should co-lead a group with a qualified professional, either the supervising counselor or other individual certified to conduct groups in the setting. For school counseling students, it is also possible for the student to co-lead a group with a qualified community counselor who is approved to come into the school to conduct groups. If anyone other than the site supervisor is co-leading with the Practicum Student, please inform the university supervisor. Site Supervision The site supervisor is asked to spend one hour per week with the Practicum Student in a supervision capacity. This time may allow the site supervisor to provide additional client information as needed (access to client data or cumulative file) and other informal feedback. The site supervisor is not expected to listen to all of the student tapes and is not required to offer formal clinical supervision. However, students are encouraged to avail themselves of all opportunities for assistance in the development of counseling skills, and all assistance you offer is most appreciated. In addition, you will be asked to evaluate the student on counseling skills, so listening to portions of the student s tapes will enable you to better complete the evaluation. A site supervisor must meet the following criteria: be employed by the organization and present at the site a minimum of a master's degree in counseling or a closely related field and appropriate certifications and/or licenses; a minimum of two (2) years of pertinent professional experience; and knowledge of the program's expectations, requirements, and evaluation procedures for students; active involvement in the appropriate counseling professional organizations; adherence to the ACA ethical guidelines. Practicum Manual 7
Though not required, we are encouraging students to complete both the practicum and internship at the same site to provide the maximum learning experience and service to the school, career center, or agency. Therefore, any additional opportunities offered by you during the practicum will facilitate the transition to the internship phase. However, the emphasis must be on direct client services (individual and group counseling). Student Evaluation The evaluation procedure requires the completion of the Counseling Practicum Evaluation at the mid-point and end of the practicum experience. It is expected that students will have areas needing improvement at the mid-point. However, a minimum score of three (3) is required in each competency on the final evaluation for the student to receive a satisfactory grade and proceed on to the Internship. The evaluation form is based on the objectives listed earlier in this manual. OTHER PRACTICUM REQUIREMENTS FOR STUDENTS The following information relates to requirements for the Practicum Student, but does not relate directly to site supervisor responsibilities. It is provided in the event that the site supervisor may need additional understanding of the Practicum Student s requirements. Faculty Supervision Each practicum student is assigned to a USF faculty supervisor from the Counselor Education Program who provides individual supervision. Additional supervision is provided in small groups with other practicum students and the faculty supervisor. For practicum, the primary responsibility for supervision is with the faculty supervisor. It is essential that the faculty supervisor be available to students for consultation as needed. The faculty supervisors of practicum include members of the counselor education program, faculty from other USF academic units and qualified adjunct faculty. All faculty supervisors who provide the individual and/or group practicum supervision have the following qualifications: a doctoral degree from a program in counselor education or a closely related field, or doctoral students currently enrolled in the USF Counselor Education Program (CEP) and under the supervision of a CEP faculty; relevant professional experience and demonstrated competence in counseling at levels appropriate for the students supervised; and relevant training and supervision experience. Practicum Manual 8
The faculty supervisor has flexibility in determining how to accomplish the individual and group supervision. Supervisors may require assignments or readings in addition to crisis management, case discussion and feedback. However, to ensure that all students have a comparable experience and that the supervision complies with CACREP requirements, we ask that the faculty supervisor do the following: 1. Provide one (1) hour per week of individual supervision for each student using audiotape, videotape, and/or direct observation; 2. Provide a minimum of two (2) hours per week of group supervision with all the assigned practicum students; 3. Complete an evaluation form for each student at the mid-point and at the end of the semester to be submitted to the Practicum/Internship Coordinator; 4. Contact the site supervisor at the beginning of the semester to clarify any questions, ensure the student has provided a weekly schedule and to provide a phone number where you can be reached when needed; 5. Confer with the site