Course Syllabus
HR 5283 - Clinical Practicum
Faculty Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Description
This practicum course involves supervised application of counseling/therapy processes with clients. It will include weekly small group and individual supervision using video-recorded client sessions. Throughout this course, you must complete a minimum of 100 clock hours total, including at least 40 client contact hours and 60 hours of indirect work.
Learning Outcomes & CACREP Standards
Practicum Experience
| Learning Outcome | CACREP Standard |
|---|---|
|
The multiple professional roles and functions of counselors across specialty areas |
3.A.2 |
|
Counselors’ roles, responsibilities, and relationships as members of specialized practice and interprofessional teams, including (a) collaboration and consultation, (b) community outreach, and (c) emergency response management |
3.A.3 |
|
Ethical standards of professional counseling organizations and credentialing bodies, and applications of ethical and legal considerations in professional counseling across service delivery modalities and specialized practice areas |
3.A.10 |
|
Self-care, self-awareness, and self-evaluation strategies for ethical and effective practice |
3.A.11 |
|
Purpose of and roles within counseling supervision in the profession |
3.A.12 |
|
The influence of heritage, cultural identities, attitudes, values, beliefs, understandings, within-group differences, and acculturative experiences on help-seeking and coping behaviors |
3.B.3 |
|
Critical thinking and reasoning strategies for clinical judgment in the counseling process |
3.E.2 |
|
Case conceptualization skills using a variety of models and approaches |
3.E.3 |
|
Consultation models and strategies. |
3.E.4 |
|
Application of technology related to counseling |
3.E.5 |
|
Ethical and legal issues relevant to establishing and maintaining counseling relationships across service delivery modalities |
3.E.6 |
|
Culturally sustaining and responsive strategies for establishing and maintaining counseling relationships across service delivery modalities |
3.E.7 |
|
Counselor characteristics, behaviors, and strategies that facilitate effective counseling relationships |
3.E.8 |
|
Interviewing, attending, and listening skills in the counseling process; |
3.E.9 |
|
Counseling strategies and techniques used to facilitate the client change process; |
3.E.10 |
|
Strategies for adapting and accommodating the counseling process to client culture, context, abilities, and preferences; |
3.E.11 |
|
Goal consensus and collaborative decision-making in the counseling process; |
3.E.12 |
|
Developmentally relevant and culturally sustaining counseling treatment or intervention plans; |
3.E.13 |
|
Development of measurable outcomes for clients; |
3.E.14 |
|
Evidence-based counseling strategies and techniques for prevention and intervention; |
3.E.15 |
|
Record-keeping and documentation skills; |
3.E.16 |
|
Principles and strategies of caseload management and the referral process to promote independence, optimal wellness, empowerment, and engagement with community resources; classification, effects, and indications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications; |
3.E.17 |
|
Classification, effects, and indications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications; |
3.E.18 |
|
Suicide prevention and response models and strategies; crisis intervention, trauma-informed, community-based, and disaster mental health strategies; |
3.E.19 |
|
Crisis intervention, trauma-informed, community-based, and disaster mental health strategies; |
3.E.20 |
|
Processes for developing a personal model of counseling grounded in theory and research; |
3.E.21 |
|
Students complete supervised counseling practicum experiences that total a minimum of 100 hours over a full academic term that is a minimum of eight weeks consistent with the institution’s academic calendar. |
4.Q |
|
Practicum students complete at least 40 hours of direct service with actual clients that contributes to the development of counseling skills; |
4.R |
|
Throughout the duration of the practicum, each student receives individual and/or triadic supervision on a regular schedule that averages one hour a week by:
|
4.S.1 4.S.3 |
|
Throughout the duration of the practicum, each student receives group supervision on a regular schedule that averages 1½ hours per week and is provided by a counselor education program faculty member. |
4.T.1 |
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Track
| Learning Outcome | CACREP Standard |
|---|---|
|
Practice intake interview, mental status evaluation, biopsychosocial history, mental health history, and psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management |
5.C.4 |
|
Utilize techniques and interventions for prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues |
5.C.5 |
|
Know strategies advocate for people with mental, behavioral, and neurodevelopmental conditions |
5.C.8 |
Course Prerequisites
- HR 5003 - Theoretical Foundations in Human Relations Counseling / HR 5533 - Counseling Theories in CMHC
- HR 5402 - Psycho-Social Development / HR 5923 - Human Growth & Development
- HR 5883 - Introduction to the Counseling Profession
- HR 5483 - Diagnosis in Human Relations Counseling
- HR 5453 - Ethics in Human Relations Counseling
- HR 5643 - Crisis Intervention / Crisis Intervention and Trauma Counseling
- HR 5593 - Multicultural Counseling
- Note: Depending on which semester your cohort started, this course may fall in a different order than stated here.
