Practicum Student Training Program In Professional Psychology

 

THE SETTING

CLEVELAND STATE UNIVERSITY (CSU) is an urban, commuter university established in 1964. There are eight colleges within the University. Recent statistics show enrollment of approximately 10,000 undergraduate students and 4,000 graduate and law students. Twenty-two percent of these students belong to ethnic minorities and fifty-six percent are women. The CSU campus currently consists of 85 acres just east of downtown Cleveland between E. 17th and E. 30th Streets. The 40 campus buildings range from the historical Mather Mansion to modern buildings erected within the past decade. The Cleveland/Akron Metropolitan area is the 15th largest in the United States with a population approaching 3 million. 

THE COUNSELING CENTER's MISSION is to support and empower our diverse student community through the provision of psychological services. Services provided to the campus community include individual, couple, and group counseling and psychotherapy; psychiatric services; assessment services; outreach presentations, on-going discussions or workshops; emergency and crisis response; and consultations. 

The CSU Counseling Center is located on the second floor of the Union Building at 1836 Euclid Ave. The facility includes 13 offices, a group room, a reception area, a kitchen and a waiting area. 

The Counseling Center Staff are licensed as psychologists, one is a licensed social worker, and one is a psychiatrist. 

The Counseling Center Clients are primarily CSU students. Counseling and psychiatric services are offered exclusively to students, while assessment, referral, and consultation services are provided to CSU faculty and staff as well. The student clients range in age from 17 to 70 with an average age of 28. They come to the Counseling Center with a wide range of issues, but the majority of students present with personal concerns related to feelings of depression; anxiety and stress; relationship and family concerns; and identity and existential concerns. Students also present, to a lesser extent, with concerns about sexual and physical abuse and harassment; eating and weight concerns; substance abuse concerns; and academic or vocational concerns. More than one quarter of the student clients identify themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority group; the majority are female.

The Majority of the Counseling Center Services are free and confidential. There is a fee for psychiatric services. The most frequently requested services are individual and couple counseling. In addition, the Center offers consultation, outreach, and group services. Some recent group offerings have been Law Student Support Group, Trans* Support Group, Connections (interpersonal process group), Wise Minds (DBT Group), Taming the Anxious Mind, and RIO (a mindfulness-based skills group).  Workshops often include topics such as Stress Management, Assertiveness, and Relationships. Frequently requested outreach presentations are on Time Management, Test Anxiety, Stress Management, Anger Management, Self-Esteem, and Eating Disorders/Healthy Weight Management. Once a year, the Center provides campus-wide screenings for depression and anxiety.

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THE TRAINING EXPERIENCE

The CSU Counseling Center is committed to providing a training experience that prepares students to function as generalists, comfortable in the many roles assumed by university counseling center practitioners. Therefore, a broad range of training experiences are offered. 

DIRECT SERVICE ACTIVITIES include a range of services and usually comprise at least 50% of a trainee's duties. These include, but are not limited to:

Individual Counseling and Psychotherapy: Part-time trainees carry an individual caseload of approximately 8-12 clients per week. The cases are pre-screened through our screening process so that progressively more difficult cases can be assigned as the trainee's ability and confidence develop. Cases typically reflect the diversity of the students seen at the CSU Counseling Center, both demographically and in terms of the severity of concerns.

Couple's Counseling: Trainees may have the opportunity to see one couple in conjoint therapy with a senior staff member.

Assessment Activities: Part-time trainees will perform intakes of their assigned clients.  Trainees are also encouraged to use the wide range of available testing materials to conduct assessment of clients on their own caseloads as deemed appropriate by the trainee and his or her supervisor.

Group Counseling:  Trainees are encouraged, but not required, to co-lead counseling/therapy groups together with senior staff members.

Outreach and Consultation Activities: The CSU Counseling Center receives a number of requests for psycho-educational programming each semester from various campus departments as well as from the community. Trainees are offered the opportunity to provide these workshops together with a senior staff member. More advanced trainees may have the opportunity to provide educational programming on their own. 

SUPERVISION AND TRAINING ACTIVITIES are the most important part of a trainee's experience at the CSU Counseling Center. Training activities are designed to expose trainees to a variety of supervisory styles and orientations in a supportive yet challenging environment. Trainees are assigned supervisors according to their particular needs, but are also able to consult with any member of the senior staff. 

Individual Supervision (1 hour per week): Trainees are assigned a different clinical supervisor each semester and will meet with that supervisor for one hour each week. During fall semester, supervisors will be senior staff members. During spring semester, a doctoral level intern may be assigned to do umbrella supervision with a less advanced trainee under the supervision of one of the senior staff members. Assignments are made based on the trainee's supervision needs as well as his or her preferences. This supervision focuses on the trainee's individual caseload and intake sessions. Individual supervisors use client test results, trainees' client notes, and videos of trainees' sessions with clients in order to give feedback to help the trainee develop as a clinician. This is also an opportunity for trainees to discuss problems they are having in their work and get feedback from their supervisor. 