supervisor about the mid-point and final evaluation of the student; 6. Ensure all required practicum material Is given to the Practicum/Internship Coordinator. Tape Critiques Students are required to analyze and evaluate their own and their fellow students' counseling performance by listening to audiotapes or viewing videotapes and making appropriate notes for further discussion. Some instructors will ask students to play tapes in class, discuss counseling issues and provide feedback as well as to listen to the tapes of peers outside of class and provide feedback. The student manual has a sample of a Case Presentation and/or Review Format. This is intended to provide some guidelines for presenting material. It is not mandatory but may be required by the faculty supervisor. Students are required to have a quality tape recorder for supervision purposes. The student is responsible for becoming thoroughly familiar with the equipment prior to taping counseling interviews. It is also the responsibility of the student to have a sufficient supply of audiotapes for the semester (approximately five to ten). Videotaping of counseling sessions may be requested by the faculty or site supervisor. The practicum student will find videotapes an excellent learning technique and will want this experience if at all possible. It is the responsibility of the student to supply videotapes for these sessions. Note: The student is responsible for assuring the confidentiality of client tapes. Practicum Manual 9
FINAL COMMENTS The Counselor Education Program is committed to providing educational opportunities that ensure the development of qualified professionals. It can not be over emphasized that the site supervisors play a crucial role in the final preparation of the student. If you observe any problems or have recommendations for improving the training of the students, please inform us. The Appendix includes copies of evaluation forms and other forms completed by the student during the practicum process. The student will also have a handbook which provides copies of client forms. Finally, a copy of the ethical code for the American Counseling Association may be found on the ACA Web site. Students sign a statement that they will comply with these standards. If they do not comply, they will be dismissed from the practicum and possibly from the program. Please inform us of any professional or ethical violations. Note: Should termination of the student s practicum be necessary as determined by a site, it is the site s responsibility to inform the student that the relationship has been terminated. The site should inform the USF Counselor Education Program of this decision. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR STUDENTS DEVELOPMENT! Practicum Manual 10
APPENDICES PRACTICUM FORMS Practicum Manual 11
STUDENT COUNSELOR S SCHEDULE University of South Florida Counselor Education Directions: Student Counselors are required to complete this form weekly and the site supervisor should sign it every week. Meet with your site supervisor before the beginning of the semester to discuss a schedule that will be convenient for both of you. Week Date: Time Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. 8:00am - 9:00am 9:00am - 10:00am 10:00am - 11:00am 11:00am - 12:00am 12:00am - 1:00pm 1:00pm - 2:00pm 2:00pm - 3:00pm 3:00pm - 4:00pm 4:00pm - 5:00pm 5:00pm - 6:00pm 6:00pm - 7:00pm 7:00pm - 8:00pm 8:00pm - 9:00pm 9:00pm - 10:00pm Total Number of Hours Site On-site Supervisor Signature Phone Date Signature of Student Counselor Date Practicum Manual 12
CONSENT FOR CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING University of South Florida Department of Psychological and Social Foundations College of Education 4202 East Fowler Avenue, EDU162 Tampa, Florida 33620-7750 (813) 974-3246 FAX (813) 974-5814 Dear : I am currently completing my master s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of South Florida. To improve my skills in helping students become more effective learners, I am required to complete a practicum and internship. One of the requirements for this field experience is that I record my counseling sessions so that my instructor and other practicum students can listen to me counsel and give me appropriate feedback. I would appreciate your cooperation in allowing me to work with you (or your child). It is understood that the recording will be confidential and only heard for individual and group supervision purposes. Your (or your child's) last name will not be used on the tape. Once supervision is completed the tape will be erased. Please sign below if this is agreeable to you. If you have any questions or concerns, call me at the number provided. Thank you for your cooperation. Practicum/Intern Student s Name (print) Client s Name Phone number Phone number Guardian s Name (if client is a minor) Address Client or Guardian signature Date: Practicum Manual 13
