Practicum Handbook for School Counseling (COUN 583) (Updated 9/29/14) PRACTICUM OVERVIEW Practicum is a planned field-based clinical experience in which the student learns to develop basic counseling skills and integrate professional knowledge under the supervision of an experienced school counselor. The Messiah College Counseling program is a developmental model designed to train the novice counselor primarily through observation and co-facilitation. Since the Practicum takes place relatively early in the student s master-level training, he/she will initially assist with intake and supportive services. With time, however, Practicum students will ideally be able to move from observer to service provider (with supervision) as deemed appropriate within his/her respective field placement site. Typically, the opportunity to participate in the more advanced and complex counseling processes and procedures would take place during the student s internship experience(s), courses that students complete at or near the end of their program. PRE-REQUISITES Professional Issues and Ethics for Counselors (COUN 501), Foundations of Counseling Children and Adolescents in School (COUN 508), Counseling Theories (COUN 520) are all prerequisites for Practicum in School Counseling (COUN 583). The following documents and materials must also be submitted prior to the start of the Practicum course according to the published due dates for each semester. 1. A completed Practicum Pre-Registration Form 2. A completed Checklist for Potential Site Supervisor Form with Site Supervisor s resume attached 3. Proof of student membership in the American Counseling Association or American School Counseling Association 4. Proof of liability insurance 5. MMPI-2 or Personal Counseling Verification Form with reflection essay (300-500 words) 6. Self-reflection on critical competencies (300-500 words) 7. Practicum Contract 8. Appropriate State and Federal Clearances 9. Current TB test results (no older than one year before submission, some districts may require more recent results) 10. Proof of Basic Assessment (read below) Regarding the Basic Assessment requirement: The PA Dept. of Education has introduced four different ways that students can meet the basic assessment requirement in preparation for certification.
1. Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT) scores of no less than 1550, with no individual section (Critical Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) score of less than 500, 2. American College Test Plus Writing composite score of 23, accompanied by a combined English/Writing score of 22 and a Math score of 21. 3. Passing scores on the Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) 4. Passing scores on the ETS Core Assessment PRACTICUM PLACEMENT As part of the pre-registration process, students are asked to identify a list of school placement sites. In order to secure a site, please submit your pre-registration form to the Counseling Program Administrative Assistant, listing the schools you are interested in working with in order of preference. The Counseling Site Coordinator will then make the initial contact to each district on your behalf. After contact has been made, you will be contacted about proceeding with the next step. Per school districts request, students are asked not to contact schools on their own until the coordinator has established contact. Once the student receives notification that the proposed site and site supervisor have been approved, he/she must formalize the arrangement with a signed Contract. In addition to the student s signature, this document must contain the signature of the individual who will be personally supervising the student at the agency site. A representative of the agency is insufficient; the signature must be that of the direct, day-to-day supervisor. If a situation occurs where there is a need for the student to switch supervisors, the new supervisor must also go through the approval process. The site supervision should be conducted only by a supervisor who has been officially approved. Students will not be registered for the School Counseling Practicum (COUN 583) until all of the pre-requisites have been met and a signed contract has been submitted. Upon receipt of the document (provided all other criteria have been met), the student will be granted permission to enroll in the Practicum course. Please note: Students are NOT permitted to begin accumulating hours on site (even if the site has been approved) until they are registered for the course and the semester has begun. Students may only be on site and collect hours within the confines of the semester s beginning and end dates. HOURS REQUIREMENT Students must complete a minimum of 100 clock hours on site evenly distributed over the entire semester specified for the Practicum course. Of these 100 hours, a minimum of 40 hours must be in direct service to students and must include both group and individual hours. Direct service means working directly with students and includes interactive activities such as co-leading groups, co-guidance, co-academic counseling, individual counseling, co-parent/teacher consults, etc. Students are also required to work with students with diverse cultural backgrounds (different from their own) for 10 hours (direct or indirect) and with students with disabilities for 10 hours (direct or indirect). The remainder of the 100 hours may be indirect or direct service hours. Indirect hours include weekly meetings with the site supervisor, administrative work, staff meetings, in-services, treatment planning, and report writing. In addition to meeting with his/her site supervisor for an average of one hour per week, the Practicum student will meet (online) with his/her Messiah College faculty supervisor for two Page 2