- HR 5503 - Research for Counseling
- Note: Depending on which semester your cohort started, this course may fall in a different order than stated here.
- HR 5893 - Psychopharmacology
- HR 5663 - Psychopathology
- HR 5433 - Group Counseling
- HR 5613 - Assessment & Evaluation in Counseling
- HR 5463 - Counseling Skills
- HR 5493 - Couples & Family Counseling
- Note: Depending on which semester your cohort started, you may or may not have completed this course before the Practicum and that is okay. There may be situations where you are taking this course while in the Practicum course.
Other Prerequisites
Acceptance in Candidacy and departmental consent.
Course Materials
Required
- Jungers, C.M. and Scott, J. (2019). Practicum and internship. Routledge. ISBN 9781138492608
Recommended
- DSM-5 TR (5th edition, text revision)
- This manual can be accessed through the OU Library by using your OU 4x4 and password.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | CACREP Standards | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counseling Session Videos |
3.E.2; 3.E.5; 3.E.6;3.E.9; 3.E.10; 3.E.11; 3.E.12; 3.E.13; 3.E.14; 3.E.15; 3.E.16; 3.E.17; 3.E.18; 3.E.19; 3.E.20; 3.E.21; |
2 counseling session recordings | 10% |
| *Case Presentation | 3.E.3; 3.A.10; 3.B.3; 3.E.2; 3.E.3; 3.E.4; 3.E.7; 3.E.8 | Presentation based upon 1 of the student's cases in clinical experience | 5% |
| Attendance & Participation | 3.A.12; 3.E.8; 4.R; 4.S.1; 4.S.3; 4.T.1 |
|
70% |
| E-Portfolio | Covers Sections 3 and 4. | Collection of various documents | 10% |
| Practicum Goal Statement | 3.A.2; 3.A.3; 3.A.10;3.A.11; 3.A.12; 3.B.3; 3.E.2. | Written assignment | 2.5% |
| Reflection Paper | 3.A.2; 3.A.11; 3.E.2; 3.E.7; 3.E.8 | Written assignment | 2.5% |
| Total | 100% |
*Indicates Key Performance Indicator (KPI). This is an intentional formative assessment to assure you take away the core information necessary to be a successful professional counselor.
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 80–100% | Pass |
| 79% or below | Fail |
Course Components
Expectations for Students
Clock Hours:
A minimum of 100 clock hours is required to complete the practicum. The breakdown for these hours should resemble the following:
- Direct Service: At least 40 hours
- Students must lead or co-lead a group during either practicum or internship and submit the Group Leadership Attestation Form afterwards.
- Indirect Service: At least 60 hours
- Individual Site Supervision: 10 hours minimum (included as part of your indirect hours)
- Group Supervision: 15 hours minimum (included as part of your indirect hours)
Total minimum hours: 100 hrs.
Client Contact:
Students are expected to maintain the assigned number of weekly contact hours and record the sessions (as video or audio) as instructed by the faculty supervisor.
