K-State CAPS Master's Internship and Practicum Training
Overview and description
The Master's Internship and Practicum Training Program is designed to help Master's and Doctoral level students seeking to develop their skills in shorter-term individual counseling (e.g., 8-15 sessions or less). Other supervised opportunities include conducting intake assessments, facilitating skills workshops, co-leading skills therapy groups, and serving as a process observer for interpersonal process groups. Practicum counselors receive the following, weekly: one hour of individual supervision, one hour of group supervision. Trainees are also required to participate in a multi-disciplinary staff case conference group, large case conferences, and in-services.
This training experience is non-paid and requires an academic year commitment beginning in August and ending in May. For supervision purposes, trainees are required to video record all sessions, with the video equipment provided by CAPS. Trainees and their supervisors collaborate to develop a schedule at the start of each semester.
Master's interns and practicum counselors will provide short-term individual counseling (e.g., 8-15 sessions or less) to K-State students who present with a wide range of concerns including mood disorders, family of origin issues, adjustment concerns, etc., with increased responsibility likely to occur throughout the training experience. For example, working with high-risk clients, e.g., clients with suicidal ideation, and trauma histories. Master's interns and practicum counselors may work with one client on a long-term basis.
Master's interns and practicum counselors receive one hour of individual clinical supervision per week. Each therapist will be assigned one supervisor, which may be a permanent staff member or an Intern in Health Service Psychology. To provide a variety of supervisory experiences, Master's interns and practicum counselors often switch their supervisor after the semester break. All supervision sessions are videotaped. The functions of the supervisory relationship include monitoring client welfare, enhancing practicum counselor skills, enhancing multicultural competence, promoting personal and professional growth, and evaluating the practicum counselor's professional development continuously. Master's interns and practicum counselors are required to prepare for supervision (e.g., be ready to discuss clients and professional growth, watch taped sessions and have clips identified to review with supervisor).
Master's interns and practicum counselors will meet together with the Training Coordinator for one hour each week to receive didactic and experiential training related to consultation, topics of interest identified by the training cohort, case conceptualization, treatment planning, and videotape review. Time will also be devoted to keep practicum counselors informed about center developments, discuss concerns, and provide support in adjustment to the training experience.
Master's interns and practicum counselors are required to attend the other training opportunities at CAPS. For instance, twice a month we have a one-hour multidisciplinary staff small case conference group with doctoral interns, psychologists, and other clinical staff members to discuss cases. We also have one-hour large case conferences in which doctoral interns conduct a formal case presentation and two-hour in-services in which a member of the professional community presents on a specialty area or area of interest.
Activity
|
Hours Per Week
|
Individual Counseling
|
6-10
|
Intake Assessments
|
1-2
|
Individual Supervision
|
1
|
Group Supervision
|
1
|
Large Case Conference, Small Case Conference, and In-Service
|
1-2
|
Clinical Prep, Video Review, and Paperwork
|
2-4
|
Process observation of interpersonal process therapy group
|
Optional
|
Total
|
12-20
|
Application requirements
Applications for the upcoming training year will be accepted until June 14th. Please include the following materials in your application:
- Letter of interest describing goals for practicum position at CAPS
- Current curriculum vitae
- One letter of recommendation from a supervisor who can speak to your clinical work.
We ask that any student who was seen previously as a client at CAPS consider that when applying to our practicum. For instance, if you complete a practicum at our site, you may interact with your prior therapist throughout your training activities here. However, your former therapist will not be your clinical supervisor.
For more information or to submit your application, please contact:
Marcos Mendez, Ph.D., LCMFT
1105 Sunset Ave, Room 101
Manhattan, KS 66502
(785) 532-6927
counsel@ksu.edu