Student Expectations
For Internship

1) Students will abide by all ethical guidelines of the American Art Therapy Association (AATA), the American Art Therapy Credentials Board (ATCB), the Nazareth University Human Subjects Research Committee (HSRC), the Creative Arts Therapy Handbook, and the New York State Office of Professions. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the ethical standards of these organizations prior to the beginning of their first placement.

2) Students are responsible for ensuring that all internship documentation is provided to the Internship Coordinator by the assigned due dates as outlined by the Internship Coordinator each academic year via the documentation guidelines. (These guidelines are available to all students on Moodle and in the internship manual).

3) All internship documentation must be filled out legibly, accurately, and completely. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they have the information needed to appropriately fill out tracking sheets, and if there are questions that should be addressed in advance. 

4) The student is responsible for providing art therapy program evaluations and hourly tracking forms to their internship site supervisor in a timely manner.

5) Students are expected to follow agency standards and expectations as dictated by the agency. It is the student’s responsibility to seek out the appropriate information required in order to be mindful of their site’s expectations. Students are expected to present with a professional demeanor, follow a respectful dress code, and be timely with all documentation and responsibilities. Students who submit late paperwork more than two times will need to attend a Level One Meeting. 

6) Problem solving and conflict resolution should be adhered to as delineated in the Creative Art Therapy Department Student Handbook. All concerns should be addressed in a timely manner to ensure a professional and effective response from the parties involved.

7) If a student has difficulty completing internship expectations for any reason, the student needs to address their concerns with the appropriate supervisors on site and at the college in a timely manner.

8) Prior to the start of the internship, students need to be prepared to follow through with all expectations of the internship and therefore need to be emotionally and physically ready to handle the challenges of working with clients of a variety of different population groups. If you feel that your physical or mental health status may compromise your work, please speak to the Internship Coordinator immediately.

9) Students are expected to complete a minimum of 700 hours of internship, including 350 hours of client contact, over the course of their internship experiences. Students must notify the Internship Coordinator and their internship site supervisor if they are having difficulty getting the time they need. If a client cancels or fails to show, a student must engage in an observation and complete required documentation. Completing additional observation hours—up to the allowed 100 (25 recorded/75 live)—can be a valuable and approved way to supplement their experience.

10) Students will be required to give consent for their photo to be taken for identification purposes in the YWRI clinic area.

These expectations are designed to ensure that each student has the experience necessary to complete the Art Therapy program and work towards licensure. Failure to follow these expectations may result in incomplete graduation or licensure requirements, probation, termination from placement, and possible termination from the graduate art therapy program. By your signature, you acknowledge that you understand and will abide by these expectations, and that you understand the consequences for failing to do so. This document must be completed prior to the start of any clinical /internship activity and filed with the Internship Coordinator.

Student Name (Printed):

Signature:

Date: