Mental Health Counseling/Art Therapy/Social Work Internships

Staff
The staff is multidisciplinary with professionals from several mental health disciplines, including clinical and counseling psychology, clinical social worker, mental health counseling and psychiatry. Typically there are three pre-doctoral psychology interns and two to four master's interns. Staff members hold membership in a variety of professional organizations including the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the Southeastern Psychological Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American College Health Association and the Association of Black Psychologists.

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 psychology 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. The individual intern's areas of strength and interest are incorporated into the experience. 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, personal statement describing his/her interest in this internship, and two letters of reference (references may complete Reference Form in lieu of letter) to:
 
Gail Palo, Ed.S., LMHC, NCC
Assistant Intern Training Director
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

The deadline to apply for fall 2008 will be in late March 2008.
Applications received after this date will be considered on a space available basis.

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. A five day orientation program is 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 coordinator 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 audio or video tapes 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. Master level interns receive a minimum of one hour per week of individual supervision and two hours of group supervision (all interns meet together with two supervisors). 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. Specifics of supervision such as meeting times, goals, and evaluation criteria are negotiated by interns with their supervisors. Interns present for multiple semesters will rotate supervisors each semester and receive an evaluation at the conclusion or each semester. A transition meeting with the intern, previous supervisor, new supervisor and training director 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 49 nationalities represented.

Services
 
Individual Therapy
Most clients request and receive individual counseling. About 60% of clients return after intake for additional sessions. Clients who continue past the intake session typically receive between four and eight sessions. In order to enhance intern training, interns are ordinarily allowed, with authorization, to carry one or two long-term clients.

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

Group Therapy
Groups are offered which may focus on romantic relationships, family relationships, anxiety and stress management, self-esteem, and study skills. 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 help run a group with their primary supervisor. Learning group skills may require an additional time commitment.

Consultation
Staff and interns regularly provide consultation to the university community. The UCC 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