Clinical Information

We provide our students with a comprehensive clinical experience, which includes practicum courses and an internship experience.

Practicum Information

Our practicum program, teaches students how to be effective and competent counselors through the learning and practice of clinical skills. The clinical courses must be taken in progression.

This program teaches students how to be effective and competent counselors through the learning and practice of clinical skills. The clinical courses must be taken is progression and specifically teach the mastery of these skills:

COED 641 – Practicum: Individual Counseling Techniques (Prerequisites are COED 610, 611, and 612)
COED 642– Practicum: Group Counseling Techniques (Prerequisites are COED 641 and 614)
COED 643 - Practicum in Professional School Counseling (Prerequistes are COED 611, 612, and 617)

What is Expected

Completion of all advanced prerequisites, be in good academic standing and have no “Incomplete” grades;
Behavior that is consistent with the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association;
Psychological well-being in professional interactions with faculty, students, and clients;
Appropriate self-understanding and knowledge about how one’s self influences work with clients;
Embrace and trust the ambiguity of learning and expanding new skills so as to individualize counseling approaches to diverse clients and client problems;
Ability to handle the stress inherent in a professional helping position;
Willingness to be referred for counseling when academic progress or clinical practice is impaired by unresolved issues; and
Professional behavior that is consistent with the anticipated professional position or intern placement, including oral presentation and writing ability and the ability to manage administrative aspects of counseling and student affairs administration

Internship Information

Welcome to the culminating experience of your master's degree program in counselor education at Radford University. Having successfully completed courses in the foundation of counseling and clinical practicum courses, you are now ready for the internship experience.

These program specific manuals provide a guide for you concerning the responsibilities and requirements of interns and supervisors as it relates to this internship experience. You are responsible for reading and understanding the specific assignments and expectations of an intern. If you have any questions, please contact your university supervisor for clarification.

Internship Applications

Internship Documents

General Requirements

In order to accomplish program goals, counselor education faculty, individually and collectively, screen and evaluate students as they move through the program. When difficulties are detected, they are initially handled in informal discussions between the student and the student’s professor or advisor. If at any time during the course of study a student is considered at-risk, the student will be asked to meet with the faculty to discuss and develop a remedial course of action. In addition to criteria communicated to students in course descriptions, students are expected to meet the following professional criteria:

Completion of all advanced prerequisites, be in good academic standing and have no “Incomplete” grades;
Behavior that is consistent with the Ethical Standards of the American Counseling Association;
Psychological well-being in professional interactions with faculty, students, and clients;
Appropriate self-understanding and knowledge about how one’s self influences work with clients;
Embrace and trust the ambiguity of learning and expanding new skills so as to individualize counseling approaches to diverse clients and client problems;
Ability to handle the stress inherent in a professional helping position;
Willingness to be referred for counseling when academic progress or clinical practice is impaired by unresolved issues; and
Professional behavior that is consistent with the anticipated professional position or intern placement, including oral presentation and writing ability and the ability to manage administrative aspects of counseling and student affairs administration.

Clinical Courses Taken in Progression

COED 611 – Introduction to Counseling Theories and Techniques
COED 641 – Practicum: Individual Counseling Techniques
- Prerequisites are COED 610, 611, and 612
COED 642 – Practicum: Group Counseling Techniques
- Prerequisites are COED 641 and 614, and
COED 642 - Practicum in Professional School counseling
- Prerequisites are COED 611, 612, and 617
COED 690’s – Internships in the Areas of Concentration (2 semesters)

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Placement

Students are responsible for securing their practicum and internship placement.

School Counseling

Students are placed at the sites they indicate on their internship application. Please be aware that efforts are made to accommodate your site preference.

However, there may be times when your preferences are not available. Keep in mind that students will need one elementary school internship and one high school or middle school internship site. Students will be notified of their placement.

Simultaneous Internship Enrollment

The Department endorsed the following policies on “simultaneous internships, where students desire to complete two internships in one semester: Internship is a sequence of culminating clinical challenges, instructional and supervisory communication, and mentoring to promote experience, applied knowledge, understanding, self-awareness, professional responsibility and know-how. Internships are also sequential and developmental in promoting optimal competence of interns. Professional development and clinical competence are acquired over time with prescribed and supervised clinical experiences involving not less than 600 hours of supervised clinical practice.

The department affirms that the optimal course of professional development is over a two-semester period involving two 300 clinical hours per three-credit hour internship, preferably at varying sites. Concurrent enrollment in internships of more than three-credits is an exception to departmental policy. Exceptions to this academic policy will require:

Achievement of an “A” in all clinical courses
Recommendations from prior clinical instructors, the faculty advisor, and the chair justifying exceptional clinical proficiency and professional development
Internship Committee approval of the site and supervisor specifically for simultaneous internship. Application for Internship

Internship Site Supervisors must qualify as an appropriate supervisor. Site Supervisors must have a minimum of a Masters Degree in the Behavioral Sciences and a minimum of two years of clinical experience. This applies to all internships sites. The department must have accurate and complete information about your site and on-site supervisor. Therefore, a complete and timely Application for Internship must be completed. The Internship Committee requires an Application for Internship and a Clinical Faculty-Supervisor Resume Brief be submitted a semester prior to internship. Resume Briefs are required of site supervisors who have not previously submitted their credentials and a Resume Brief. Also, during the first week of internship, you are required to complete the on-line Student Internship Data Form. Specific instruction for submission of this required information will be provided by faculty.

Deadlines for Internship Applications

The first Friday in September for spring and summer internship sites and the first Friday in February for fall internship sites. These deadlines will be strictly adhered to with no exceptions made for students who turn in the application form late.

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