hours of group supervision every other week for the entire time frame specified for the Practicum course. Group supervision sessions will take place on either Tuesday or Thursday evenings and participation is mandatory. These group supervision hours are not included in the 100 clock hours the student is required to complete on site. Also, three times over the course of the semester, each student is required to have an individual supervision session with his/her faculty supervisor for one hour (this could be either in-person or through Skype/phone/webcam/etc.). This individual supervision will be considered off-site time and, therefore, not counted towards the 100 required on-site hours. Based on the above, a summary of the 100-hours on-site requirement would look like this: 1. 40 or more hours of direct service 2. 10 or more hours with students with a cultural background different than your own (direct or indirect) 3. 10 or more hours with students with disabilities (direct or indirect) 4. 16 or more hours of meetings with your site supervisor (indirect) 5. Any combination of indirect/direct service for the remaining hours A summary of the off-site hours required would look like this: 1. 16 or more hours of group supervision 2. 3 or more hours of individual supervision with the faculty supervisor COURSE REQUIREMENTS In addition to the course assignments specified in the course syllabus, Practicum students must satisfy the following requirements before completing the Practicum course. A student will not receive a passing grade unless these additional requirements are met. 1. The development of audio/video recordings for use in supervision or live supervision of the student s interactions with clients. A signed consent form from the student or student s guardian must be obtained before recording begins. 2. Review of the site supervisor s mid-term and final evaluation of the student. This will typically occur on site with the site supervisor. 3. Completion of a mid-term and final self-evaluation by the student. 4. Completion of a final evaluation of the site by the student. All evaluations will be distributed and collected via Qualtrics. Links to the evaluations will be sent to each site supervisor and student s email address prior to the due date. Students will be evaluated according to the following scale: Far Below Expectations: needs much improvement, a concern Below Expectations: needs some improvement to meet standards Acceptable: meets standards at average level for practicum students Above Expectations: performs at above average level for practicum students Far Above Expectations: a definite strength, performs well beyond average levels for practicum students Student performance in the following areas will be addressed in each evaluation: Professionalism Cultural Competency and Ethical Conduct Page 3
Counseling Skills School Counseling Programming Response to Supervision PRACTICUM STUDENT S RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Practicum students are required to read this handbook prior to their practicum course. As a pre-requisite for the course, the student must sign and submit an acknowledgment form indicating that he/she has read, understood, and agrees to abide by the policies and procedures in it. Students should pay particular attention to the section in the Practicum Handbook titled Disciplinary and Professional Conduct Policy. 2. When a Practicum student is assigned to a site, he/she agrees to comply with the expectations of the site supervisor and the school s standards. As a representative of the Graduate Program at Messiah College, the Practicum student also agrees to demonstrate exemplary conduct, dress appropriately, and behave professionally while participating in his/her practicum experience. 3. If difficulties occur for the student in meeting the site supervisor s expectations, the student has the responsibility to discuss the problem with both the faculty and site supervisor. Conflicts between the practicum student and the field site supervisor/personnel should be handled by the site supervisor and student with applicable discussion or advice from the faculty supervisor. If the conflict requires further intervention, the faculty supervisor will be a facilitator with a goal of reaching an appropriate resolution. If for disciplinary measures or some other justifiable reason, a student is removed from his or her Practicum assignment, the student will forfeit this Practicum experience for the remainder of the semester. If further disciplinary action is warranted, the Graduate Program policies and procedures will be followed. 