Supervision of Other Activities (as needed):  All of the professional activities engaged in by trainees are supervised by a senior staff member. Usually, this is the senior staff member with whom the trainee is doing the activity whether co-leading a group or an outreach program, or conducting research together. When a trainee is doing such an activity alone, the work is supervised by their individual supervisor or another person designated by the supervisor. 

Case Conference (1 hour every other week): Practicum students and clinical graduate assistants meet together as a group with clinical staff for a case presentation by one of the trainees on a regular basis. The trainees rotate responsibility for presenting cases. Trainees are expected to provide the group with a written case summary prior to the meeting which gives demographic information, background history, a five axes diagnosis, process observations, and questions for discussion. 

Trainee Seminars:  Trainees are kept informed of other training activities going on in the center (such as intern field trips or guest speakers) and invited to attend. 

Professional Development (variable):  Trainees are encouraged to attend professional conferences and seminars. Financial support for these activities is sometimes available.

ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIVITIES

Staff Meetings: One hour staff meetings occur weekly and are optional for practicum level trainees. Trainee input is highly valued at these meetings due to their fresh perspective and creative ideas. Very often these staff meetings are used for in-service training and senior staff case consultations; practicum students are strongly encouraged to attend these activities.

Committee Meetings (variable): Trainees are encouraged to serve both on internal Counseling Center Committees as well as on University-wide committees. This committee work may be short-term (in the case of an ad-hoc committee formed to address a particular issue) or the work may span the entire year in a standing committee. 

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APPLICATION INFORMATION

Positions Available: The Counseling Center can accommodate 3-4 practicum students each year.

Term of Service: Trainees begin working on the first day of Fall semester each year but may be required to come for orientation activities in August before the semester starts.  We expect trainees to work 16-20 hours a week. We ask that practicum level trainees split their hours between at least two different days of the week. Trainees may be present and working in the Center during any hours between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

Stipend and Benefits:  We are not currently able to offer a stipend or benefits for practicum students.
                                                                                                                       
APPLICATION

Qualifications: 
1. Currently a student in a doctoral program in counseling, clinical psychology, counseling psychology or Master's in social work.   
2. Preference will be given to students who have completed at least one prior practicum experience.

Application Procedure: We will accept and review application materials throughout the month of February and interviews will take place during the month of March. Please submit:

1. Letter of interest summarizing relevant experience and training and clearly specifying number of practicum hours/week needed as well as required licensure of supervisor (i.e., LISW, LPCC or Psychologist) 
2. Current resume or vita.
3. Contact information for at least three references.

Send all application materials and other correspondence via email to Dr. Todd Seibert at:

t.m.seibert@csuohio.edu 

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CSU COUNSELING CENTER CLINICAL STAFF

Psychologist and Director: Dr. Brittany Sommers
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Andrews University, 2017

Interests include emotion regulation, disability, relational concerns, sexuality, self-injurious behaviors, and trauma. She conducts therapy and supervision informed by Relational and Dialectical Behavior Therapy approaches. She also works with couples and coordinates our group program. She facilitates Taming the Anxious Mind and Wise Minds: Building Skills for Acceptance and Change.

Psychologist and Training Director: Dr. Todd Seibert
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from The University of Las Vegas, Nevada, 2009

He has specific interest and expertise in relationships, bereavement, group therapy, mood concerns, anxiety issues, adjustment concerns, cognitive assessment, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). He is also very interested in relationship processes, conscious experience, existential concerns, and trauma experiences.

Psychologist and Outreach/Groups Coordinator: Dr. Bruce Menapace
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology, 1997

Interests include cross-cultural psychology, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender concerns, antiracism, stress management/relaxation training, men's issues, outreach presentations and group facilitation. He facilitates Trans* Student Support, the Law Student Support Hour, and Countering Racism with Love, Support and Dialogue.

Psychiatrist: Dr. Alex Wang
M.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 2014

Interests include diagnosis and treatment of primary mental health disorders in the college and transitional aged populations. Dr. Wang completed her residency at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. In addition to her time at CSU, she also works with students at Case Western Reserve University and Oberlin College. She is employed by University Hospitals in the Department of Psychiatry as an Assistant Professor. 

Clinical Case Manager & Mental Health Education Coordinator:  Katharine Bussert, LSW 
MSSA from Case Western Reserve University, 2019

Provides case management services to students to assist them with getting connected with follow-up services, resources and support. Coordinates, plans and provides mental health education programs.