SUMMARY OF INTERVIEW Counselor's Name: Site Name: You should make multiple copies of this form, as you will fill out one form for each session on all clients seen 3 times or more: Client Name or ID: Grade/Age: Gender: Date of Interview: Interview Number: Taping (check one): Audio Video Presenting/Current Client Concern: Summary of Interview (what occurred during session): Counselor Objectives in this Session: Positive Counseling Behaviors You Exhibited (minimum of 2) and Why They Were Effective: Areas of Counseling Needing Improvement (minimum of 1) and How it Interfered with the Counseling Process: Plans for Next Session: Practicum Manual 14
Counselor's Name: Site: Theoretical Approach: Identify a theoretical approach you were trying to follow. How did this counseling session reflect this theoretical orientation? In what ways did you feel comfortable or uncomfortable with this approach? Counseling techniques. Did you do any of the following? Select at least three, and indicate whether it was helpful or detrimental. Talk a lot Interpret Judge Questioning Stay in the "here and now" Self-Disclosure Goal-setting Summarizing Confrontation Encouragement Explaining Demonstrate acceptance Use immediacy (re: relationship) Questioning Give advice Review counseling session Reflect/Clarify feelings Assign homework Demonstrate Give feedback empathy Identify client irrational beliefs Problem-solve Support Value clarification or cognitive distortions Focus on client's decisionmaking Providing Probing Make a referral information Using the Internet Teaching a skill Advocating Others? Trying New Behaviors Did you risk trying to experiment with new responses or utilize new skills? Elaborate. Distractibility Did you feel distracted at any time? If so, what happened that led to the distraction, and how did you recover? What did you learn about yourself? Goals: Goals for myself for next session (e.g., learn about job searching for engineering fields, read the client s folder, do an online search on career planning and medicine): Practicum Manual 15
FINAL COUNSELING REPORT Practicum Student: Client Identification (first name: Date of Report: Dates Seen: Summary of Presenting Issues (include diagnosis, if available: Counselor Goals for Counseling: Specific Interventions: Outcomes: Recommendations: Practicum Manual 16
CONTACT SHEET (complete 1 for each client) CLIENT: Date Time Seen Nature of Contact University of South Florida Counselor Education Practicum Manual 17
COUNSELING PRACTICUM SUMMARY OF COUNSELING CONTACTS Name of Client Age Grade Individual or Group* No. of Interviews Total Time 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. TOTALS *If a group indicate number of members Semester and Year Date Practicum Supervisor Setting Date Practicum Counselor Practicum Manual 18
Group Counseling Contact Sheet Practicum Student Name: Semester Group Theme: Group Members: First Name Why was each of these members chosen to be in this group? Dates Met: Counselor Objectives for each meeting: Outcome Goals for Clients: Strategies you employed to meet your objectives and targeted outcomes: How did you measure whether targeted outcomes were achieved? (Pre and Post Tests) Did you co-lead your group or lead it on your own? If co-lead, who lead with you? My signature indicates that the above information is valid, to the best of my knowledge. Site Supervisor Date Practicum Manual 19
COUNSELING PRACTICUM WEEKLY LOG PER ACTIVITY OF PRACTICUM STUDENT Week beginning Monday Name of Practicum Student: ACTIVITY MO TU WE TH FR SA SU TOTAL WEEK 1. Counseling and Consulting a. Counseling Individuals b. Counseling groups b. Consultation: professionals c. Consultation: parents/relat. 2. Workshop presentations 3. Test administration 4. Writing interview summaries 5. Supervisory conferences 6. Attending practicum class 7. Listening to own tapes 8. Listening to tapes of others 9. Record Keeping 10. Keeping a log 11. Consulting records 12. Locating clients 13. Orientation to site 14. Other activities (list) a. b. On-Site Supervisor Signature Date Practicum Manual 20
University of South Florida Counselor Education COUNSELING PRACTICUM SEMESTER SUMMARY TOTAL TIME OF PRACTICUM ACTIVITIES Student Name Date Semester ACTIVITY Hrs. 1. Counseling & Consulting a. Counseling Individuals b. Counseling groups c. Consultation: Professionals d. Consultation: Parents/relations 2. Workshop presentation 3. Test administration 4. Writing interview summaries 5. Supervisory conferences 6. Attending practicum classes 7. Listening to own tapes 8. Listening to tapes of others 9. Record keeping 10. Keeping the log 11. Consulting records 12. Locating clients 13. Orientation in high school or agency 14. Other activities (list) a. b. c. TOTAL HOURS On-Site Supervisor Signature Date Practicum Manual 21
