The Training Program, Part 2:  Components of the Internship Program . . .

1. Direct Service

A primary focus of the internship is on individual and group psychotherapy. Degree of involvement in each of these areas will vary depending upon the interns' interests, skill levels, and knowledge, as well as Center needs. In addition to scheduled appointments, direct service includes drop-in and crisis intervention. Direct service will involve approximately 50% of the intern's time. This area includes counseling and psychotherapy related to personal, career, and educational concerns as well as outreach and consultation activities.

The Center has a flexible service delivery model without session limits.  This allows interns the opportunity to develop their skills with both short and long term therapy with a wide range of psychological issues.

Another mission of the Center is to provide students with assistance in the area of career development. A portion of the interns' caseload will include students with career developmental issues. Interns will learn how to help students explore their interests, strengths, values and goals; to show students how to use other career resources including the Center's career library and computer programs (i.e. DISCOVER and EUREKA); and to interpret interest inventories.  In addition, interns also have the opportunity to teach the career exploration course coordinated through the Center.

Group therapy is also an integral component of direct service. Each intern will be asked to co-facilitate a general therapy group.  There are also opportunities for interns to sponsor and facilitate developmental groups which reflect their interest and expertise. Current group offerings include Stress Management, Career Exploration, Mindfulness Meditation, Living With Loss, African American Women's Support Group, and Bisexual / Lesbian Support Groups.

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2. After Hours' Emergency Coverage

There are over 5,400 students who live on campus during the academic year. One of the services offered by the Counseling and Career Development Center is after hours' emergency coverage for on-campus students. The interns serve as the primary responders to after hour emergencies with supervision backup by senior staff. The interns are responsible for carrying the beeper in a five week rotation cycle. During the fifth week, a senior staff member carries the beeper.  When interns are on-call, their supervisors carry a back-up pager and are contacted for consultation whenever an intern responds to a crisis situation.

Emergencies issues include: suicidal ideation, domestic violence, rape, alcohol and/or drug intoxication, self-destructive behaviors, and crisis debriefing. Interns will learn the techniques of emergency assessment, how to coordinate university and community resources, and providing follow-up care.  In addition, each intern will receive training in Critical Incident Stress Management at both individual and group levels.

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3. Consultation and Outreach

The Center is committed to a community model of service. Therefore, we value close working relationships with other agencies and groups on campus. Consultation includes outreach and preventative education, crisis intervention, and consulting with faculty and staff concerning mental health issues.

Workshops, seminars, and presentations to classes and organizations are an ongoing activity at the Center. For 2008-2009, the staff members of the Center made 697 outreach contacts and provided 525 hours of mental health consultation. Interns will have an opportunity to become actively involved in the Consultation and Outreach activities of the Center. Each intern will be assigned as a liaison to a residential living center. The intern will serve as the living center's contact person with the Center, handle most consultation situations related to that living center, and provide educational support to its members. Each intern will also elect to be a liaison for a student group representing diversity.

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4. Supervision Opportunities

Interns will participate with at least one of the following supervisory options:
a)  Weekly supervision of the Graduate Assistant in Career Resource library
b)  Weekly supervision of a group of Peer Educators involved in wellness activities.
c)  Weekly clinical supervision of MSW intern(s) during Winter semester
d)  Weekly clinical training/supervision to new MSW interns during Spring/Summer semesters.

Clinical Supervision: Interns will have the opportunity to receive training and develop expertise in the area of clinical supervision. Two interns will supervise an MSW intern. A third intern will supervise a master's level graduate assistant who coordinates the Career Resource Library. This intern supervisor will assist the graduate assistant in developing psycho-educational programs in the area of career development, select and secure appropriate career resources for the Library, educate the graduate assistant in the area of career assessment, and serve as mentor and supervisor for career counseling provided.  Two or more interns will have the opportunity to provide a 7 week (35 hours) clinical skills training and supervision program to incoming MSU interns.

All interns will develop skills in supervision, accessing their skills as a supervisor and integrating feedback from their supervisees. 

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5. Assessment

Assessment is a crucial component in providing comprehensive treatment for clients. Proper assessment identifies the multi-dimensional needs and issues that face clients who seek service within a university setting.  Interns are required to complete five assessment batteries as part of their internship experience.  The focus of assessment training is utilizing assessment data therapeutically with clients.  To enhance interns' ability to integrate assessment into treatment, each intern will make two formal case presentations to the staff members and consulting psychiatrist during the fall and winter semesters (see case conferences referenced below).

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6. Supervision and Case Conference for Interns

Interns receive two hours of direct individual supervision each week from a licensed psychologist with another hour of supervsion as a group in Clinical Seminar. In addition, there are regularly scheduled consultations with a licensed psychiatrist. Interns who are facilitating or co-facilitating a therapy group will receive additional supervision for the group work. Weekly rotating seminars provide additional supervision rotating through the areas of multicultural/diversity issues, career counseling, group therapy and research. The focus of this supervision is discussing clinical issues, learning therapeutic interventions and sharing information and experiences in these areas of psychology.

In addition to individual supervision, interns also meet with the Director of Training one hour per week for the Intern Seminar. Interns are also included in the professional case conferences which are held every three weeks. Case conferences provide a place and time for the professional staff to meet and discuss difficult cases or clinical issues. Each intern will be required to present two formal case presentations during case conference. These presentations will include a written conceptualization as well as videotape of a session.

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7. Professional Development

Interns participate in the staff professional development meetings. These meetings involve presentations on topics of professional interest. Each intern will be required to facilitate one professional development meeting each semester. Interns are also encouraged to become involved in national and local organizations related to psychology and student affairs.

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8. Personal Development

Personal development includes dissertation work, special projects, and conference and workshop attendance. In past years, interns have been able to make progress in completing their dissertations while fulfilling the internship requirements. Staff members are committed to interns making progress in completing their degrees.

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