Internship
Internship
Internship is the final field experience in Grace's CMHC program and is a 2-semester course. Students complete a minimum of 300-hours per semester with at least 120 hours being direct client care. These hours must be spread over the full semester. On average, students complete 18 - 20 hours weekly.
Interns continue to need the support and guidance from their supervisors, but are more independent than students in Practicum. There is an emphasis on direct counseling services provided by the student with students typically establishing a caseload of 10 - 12 clients. While there is not a minimum client age, the Internship competencies primarily focus on clients age 16+, or clients that are able to engage talk therapy.
Internship is expected to be a distinctly different experience from Practicum typically with new sites, clinical populations, clinical issues, and supervisors. This enables the student to grow clinically in a variety of new experiences and competencies.
A summary of the internship requirements begins on page 8 of the Handbook linked below.
Internship Requirements ChecklistInternship Checklist
Internship Site Agreement v22Internship Site Agreement
Handbook of Clinical ExperiencesPracticum/Internship Handbook
Taping & Tape Viewing/Listening Consent FormClient Consent to Record Sessions
When submitting the Internship Checklist and Internship Site Agreement, we cannot accept signatures that are font-based, regardless of whether they are made to mimic a signature through the use of a cursive-style font. This page provides guidance and tools for signing our documents digitally.
Internship Competencies
By the end of Internship, students should be able to demonstrate:
Mastery use of foundational skills with clients in the field,
Use of theory-based interventions while keeping a client-centered focus.
A clear rationale for diagnosis, including rationale for each criteria and differential diagnoses.
Case conceptualization through the lens of their chosen counseling theory.
Development and facilitation of theory-based treatment plans using SMART goals and objectives.
+ Additional competencies for Adv. Internship
Required Forms for Client Consent for Services
Students are required to use 1 of the 2 forms below to gain client consent for services at your site. The signed forms will be kept at your site in the client's file.
If your site already has a client consent for services form, students should use left-side form below, which gives specific consent to work with a student.
Consent to Work with a CITConsent to Work with a Student
Most often used
Grace Informed Consent - FullFull Informed Consent
Alternative with a more full consent
Employment / Field Experience Separation: If the Internship student is a current employee at your site, guidelines for separating the work position from the Internship can be found in the Handbook above. The "Indication of Employment/Field Experience Separation" form can be found in the handbook appendix or at this link.
Internship Extension During Holiday Break FormHoliday / Fall Extension Form
Holiday Break
The Internship Site Agreement indicates there will be a break for the Christmas and New Year holidays during which time students will not be enrolled in class and therefore not allowed to see clients. This is typically 3 weeks and it is the responsibility of the student, in collaboration with the site supervisor, to arrange coverage for clients during this time.
To help support concerns at some internship sites related to continuity of care when the holiday break is 3 weeks or longer, students will be allowed to request a one-week extension for the Fall semester to work at the site. Requests must be approved by the primary site supervisor and faculty supervisor.
Still need help?