4. The Practicum student is also responsible for a. notifying the faculty supervisor, site supervisor, and Practicum and Internship Coordinator of any changes of address (street, city and state), phone numbers, or schedules affecting on-site hours, etc. b. preparing for bi-weekly group supervision meetings with the faculty practicum supervisor and individual supervision. In the event that a conflict or situation arises that prohibit the student from meeting at the assigned time, the student is responsible for notifying the Messiah College faculty supervisor in advance of the appointment. c. providing elementary/secondary students with a quality experience. d. promptly keeping appointments with students. In the event of illness or emergency, the practicum student must notify the student, the site supervisor, and the faculty supervisor of any change in appointments. e. informing the Messiah College faculty supervisor and site supervisor of any problems with cases or student emergencies. f. seeking supervisory help with cases where the practicum student questions his/her own effectiveness and/or feels uncomfortable. For instance, the practicum student may recognize that the present problem, values, race, sexual preference, etc. of the student is impacting on his/her ability to be helpful. g. requesting additional supervision if needed. h. following directives given by the faculty or site supervisor regarding interventions with a student. The faculty or site supervisor should advise the student when an Page 4
intervention is not optional but must be performed to insure the student s wellbeing. Any disagreement with directives should be discussed during supervision. i. Adhering to the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA) - available online at: http://www.counseling.org/resources/codeofethics/tp/home/ct2.aspx and the Ethical Standards for School Counselors (2004) available online at: http://www.schoolcounselor.org/congent.asp?contentid=173 j. being aware of legal and ethical issues related to counseling (e.g., confidentiality and privilege, duty to warn, malpractice, negligence). k. Knowing the Ethical Standards of the American Counselors Association which states: i. Records of the counseling relationship, including interview notes, test data correspondence, tape recordings, electronic data storage, and other documents, are to be considered professional information for use in counseling and they should not be considered a part of the records of the school in which the practicum student has been placed unless specified by state statute or regulation. Revelation to others of counseling material must occur only upon the expressed consent of the student. ii. The practicum student may be expected to video/audio tape the counseling session review and presentation to the faculty practicum supervisor and peers. These tapes must be kept secure to protect the student s confidentiality. Tapes left in counseling rooms, on desktops or in playing machines violate the student s right to privacy and may result in disciplinary action. iii. The practicum student must inform the student of the purposes, goals, techniques, rules of procedure and limitations that may affect the relationship at or before the time that the counseling relationship is entered. When working with minors or persons who are unable to give consent, the practicum student protects these students best interest. In compliance with this ethical standard, the practicum student is expected to explain the nature of the counseling relationship. It is essential that the student understand that the practicum student is a student, not a licensed professional. The practicum student should inform the student that there will be a limited number of sessions. The practicum student must also explain the taping procedure, supervision, and any other conditions under which he/she is working. l. KEEPING COPIES OF ALL PAPERWORK (INCLUDING LOG, EVALUATION FORMS, LIABILITY INSURANCE FACE PAGE, AND CONTRACT). DISCIPLINARY AND PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT POLICY Faculty supervisors and site supervisors have a professional and ethical responsibility to: 1. evaluate the interpersonal competence and emotional well being of practicum students who are under their supervision, and who provide services to students 2. ensure, insofar as possible, that the practicum students who complete their programs are competent to manage future relationships (e.g., student, collegial, professional, public, scholarly, supervisory, teaching, etc.) in an effective and appropriate manner Page 5
3. not automatically approve program completion for any practicum student with issues or problems (e.g., cognitive, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, technical, and ethical) that may interfere with professional competence to other programs, the profession, employers, or the public at large Students enrolled in the Practicum course may be given a failing grade or be withdrawn from their Practicum if any of the following apply: 1. Disciplinary actions that are the result of unprofessional/unethical conduct either at the Practicum site or in the classroom and/or failure to comply with directions and consultation given by either the faculty supervisor or site supervisor. 2. If the faculty supervisor and/or site supervisor determines that the student s current emotional, mental or physical well being compromises the integrity of the Practicum experience or potentially places the student or others in harm s way or in an unduly vulnerable position. All such cases will be brought to the attention of the Program Director and the student s academic advisor. 