Group Supervision:
Students will meet for group supervision every week for 1.5 hours. During this time, a variety of activities will occur, including discussion of on-site issues, recorded session presentations, discussion of ethical issues, and peer supervision. Students should also meet weekly with their on-site supervisor.
Individual Supervision:
Students will meet 2 times for individual supervision this semester. At these sessions, students' progress toward their goals will be addressed, as well as a discussion for their midterm and final evaluations.
Logging Hours:
Maintain the log form in which students will keep track of their onsite counseling and supervision hours.
Case Management:
Students must follow all guidelines for case management required by their site.
Mid-term Evaluation:
The site supervisor must complete the formal Supervisor Evaluation Form. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in their site supervisor’s evaluation to their university supervisor. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide the supervisor with enough time to complete the form and have them review it with the student before the due date. During the semester, feedback will be sought from the site supervisor and the University supervisor will conduct a visit to the site at some point over the calendar year.
Final Evaluation:
Both the site supervisor and the university supervisor will provide a final evaluation of the student using the Supervisor Evaluation form. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in their site supervisor’s evaluation to their university supervisor. It is also the student’s responsibility to provide the supervisor with enough time to complete the form and have them review it with the student before the due date.
Student Evaluation of Site and Site Supervisor:
The student must complete the formal Evaluation of the Site and Site Supervisor. It is the student’s responsibility to turn in their evaluation to their university supervisor.
Ethical Behavior:
Students are required to comply with the ethical standards of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and their State's Composite Board of SWs, LPCs, and MFTs.
Professional Behavior:
Potential counseling effectiveness cannot be assessed in the same manner as academic performance in typical college classes. Students must communicate effectively, be open-minded, tolerate ambiguity, exhibit a high degree of patience, acceptance of diversity, and demonstrate emotional stability and self-acceptance. Counseling faculty at OU will evaluate students’ professional and personal aptitude at the end of every Fall and Spring term. Students are required to meet with their advisor to discuss the outcome of the evaluations. This process is designed to enhance communication and mentoring within the program.
Students are expected to be able to adhere to the following professional performance criteria:
- Openness to new ideas
- Flexibility
- Cooperativeness with others
- Willingness to accept and use feedback
- Awareness of own impact on others
- Ability to deal with conflict
- Ability to accept personal responsibility
- Ability to express feelings effectively and appropriately
- Attention to ethical and legal considerations
- Initiative and motivation
Respect confidentiality:
Active involvement in class meetings and activities entails a level of personal self-disclosure. Because of the nature of the vulnerability inherent in this, and the trust and openness required, it is extremely important that confidentiality be maintained. Revealing any personal information about classmates, gained from class meetings or activities, is a breach of confidentiality. Additionally, for that reason, class meetings may not be recorded. This level of respect for confidentiality is required for class discussions as well as self-reflective journaling and skill practice.
Attendance & Participation
This will comprise 70% of your grade in this course.
Learning in this course is based on interaction and participation. CACREP specifies minimum clock-hour requirements in terms of individual supervision and group supervision. Credit will not be awarded unless these standards are met.
You will earn the required points by:
- Turning in your completed Hours Log each week starting in week 2.
- Attending the weekly Live Sessions, which are mandated to last an hour and a half each week, per CACREP standards.
- Note: You are not provided an option to make up the Live Session hours in this course due to the nature of the practicum as well as the mandated requirements that must be adhered to.
- Mid-Semester Evaluation
- Final Evaluation
- Student Evaluations, which will consist of:
- Site Supervisor Evaluation
- Site Evaluation
Counseling Session Videos
For supervision purposes, each student must submit 2 recordings of counseling sessions for individual supervision. In addition to the video recording, you will submit a transcript and the session review form.
Evaluation of the videos will consist of written and/or verbal feedback from the instructor. Evaluation will occur during individual supervision sessions.
Note: You are required to work with different clients for your session recording assignments and the case presentation. This allows you multiple opportunities to receive and integrate feedback while strengthening client conceptualization skills through more practice.
