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COU 7504
Internship in Counseling III
3 Semester Hours
Spring
Jan C. Lemon, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, NCSC
Email Lemon@mc.edu
Suite 301 Fondren Building, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday
Office Phone 601-925-7788
Office Hours: Tuesday – 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday – 1:00 p.m. until 4:00 p.m.; Thursday 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.
Course Description: This course involves supervised experience in an approved internship site.
The student also becomes involved in student coaching and leadership activities.
Rationale: This course is considered the third course in which students are able to apply their
clinical knowledge and clinical skills in a clinical role as a professional mental health or school
counseling intern. The student gets an opportunity to continue practicing as a professional and
receives training and supervision within this role by an on-site, qualified supervisor. Thus, it is
very important for students to behave and perform in a highly professional manner at all times
while working in the internship clinical setting. Additionally, the campus program instructor
will help students attempt to integrate their academic knowledge and skills acquired in the
applied setting.
Prerequisites: M.S. in Mental Health Counseling or M.Ed. in School Counseling
For this internship class, the student should be enrolled in the Education Specialist in Counseling
program. In special cases, some students may be enrolled in the course as an addition to
Internship I and II in order to obtain the total number of internship hours for graduation.
Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should:
1. Complete a minimum of 300 total hours of supervised clinical work for school counselors
and mental health counselors during the semester. Students may earn additional
supervised hours. These hours are exclusive to Internship III and are in addition to the
internship requirements for the M.S. in Mental Health Counseling or the M.Ed. in School
Counseling.
2. Earn a minimum of 120 hours of direct service.
Direct service includes the following activities:
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a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Conducting or directly participating in individual counseling.
Conducting or participating directly in group counseling.
Conducting interviews or participating in interviews.
Administering assessment measures directly to clients.
In the case of school counselors, group guidance activities that focus on psychoeducational topics can also be counted as direct service.
3. Complete a minimum of one (1) hour per week of individual supervision, throughout the
internship, usually performed by the on-site supervisor (a minimum of 13 hours); and
complete a minimum of one and one-half (1.5) hours per week of group supervision,
throughout the internship, performed by a program faculty supervisor.
4. Continue to develop and articulate a personal approach to counseling that is based on a
sound research and theoretical foundation, and conduct an ongoing evaluation of its
applicability to clients in the clinical setting.
5. Gain supervised experience in the use of a variety of professional resources such as
technologies, print and non-print media, professional literature, research, and other such
information.
6. Complete the minimum of 300 clock hours of supervised experience in an appropriate
setting under the direct supervision of a Licensed Professional Counselor who is a
Mississippi Qualified Supervisor (LPC-S) for the MHC interns or licensed
school/guidance counselor (for the school counseling interns). However, if the school
counseling intern would like for these internship hours to be used in obtaining a license in
professional counseling (LPC), they must also have a Board Qualified Supervisor to
direct his/her internship.
Academic Objectives
Specific Objectives for Mental Health Counseling Should Include:
1. (Core II.k.3c.) a theoretical understanding of normal and abnormal developmental crises,
disability, addictive behavior, psychopathology, and environmental factors as they affect
both normal and abnormal behavior;
2. (MH.K.S1.) knowledge of general principles of etiology, diagnosis, treatment, and
prevention of mental and emotional disorders and dysfunctional behavior; and general
principles and practices for the promotion of optimal mental health;
3. (MHK.S.3; Core II.K.7.b; Core II.K.7.g.) an understanding of specific models and
methods of case conceptualization and bio-psycho-social assessment; including basic
concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment techniques as
well as strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation
instruments and techniques in counseling;
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4. (MH.K.S.4.) knowledge of the principles of diagnosis and the use of current diagnostic
tools, including the DSM-IV-TR and the ICD;
5. (MHC.K.S.7.; Core II.K.7.h) principles and guidelines of conducting an intake interview,
a mental status evaluation, a bio-psycho-social history, a mental health history, and a
psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management;
6. A variety of professional activities other than direct service such as recording-keeping,
consultation activities, information-sharing and referral, in-service training, staff
meetings, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and case staffing;
7. (MHC.K.S.5.) application of modalities for initiating, maintaining and terminating
counseling and psychotherapy with mentally and emotionally impaired clients, including
crisis intervention, brief, intermediate, and long-term approaches;
8. The status of empirically based treatments for specific disorders based on the results of
efficacy, effectiveness, and utility research models;
9. (MCF.K.S.2)interviewing, assessment, and case management skills for working with
individuals, couples, families, and other systems;
10. (MCFC.K.S.4.) specific problems that impede family functioning including issues related
to socioeconomic disadvantages, discrimination and bias, substance abuse, person abuse,
and interventions for their resolution;
11. Basic classifications, indications, and the contraindications of commonly prescribed
psychopharmacological medications for the purpose of identifying effects and side effects
of such medications; and
12. Ethical and legal considerations regarding assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and
delivery of interventions.
