Department of Counseling and Student Affairs

Department of Counseling and Student Affairs

CNS 591 1

Western Kentucky University

Department of Counseling and Student Affairs

Instructor Name

Gary A. Ransdell Hall #

Office Phone:

Office Hours:

Email Address:

  1. Course:

CNS 591 MHC/MFT Practicum. Supervised experiences in a setting related tothe area in which the

individual plans to seek licensure, certification or employment.

  1. Purpose of the Course:

This course incorporated professional practice and provides for the application of theory and the development of counseling skills under supervision. These experiences will provide opportunities for students to counsel clients who represent the ethnic and demographic diversity of their community.

  1. Course Objectives:

This course is designed to achieve learning outcomes consistent with the following 2009 CACREP Accreditation Standards:

Core Curriculum Knowledge Outcomes:

G. 1. PROFESSIONAL ORIENTATION AND ETHICAL PRACTICE—studies that provide an understanding of all of the following aspects of professional functioning:

d. self-care strategies appropriate to the counselor role

G. 5. HELPING RELATIONSHIPS—studies that provide an understanding of the counseling process

in a multicultural society, including all of the following:

g. crisis intervention and suicide prevention models, including the use of psychological

first aid strategies

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Outcomes:

FOUNDATIONS

B. Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in

clinical mental health counseling.

COUNSELING, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION

D. Skills and Practices

1. Uses the principles and practices of diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and

emotional disorders to initiate, maintain, and terminate counseling.

2. Applies multicultural competencies to clinical mental health counseling involving case

conceptualization, diagnosis, treatment, referral, and prevention of mental and emotional disorders.

3. Promotes optimal human development, wellness, and mental health through prevention, education, and advocacy activities.

4. Applies effective strategies to promote client understanding of and access to a variety of community resources.

5. Demonstrates appropriate use of culturally responsive individual, couple, family, group, and systems modalities for initiating, maintaining, and terminating counseling.

6. Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk.

7. Applies current record-keeping standards related to clinical mental health counseling.

8. Provides appropriate counseling strategies when working with clients with addiction and co-occurring disorders.

9. Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her own limitations as a clinical mental health counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients when appropriate.

DIVERSITY AND ADVOCACY

F. Skills and Practices

1. Maintains information regarding community resources to make appropriate referrals.

3. Demonstrates the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, techniques, and interventions

to make them culturally appropriate for diverse populations.

ASSESSMENT

H. Skills and Practices

1. Selects appropriate comprehensive assessment interventions to assist in diagnosis and treatment planning, with an awareness of cultural bias in the implementation and interpretation of assessment protocols.

2. Demonstrates skill in conducting an intake interview, a mental status evaluation, a biopsychosocial history, a mental health history, and a psychological assessment for treatment planning and caseload management.

3. Screens for addiction, aggression, and danger to self and/or others, as well as co-occurringmental disorders.

4. Applies the assessment of a client’s stage of dependence, change, or recovery to determine the appropriate treatment modality and placement criteria within the continuum of care.

Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling Outcomes:

FOUNDATIONS

B. Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates the ability to apply and adhere to ethical and legal standards in marriage, couple, and family counseling.

2. Demonstrates the ability to select models or techniques appropriate to couples’ or

families’ presenting problems.

COUNSELING, PREVENTION, AND INTERVENTION

D. Skills/Practices

1. Uses preventive, developmental, and wellness approaches in working with individuals, couples, families, and other systems such as premarital counseling, parenting skills training, and relationship enhancement.

2. Uses systems theory to conceptualize issues in marriage, couple, and familycounseling.

3. Uses systems theories to implement treatment, planning, and interventionstrategies.

4. Demonstrates the ability to use procedures for assessing and managing suicide

risk.

5. Adheres to confidentiality responsibilities, the legal responsibilities and liabilitiesof clinical practice and research, family law, record keeping, reimbursement, andthe business aspects of practice.

6. Demonstrates the ability to recognize his or her own limitations as a marriage,couple, and family counselor and to seek supervision or refer clients whenappropriate.

DIVERSITY AND ADVOCACY

F. Skills and Practices

1. Demonstrates the ability to provide effective services to clients in a multiculturalsociety.

2. Maintains information regarding community resources to make appropriatereferrals.

3. Advocates for policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsiveto the unique needs of couples and families.

4. Demonstrates the ability to modify counseling systems, theories, techniques, andinterventions to make them culturally appropriate for diverse couples andfamilies.

ASSESSMENT

H. Skills and Practices

1. Applies skills in interviewing, assessment, and case management for workingwith individuals, couples, and families from a system’s perspective.

2. Uses systems assessment models and procedures to evaluate family functioning.

3. Determines which members of a family system should be involved in treatment.

  1. Course Texts:
  1. The course text(s) and material(s) listed below are required; and should be brought to each class session.

Please see Faculty Syllabi for required course text(s).

  1. The text(s) below are not required, but are recommended as resources for supplemental

readings to enrich required course readings:

American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

  1. Additional assigned and supplemental course readings and resources may be available on the WKU Blackboard site for this course. Check weekly reading assignments in this syllabus and on the course Blackboard site.

d. Assigned Readings Expectation: Students are expected to complete any reading assignments

for each scheduled class meeting and be prepared for class learning activities. See the

Schedule noted at the end of the syllabus.

