Internship in Mental Health Counseling I

Catalog description

This is the first course in the two-semester internship sequence that is part of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. This course complements the 300 hours of supervised practical experience to be gained concurrently at the student's fieldwork placement in a mental health counseling setting during the fall semester. The course will focus on the integration of didactic learning with the actual experience of counseling in a practicum setting by addressing specific topics, practicum experiences and counseling and culture of the internship site; the professional role of the counselor; developing one's identity as a counselor-in-training; the role of supervision, the counseling relationship, ethical and multicultural issues; and other topics relevant to the field setting in which students are placed. As the semester progresses and students begin to counsel individual clients and groups, supervision of cases will focus on counseling skills, case conceptualization, treatment planning, intervention strategies, and termination. Students spend a minimum of 16-20 hours a week in a college of community agency setting approved by the Program Director. Permission required for registration.