PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP GENERAL INFORMATION Practicum and Internship begin to expose the student to real professional settings and experiences. Each student must plan how they will handle this commitment in advance. If a student is on a remediation plan, they will not be able to begin practicum or sign up for their next internship course until the remediation plan is satisfactorily resolved. Students admitted after Summer 2018 are required to complete a 155-hour practicum, including 40 clock hours of direct care to clients. Students then complete Internship over the course of two sessions, for a total of 300 hours on site including 120 hours of direct care to clients per session. This also applies to all cohorts starting Fall 2019 or later. This will require an average commitment of 20 hours a week for each of the two Internship classes. Students will also be receiving 45 hours each session under supervision in the course. Additionally, the student must complete certain requirements while in the Practicum and Internship. For example, students must document an hour of supervision with the site supervisor, who is in most cases an LMHC licensed therapist who supervises a student’s work at the agency. The classwork in Practicum and Internship will focus on the student’s experience at the placement, both in their adjustment to the professional work world and in the improvement of their clinical knowledge and skill set. The Clinical Coordinator, one of the Hodges faculty members, will assist the student in creating the best possible educational experience while first ensuring client safety and welfare. The student is representing themselves as a future professional counselor in training, as well as being a representative of the Hodges University student body while at the agency site. Many students are able to find employment
through Internship experience, and therefore should consider the experience as an extended interview. Site supervisors (and prospective employers) will evaluate punctuality, consistent production of on time documentation, student ability to follow supervision, and other important work factors in addition to the student’s expanding clinical knowledge and skill. Any and all problems or adjustment issues on site should be reported first to the Faculty Supervisor and then to the Clinical Coordinator, who will assist the student to problem-solve any concerns or issues informally or in a conference with the site supervisor, while putting the client’s safety and welfare first. The Practicum and Internship classes are designed to be a challenging yet manageable time of exciting growth in the student’s professional life. If a student already has a paid position in the counseling field, it may not be utilized for hours for Practicum or Internship. In the case that a placement is authorized by the Clinical Coordinator at the student’s own counseling agency, the hours must be worked separately, without pay, in a substantially different area of practice than the student’s current job. Also, remember that a placement must meet the learning requirements of a Master’s degree level. Due to the challenges of professional growth, all Practicum and Internship classes are limited to a maximum of 12 students. Along with the student’s Site Supervisor, who will provide individual supervision, the Faculty Supervisor, a faculty member here at Hodges University, will guide the student in class discussions, exercises and assignments designed to help them learn and grow as the student proceeds in their placements. A grade of B or better is considered passing and a grade of C or below is failing in any clinical course. If a student receives a grade of C or below in any fieldwork course (MHS6800 Practicum, MHS6855 Internship 1, or MHS6886 Internship 2), none of the accumulated, direct and indirect hours from that semester will count. As such, failing any section of fieldwork will result in
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Hodges University Student Handbook
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