  1. Methods of Instruction:

The course focuses on students’ clinical skill development as they counsel clients on-site. The class involves a mixture of triadic and group clinical supervision, group discussions, and on-site supervision. Activities include clinical instruction, role-play practice and demonstration, case consultation, and case presentations. Students are expected to be prepared for supervision.

Please note the following:

  1. Weekly triadic supervision.

Students meet weekly with the faculty supervisor. During triadic supervision, students present videos or audios of their counseling on-site with clients. Students receive supervision from the faculty supervisor.

  1. Group supervision.

Group supervision will meet an average of 1 ½ hours each week. During group supervision, students will make case presentations and discuss on-site experiences. Students are reminded that information shared during group supervision is considered strictly confidential. Students are not to discuss case presentations outside of class with members of the class or with anyone not in class. Breach of confidentiality is regarded very seriously, and may result in an administrative withdrawal from the class.

  1. Course Requirements:
  1. Attendance and Preparation:

Attendance at all Group Supervision meetings (Practicum course) and Individual/Triadic

Supervision meetings are required. Students are expected to bring a video of their work with clients to every meeting. Three of these videos will include the required graded videos (course assignments).

Per their signature on the Practicum and Internship Informed Consent Form, students are required to abide by and follow the guidelines and expectations set forth in the most current Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy Practicum and Internship Manual.

  1. Class Participation:

Students are expected to actively participate in case presentations, demonstrate knowledge and application of counseling skills and theory, and illustrate evidence of personal and professional growth. Participation also includes preparation for supervision, providing peer supervision, and active involvement in discussion.

  1. Professional Experience and Development Activities:

Although the following assignments are not graded, they must be successfully completed in order to pass the course.

i. Completion of Supervised Practicum Clock Hours

  1. A minimum of 100 clock hours logged weekly
  2. At least 40 clock hours of direct service with actual clients (For MFT

students, at least 50% of direct service hours must be in a relationship

modality)

c. At least 1 hour each week of individual supervision by Site Supervisor

All clock hours, including direct service and non-direct hours must be logged weekly (Weekly Hours Log Form), as well as monthly (Monthly Hours Log Form). All hour log forms must be kept, maintained and updated weekly or monthly as appropriate in the WKU Portfolio.

ii. Maintenance of WKU Portfolio. See Syllabus Appendix.

  1. Skills Demonstration and Professional Performance:

The following are graded course assignments. Students may earn either an “A,” “B,” of “F” in Internship. A “B” average is considered successful completion of Internship. Additional assignments may be required based upon individual needs.

  1. Three videos (videos should be brought to each class meeting and supervision session; 3 of which will be submitted for a grade). The videos account for 75% of the final course grade.
  1. One of the three videos submitted for a grade must include a Case Conceptualization Presentation. The Case Conceptualization is worth 15% of the final course grade (and the accompanying video is worth 25% of the final grade). The Case Conceptualization will be entered in the Electronic Portfolio. See the Syllabus Appendix for the Case Conceptualization assignment and rubrics. (CMHC D.1., D.2., D.3., D.4., D.7., F.1., H.1., H.2., H.4.; MCFC D.3., F.2., F.3., H.3)
  2. Another one of the three videos submitted for a grade must include a Transcript(Core G.5.g.; CMHC B.1., D.5., D.6., D.8., F.3, H.3.; MCFC B.1., B.2., D.1., D.2., D.4., D. 5., F.1., F.4, H.1., H.2.) and a Personal Reflection Paper (Core G.1.d.; CMHC D.9.; MCFC D.6.). The Personal Reflection Paper is worth 10% of the final course grade (and the accompanying video is worth 25% of the final grade). See the Syllabus Appendixes for transcript template and Personal Reflection Paper rubrics.

Please note the following:

  1. Marriage and Family Therapy students must submit at least two videos that illustrate their work in a relationship modality.
  2. All students are required and held responsible for following the Policy on Security of Media. See Syllabus Appendix for policy.
  1. Student Evaluation Criteria and Procedures:

Rubrics for the assignments are noted at the end of the syllabus. Percentages of points counting towards the final grade are distributed as follows:

One Counseling Session Video 25% of final grade

One Counseling Session Video 25% of final grade

With Case Conceptualization Presentation15% of final grade

One Counseling Session Video with Transcript25% of final grade

With Personal Reflection Paper10% of final grade

The previously mentioned ungraded assignments must be completed by the due dates established by the faculty instructor. Successful completion of these assignments is required in order to pass the course.

  1. Late or Missing Assignments:

Please see Faculty Syllabi for policy on late or missing assignments.

