School Counseling Internship I&II

Graduate Studies in Counseling

COU 594: Practicum in School Counseling

Fall 2007— Mon. 5:00pm-9:30pm

College Hall 210

3 Semester Hours

Instructor: Dakota White-King, MA, LPSC

Office Hours: by appointment

Supervisor: Holly L. Harper, Ph.D, PC, NCC

Assistant Professor

College Hall

(419)448-2889

hharper@heidelberg.edu

Prerequisite: Core courses; COU 519 and COU 5 and approval by chair, Dr. Sanders.

Conceptual Framework: Vital Connections

The graduate counseling programs at Heidelberg College are based on a constructivist philosophy. This means that the pre-service candidates and in-service counselors-in-training in our programs build or construct their knowledge as a result of a student-centered, hands-on approach to learning. From the beginning of their experience at Heidelberg, our students are actively involved in their coursework and clinical/field experiences.

Specifically, the students build or construct their new knowledge about counseling with several tools - theory, practice, and reflection. These are the building tools that connect the constructivist core of the conceptual framework to each of the counselor education licensure programs.

Theory - principles of teaching and learning

Practice - clinical and field experience

Reflection - thinking about, evaluating and revising one's teaching and learning. Thus, constructivism is at the core of the conceptual framework, and the building tools of theory, practice, and reflection connect this core to each of the licensure programs.

Course Description:

Students will complete a practicum involving guidance and counseling activities in a school setting. The student will complete a minimum of 100 contact hours (40 hours of direct service with clients, including experience in individual counseling and group work) under the direct supervision of a licensed/certified school counselor in a site acceptable to the student, the cooperating school personnel, and the Heidelberg supervisor. (Fall, spring, and summer).

Course Conceptual Framework:

The goals of this course are to help the students promote optimal development of all students. The counselor is a school leader who works with students, teachers, administrators, parents, and other members of the community to build a supportive learning environment which nurtures the development of academic, career, and personal/social competence among students as well as fosters an appreciation of diversity and a commitment to social justice. While remediation of deficits and the removal of barriers play a role in this perspective, developmental advocates focus on proactive and preventive approaches to help students build skills and to enhance the asset-building capacity of the school environment. Traditionally, school counselors have relied upon four primary interventions – individual and small group counseling, consultation, classroom guidance, and coordination – to support student development. In recent years, two additional interventions – advocacy and collaboration – have played an increasingly important role in the school counselor’s efforts to insure equity and social justice and to increase the likelihood of optimal development for all students. These last two interventions are especially important for those students who are disenfranchised due to socioeconomic, cultural, or lifestyle issues. Advocacy takes place on several levels, the most important of which are individual and group advocacy. When in the advocacy role, school counselors act on behalf or in concert with students and their parents to correct situational problems or to bring about lasting changes in policies that restrict student development. In the collaborative role, the school counselor forms coalitions with professionals in the school and community to better serve students.

Standards/Course Objectives: The Student will:

NCATE:

Standard 1: Candidate Knowledge, Skills, and Professional Dispositions

A. Content Knowledge - The student will:

Know and demonstrate the content knowledge through understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of their fields as delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards as shown through inquiry, critical analysis, and synthesis (NCATE Professional School Personnel, Standard 1)

B. Professional Knowledge & Skills - The student will:

Acquire in-depth understanding of professional knowledge in their fields as delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards. They will collect and analyze data related to their work, reflect on their practice, and use research and technology to support and improve student learning (NCATE Professional School Personnel, Standard 1)

C. Dispositions for All Candidates - The student will:

Work with students, families, and communities in ways that reflect the dispositions expected of professional educators as delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards. Students will recognize when their own dispositions may need to be adjusted and are able to develop plans to do so (NCATE Professional School Personnel, Standard 1)

CACREP:

A. Knowledge: The student will:

Demonstrate professional, ethical, and legal conduct in their practicum experience with students, teachers, supervisors, administrators, staff, parents, and other members of the community (CACREP IIK1h, CACREP School A7 and A11).

