The Counseling Center at Valparaiso University is soliciting inquiries and applications from eligible master's students interested in a clinical practicum or internship training experience at our center. We are looking for two individuals interested in a 20 hour a week training experience for the academic year beginning in August 2010 and ending in May 2011. Preference will be given to those who have prior clinical experience and are interested in providing mental health services to a traditional college-age population. However, we strongly encourage everyone who is attracted to the following descriptions to apply.
The clinical work at the Counseling Center will consist of individual psychotherapy, the possibility of co-facilitating a group with a senior staff, and conducting outreach workshops and presentations. Please note that this is not an appropriate site for a diagnostic practicum, as we offer only limited experience using formal assessments. Trainees will work primarily at our main office, but will have opportunities to also work at either or both of the satellite offices, as time and interest direct.
We require 20-hour per week commitment. A typical week for trainees will include:
Previous trainees have said that the setting's combination of individual/group counseling and outreach programming, combined with exposure to administrative and case conferencing, has been extremely valuable to their professional development. Of particular interest has been the growth-oriented supervision utilizing videotape of trainees' psychotherapy sessions.
Applicants are expected to have a foundational knowledge of psychological theories, psychopathology, and basic psychotherapy skills. The practicum or intern student must be available for a minimum of twenty hours during the Center's normal hours of operation, i.e., 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Trainees should have Friday morning 9 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. available for the administrative, supervisory and clinical case conference meetings. You can expect to accumulate 600+ total hours in this 2-semester placement. The accumulated number of clinical service hours obtained will depend on the readiness and focus of the trainee. A typical trainee is likely to accumulate 200-300 hours of direct clinical service provision. Valparaiso University is a small (approximately 4,000 students), academically challenging, professional prep and liberal arts university operated in affiliation with the Lutheran church. The Lutheran tradition is important to the administration, and to many of the students. Because of this, trainees must be amenable to working within this tradition and its values.
We invite inquiries at any time. If you have questions, please call 219-464-5002 and ask for Tim Mulligan, or email Tim.Mulligan@valpo.edu. We also encourage you to contact our trainees with questions regarding their training experiences here. As a member of the Association of Chicagoland Externship and Practicum Training Sites (ACEPT) we adhere to their dates and guidelines for selecting trainees. Applications will be accepted beginning February 11, 2011 until March 4, 2011 for students desiring placement for the 2011-12 academic year. Offers may be made at any time during the process, but we expect to have made our final selections no later than the end of March. (ACEPT no longer has a specific Notification Day for master's students.)
Tim Mulligan, Ph.D., Training Coordinator
Counseling Center
Valparaiso University
1602 LaPorte Ave.
Valparaiso, IN 46383