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Clinical Sites

Practicum

During spring semester of the first year of study, students should review faculty-approved sites described in the clinical placement manual (obtained from faculty). After reviewing sites, students must discuss choices with their faculty advisor. Under no circumstances are students permitted to contact prospective placement sites directly. Students should request a “Practicum Request Form” from the Program Assistant and list their top two choices for Practicum placement. Faculty will review student requests and make preliminary placement decisions. Although the student’s first choice will be considered as much as possible, the final decision will be based on:

  • Site availability
  • Number of students choosing a particular site
  • Faculty judgment regarding which site will best meet student needs

The clinical coordinator, or a designee, will contact each site to confirm the sites availability and willingness to participate. Once this confirmation has been obtained, the clinical coordinator or faculty advisor will notify each student of their potential placement site. Once students receive confirmation, they should contact their assigned site and arrange an interview. Students should view the interview in the same way as they would if they were interviewing for a job at the site. Individual sites have the right to make final determination regarding whether the student will be able to do their practicum at the site. The clinical coordinator or faculty advisor will notify students of final placement once confirmation from the site is received. If the student’s first choice is not possible, the student will be notified by the clinical coordinator or faculty advisor and the process described above will be repeated for the second site.

Internship

Prior to entering internship, students must have successfully completed all didactic/experiential course work, successfully completed CRMH 714: Group Counseling and CRMH 802: Practicum with a “P” or better, and successfully completed and defended their project/paper with their committees.

All sites must be pre-approved by faculty and meet the criteria for faculty approved sites as described above. In addition, internship sites must serve the population that is consistent with the students chosen specialty.

Students should begin exploring specific interests for internship with their faculty advisor by mid-fall semester. Under no circumstances should students contact a site directly. By the end of fall semester, students should submit an internship request form to the faculty advisor or supervisor with their top two choices for placements. All internship sites must be pre-approved by faculty. Faculty will review student requests. The final decision will be based on:

  • Site availability
  • Number of students choosing a particular site
  • Faculty judgement regarding which site will best meet individual student needs

The faculty supervisor or a designee will contact each site to confirm the sites availability and willingness to participate. Once this confirmation has been obtained, the faculty advisor or supervisor will notify each student of their potential placement site. When students receive confirmation, they should contact their assigned site and arrange an interview. Students should view the interview as if they were interviewing for a job at the site. The faculty advisor or supervisor will notify students of final placement once confirmation from the site is received. If the student’s first choice is not possible, the student will be notified by the faculty advisor or supervisor and the process described above will be repeated for the second site. Verification to confirm the intern placement with a site is then made. Verification that the department has an active formal affiliation to cover the placement is confirmed.

Students who are interested in pursuing professional credentials other than CRC or LPC should check specific requirements for the credential prior to assignment to an internship site. It is the student’s responsibility to inform faculty of supervision requirements for the credential to determine whether a placement could be used to address the requirement.

Internship placements cannot be split between two sites unless pre-authorized by the division in order to obtain appropriately credentialed supervisors as related to specializations.