PEER EVALUATION FORM Directions: Use this form to provide feedback for your fellow students. You will need to make a minimum of 8 copies of this sheet. Please keep your comments clear and concise. Most of your ratings should be at a level 3. Level 4 would be if the person s skills are what would be expected at the completion of internship. Level 5 indicates the person s skills are at the level of a seasoned practitioner. Use DK (Don t Know) or NA (Not Applicable) only when necessary. Counselor-in-Training: Rater: Date: Please rate (check) the counselor s skill level from 1 through 5, with 5 the HIGHEST, using the following criteria: Skill 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA Reflection Use of Silence Confrontation Interpretation Clarification Questioning Paraphrasing Counseling Interventions Empathy, Genuineness, Warmth Diversity Awareness Addressing Transference Explaining Test Results Developmentally Appropriate Interventions Maintaining Proper Boundaries Taking Risks/Trying Something New Goal Planning/Alignment Use of Theory/Research in Counseling Overall Counseling Skills Integrating theory into practice Others Skills (such as termination, group issues, etc.) Strengths: Weaknesses: Suggestions for Improvement (2 minimum): Practicum Manual 22
COUNSELING PRACTICUM EVALUATION Practicum Counselor: Midterm Final Person completing form: Date: Directions: Thank you for taking the time to complete this evaluation form on your Practicum student. Please evaluate your Practicum student on the following skill areas and discuss this evaluation with the student. All evaluations should be turned in to the Faculty Supervisor. For the final evaluation, a minimum rating of 3.0 on all competencies is required to receive a "Satisfactory" grade. Evaluation scale: 1=performance is inadequate and needs marked improvement to continue acceptable progress in the training program 2=performance is mildly unsatisfactory for the student s level and needs improvement 3= performance is acceptable and expected for student s level 4= performance is above average and expected of a master s level professional 5= performance is exceptional and expected of a seasoned master s level professional DK/NA= Don t know or Not Applicable (please write the appropriate abbreviation in the box where that occurs) Was this evaluation discussed with the student? Yes No Overall Evaluation: Additional Comments: Student Signature Date Site Supervisor Signature Date Faculty Supervisor Signature Date Practicum Manual 23
Individual Counseling 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA 1. Demonstrates skills in establishing a counseling relationship with a child or adult client. 2. Demonstrates reflection skills 3. Demonstrates clarification skills 4. Demonstrates confrontation skills. 5. Uses silence effectively. 6. Accurately identifies client concerns and conflicts. 7. Outlines a rationale for human behavior and change. 8. Demonstrates a counseling approach consistent with personal values, psychological traits, and theory orientation. 9. Able to successfully defuse client anger. 10. Assists clients in self-concept exploration & self-esteem building. 11. Familiar with the research base of preferred counseling theory. 12. Familiar with the research about specific issues (e.g., eating disorders). 13. Able to conceptualize and implement a treatment plan. 14. Explores clients expressed and unexpressed needs, feelings and meanings while remaining objective. 15. Maintains an emotional presence with clients while demonstrating comfort with intense client affect. 16. Makes appropriate use of referral sources. 17. Facilitates client awareness of ineffective behaviors. 18. Appropriately confronts transference/countertransference issues. 19. Facilitates development of positive mental health in clients. Group Counseling 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA 20. Screens members for group counseling. 21. Facilitates group counseling. 22. Recognizes group dynamics & uses appropriate strategies. 23. Protects group members from emotional or physical harm. 24. Develops and articulates personal group therapy orientation. 25. Shows an increasing awareness of co-leader dynamics as they influence the group process. 24
Workshop Presentations 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA 26. Organizes materials logically and sequentially. 27. Appropriate presentation skills. 28. Includes all classroom/workshop members in discussions. 29. Managers members behavior appropriately. Diversity 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA 30. Identifies issues of diversity that may impact understanding and intervention in the counseling relationship. 31. Demonstrates appropriate interventions based on a multicultural perspective. 32. Understands individual values and how they are communicated in counseling. 33. Familiar with resources for diverse populations and makes appropriate referrals. 34. Demonstrates an awareness of empirical and theoretical bases for treatment of diverse clientele. 35. Demonstrates an awareness of own cultural identity and how that may impact on the counseling process. Assessment and Diagnosis 1 2 3 4 5 DK/NA 36. Conducts a thorough in assessments of student needs. 37. Displays skill and knowledge in selecting tests. 38. Adequately explain test/procedures to clients. 39. Interprets test results. 40. Presents cases that are organized and prepared. 41. Identifies developmental tasks/issues of client populations. 42. Keeps appropriate records and writing professional reports 43. Correctly uses DSM-IV-TR. 44. Cognizant of the impact of gender, sociocultural and ethnic influences on assessment. 45. Development of treatment plans 25