Practicum
Doctoral students must complete a practicum and multiple internships during the course of the program. Students will complete REH 7010 Doctoral Practicum. There are two potential tracks for the doctoral practicum, one for those who have completed a CACREP qualifying counseling practicum in their master’s degrees and another for those who have not completed a CACREP qualifying practicum experience.
Students without a Qualified Practicum
For students who have not previously completed a CACREP qualifying practicum experience, the practicum will need to be completed in a rehabilitation counseling or other counseling setting such as a state office of rehabilitation services, independent living center, a community clinic or rehabilitation services provider, a college or university disability resource center, a mental health facility or clinic, a supported employment training center, or other agency setting approved by the practicum coordinator.
For these students, 40 of the 100 hours of practicum must be spent as a direct client contact with individuals with disabilities as observer or provider of services.
Individual or triadic supervision will be provided at an average of one hour per week either by a qualified representative of the agency where the student is fulfilling their practicum or by qualifying members of the rehabilitation counseling faculty.
Students in this track will fulfill group supervision requirements by enrolling in REH 7010 and attending the group supervision provided through REH 6140 or through the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic here at USU and satisfactorily fulfilling assignments and requirements of that course as determined by the instructor and the student’s advisor. Group supervision will average 90 minutes per week.
In addition to the previously listed requirements, students completing a counseling practicum must include secure audio or video recordings and/or live supervision of students’ interactions with clients. They must also include written supervision agreements that meet all CACREP requirements and receive supervision (including faculty and site supervisors) from one who is qualified.
Students with a Qualified Practicum
Students who have already completed a CACREP qualifying practicum experience may spend the 50-100 supervised practicum hours in any of the five primary counseling areas designated by CACREP, namely: Supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, or leadership and advocacy.
For these students, there is no specific requirement for direct contact. Individual or triadic supervision will be provided either by a qualified representative of the agency where the student is fulfilling their practicum or by qualifying members of the rehabilitation counseling faculty. Group supervision is not a required element for this practicum track.
Campus-based internship options include:
- Aggies Elevated
- The Employability Clinic
- The Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic
Internship
The Rehabilitation Counseling Doctoral Internships provides students with the opportunity to practice theories, approaches, and skills developed in previous coursework and experiences. More specifically, the purpose of this course is to give doctoral students a supervised experience in a rehabilitation counseling or other counseling setting providing
- counseling
- supervision
- teaching
- research and scholarship, or
- leadership and advocacy.
Students are expected to spend a minimum of 600 total internship hours in approved internship experiences. Each of the six required credits can represent 50 to 150 hours of internship experience.
To meet CACREP requirements, one of these internship experiences must include supervised experiences in counseling and at least two additional areas listed. To meet programmatic requirements, students must complete internships in research and scholarship, teaching, and supervision. The combination of these requirements means that all students will complete internships in a minimum of four areas: (a) counseling, (b) research and scholarship, (c) teaching, and (d) supervision. A counseling practicum, either in previous graduate study or as part of the program is a prerequisite to engaging in the counseling internship. A minimum of 100 hours must be spent in the counseling internship and a minimum of 50 hours must be spent in all other areas.
Counseling Internship
The counseling internship must be completed in a rehabilitation counseling or other counseling setting such as a state office of rehabilitation services, independent living center, a community clinic or rehabilitation services provider, a college or university disability resource center, a mental health facility or clinic, a supported employment training center, or other agency setting approved by the practicum coordinator.
A minimum of 100 hours (1 credit) must be spent in the counseling internship.
Individual or triadic supervision will be provided at an average of one hour per week either by a qualified representative of the agency or by qualifying members of the rehabilitation counseling faculty.
Students in this track will fulfill group supervision requirements by enrolling in REH 7350 and attending the group supervision provided through REH 6170, REH 6175, or through the group supervision provided through the Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Clinic (work with your advisor to determine the correct course) and satisfactorily fulfilling assignments and requirements of that course as determined by the instructor and the student’s advisor. Group supervision will average 90 minutes per week.
Students completing a counseling internship must include secure audio or video recordings and/or live supervision of students’ interactions with clients. They must also include written supervision agreements that meet all CACREP requirements and receive supervision (including faculty and site supervisors) from one who is qualified.
Non-Counseling Internship
Students completing an internship in supervision, teaching, research and scholarship, or leadership and advocacy must complete 50-100 hours of internship for each area of internship they are enrolled, with all internship hours totaling to a minimum of 600 hours.
Individual or triadic supervision will be provided at an average of one hour per week either by a qualified representative of the agency or by qualifying members of the rehabilitation counseling faculty.
Students in this track will fulfill group supervision requirements by attending regularly scheduled doctoral group supervision meetings during the semester in which the internship is being completed. Group supervision will average 90 minutes per week.
Practicum/Internship students are required to have personal liability insurance as they engage in their practicum/internship cycle. Some options that may work can be found here:
- American Counseling Association (ACA): Individual liability insurance is included with $99 per year Student Membership. This applies to first time master level students only. (1 million per claim and up to 3 million annual aggregate. Insurance is provided through HPSO.)
- Health Care Provider Service Organization (HPSO): Individual liability insurance approximately $38.00 per year for students in the field of rehabilitation counseling and approximately $135.00 for individuals already working in the field of rehabilitation counseling. (1 million per claim and up to 3 million annual aggregate.)