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Intern Training Program

Mission

The training program is designed to prepare interns to function competently as mental health service providers. Our goals are to graduate interns who are clinically skilled, highly ethical, culturally sensitive, and who have developed a well-defined professional identity.

The practicum is a 10-month, advanced training experience for students enrolled in graduate programs in counseling or psychology. Practicum counselors receive training primarily in focused individual counseling and group counseling. Practicum counselors also participate in agency outreach to the university, and a number of professional development activities including seminar training.

Intern Training Philosophy

The training program follows a learning/experiential model of training. Through study and supervised practice, trainees learn the wide range of clinical services provided in a university counseling center setting. Practice-based experiences are designed to refine and further develop the intern’s clinical competency, strengthen the intern’s identity as a professional counselor, and develop the intern’s knowledge and judgment regarding ethical practice.

The philosophy of the training program advances the focus on a student-oriented philosophy that is respectful of diversity and is committed to the development of the student as a whole person. Interns are important members of the professional staff. They actively participate in many aspects of the Counseling and Psychological Services department and assume major roles in the delivery of services. The training staff believes that support of intern personal growth is integral to all parts of the training experience.

Interns receive supervision and instruction in clinical practice, professional role development, and ethics. Interns are regarded as members of the professional team. To facilitate the intern’s initial adjustment and introduce interns to campus resources, the training staff has designed an intern orientation. The orientation sessions review intern schedules, office policies and procedures, and interns are introduced to campus and counseling center resources.

Intern Requirements

Interns will work with their clinical supervisor to establish a regular schedule for being on site.  Interns will participate in all areas of service delivery including but not limited to:

  • Individual and Group Counseling
  • Outreach
  • Consultation
  • Crisis Intervention

In addition, interns will attend weekly individual supervision and weekly Treatment Team meetings. Interns will meet weekly with their Counseling and Psychological Services supervisor. All client sessions will be videotaped for review in supervision. Interns will be required to make a formal case presentation each semester. Most students spend 15-20 hours per week on site to meet program requirements. Documentation of liability insurance is required.

Case Management

Interns are expected to conduct case management activities relevant to the clients with whom they are working. This includes writing intakes, case notes, termination reports, and appropriate correspondence along with making necessary referrals to and contacts with faulty, administrators, treatment professionals, and parents as appropriate. They work with their supervisors to conduct case management in an ethical and legal manner, and to contact relevant parties when legally required. They are responsible, along with their supervisors, for making sure that relevant documents are countersigned.

For more information please contact Ms. Veronica Arnold at (678) 466-5406. To apply for internship, please email cover letter and resume to VeronicaArnold@clayton.edu