Students in supervised
clinical field placement are expected to meet multiple and complex
objectives. The purpose of the
practicum class is to provide the information; structure, guidance, and coaching
those students need in order to approach their work with greater
confidence. The goal is to help
students maximize their learning in every experience. During their fieldwork,
students will spend 156 hours
assigned to a placement observing and being exposed to activities in a
professional counseling venue over the course of a semester. An ongoing
evaluation of the student’s performance throughout the practicum will include a
formal final evaluation after practicum completion. Although fieldwork
students are placed in rich learning environments and work with qualified
supervision, the demands of the work day often preclude the opportunity for
them to discuss and reflect on their experiences. The practice class helps students
make meaningful connections between their classroom learning and their field
experiences.
The supervised field
experience reflects certain assumptions about experiential education, about the
role of writing in thinking, and about how students learn. The College assumes that, while
experiential education can be a powerful pedagogical approach, students
often need to learn how to learn most effectively from
experience. Although experience can
be a good teacher, at times it may not teach very effectively in and of
itself. Without careful thought,
analysis, and reflection, students can easily draw erroneous conclusions and
make incorrect inferences based on their experiences, just as they can misread
or misinterpret a text.
Experience is a powerful teacher that proves to be more effective, when
combined carefully with critical thinking, self-evaluation, and reflection. This course is designed to keep students
engaged in this thinking process throughout their
fieldwork.
The first class classes
deal with practical matters in beginning the field experience, focusing on
issues such as myths about internships, stages in the development of
internships, development of a learning agreement, and getting to know the field
placement agency. The balance of
the classes’ deals with helping the student understand more about the processes
involved in learning from experience. The class calls upon students to be
careful observers of their experiences, to reflect upon personal reactions,
to identify and apply relevant knowledge, to identify dissonance (i.e.,
points of discomfort or conflict which might include ethical dilemmas, conflicts
between theoretical points of view, etc.), to articulate their learning from the
experience, and to make plans for the next step in their work and in their
learning. This process not only
helps students learn more during their fieldwork
but also teaches them a method for thinking through their experiences that
can serve them well throughout their careers.
Special skills discussed
in class includes:
·
Learning to use
supervision
·
Dealing with diversity
·
Developing ethical
competence
·
Preparing oral and
written reports
·
Dealing with emotions and
stress in the workplace
·
Maintaining personal and
professional boundaries,
·
Guarding against dual
relationships
·
Maintaining personal
safety.
Ø
Meeting #1 (Weeks 2 and
3) - Orientation
Clarification of
expectations of students at the placement
Discussion of goals for
the practicum
Explanation of student
recording requirements
Resolving any practicum
assignment problems (Individual meetings with students as
needed)
Assignment for second
meeting - Negotiating with field placement supervisor for activities related to
student goals
Ø
Meeting #2 (Weeks 4 and
5) - Reaction to First Experience
Discussion of
negotiations with field placement supervisor
Discussion of planned
student activities and how they will meet goals for the
practicum
Discussion of how to
proceed if further negotiations are necessary
Assignment for third
meeting – Observe and participate with professional staff in group and
individual counseling sessions with clients
Ø
Meeting #3 (Weeks 6 and
7)
Focus on the Counseling Process Description of the ethics and values
as
practiced by staff
Obtain information about the counseling philosophy or paradigm used by
the
agency
Discussion of the
different counseling approaches
Discussion of student
comfort/discomfort with the approaches used by the
agency
Assignment for fourth
meeting – Working with client services
Ø
Meeting #4 (Weeks 8 and
9) - Focus on Services to Clients
Description of how students are forming helping
relationships with clients Description of how they are applying counseling
theories in individual and group sessions with clients
Description of any other skills students are learning
at agency
Assignment for fifth meeting case
presentation
Ø
Meeting #5
(Weeks 10 and 11) - Case Presentations
Each student describes a case to the
group
Students discuss the counseling theory and practice
skills being developed in relationship to the case being
described
The group listens, asks questions and may offer
comments and suggestions When appropriate, students may engage in role playing
activities to help the presenting student deal with any issues raised in the
case study The course instructor sums up the learning experience for the session
Assignment for sixth meeting-student reviews practice
experience and summarizes significant learning’s
Ø
Meeting # 6
(Weeks 12 and 13) - Summing Up
Discussion of how each student met his or her
practicum goals
Students complete a written evaluation of the
placement site and seminar group
The Practicum Placement
Experience is designed to:
A. Afford the student the
opportunity to experience and understand the role of a human service agency as
an integral part of a community's health care system, and recognize the
importance that the agency and its professional staff have on the prevention,
intervention and treatment of mental health, drug and alcohol
problems.
