Practicum
Brief Description of the Practicum
Each student in the Program will be required to successfully complete a twenty-hour per week minimum, fifteen consecutive week practicum as a prerequisite to being awarded the Master of Arts degree in Counselling Psychology. The practicum carries six units of academic credit. Students must receive approval from the Director of Clinical Training before they may begin their practicum. The practicum must be an in-person experience.
The Practicum Setting
The Director of Clinical Training must approve practicum settings before any student starts work. In general, appropriate practicum settings include any established venue in which mental health services are professionally delivered. Organizations specifically identified as mental health delivery services are acceptable, whether public, private, culturally or religiously affiliated. Other acceptable settings are mental health delivery systems embedded within a larger context, such as the social work department of a general hospital. Organizations not specifically identified as mental health delivery systems, but in which mental health issues figure prominently, such as prisons, special schools, and eldercare organizations may also be judged acceptable by the Director of Clinical Training. Students are encouraged to make recommendations to the Director of Clinical Training regarding any specific practicum site that they believe may be suitable. It is hoped that the practicum may be completed in the student’s own community.
Eligibility for Practicum
Students will be deemed eligible to begin their practicum after having successfully completed all academic coursework except for the final case study presentation which is to be completed concurrent with the practicum. In addition, students must be in good standing academically (as described above) and with the University Bursar.
Supervision of Students
An important consideration in the decision to approve a practicum site is the availability of appropriate on-site supervision. Supervisors must possess advanced degrees (masters or higher) and professional licensure appropriate to the positions they hold at the proposed practicum organization. The provision of counselling services constitutes one element of the training and practice of a number of different professions. Therefore, supervisors may be counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, or members of an allied mental health profession. In cases where licensure doesn’t apply, the practitioner’s CV would be expected to show relevant experience and membership in appropriate professional societies. The Director of Clinical Training must approve all practicum site supervisors. Supervision must be structured, with appropriate records kept. A letter of agreement between the University and the practicum site will formalize the arrangement.
Grading
At the conclusion of the practicum, and unless excluded for other reasons, the students’ supervisors will be asked to rate them on a number of relevant criteria, including ethics, professionalism, technical competence, effectiveness with clients, consultation seeking with peers, etc. The Director of Clinical Training will assign a grade of pass/fail based on these evaluations.