University of Wisconsin Stout | Wisconsin's Polytechnic University

The University of Wisconsin-Stout Counseling Center offers practicum and internship programs for graduate students completing their degrees in counseling-related fields, either at the masters or doctoral level (UW-Stout does not offer an APA or APPIC approved doctoral internship, but does offer a supervised practicum). The generalist nature of the program is intended to prepare students for work in university counseling centers and most other community outpatient mental health settings. Student counselors will carry their own case load, and should expect to encounter a wide range of common developmental and mental health concerns. Opportunities for gaining experience with crisis intervention, triage, group counseling and outreach will be provided.

For a printable pdf overview of the Counselor Training Program go to: Prospective Practicum/Internship Students.

Overview of Counselor Training Program

1. Training Model
2. Schedule Requirements
3. Supervision
4. Application and Selection Process
5. Orientation
6. Evaluation of Trainee
7. Apply for Practicum/Internship
8. Contact Information

Training Model

The University Counseling Center supports a developmental model of training, which recognizes the unique assets, strengths and areas of growth and improvement for each student.  A strong practitioner focus emphasizes the application of counseling theory and knowledge through direct experience; the developmental focus offers greater levels of initial structure and support, followed by increasing autonomy over time. An awareness of and respect for differences in counseling style and approach round out the developmental focus of the program.

Schedule Requirements

Students from a Mental Health Counseling program who are completing a practicum will be required to work at minimum 12-16 hours per week of scheduled clinic time in addition to a two hour clinical meeting. Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) interns, and Psychology practicum students will be required to work a minimum of 16-24 hours per week, in accordance with their program requirements, clinic needs and availability. All students will be required to attend a two hour weekly clinical meeting, which typically meets on Wednesday or Thursday (coordinated each semester with student class schedules). Specific clinic schedules are determined collaboratively with the student, training coordinator and office manager. Students are not allowed to see clients outside of the normal work day, unless collaborating with a senior staff clinician.

Supervision

The University Counseling Center takes a team approach to supervision, with all licensed counseling staff available to offer on-going support.  Included in the training program will be a mandatory weekly, two-hour clinical meeting which includes case consultation, professional development topics and opportunities to collaborate with Student Health Services.  Each student will be assigned an individual supervisor who will provide one hour of weekly individual supervision. Additional support will be available as needed. The Training Coordinator will manage the planning and day-to-day operation of practicum training. Supervisors come from a variety of educational backgrounds and licenses, including Clinical and Counseling Psychologists, Professional Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists.

Link to Counseling Center Staff Profiles. 

Supervisors are responsible both for the welfare of clients and for the professional and personal development of the trainee. As such, supervisors must balance the needs of the trainee with the needs of the client. The supervisor will have primary responsibility for maintaining contact with the trainee’s home institution and graduate program. In addition, records for the practicum will be kept by the primary supervisor. At minimum, records will include copies of the internship contract, all written evaluations, and a record of supervision contacts.

Videotaping is a very valuable learning and supervision tool. Trainees are expected to videotape their sessions as required by the individual supervisors and/or in accordance with graduate program requirements.

Application and Selection Process

Prospective practicum/counseling internship students must be enrolled in a Mental Health Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Psychology masters or doctoral program. (UW-Stout does not offer an APA or APPIC approved doctoral internship, but does offer a supervised practicum). Review of applications begins March 1st for fall semester placement and November 1st for spring semester placement, if positions are available.

Applications are submitted on-line (see link below). Application materials should include:

• Contact Information
• Letter of application describing applicant's interest in completing a practicum at the UW-Stout Counseling Center. (Copy your letter from a Word document, and paste it into the Cover Letter section of the online application).
• Resume or Curriculum Vita including a summary/review of counseling-related education and experience (Copy your resume from a Word document, and paste it into the Resume section of the online application).
• Names and contact information for three (3) professional references who have either directly observed the applicant's counseling performance and/or have knowledge of the applicant's counseling-related experiences (examples may include professors, clinical supervisors, etc).

The application process begins with an initial screening of application materials followed by invitations for in-person interviews with selected applicants. Interviewing takes place the semester prior to placement.

Decisions to accept practicum counselors for placement are based upon (1) the student's overall readiness for placement and (2) "goodness of fit" between a student's training needs and ability of the Counseling Center to meet those needs, and (3) support provided by professional references.

Invitations to accept a practicum/internship placement are typically made around April 1st for the following academic year, beginning with the fall semester.

Orientation

Orientation for practicum and internship students begins mid to late August prior to the beginning of classes for the fall semester. This is a three day orientation which provides the student counselor with needed information regarding policies and procedures at the University Counseling Center. Typical topics covered include: office policies and procedures, supervision contracts and expectations, orientation to electronic record keeping, video recording, legal and ethical dilemmas, working with suicidal clients and risk management, alcohol and drug awareness program, outreach and counseling groups, among other topics.

Evaluation of Trainee

Feedback and evaluation are valued as a part of our philosophy of quality client care and counselor training. Our evaluations include:

• Informal:
• Observation and Feedback during weekly supervision
• Self -Evaluation
  
• Role play scenarios
• Role-reversal, live observation, co-therapy, discussing a video/tape of something you did very well
• Parallel Process
• Formal:
• Electronic documentation review
• Evaluation: Supervisors document and provide trainees with ongoing performance appraisal and evaluation feedback and schedule periodic formal evaluative sessions throughout the supervisory relationship.
  
• Scheduled evaluations—completing formal written evaluations per individual program requirements, minimally at the end of each semester