If the internship involves working with children and/or adolescent clients, objectives should
include:
13. (SC.C.G.d.) issues which may affect the development and functioning of children and
adolescents (for example, abuse, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder); and
14. (SC.C.G.h.) approaches to recognizing and assisting children and adolescents who may
use alcohol or other drugs or who may reside in a home where substance abuse occurs.
Specific Academic Objectives for School Counseling students include:
1. (SC.F.2.) relationship of the school counseling program to academic and student services
program in the school and the role, function, and professional identity of the school
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counselor in relation to the roles of other professional and support personnel in the
school;
2. (SC.F.5.) knowledge of the school setting, environment, and pre-K-12 curriculum;
3. (SC.F.6) current issues policies, laws, and legislation relevant to school counseling;
4. (SC.F.7.) the role of racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage, nationality, socioeconomic
status, family structure, age, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual beliefs,
occupation, physical and mental status, and equity issues in school counseling;
5. (SC.F.9.) knowledge and application of current and emerging technology in education
and school counseling to assist students, families, and educators in using resources that
promote informed academic, career, and personal/social choices;
6. (SC.F.10.) ethical and legal considerations related specifically to the practice of school
counseling (e.g., the ACA Code of Ethics and the ASCA Ethical Standards for School
Counselors);
7. (SC.C.D.1.) advocacy for all students and for effective counseling programs;
8. (SC.C.D.2.) coordination, collaboration, referral, and team-building efforts with teachers,
parents, support personnel, and community resources to promote program objectives and
facilitate successful student development and achievement of all students;
9. (SC.C.D.3.) integration of the school counseling program into the total school curriculum
by systematically providing information and skills training to assist pre-K-12 students in
maximizing their academic, career, and personal/social development;
10. (SC.C.D.6.) methods of planning, developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating
comprehensive developmental counseling programs;
11. (SC.P.D.I.E.a.) use, management, analysis, and presentation of data from school-based
information (e.g., standardized testing, grades, enrollment, attendance, retention,
placement), surveys, interviews, focus groups, and needs assessments to improve student
outcomes;
12. (SC.P.D.I.E.a) design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of comprehensive
developmental school counseling programs (e.g., the ASCA National Standards for
School Counseling Programs) including an awareness of various systems that affect
students, school, and home;
13. (SC.P.D.I.E.a) identification of student academic, career, and personal/social
competencies and the implementation of processes and activities to assist students in
achieving these competencies;
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14. use of technology in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a
comprehensive school counseling program;
15. (SC.C.G.a.) individual and small-group counseling approaches that promote school
success, through academic, career, and personal/social development for all;
16. (SC.C.G.b.) individual, group, and classroom guidance approaches systematically
designed to assist all students with academic, career and personal/social development;
17. (SC.C.G.f.) constructive partnerships with parents, guardians, families, and communities
in order to promote each student’s academic career, and personal/social success;
18. (SC.C.G.h.) approaches to recognizing and assisting children and adolescents who may
use alcohol or other drugs or who may reside in a home where substance abuse occurs;
and
19. (SC.C.c.) strategies and methods of consulting with parents, guardians, families, and
communities to empower them to act on behalf of their children.
