The Field Placement and Testing Coordinator (FPTC) for the Counseling Programs at UNCP is responsible for coordinating all practicum and internship experiences for
Clinical Mental Health Counseling students and Professional School Counseling students. The FPTC works with the University-School Programs office to place interns in regional public schools. The FPTC coordinates final approval of field placements with the field placement course instructors. The FPTC schedules, organizes, and conducts pre- practicum meetings for eligible students each semester. The FPTC is responsible for updating and revising field placements forms as needed. The FPTC is also the person to whom inquiries regarding practicum and internship are referred throughout the year. The FPTC works with the Counseling Programs faculty to design and implement professional development and service opportunities for regional site supervisors.
Current Field Placement and Testing Coordinator: Dr. Nicole Stargell
Contact information: Email: [email protected]
Practicum Policies
CNS 6100 Counseling Practicum (3 hours)
The practicum is an introductory field placement course. The practicum
experience allows for enhanced skill development and exposure to professional and ethical practices in a supervised counseling setting. Students work with the Field Placement and Testing Coordinator to obtain field placements one semester in advance of enrollment. Students must complete a total of 100 clock hours at the approved field placement site. In addition to the field placement
requirements, students are required to attend class for group supervision and attempt the comprehensive exam. Prerequisite: Completion of 8 of 9 core counseling courses including CNS 5000, CNS 5050 and either CNS 5350 (for PSC students) or CNS 5450 (for CMHC students) , minimum of grade point average of 3.0, and an approved field placement application.
Field Experience Placement Protocol for All Counseling Students
Students must apply for placement in CNS 6100 Counseling Practicum one semester prior to enrollment. Students are required to find and secure their own practicum placement sites prior to the start of the practicum semester. All students must attend the pre-practicum meeting facilitated by the FPTC. All practicum hours must be completed at one site only. The Field Placement and Testing Coordinator and the student’s Program Director must approve the site. Students should not begin their field placement
experiences until these conditions have been met: permission is secured by the Field Placement and Testing Coordinator, all preliminary paperwork has been completed, submitted, and approved, the first class session has been held. The site should offer:
direct and indirect client contact (including group counseling)
permission for the student to audiotape/videotape client contact
appropriate supervision for the student.
Some sites may require additional prerequisites specific to the setting (health certificate, TB test, etc.). It is the student’s responsibility to fulfill these requirements in a timely
38 Counseling Programs Student Handbook 2015-2016 Chae 8/17/15 manner so that fulfillment of these responsibilities does not interfere with the student’s ability to complete the required hours for the course. Students with criminal convictions are reminded of the previous “Applicants and Students with Criminal Convictions” section within this handbook.
Field Placement Request Procedure:
1. Students should begin exploring potential sites during the semester prior to the semester in which they plan to register for practicum. Students are encouraged to use the enclosed Field Placement Pre-selection Data Sheet when interviewing sites. A pre- practicum meeting will be held for all upcoming practicum students during the semester prior to enrollment. Pre-practicum meetings take place each Fall and Spring semester and are facilitated by the Field Placement and Testing Coordinator. Policies and procedures related to the field placements will be reviewed at this time. The Field Placement and Testing Coordinator (FPTC) will notify students about the pre-practicum meeting time and location.
2. Students complete the Field Placement Request Application, Proposed Site Supervisor Form, Professional Disposition Self-Assessment (Qualtrics), and Memorandum of Agreement. Additionally, students should ensure advisors have completed the Professional Disposition Student Assessment. These forms along with proof of professional liability insurance and an unofficial transcript should be submitted to the FPTC by the date specified at the pre-practicum
meeting.
All application materials must be received and approved during the semester prior to enrollment in CNS 6100 Counseling Practicum (i.e. a student
attempting to enroll in Fall CNS 6100 Counseling Practicum should attend a pre-practicum meeting and submit application materials to the FPTC during the Spring semester before the Fall course.)
3. The FPTC will verify eligibility for enrollment in practicum, verify liability insurance is valid and current and includes minimum coverage, and conduct a review of the completed field placement application to ensure placement is appropriate and the proposed site supervisor meets the minimum requirements. As necessary, the FPTC will conduct phone/face-to-face interviews with
proposed site supervisors.
4. Once the application and supporting documents (liability, unofficial transcript) are processed, the FPTC will email the student indicating the status of the application (i.e., approved/denied).
5. If placement is approved, the student should utilize Braveweb to explore
available sections of Practicum. Forward the “placement approval email” to the instructor of the appropriate course section. In the email, indicate you are requesting permission to enroll in practicum and provide your Banner ID. The instructor will grant permission and student can enroll in the course. If
39 Counseling Programs Student Handbook 2015-2016 Chae 8/17/15 placement is denied, the student will be required to seek alternative
placement/site supervisor. The deadline for reapplying for field placement will be determined by FPTC.
Field Placement Protocol for Professional School Counseling Students
In addition to following the above procedures, Professional School Counseling students will work with the UNCP School of Education Office of University-School Programs in securing permission for placements within local public schools.
Practicum Hours
Students must complete a total of 100 clock hours during the practicum semester. At least sixty of the 100 total hours must be in direct client contact and no more than forty hours may be fulfilled by indirect contact completing related professional responsibilities that do not involve client contact. Students may not begin accruing hours until after the first class session or at the discretion of the course instructor and must complete all hours by the last day of classes for the semester or at the discretion of the course instructor. Students must remain engaged in their roles at their placements for the entire duration of the semester, even if the hours requirement is met earlier.
Supervision
Students may receive individual and group supervision at their sites. In addition to any group supervision available at the site, each student’s site supervisor must also agree to provide at least one hour of individual supervision per week. An appropriate site
supervisor will have at least two years of post-licensure counseling experience and have a professional license in good standing: such as LPC-S, LPC, LMFT, or licensed school counselor. The department prefers that students be supervised by Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC), but may approve other clinical credentials when an LPC or LPC-S is not available and all other criteria for a site are met. Additionally, the site supervisor will be asked to provide midterm and final evaluations of the student’s professional
performance at the site. These evaluations are considered part of the formal evaluation of student progress in the course. The university instructor will also discuss student progress with the site supervisor during the semester biweekly via email and in person or via telephone communication as needed.
Liability Insurance
Students are required to obtain proof of professional liability insurance before beginning practicum and internship courses. Proof of this insurance is required at the first class meeting. Students will not be allowed to proceed in the practicum without this liability insurance. Liability insurance is available through many professional organizations such as the North Carolina Counseling Association, the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of North Carolina, American Counseling Association, and the American School Counseling Association (school counselors only).
Professional Disclosure Statement
Students are required to develop Professional Disclosure Statements during the practicum class. At a minimum, the Professional Disclosure Statement should include information about services provided, counselor credentials and relevant experience, fees, billing information, confidentiality, supervision arrangements, how records will be handled, and
40 Counseling Programs Student Handbook 2015-2016 Chae 8/17/15 informed consent. Additional information about Professional Disclosure Statements is available on the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors website.