B. Allow the student to
deepen his/her understanding of the knowledge, values, ethics and skills of the
behavioral health profession, and to gain a deeper appreciation of problems and
difficulties that surround individuals and families whose lives have been
affected by mental illness and/or addiction.
C. Enhance and refine the
knowledge base, techniques and skills of the student in his/her role as a
professional counselor. In the area
of prevention, the student should have some exposure to (through observation
and/or practicum) the following: determining prevention needs through assessment
and data collection; interviewing; developing intervention strategies; oral and
written reports; planning and appropriate use of time; developing relationships
With clients, agency personnel and other community resources; and staff and/or
case consultation. In treatment agencies, experience could also be gained in the
following areas: case consultation, case management, individual and group
counseling, family counseling, intake and evaluation, treatment planning,
continuing care (aftercare) planning and relapse
prevention.
D. Increase the student's
awareness of his/her own personal values and the impact these feelings and
beliefs have on their personal and professional relationships. This is essential for the student to
examine as part of one's individual commitment to the profession and the ethical
structure that embraces the profession.
E. Provide students with the
opportunity to exercise initiative and creativity in the application of skills
relating to the prevention and treatment of chemical dependency and mental
illness.
The goals of the
supervised field experience are:
(1)
To help the student
integrate theoretical and conceptual information (case management and
counseling theories) with ones experiences in the field,
(2)
To help the student learn more from their
experiences in the field by thinking extensively and carefully about those
experiences, and
(3)
To provide the
information, structure, and coaching necessary for the student to explore the
relatively unfamiliar territory of a fieldwork experience with
confidence.
The Students Role in
The Agency.
The role of the student in
the agency is a learning role rather than a work role, even though it is
inherent in the filed placement experience that the student be assigned duties
and responsibilities. By
accomplishing the assigned tasks, the student will be able to integrate theory
and information/education with its application at the health care agency. It is important that the student be
regarded as a member of the staff, so that the learning experience can be
complete.
In order to facilitate the
distinction between the role of the behavioral health student and the role of
the agency employee, the following guidelines are offered:
1. Assignments, both in type
and number, should be appropriate to the learning and experience level of the
student. The assignments should
compliment the acquired knowledge gained through classroom instruction and
progress (when appropriate) in difficulty and responsibility.
2. The assignments at the
agency should offer a range of experiences, so that each student may become
familiar with the purpose and functions of the entire program and its place
within the network of the health care service delivery
system.
3. While it is recognized
that each field placement will offer a unique learning experience, it is
expected that each student have the opportunity to develop and practice skills
in the areas basic to the agency.
4. It is essential that the
student become involved in direct service activities, as soon as possible,
rather than function as an observer to the interaction. This goal should be
accomplished within the first part of the field placement.
5. Sufficient time should be
allowed within the fieldwork hours for the student to complete the assigned
tasks, including the fulfillment of all necessary
paperwork
6. Participation by the student in staff
meetings, in-service programs and conferences is encouraged so as to broaden the
learning of the student and develop a deeper understanding of the functioning of
the agency and its relationship to the service delivery
network.
7. The agency supervisor should
contact the practicum teacher at any time during the placement to answer any
concerns or resolve any difficulties, insuring the best possible learning
environment for the student.
Course
Expectations
The student must be prepared
for class.
Ø
All reading
material must be completed prior to class. Students are expected to
participate in the overall learning process.
Ø
All students
must keep a daily log reflecting 156 hours of practice
experience.
Ø
All students
must complete the Practicum Placement Supervisor’s Report.
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