Course Topics
1. Site supervision issues
2. Clinical case conceptualizations and presentations that include theoretical, process,
assessment, and treatment planning elements with specific clients
3. Consultation issues such as program planning, implementation, and promotion in
collaboration with other helping professionals and community leaders
4. Professional and ethical behavior within the applied setting
5. Case management issues from intake to referral
Instructional Methods
The primary methods of instruction for this course include case presentations, discussion,
reading, supervision, and lectures.
Standards of Academic Integrity
Mississippi College students are expected to be scrupulously honest. Dishonesty, such as
cheating or plagiarism, will be regarded as a serious offense subject to severe penalty, including,
but not limited to, loss of credit and possible dismissal. University Policy 2.19, the most recent
copy of the graduate catalog, and the current student handbook provide specific information
regarding penalties associate with dishonest behavior at Mississippi College.
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No student shall submit as his or her own work any term paper, research paper, thesis or other
academic assignment of original work in that in any part is not if in fact his/her own work.
Knowingly using the ideas of another person and offering them as one’s own original ideas is
prohibited by this policy to the same extent as knowingly using the words of another writer and
offering them as one’s own original writing (University Policy 2.19, Mississippi College:
Policies and Procedures).
Ethical Standards
All of the graduate courses offered by the Department of Psychology and Counseling at
Mississippi College adhere to the current standards of the American Counseling Association
(ACA) and the American School Counseling Association (ASCA). The 2005 ACA Code of
Ethics is available for downloading at
http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CodeofEthics/TP/Home/CT2.aspx
The 2010 ASCA Code of Ethics is available for downloading at
www.scholcounselor/org/files/EthicalStandards2010.pdf
APA format (6th Edition) is expected for all written assignments. This means that your papers
are expected to be of professional quality including clear and concise language, free of any
grammar and punctuation errors, and organized to flow.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Student Responsibilities
Attendance. Class attendance is an essential part of college education and students are
expected to attend regularly and punctually. Because each class meeting is the equivalent of
almost three hour-long meetings, and because there are experiential dimensions to this course,
absences greatly affect potential student gains. The student is therefore expected to attend all
class meetings. In case of illness or emergency, please notify the instructor prior to class.
Alternative assignments may be made in case of an absence. Cumulative absences will result in a
lowered grade or loss of credit for the course.
The university policy outlined in the graduate catalog will be followed concerning
absences and course withdrawal, which includes a failing grade for students missing more than
three classes.
Complete All Reading Assignments and Participate in Class Discussions. Readings
should be completed prior to their due date since they will form the basis of classroom
discussions.
Late Papers. Assigned papers will be due at the beginning of class, and late work will
not be accepted.
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Cell Phones. The use of cell phones during class is strictly prohibited. If you must carry
these items on your person, please turn them off or place them in silence mode.
Eating In Class. The School of Education Policy states that no food or drink is allowed
in the classroom.
Early Alert System. Mississippi has adopted the practice of finding students early in the
semester who may be exhibiting behaviors that could ultimately have a negative impact on their
academic progress. These behaviors are often called “red flag” behaviors and include, but are not
limited to, excessive absences, poor test grades, and lack of class participation or evidence of
non-engagement. Identifying these behaviors early gives the instructor the opportunity to raise
the “red flag” on behalf of a particular student so that the student can take the appropriate action
to redirect his/her progress. The system alerts the student, the student’s advisor, and the Office of
Student Success. These messages are intended to help recognize an area of concern and to
encourage him/her to make some choices to improve the situation. When a student receives an
Early Alert message, the student should quickly make an appointment to talk with his/her
professor about the situation. Also, students can make full use of the office of Student Success to
set academic goals and connect to campus resources.
