(these internships are for advanced graduate students completing a minimum of a master's degree in a mental health field)

The University Counseling Center (UCC) is the primary mental health services provider at Florida State University and the only provider on campus available to all registered students free of charge for all services. The Center's mission is to enhance the academic experience of students by promoting healthy personal development through brief individual or couples counseling, group counseling, psychiatric consultation, skill enhancement and preventative outreach services. This mission is accomplished within the parameters of a humanistic philosophy that honors and adheres to the individual student's right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Individual, couples, and group therapies are provided as well as crisis intervention, consultations, presentations and other forms of outreach. Individual and couples counseling are session-limited. Group therapy participation is unlimited. The UCC provides full-time pre-doctoral internships to counseling and clinical psychology students and part-time internships to pre-master's students in mental health counseling, social work and art therapy. The Center is accredited by the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS) and is a member of the Association for Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC). The pre-doctoral psychology internship program is accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Staff
The staff is multidisciplinary with professionals from several mental health disciplines including clinical and counseling psychology, clinical social work, mental health counseling and art therapy. Typically there are four pre-doctoral psychology interns and two to four pre-master’s interns. Staff members hold memberships in a variety of professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, the Florida Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers and the American Art Therapy Association.

Training and Philosophy
The Art Therapy, Mental Health Counseling and Social Work Internship Program at the UCC utilizes a mentor-apprentice model of training, whereby the professional growth and development of interns is facilitated by supervised applied practice, augmented by modeling, consultation and teaching. It is our belief that close, collegial involvement with professional counselor role models provides a phase appropriate learning experience for the interns, allowing for enhancement of their professional identity while further developing their skills and competencies as practitioners. The multi-disciplinary environment of the UCC also provides a diversity of professional involvement and interaction reflective of most post-internship employment settings. The internship year is clearly a time of transition, when interns must bridge and integrate the science of their academic training with the practice necessitated by their developing role as professional psychologists. It is the program's philosophy that mentoring provides our interns an opportunity to internalize and consolidate that professional role, and makes the transition from graduate student seem both possible and worthwhile.

Developmental considerations are foremost in our training approach. We recognize the need and necessity for our interns to apply, in an intensive manner, the science of art therapy, counseling and social work they have learned in their graduate programs and further develop competencies in assessment, diagnosis, intervention and consultation. We strive to provide a supportive environment that allows interns to take on increasing levels of responsibility over the course of the internship, thereby building their confidence along with their competence. As part of this process, interns have the opportunity to observe and collaborate with senior clinicians in a variety of activities ranging from individual and group therapy to consultation and outreach. As the interns and their supervisors become comfortable with the intern's skill level, supervisors function more as available and consultative mentors.

The Center views interns as professional colleagues and vital staff members whose contributions are encouraged and valued. We recognize the need and necessity for our interns to apply, in an intensive manner, the science of art therapy, counseling and social work they have learned in their graduate programs. Through supervision and training, we assist the intern in identifying areas requiring further growth, while exposing them to a broad range of theoretical orientations and specialized expertise of the staff that will enhance their professional development. Interns are thereby afforded the opportunity to pursue somewhat individualized training experiences based on their experiences, interests and goals.

The internship is a vital component of the UCC and, as such, the goals of intern training are necessarily intertwined with the service goals of the UCC. Thus the provision of high quality, informed and ethical treatment to a large and diverse student population is of paramount importance. Recognizing the educational mission of the Florida State University, it is also important for the internship to support this mission through the training of interns, engagement in scientific inquiry and outreach and consultation to the greater university community. Permeating the program, through formal training, procedure and example, is an interest in and respect for diversity in all its forms.

The overall goal of the internship is to prepare Art Therapy, Mental Health Counseling and Social Work Interns to function ethically, competently and independently as mental health professionals. The training is generalist in nature, aimed at expanding the intern's experience and awareness of self and other, while refining skills necessary to practice psychology effectively. The internship attempts to foster personal growth and self-confidence, along with a sense of professional identity.

Application and Selection
Interested applicants should send a resume, cover letter describing their interest in this internship, and two letters of recommendation. References may complete the Reference Form (PDF | Word) in lieu of a letter.

 
Gail Palo, Ed.S., LMHC, NCC
Assistant Director of Intern Training
The University Counseling Center
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL 32306-4175
phone: 850-644-2003
fax: 850-644-3150
e-mail: gpalo@admin.fsu.edu

Resumes and cover letters sent electronically will be accepted and a confirmation reply will be sent. Recommendations must include an original signature, thus must be sent through the mail.