Demonstrate knowledge of the school and how it functions and of the major school personnel (teachers, administrators, and support personnel) and how they function (CACREP School A6 and A9)

Demonstrate knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the school counselors and how these relate to other school and professional personnel (CACREP IIK1b; CACREP School A2, School B1-7)

Demonstrate knowledge of information sources for use with students, parents, and teachers (CACREP IIK4b)

Demonstrate ability to plan, conduct, and evaluate developmental classroom guidance (CACREP IIK6a, b, and e; CACREP IIK8d, CACREP School C2b)

Understand individual interviewing and counseling skills, be able to develop a therapeutic dyadic relationship, use theory to guide practice, establish appropriate counseling goals, design intervention strategies, evaluate client outcome, and successfully terminate the counselor-client relationship with students from diverse backgrounds (CACREP IIK5a-c, CACREP School C2a,d, and h).

Counseling interns will demonstrate the ability to plan, implement, lead, and evaluate small group counseling with students from diverse backgrounds (NCCH-P1,3, and 6, NC-CH-D1-4; NC-T-SC G2,3,4, and 11; CACREP IIKa-e,g,CACREP School C2a,b)

Understand a framework for practicing consultation (CACREP IIK5e,CACREP C3a-d).

Understand and participate in a career development activity at the high school level (CACREP IIK4c and e)

Learn ethical considerations related to counseling through the exposure to the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics and case scenarios. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.11);

Understand the central conditions that are essential to effective therapy. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.11);

Evaluate their individual motivations that underlying the choice to follow a career path in counseling. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.3;

Learn the responsibilities assumed by individuals selecting a career in counseling;

Develop basic communication skills (verbal and nonverbal) through the implementation of active listening skills, paraphrasing, summarizing and open ended questions. (CACREP School Counseling A.4, C.2);

Understand professional responsibilities in a counseling session. (CACREP School Counseling A.3, A.11;)

Reflect on the therapeutic processes and gain an understanding for the stages of therapy. (CACREP School Counseling Standard C.2.g; )

Understand the influence of culture on the counseling process.

Gain an understanding of mental status examinations and collecting data for an intake interview.

Gain a level of competency in assessing suicidal and homicidal intent. (CACREP School Counseling Standard C.2.d) and

Develop a basic understanding of uses of computer technology in the practice of counseling especially concerning client confidentiality. (CACREP School Counseling Standard C.1.g)

B. Skills: The student will:

Demonstrate an ability to empathize with their clients. (CACREP School Counseling Standard C.2);

Practice active listening skills.

Demonstrate clear effective verbal communication.

Demonstrate an acute awareness of their own impact on others. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8;

Demonstrate cultural sensitivity. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8, A.9;

Identify and demonstrate an awareness of client’s nonverbal communication.

Provide constructive feedback to peers.

Integrate constructive feedback from peers and instructor and change behavior. demonstrate the ability to initiate, maintain and terminate counseling relationships with clients CACREP II.J.3.b);

Demonstrate the ability to develop and present case conceptualization of clients CACREP II.J.3.b, c);

Continue to develop and refine their personal theory of counseling and demonstrate behavior that is consistent with their theory (CACREP II.J.3a);

Demonstrate the ability to identify alternative appropriate interventions to address the social and cultural needs of the client (CACREP II.J.3.b, d, e);

Demonstrate the ability to assess and identify professional counseling strengths and limitations (CACREP II.J.3.b, c, e);

Demonstrate the ability to give and receive constructive feedback in supervision (CACREP II.J.3.b, c); and

Demonstrate adherence to professional code of ethics and standards of practice (CACREP II.J.5i).

C. Attitudes/Values and dispositions: The student will:

Respect the complexity of clients. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8, C.2.g;

Value multicultural differences and understand their influence on behaviors, perceptions and feelings. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8;

Recognize counseling is not value free and how one’s values, attitudes and biases influence the counseling session and client progress. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8, A.9; ;

Value self-assessment and self-awareness recognizing that both are an ongoing processes.