Students With Disabilities. Mississippi College is committed to making every
reasonable accommodation to assist any student with a documented disability to meet the
requirements expected of all students enrolled in this course. Students needing academic
accommodations are required by law to initiate the request process and should schedule an
individual meeting with Dr. Morgan Bryant, Director of Student Counseling Services, at (601)
925-7790 or via email at mbryant@mc.edu or hreeves@mc.edu. Student Counseling Services is
located in Alumni Hall Room 4. Please make sure that you discuss this process and any
accommodation plan with your instructor.
Student Assignments
All internship students should obtain malpractice insurance.
Students will receive internship experience as graduate student coaches and as interns in
their particular field.
Graduate Student Coaching:
1. Attend 1.5 hours per week of group supervision during specified class periods.
2. Work with assigned students in the areas of coaching, leadership skills, administration,
consultation, individual training, and supervision.
3. Students may earn 150 clock hours toward the 300 hours needed to complete the
internship. 60 hours of this time may be logged as direct service hours.
4. Complete a Calendar of Clinical Activities for each week and a Final Training Log of
Counseling Activities.
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Internship in Professional Area:
1. Complete a Student/Site Supervisor Internship/Practicum Agreement prior to beginning
the internship. All site supervisors must have a minimum of a master’s degree in
counseling or a related profession with equivalent qualification, including appropriate
certifications and/or licenses. The internship cannot be started until the student has
completed the Student/Agency Internship Agreement and the agreement has been
signed by the Mississippi College instructor of Record. If all necessary paper work
has not been completed by the third class period, it would be imperative for the
student to drop the class to avoid a failing grade.
2. Attend 1 hour per week of supervision with Site Supervisor. Group supervision hours
will be obtained during the group supervision class period, which will incorporate the
graduate student coaching aspect and the on-site supervision.
3. Obtain enough hours to complete the 300 needed for the internship experience, which
must include at least 120 hours of direct service. The student will spend these hours in a
clinical or school setting as a counselor under the supervision of licensed counseling
professionals within the settings. Students may earn additional supervised hours.
4. Complete a Calendar of Clinical Activities for each week and a Final Training Log of
Counseling Activities (at the end of week 14) and have your site supervisor complete the
bottom portion. The form may be submitted to your faculty supervisor in a sealed and
signed envelope or it may be mailed to:
Dr. Jan Lemon
Mississippi College, Department of Counseling and Psychology
P. O. Box 4013
Clinton, MS 39058
Presentations of Case Studies:
Each student will present a case study of a current client. This will count 20% of the
student’s grade.
Class Assignments
Students will be given a reading assignment each week to discuss in class the following
week. These assignments may include articles concerning the helping profession, leadership
skills, or counseling skills.
Evaluation
The student’s grade is based on the following:
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1. Mid-semester and final evaluations by the on-site supervisor and completion of a
minimum of 300 total hours of service with 120 hours of direct service. If the student
fails to complete the minimum number of hours of total and direct service, an incomplete
or F grade will be assigned, depending upon the circumstances.
40%
2. Presentation of one case study review of a clinical case to the class.
20%
3. Class discussion and completion of all coaching activities
20%
4. Completion of all records
20%
Grading Scale:
A = 94 above, B+ = 88-93, B = 82-87, C+ = 76-81, C = 70-75, D = 60-69, F = 59 and below
I - Incomplete
This course is highly dependent upon ethical and responsible behavior within your internship.
Students who are terminated from their internship will usually receive an F grade in the course,
which can be appealed initially to the instructor and then to the department chair. It is important
that the student notify the instructor immediately concerning any potential problems with the
internship or your relationship with your supervisor; these situations can often be resolve prior to
termination.
Attendance is absolutely essential in this class. To receive the 1.5 hours of group
supervision per week the student must be in attendance. In addition, many of the coaching
activities must be completed during an assigned period.