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Internship handbook

(Table of Contents)
Chpt 1: Introduction & prerequisites
Chpt 2: Basic definitions
Chpt 3: Starting search for an internship site
Chpt 4: Matching interests with sites
Chpt 5: Selecting an on-site supervisor
Chpt 6: To the supervisor
Chpt 7: Concept form
Chpt 8: Expectations
Chpt 9: Responsibilities
Chpt 10: Contract form
Chpt 11: The evaluation process
Chpt 12: Looking ahead: graduation & post-graduation

(Online Forms)
Internship "quiz"

Internship concept form

Internship contract form

Internship evaluation

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology ("MAC")

The MAC Internship Handbook:
Chapter 10: Filling out the "contract form"

Once your Concept Form has been submitted and approved, the stage is set for you to sit down with your on-site supervisor, finalize the details, and fill out an Internship Contract. The Internship Contract binds you ethically to provide agreed-upon service to the agency. It should be written carefully and with as much anticipation of future events as possible.

The Internship Contract includes information on the On-site Supervisor and internship experience. In addition, it includes space for summarizing what you, the On-Site Supervisor, and the Internship Faculty agree to provide in order to make the internship a productive, educational, enjoyable, and ethical experience.

Generally, most contracts include fairly standardized elements. What the Internship Faculty are looking for is quality experiences, major clinical responsibility, and excellent supervision. Below are some sample items (note: "sample" only) for you and the On-site Supervisor to consider. You may include similar items in your Contract or come up with some of your own. Please be as specific as possible.

What you will provide:

[ ] Summary of duties and tasks that you agree to take on.

[ ] A commitment of hours per week and length of internship in months.

[ ] Maybe a statement of your personal commitment to ethical standards.

[ ] A commitment of professionalism and a promise of reliability

[ ] Perhaps a commitment of willingness to accept direction and feedback.

What the internship site will provide:

[ ] Some indication of the anticipated amount of supervision, including where and how the supervision will be provided.

[ ] Any financial stipends or pay and the conditions under which it will be given.

[ ] A commitment of the number of cases (or other tasks) that will be assigned.

[ ] Any in-service or other training opportunities that will be made available.

[ ] A commitment to provide periodic evaluations of the intern's performance (to be submitted to the MAC Faculty).

[ ] A promise to provide at least a few cases where you will be the primary therapist (or, at least, be a co-therapist).

[ ] Other appropriate elements that the internship site will provide.

[ ] Permission to audio/video tape one session or portion of a session (see below).

The permission to audio tape or video tape a portion of a session is a mandatory, graded activity in MAC 691: "Counseling Internship I" and MAC 692: "Counseling Internship II." You may ask the On-site Supervisor for this permission orally. However, many supervisors prefer to have the request in written form for their files. In order to actually tape a client, you will need a release of information.

What the MAC Faculty will provide:

Case consultation and clinical feedback using MAC 691 and MAC 692 as the vehicles.

Availability to the intern for individual assistance and problem-solving.

Availability to the On-site Supervisor for working out wrinkles and difficulties with the intern.

A promise to treat all information regarding cases and the agency in an ethical and professional manner.

Enthusiastic support of the intern in all of his or her professional activities.

Repeating the earlier warning, please remember that no hours will be counted toward the internship until the contract is signed by you, the On-site Supervisor, and the MAC Director (obtained in that order). Each semester, there seems to be someone who begins to collect hours before finalizing the contract — and each semester, the student finds out that they have been volunteering hours that don't count. Don't let that happen to you!

The Final Internship Contract form needs to be printed out and then given to the On-site Supervisor to fill out. When completed, submit the form to the MAC Office.

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