Recognize individual differences among peers and instructor.

Display an eager attitude about further learning the practice of counseling; and

Appreciate the impact of personal identities, such as gender, social class, racial/ethnic identity, and family structure on the client. (CACREP School Counseling Standard A.8, A.9;)

D. Diversity: The student will:

Examine personal attitudes and values regarding human diversity and the process of multicultural counseling; examine and value the complexity of counseling culturally diverse populations (Conceptual Framework R6, R7);

Learn individual strategies for working with diverse populations and ethnic groups as related to traditional counseling theories (CACREP standard section II 2. c.; Conceptual Framework R6, R8);

Increase awareness of counselors’ selection of counseling theories in social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution, cultural self-awareness, the nature of biases, prejudices, processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination, and other culturally supported behaviors that are detrimental to the growth of the human spirit, mind, or body (CACREP standard section II 2. d.; Conceptual Framework R6, R7); and

Learn how traditional theories and techniques relate to multicultural counseling, theories of identity development, and multicultural competencies (CACREP standard section II 2. e.; Conceptual Framework R6, R7).

E. Technology: The student will:

Demonstrate an ability use internet email through regularly emailing the class instructor with questions or concerns (CACREP Standard Section II 1. C);

Utilize word processing in writing all of their assignments and papers (CACREP Standard Section II 1. C); and

Utilize the Internet as a source of information in researching class related material (CACREP Standard Section II 1. C).

Texts:

Russell-Chapin, L. A. and Ivey, A. E. (2004) Your Supervised Practicum and Internship: Field resources for turing theory into action, United States: Thompson/Wadsworth

Vontress, C. E., Johnson, J. A, and Epp, L. R. (1999) Cross-Cultural Counseling: A Casebook. Richmond: ACA

Recommended:

Sweitzer, H. F. and King, M. A. (2004) The successful practicum: transformation and empowerment in experiential learning, 2^nd Ed. United States: Thompson/Brooks/Cole

Course structure

This course meets every Monday evening.

5 – 6:30pm Counseling Lab (2 45 minute sessions)/Individual Supervision

6:30 – 8pm Group Supervision/discussion

8 – 9:30pm Counseling Lab (2 45 minute sessions)/Individual Supervision

Lab (5 to 6:30pm or 8 to 9:30pm)

During our lab time, you will provide counseling and/or live supervision to COU505 students. This will include: counseling sessions, observation of counseling sessions, live voiceover feedback during sessions, and post session supervision/feedback sessions with students. You will also be called upon to serve as a client to provide others opportunities to practice their skills. As a client, you also play an important role in providing direct feedback to the counselor. This work will be done under faculty supervision.

Group Supervision/Class (6:30 to 8pm)

During group supervision/discussion, we will meet to discuss site issues, client issues, supervisor issues and to process your experiences both in the Lab and at your sites. You may at times also participate in school related activities with COU596/597.

Supervision (5:30 to 6:30pm or 8 to 9pm)

You will also participate biweekly in Individual and/or Small Group Supervision with students from the clinical supervision course. Each student will meet individually for supervision with an advanced, clinical supervision student for ½ to 1 hour every other week. Here, you will discuss cases as well as your own issues related to your efforts to grow into the role of counselor and receive feedback and guidance from the supervisor (who will be supervised by Dr. Cruikshanks).

Lab work is expected to begin on September 17, 2007.

Course Schedule

Week 1 – August 27^th

Week 2- September 3^rd

Week 3 – September 10^th

Week 4 – September 17^th

Week 5 – September 24^th

Week 6 – October 1st

Week 7 – October 8^th

Week 8 – October 15^th

Week 9 – October 22^nd

Week 10 – October 29^th

Week 11 – November 5^th

Week 12 – November 12^th

Week 13 – November 19^th

Week 14 – November 26^th

Week 15 – December 3^rd

Week 16 – December 10^th

Review Syllabus, Assignments & Sites