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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 5: Selecting an on-site supervisor

Okay! You've narrowed down the choice of an internship experience to a few types of settings; perhaps you even have some specific agencies in mind. That was the most important part. However, another critical factor is the choice of someone to provide you with appropriate supervision at the agency. We call that person, the "On-site Supervisor" and the choice of the supervisor is one that needs to be made with great care and interest in your own professional future and in cooperation with the MAC faculty. It should not be made lightly or carelessly.

The appropriateness (i.e., credentials) of the supervisor is one of the most important elements in determining the success or failure of the internship. In addition, it's a key factor in the core faculty's decision of whether or not to accept your choice of an internship site and/or internship supervisor.

What to Look for

Choosing an ideal and appropriate agency is only half the battle. It is just as important to find an ideal and appropriate On-site Supervisor. The Supervisor is the one who will assist you with the occasional and immediate crises and with an evaluation of your on-going work. If your Supervisor is not in a decision-making position in the agency and/or can only offer abstract opinions about clinical cases or administrative problems, and agency policies and procedures, you are left at a distinct disadvantage. For these reasons, the choice of an On-site Supervisor is a critical one.

The bottom line is that you, the intern, must not be the "resident expert" at the agency. If you are the expert, then, by definition, the internship experience will not be an "educational, training experience" for you. The MAC Program does not accept transfer credit from the "School of Hard Knocks" — you must be trained by someone who knows more than you do, and preferably, by an experienced and competent decision-maker within your internship agency!

In order to satisfy the requirement of the MAC Program, then, the On-site Supervisor must have certain basic qualifications. In terms of formal credentials, your supervisor should normally possess an earned PhD or MA degree in the social sciences, should be licensed, and have several year's experience in your particular area of interest. Prior experience in supervising interns is desirable.

Credentials, alone, are just the beginning. The On-site Supervisor is considered an extremely important player on the MAC faculty team. Without the leadership of a professional at the internship site itself, the MAC Program would lose a great deal of its power and effectiveness. That's why the quality of the available supervision is one of the key variables in whether or not the internship is approved. An "ideal" On-site Supervisor will be able to offer the intern several "intangibles" including the ability to:

communicate information and provide key, on-the-spot training as appropriate
provide emotional support and sincere reinforcement and praise
offer tactful and sensitive criticism and confrontation
facilitate professional and career opportunities for the interested intern

It may be helpful to think of the "ideal" supervisor as filling certain roles and responsibilities for the intern and the MAC Program. Although not an exhaustive, detailed list, the responsibilities of the On-site Supervisor can be thought of as falling into four main areas:

Orientation: One initial responsibility of the On-site Supervisor is to thoroughly orient you to the agency and to your assigned tasks. In the early stages, in particular, the supervisor can provide essential feedback and act as a teacher and role model. The quality of the initial orientation to the internship experience is the strongest, single determinant of the success of the overall internship.
Teaching: The On-site Supervisor can play a key role in educating you by providing assignments and training to help promote your learning and professional growth. Ideally, the On-site Supervisor will help you consciously apply theory to real-life, work situations. An internship can do much more than merely provide an opportunity for direct service to clients.
On-site Supervision: The primary responsibility is to provide you with quality supervision at the internship facility. The On-site Supervisor is expected to provide a minimum of one hour per week in formal supervisory conference with you as well as to be available to you for informal consultation regarding difficult situations. The supervision may include a combination of individual conferences and on-the-spot consultations, group and peer supervision, and agency staff meetings or in-service training.
Evaluation: The final important area of responsibility for the On-site Supervisor is to provide evaluations of you throughout the internship experience. This evaluation process is not limited to the formal paper-and-pencil evaluation at the end of each semester, but represents a semester-long, on-going process. In particular, it is expected that the On-site Supervisor will notify the Internship Faculty of any problems with your performance as soon as they become evident.

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