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Counseling and Student Affairs

Practicum and Internship

Clinical Mental Health Counseling &
Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling
Practicum (CNS 591) and Internship (CNS 596)

During the COVID-19 crisis, all interns are required to work from home. They may conduct distance counseling in accordance with the national, state, and university crisis plans once the proper training has been completed and in coordination with their site supervisors. The Internship Checklist for Distance Counseling Services during COVID-19 may be helpful in preparing interns and client for the transition to counseling remotely. 

Resources

Clinical Paperwork

Please follow the directions for completing and submitting the required forms in a single PDF (see link at the bottom for the free CutePDF software). Email paperwork to WKU.CNS.clinical.coordinator@gmail.com (WKU email limits files sizes).

Review the Practicum & Internship Manual for instructions on establishing a new site or maintaining a clinical site. To establish a new site and meet our accreditation standards, the entire process takes a few hours of your time so it can happen quickly if desired. We can schedule a call to discuss the requirements to approving a site if that would be helpful. The basic steps are below:

  1. Review the Practicum & Internship Manual for instructions on establishing a new site or maintaining a clinical site, especially pages 13-16 which focus on the site supervisor and site requirements.
  2. Complete the Site Information Form() We will post this to our website so potential interns can review it; you will need to download it and edit it with Adobe Reader to save your changes.
  3. Send the SIF and site supervisor’s resume to WKU.CNS.clinical.coordinator@gmail.com.
  4. Review the Site Supervisor Training Video(link 1:14:11; PPT slides only) This covers the basics of working with our interns and provides an overview of the developmental supervision model which typically aligns with our interns’ progress. This meets the supervision training requirement and may answer many of your questions. However, feel free to contact the Clinical Coordinator for additional support or questions at WKU.CNS.clinical.coordinator@gmail.com.
  5. Schedule a Site Visit (see Checklist ) Contact the Clinical Coordinator with your availability to schedule the visit. The visit typically takes 30-45 minutes. 
  6. Once approved, your intern(s) will provide you the Practicum or Internship Site and Supervision Contract to sign which confirms you have reviewed the manual, are familiar with the roles and responsibilities, and will work with your intern during the term specified.

Permission to Video

Sample Client Intake Form & Case Notes (SOAP format)

Plan of Action for Course Completion

Petition for Change in Practicum or Internship Site

Transcript

link  Site Supervisor Training Video (PPT slides only)

Fingerprinting services for licensure state and FBI background checks are no longer being done in person.

In person. You can get your fingerprints done through Identogo. You will have to schedule an appointment for a fingerprint sheet (not the digital fingerprinting). Then have them send it off for your FBI and state background checks.

Digital. You will need to go to a post office that offers digital fingerprinting services. This is a list  of post office locations who do digital fingerprinting (nearest ones are Elizabethtown and Nashville). You can’t schedule appointments for these, but if you go during their normal hours as a walk-in and ask for their digital fingerprinting services!

Online Counseling Resources for Working with Clients

 

Related Departmental Policies

Directions for working with the Forms

  1. Right click on the link above and choose "save as," and save the file to your computer.
  2. Open the file you want to print or edit and modify if desired. After editing the file, save it.
  3. Attach it to email, print it, or save it for future editing.

To view PDFs, you can download Adobe Reader free by going to http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

Creating your Electronic Portfolio

View this quick video tutorial:

  • Creating a real signature electronically free using Adobe Scan
  • Inserting an electronic signature into Word
  • Converting a Word doc to PDF
  • Merging and reordering PDF pages

View this tutorial to add your signature and dates into PDF using free Adobe Reader

To scan documents from your phone, the free Adobe Scan app has provided the best quality scans for pdf.

To create & modify PDF files, download the free CutePDF at http://www.cutepdf.com/ or use the online browser version. View a tutorial to learn how to install & "print" to pdf using the free CutePDF Writer.

To track your time by color-coded categories, the free Toggl app at https://toggl.com/ is available for your desktop or device. This can be easily set up to align with your practicum & internship hour logs. 

Dates & Deadlines

2020-2021 

  • Apr 23, 2021: Submit all final signed paperwork (see Internship Portfolio Checklist) to your Faculty Supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator. 

2021-2022 

  • Apr 19, 2021: Submit the Practicum Site and Supervision Contract.
  • May 10, 2021: Begin practicum.
  • Jun 25, 2021: Submit mid-term evaluations to faculty supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator.
  • Aug 12, 2021: Submit all final signed paperwork (see Practicum Portfolio Checklist) to your Faculty Supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator.
  • Aug 13, 2021: Submit the Internship Site and Supervision Contract if changing sites.
  • Aug 23, 2021: Begin fall internship
  • Oct 8, 2021: Submit mid-term evaluations to faculty supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator.
  • Dec 3, 2021: Submit all final signed paperwork (see Internship Portfolio Checklist) to your Faculty Supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator. Contact CC in advance if an extension is required to complete hours during finals week.
  • Jan 18, 2022: Begin spring internship
  • Feb 2022, TBD: Serve on the intern panel at the practicum orientation!
  • Feb 2022, TBD: Attend the virtual Internship & Job Fair to learn more about potential job options. Schedule your 10-minute session with sites online.
  • Mar 4, 2022: Submit mid-term evaluations to faculty supervisor for review and signature. Submit signed evaluations to Clinical Coordinator.

2022-2023

  • Feb 2022, TBD: Attend the mandatory practicum orientation via Zoom.
  • Feb 2022, TBD:: Attend the virtual Internship & Job Fair to learn more about potential job options. Schedule your 10-minute session with sites online.
  • Mar 1, 2022: Submit the Practicum Application Form. You must get this form approved by the Clinical Coordinator BEFORE you apply for a practicum site to verify your eligibility to enroll in practicum.

 

 

 

Some of the links on this page may require additional software to view.

 Last Modified 4/17/21