Introduction

The purpose of this internship website is to acquaint CMHC, CRC, and CMHC students in the Counselor Education Department at Portland State University with the policies and procedures for the internship sequence.  The specified guidelines describe the responsibilities of students, site supervisors, and faculty liaisons.  The establishment and maintenance of communication among these parties are seen as essential components in producing a quality clinical experience for all students in the Counselor Education Department.

A few important terms to note are as follows:

The Faculty Liaison is the PSU faculty member (Kim Douglas) who completes site visits.

The Site Supervisor is the designated supervisor at the internship location with which weekly individual or triadic supervision occurs.

The Faculty Group Supervisor facilitates weekly group supervision sessions at PSU 

The internship experience allows students to integrate the academic (theoretical knowledge) and clinical skills (practical applications) previously gained in the program.  As the three-term sequence progresses, students are expected to demonstrate increased counseling skills and specialty program expertise in each of the skills and practice standards measured in the quarterly intern evaluation.

Students will benefit from the internship experience in the following ways:

• Have direct involvement with clients/students, supervisors, and peers.

• Learn the operation of and services provided by specific agencies.

• Have the opportunity to develop expertise in various areas of counseling.

• Receive 600 hours of supervised experience.

Internship Overview

Internship is the field-based component of the clinical counseling experience. Students must be registered for internship credits if they are participating in internship, and attend weekly group supervision at PSU. All students must take 12 credits of internship minimum: 4 credits fall, winter and spring terms. The summer internship option is only open to students that need to start internship early or need additional hours to finish all requirements. Students will need special permission to register for summer internship, and a formal application process is in place. Participating in summer internship requires students to:

• Register for two credits of internship in the summer.

• Attend weekly group supervision at PSU.

• This will mean that students will have 14 total credits of internship. Because only 12 credits can be counted toward the student’s program of study, the other two credits are in addition to their program requirements (e.g., they will take 92 instead of 90 credits), unless their program has room to use the two credits as electives.

• If students finish all their internship hours early, they still need to complete four credits of internship spring term.

CACREP standards require that students log a minimum of 600 hours during the full length of the internship experience, with 240 of those hours being direct client service.  

To facilitate the process of locating a satisfactory internship site, students may begin by looking at the internship directory online, located here.  Consult with your academic advisor, internship coordinator and previous interns to get some ideas about what you would like to gain from your internship experience. Plan an internship experience that is appropriate to your specialization/program.  Please note that the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists requires that those aspiring to licensure as an MFT do their internship at a site that provides couples and families as clients. Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling students are required to gain experience with clients with a chronic illness and/or disability and the related rehabilitation competencies evidenced in the quarterly Internship Evaluation. Each internship site will have unique application procedures, deadlines, and interview processes. Please be sure to check your email often for important updates. 

The supervisor at the internship site must agree to provide the student with a minimum of one hour per week of direct, individual or triadic supervision and quarterly formal evaluations. 90 minutes of group supervision on a weekly basis will be provided through PSU, but can additionally be provided through the internship site. The internship site must be able to provide interns with a variety of experiences similar to the roles and responsibilities expected of a staff counselor at the site and interns must also facilitate or co-facilitate a group.  There should be an emphasis on direct client service as CACREP requires that students have a minimum of 240 clock hours of individual, group, couples or family counseling (another way of looking at this it that 240 of the required 600 hours for the internship must be logged as direct client contact).

CACREP defines direct client service is defined as:

supervised use of counseling, consultation, or related professional skills with actual clients (can be individuals, couples, families, or groups) for the purpose of fostering social, cognitive, behavioral, and/or affective change. These activities must involve interaction with others and may include: (1) assessment, (2) counseling, (3) psycho-educational activities, and (4) consultation. The following would not be considered direct service: (1) observing others providing counseling or related services, (2) record keeping, (3) administrative duties, (4) clinical and/or administrative supervision. (CACREP, 2016).

While enrolled in internship, students must maintain a primary commitment and responsibility to the staff and clients at the internship site.  Students are expected to be at their placement site during the weeks it is open, regardless of the PSU academic calendar.  Any absences or time-off must be mutually agreed upon between the intern and site supervisor.  The faculty liaison, Kim Douglas, must be kept informed of any changes in your schedule or time off as well.

If a student is currently employed by a school or agency and wishes to do their internship at that site, they may do so assuming all regular requirements of an internship site can be met.  The internship experience should expand and enhance the current job responsibilities, not simply duplicate them.  In addition, if the student intends to establish an internship at their regular place of employment, and counseling responsibilities are not a usual part of the position, they must arrange specific, significant time blocks for their work experience.  Short time periods (i.e., 50 minute periods) do not constitute internship placement and will not fulfill program requirements.

Students are required to maintain professional liability insurance coverage during the internship experience.  They must supply written verification of insurance coverage to Kim Douglas, Internship Coordinator, prior to the start of the internship.

Required internship forms are included on this site for informational purposes and can be found on the FORMS page.

Academic Requirements for Internship

• A student may begin internship when they have met the following requirements:

  • Completed all prerequisites for the internship experience.

  • Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 for all courses included in the plan of study.

  • Have successfully completed COUN 509 Practicum sequence.

  • Have registered for internship.

  • All students must complete internship within a one-year period.  

2023 - 2024 Internship Timeline (for 2024-2025 interns)

October 12, 2023: Internship meeting for all students on track to begin internship fall 2024

October 24, 2023: Internship Fair

Week of November 6, 2023: Internship applications due

Prior to February 1, 2024: Internship placement secured