Case Presentation
For this assignment, you will present one case drawn from your work with clients. You should select a client with whom you are having some difficulty and the client should be different then the client/s used in the recorded session videos. Additionally, you will need to complete the following:
- Recording of the session with client
- Case Conceptualization - long narrative form (not the shortened copy you are sharing with peers)
- Session transcription of the video segment
- Session review form
Note: When transcribing your recording, you will need to type dialogue verbatim (i.e., include all pauses, sighs, and repetitive statements) for both you (the counselor) and your client.
Practicum Goal Statement
You will submit an APA-style (no title page, abstract, or reference page necessary) three to five-page self-assessment that will include the following:
- reflection on current counseling skills;
- current theoretical orientation;
- counseling style;
- strengths;
- difficult client problem areas you are concerned about/struggle with;
- areas of needed development;
- any personal experiences you believe may enter into your work as a counselor and your thoughts and feelings about what this might mean for you;
- questions and concerns you have about your site or your role as a counselor;
- questions, concerns, or excitements regarding supervision;
- any other fears or anxieties you may be experiencing.
Reflection Paper
For this assignment, you will reflect upon your “Professional Self.” Discuss your learning process over this semester. Think about how you are developing your professional identity and your professional behavior (e.g., as a counselor, a supervisee, a student, a colleague/peer, a group member, and a leader).
Discuss how that identity and behavior represent your strengths, growing edges, and theoretical orientation. Also, include what you have learned this semester about counselor and client wellness. In other words, write about who you are today as a person and professional with a past, present, and future professional career. Make this assignment meaningful for you.
E-Portfolio
The e-portfolio in this course will consist of the following items:
- Resume/CV
- Liability Insurance
- Professional Disclosure Statement
- Practicum Goal Statement and Reflection
- Final Reflection of Practicum Learning Experience
- Informed Consent form used at Clinical Site
- Weekly and Monthly Report of Hours (to be completed and signed by university and site supervisors)
- Site Supervisor Evaluations of Students
- University Supervisor Evaluation Form of Student (Final)
- Student Evaluation of Site Supervisor
- This is due in the final week of this course
- Site Evaluation
- This is due in the final week of this course.
- Final Report of Hours
Note: More details on how to create the e-portfolio to organize the above items will be explained in the Course Resources Module.
Course Policies
Communication
There are multiple channels for students to communicate throughout the course. Students can send direct messages using Canvas or send an email directly to me at jrogers@ou.edu
I will try to respond within 24 hours on weekdays, if not sooner! Messages received during the weekend will be responded to on Monday. Additionally, if you have a general question about the course or assignments, there will be a General Discussion Board area where you can post these questions for me to answer. This way, we can all benefit from the questions asked and they can be answered in a venue that the whole class can see.
Feedback
Late Work
I will accept late work without point deduction with the understanding that students communicate any questions, concerns, or requests for extension related to any assignment at least 24 hours prior to the due date so we can create a submission plan that promotes their integration of material.
Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
per CACREP Standards 1.I. & 1.M.8
The OU CMHC program fosters a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment. Our OU Human Relations faculty and students are diverse in their cultures and beliefs. Throughout the OU environment, including the CMHC program, we uphold the pillars of awareness, education, and advocacy. We critically examine campus climate with its biases, assumptions, institutional structure, and worldviews. We strive together to mitigate inequities, to grow intellectually and personally through meaningful diversity interactions, conscious conversations, and meaningful experiences. We work to reduce barriers, to promote conscious civil conversations, and to help all contribute as individuals, community members, and professionals in preparing our students to compete in a diverse, global, and integrated world.
As faculty of the CMHC program and mental health professionals, we strive to uphold ACA ethical guidelines important to the counseling profession in addition to the OU values of empathy, accountability, civil dialogue, collaboration, equity, integrity, and mutual respect. The goal of the CMHC program is to engage, serve and yield qualified and diverse students, equipping them with the tools needed to serve, educate, and empower our diverse communities.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|