3. If there is a question or concern of competency in areas such as (but not limited to): a. Interpersonal and professional competence including: i. the student s ability to relate to peers, faculty, professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories in an appropriate manner ii. the student s ability to resolve problems or issues that interfere with professional development or functioning in an appropriate manner iii. the student s ability to respond constructively to feedback from supervisors or program faculty, including participating in personal therapy in order to resolve problems or issues if necessary b. Self-awareness, self-reflection, and self-evaluation including: i. the student s knowledge of the content and potential impact of one's own beliefs and values on peers, faculty, professionals, the public, and individuals from diverse backgrounds or histories is appropriate ii. the student s openness to the process of supervision iii. the student s ability and willingness to explore issues that either interfere with the appropriate provision of care or impede professional development or functioning c. Written and oral communication including: i. the student s ability to articulate ideas, thoughts, and concepts clearly and at a professional level appropriate to the discipline, both orally and in writing ii. the student s knowledge and use of the APA style format is satisfactory d. Quality of work including: i. the student s timely completion of all work at a satisfactory level ii. the student s ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with others iii. the student s active participation in discussion boards, synchronous experiences, and other class-related activities iv. the student s ability to obtain knowledge and understanding of the content area is satisfactory v. the student s ability to appropriately apply skills necessary for counseling Page 6
If any of the above criteria are applicable, practicum students may be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with Messiah College policy. MESSIAH COLLEGE FACULTY SUPERVISOR S QUALIFICATIONS Program faculty members serving as individual or group practicum supervisors must have: 1. A doctoral degree and/or appropriate school counseling preparation; 2. Relevant experience and be a licensed/certified school counselor and/or demonstrate competence in school counseling, and 3. Relevant supervision training and experience. MESSIAH COLLEGE FACULTY SUPERVISOR S RESPONSIBILITIES 1. The Counseling faculty practicum supervisor will meet three times over the course of the semester (either in-person or via phone/skype/webcam/etc.) with each Practicum student for individual supervision. 2. The faculty supervisor will facilitate weekly or biweekly group supervision. 3. If a student is removed from his or her Practicum site for disciplinary measures, the student will forfeit this practicum experience for the remaining academic year. The student will need to re-register for Practicum the following academic year. The faculty supervisor will carefully document the situation and bring it to the attention of the student s academic advisor, the Practicum and Internship Coordinator, and the Director of the Program. 4. Assign a grade for the practicum experience based upon the course requirements, evaluations, audio/video presentations, practicum log submissions, and any other relevant data or documentation. 5. Faculty must participate in regular (bi-weekly) consultation with the site supervisor during the course of the student s practicum experience. PRACTICUM SITE SUPERVISOR S QUALIFICATIONS Individuals serving as site supervisors for the practicum experience must: 1. Have a minimum of a master s degree in counseling or a related profession 2. Be a certified school counselor with a minimum of three years of school counseling experience and one year of experience within the school where he/she currently works 3. Have relevant training in counseling supervision. PRACTICUM SITE SUPERVISOR S RESPONSIBILITIES 1. The site supervisor must be willing to: a. complete and sign a Contract b. complete the orientation module provided by Messiah College s Graduate Program in Counseling Page 7
c. dedicate an average of at least one hour per week to supervise the practicum student d. attempt to provide the practicum student with direct or indirect opportunities to work with students of diversity, i.e. students with a cultural background different than the practicum student s own background, and students with disabilities (practicum students are required to record a minimum of 10 hours for each of these categories), when available e. provide the Practicum student with the opportunity to participate in as many of the following activities as possible. Students are required to report which of these they were able to experience. i. Individual Co-Counseling/Counseling (Personal/Social, Crisis, Academic, Occupational) ii. Group Co-Counseling/Counseling (Co-Leading, Leading) iii. Career Co-Counseling/Counseling iv. Classroom Guidance v. New Student Orientation vi. Individual Appraisal vii. Teacher/Admin. Consultation viii. Parent Consultation ix. Observations x. Scheduling xi. Group Testing/Assessment xii. Supervision xiii. Info/Data Search xiv. Student Record Review xv. Staff/Team Meetings f. examine and provide timely feedback on student work using audio/video recordings (as allowed by the site), observation, and/or live supervision g. consult with the Messiah College faculty supervisor on a regular (bi-weekly) basis. This expectation can be met in person, by telephone and/or webcam. h. evaluate the student and the program through the evaluations provided and do so within the stated time frame Page 8