The deadline to apply for fall 2010 will be in March 2010. Applications received after this time will be considered on a space available basis. Please see your department representative for referral and more information.

Orientation
Clinical orientation of new interns is both a formal and informal process. The formal portion is designed to help new interns begin their training at the UCC. The training seminars are organized by the Training Director and conducted prior to the fall semester. The purpose of the orientation program is to introduce new doctoral and master's interns to the Center's philosophy, mission, history, organization, staff, and policies and procedures. Included in the formal orientation are mini-seminars outlining crisis counseling, intake procedures, forms and documentation, and supervision requirements. In addition, tours are conducted of other relevant resources on campus. Informal orientation occurs continuously through interaction with staff members in response to new situations and changing needs.

Seminars
Weekly training seminars focus on themes related to the counseling needs of the Center's clientele--a broad spectrum of "traditional" and "non-traditional" college students. Treatment considerations, including a variety of approaches and intervention modes, are highlighted. The training seminars are organized by the Training Director and conducted by UCC staff members and guest specialists from the university and local community. Representative topics include: crisis management, eating disorders, suicide prevention and intervention, addictions, gay and lesbian concerns, couples counseling, ethics, multi-cultural counseling, anxiety and stress management, assessment, sexual assault/rape issues and treatment of depression. The array of topics reflects the many client issues interns face in this counseling setting.

Supervision
All interns are supervised in the provision of individual, couples and group counseling. Supervision is based primarily on case discussions. Critiquing video recordings of sessions, co-counseling, and one-way mirror observation are used in supervision as seems appropriate to individual interns and their supervisors. Interns typically co-lead group therapies with experienced staff members with whom they can discuss group issues. Training in client assessment is strongly centered around interviews. Clients seeking career information or vocational testing are referred to the FSU Career Center; however, career issues may be a focus of counseling with UCC clients.

Pre-master’s interns receive a minimum of one hour of individual supervision and one and one half hours of group supervision (all interns meet together with two supervisors) per week. Frequent informal supervision and/or consultation with other staff members (of whatever discipline seems appropriate for a given situation) is encouraged and expected in response to issues that arise between formal supervision sessions. Supervision of interns is provided by professional staff. Interns negotiate the specifics of supervision such as meeting times, goals, and evaluation criteria with their supervisors. Interns present for multiple semesters generally rotate supervisors each semester and receive an evaluation at the conclusion or each semester. A transition meeting with the intern, previous supervisor and new supervisor may be scheduled at the beginning of each new semester to facilitate the change and determine ongoing supervision needs. Issues which can be discussed at this meeting include the intern's strengths, goals, and recommendations for further training needs.


Clientele
The University Counseling Center offers free services to all students enrolled at FSU. There is a great diversity in the Center’s clientele with an average age of 24 years and an age range of about 17 to 60 years. There is a high proportion of seniors and graduate students and two-thirds of the clients are female. Statistics indicate the following breakdown: 73% Caucasian, 11% Afro-American, 11% Hispanic, and 5% other or unknown.

Services
 
Individual Therapy
Most clients request and receive individual counseling. About 60% of clients return after intake for additional sessions. The current session limit is 10 individual sessions per academic year. Clients who continue past the intake session typically receive between four and eight sessions. When clinically appropriate and with authorization from our Utilization Review Committee, it is possible to see some clients beyond the ten session limit.
Group Therapy
Groups are offered which may focus on issues such as romantic relationships, family relationships, grief, body image, women’s issues and emotional wellness. Some of the groups are structured with educational objectives; others are unstructured and rely primarily on interpersonal interaction. Any group focus which might attract sufficient client interest and serve client needs may be considered. Pre-master's interns will primarily focus on mastering individual counseling skills during this placement. Toward the latter part of their internship and as mastery is demonstrated with individual counseling skills, a pre-master’s intern may co-lead a group with a staff person. Learning group skills may require an additional time commitment.

Couples Counseling
Couples counseling is offered when appropriate. Client partners and spouses who are not FSU students are ineligible for individual services; however, they may be treated in conjunction with an eligible student.

Consultation
Staff and interns regularly provide consultation to the university community. Interns are often involved in providing consultation and/or presentations to University Housing, the Victim Advocate Program, the Student Disability Resource Center, and student organizations. The UCC also has contact with Thagard Student Health Center and other departments of the Division of Student Affairs, the FSU Police, the Crisis Management Unit, Tallahassee area hospitals, human services agencies, and private practitioners.


Typical Week                                               32 hrs/wk                  25-28 hrs/wk