  1. Attendance Policy:

Students are required to attend all Group Supervision meetings (class sessions). Classes are held weekly or biweekly for an average of 90 minutes per week. Practicum students are required to attend all Individual/Triadic Supervision meetings. Individual/Triadic Supervision meetings are held once a week for at least an hour. Students are expected to bring a video of their work with clients to every scheduled Group Supervision and Individual/Triadic Supervision meeting. Students can schedule additional individual supervision with their Faculty Supervisor at any time. Students may not continue to see clients or accumulate Practicum or Internship hours if they miss Group and Individual/Triadic Supervision. Upon faculty approval, students may attend another section of a program specific Practicum or Internship class for the week missed.

Because of various circumstances students may not fulfill the required number of hours to satisfy their Practicum or Internship course requirements. In a very limited number of cases, students may negotiate an Incomplete for the semester. This process is outlined in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy Practicum and Internship Manual.

  1. Use of Current Research:

Course content is continuously revised to include the most recent relevant research. The instructor will post references for relevant current research on the course Blackboard site.

  1. Use of Technology in Course Delivery:

Please see Faculty Syllabi for use of technology in course delivery.

  1. Students with Disabilities Who Require Accommodations:

Students with disabilities who require accommodations (academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids or services) for this course must contact the Office for Student Disability Services, DUC A200. The OFSDS telephone number is (270)745-5004; TTY is 745-3030. Please DO NOT request accommodations directly from the professor or instructor without a letter of accommodation from the Office for Student Disability Services.

  1. Academic Integrity:

Academic integrity is an essential component of an academic community. Every student is responsible for fostering and maintaining a culture of academic honesty by making a commitment to the academic values of honesty, integrity, responsibility, trust, respect for self and others, fairness, and justice. In addition, students are expected to abide by the code of ethics for their profession and the student code of conduct for the university.

Violations of academic integrity include cheating, plagiarism, or lying about academic matters. Plagiarism is defined as any use of another writer’s words, concepts, or sequence of ideas without acknowledging that writer properly. This includes not only direct quotations of another writer’s words, but also paraphrases or summaries of another writer’s concepts or ideas without acknowledging the writer properly (i.e., citing them). Cheating includes behaviors such as giving or receiving data or information under any circumstances not permitted by the instructor. Lying about academic matters includes falsification of data or information as part of an academic exercise, or knowingly providing false information to a faculty member.

Academic dishonesty is a profoundly serious offense because it involves an act of fraud, jeopardizing genuine efforts by faculty and students to teach and learn together. Students who are determined to have plagiarized an assignment or otherwise cheated in their academic work or examination may expect an “F” for the assignment in question or an “F” for the course, at the discretion of the instructor. All incidents of cheating or plagiarism, reported by the instructor, will follow the Student Remediation Process as described in the departmental handbook. Please note: The University does use web-based products to detect plagiarism.

  1. Academic Performance:

As graduate students and professionals-in-training, graduate studies should be viewed from the prospective of professional development.Graduate students should learn how to apply what they have learned to their respective area of study and social problems. All graduate students are expected to develop standards of professional performance. Review the rubric used to evaluate students’ professional performance in each course at:

Most courses syllabi include a statement on attendance. You should be well aware of the policy for each course and of the consequences of not following it. If there is no statement on attendance in the course syllabus, you should ask the professor for a formal statement to the class of the policy. Even if a course does not require attendance, you should clearly understand that there is an expectation that you should attend class regularly

Understand that students’ academic performance (grades) is monitored. See the graduate catalog and Department of Counseling & Student Affairs Graduate Student Handbook for more details. Some courses have a policy about late or missing assignments. You should be well aware of the policy for each course and of the consequences of not following it.

Specific directions for your assignments might become less clear. For example, some of your instructors may not provide specific rubrics for particular assignments. This is to encourage your creativity, as well as to generate reflective thought and some degree of ownership in the final product of the assignment. Many of your graduate professors will require your assignments to be written in APA format, a professional writing style. Classes in Elizabethtown are in the Eastern Time zone. Therefore, Elizabethtown is one hour ahead of central time. If you are traveling to E-town for classes or taking ITV courses, you must be aware of the time zone differences.

  1. Flexibility Clause:

The aforementioned requirements, assignments, policies, evaluation procedures, etc are subject to change. Candidates’ experiences and needs, as well as emerging knowledge, will be considered in modifying this course syllabus. In addition, extenuating circumstances may contribute to modification in course requirements and schedule.

  1. Graduate Student Handbook

Students are responsible for understanding the content and procedures contained in the most recent version of the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs Graduate Student Handbook. The handbook is found on the department’s web site. Included in that document is the process that requires all students to be routinely evaluated using the Professional Performance Review process and rubric. The handbook discusses this and other important information.

  1. Course Schedule

Please see Faculty Syllabi for Course Schedule.

APPENDIX A

WKU PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP PORTFOLIO

A WKU Practicum/Internship Portfolio must be maintained throughout each semester of Practicum and Internship. The portfolio folder is provided at the beginning of each semester. Students are responsible for maintaining updated records and keeping them in respective sections of the portfolio. The portfolio must be organized and ordered as noted below. Students are responsible for printing out the following documents, completing them, and maintaining them with current dates and signatures throughout the semester. Although there is not a grade associated with this WKU Practicum/Internship Portfolio, it must be completed, ordered and up to date in order for the student to receive a passing grade for the course.

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