Field Experience - Counseling

Field experience is designed as the final learning experience and provides the opportunity to integrate and practice learning obtained throughout the degree/certification program.

Even though the field experience is scheduled as one of the last classes in a student’s program, early planning is necessary. The department mandates that all required COUN degree coursework must be completed before a student is eligible for field experience. Electives and research (GSR 615) may be completed concurrently with the field experience or after its completion since they are not core counseling degree courses. Preparations for the field experience are to be completed the semester before the student plans to enroll in the course.

Course Requirements

Field experiences provide a supervised field placement for students in the counselor education programs. The exact plan and scope of the field experience will be determined by the student, faculty supervisor, and site supervisor on an individual basis. However, the following are the minimum requirements for this experience.

For community counseling students who began the program in or after Fall 2006, a 600-hour field experience is required. For school counseling students who began the program in or after Fall 2007, a 600-hour field experience is required. For students in either program who entered prior to these dates, a 300-hour field experience is required. A breakdown of hours for both the 300- and 600-hour field experiences is included below.

For 600-hour field experiences, students may complete the hours in one semester (600 hours) or over two semesters (300 hours each semester). If completing over two semesters, students may continue at the same field experience site or select a new field experience site. For school counseling students, at least one 300-hour experience must be completed in a public school setting.

For Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Single Certification students: Conduct a minimum of 75 hours (of the 240 total hours of direct service) of individual and group counseling sessions with clients over the course of the 600 hours. This includes a minimum of ten individual counseling sessions and four ongoing group counseling sessions (and two classroom guidance lessons for school counseling students) over the duration of the field experience.

For School Counseling Dual Certification students: At each certification level (elementary, secondary), conduct a minimum of 75 hours (of the 120 hours of direct service) of individual and group counseling sessions with students. This includes a minimum of ten individual counseling sessions, four ongoing group counseling sessions, and two classroom guidance lessons at each certification level.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Single Certification: 600 hours in one semester:

Direct Service: 240 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Indirect Service: 360 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week group supervision at the university

Clinical Mental Health Counseling or School Counseling Single Certification: 600 hours over two semesters:

Direct Service: 240 hours, including minimum 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Semester One: 120 hours, including minimum of 37.5 hours of individual and group counseling

Semester Two: 120 hours, including minimum of 37.5 hours of individual and group counseling

Indirect Service: 360 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Semester One: 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Semester Two: 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

School Counseling Dual Certification: 600 hours in one semester:

Direct Service: 240 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling at the elementary level and 75 hours of individual and group counseling at the secondary level

Elementary School (300 hours): 120 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Secondary School (300 hours): 120 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Indirect Service: 360 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Elementary School (300 hours): 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Secondary School (300 hours): 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

School Counseling Dual Certification: 600 hours over two semesters:

Direct Service: 240 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling at the elementary level and 75 hours of individual and group counseling at the secondary level

Semester One, Elementary or Secondary School (300 hours): 120 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Semester Two, Secondary or Elementary School (300 hours): 120 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Indirect Service: 360 hours including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Semester One, Elementary or Secondary School (300 hours): 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

Semester Two, Secondary or Elementary School (300 hours): 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university

For students seeking School Counseling Certification only, or licensure only, if needed in the program: 300 hours in one semester:

Direct Service: 120 hours, including minimum of 75 hours of individual and group counseling

Indirect Service: 180 hours, including one hour of individual and/or triadic supervision per week on-site and an average of 1.5 hours per week of group supervision at the university.

Summer 2012, Fall 2012, and Spring 2013 Field Experience Handbook

Summer 2013, Fall 2013, and Spring 2014 Field Experience Handbook

Pre-Field Experience Planning

Field Experience Orientation Meeting

All students enrolling in a field experience for the first time are required to attend a Field Experience Orientation meeting, scheduled in December for those students desiring summer, fall, and spring placements in the upcoming year. This meeting provides information on liability insurance, clearances, course requirements, site selection, time deadlines, etc. In addition, students pre-enroll for field experience at this meeting, which further ensures a seat for them in their desired semester. The additional steps for field experience planning are outlined below.

Step 1: Attend Field Experience Meeting

Students become familiar with:

Planning schedule
Field experience process flowchart
Field experience handbooks
Appendix A
Department clearance policy
Liability insurance
Child abuse clearance application
Criminal background check application
Federal fingerprinting information
Affiliation agreement information

Step 2: Review Handbook and Eligibility Requirements

Eligibility requirements include:

Minimum of 3.00 GPA in master’s degree program
All program course prerequisites have been completed.

Step 3: Field Experience Approval and Registration

Once your application is approved by your advisor, the field experience coordinator will notify you about class registration.

Step 4: Site Selection

Review site requirements specified in Appendices D and E.
Learn about field experience sites that seem most appropriate in satisfying the field experience requirements and meeting your personal and professional goals. A database is available to help with choices. Students are permitted to do their field experience at their place of employment as long as the site meets the field experience requirements and involves master’s level work. Students must obtain and submit an Administrator Letter if they choose to do their field experience at their place of employment.
Select your top choice as a field experience site and contact the site for an informal interview. Be prepared to do the following:
1. Provide a copy of the Field Experience Handbook and your résumé to the potential site supervisor.
2. State why you want to explore field experience opportunities at that site.
3. Determine if the site can meet the field experience requirements.
4. Determine if there is a mutual agreement for placement.
5. Complete Appendix B.
6. Check the Department of Counseling website to see if an Affiliation Agreement exists with the potential site.
  *If there is no existing Affiliation Agreement with the potential site, the student will take a blank copy of the Affiliation Agreement to the proposed site and obtain a signature from an individual who is able to sign on behalf of the site.
7. Work with the site supervisor to complete other required paperwork (Appendices C-E and Affiliation Agreement if necessary).

Step 5: Submit Required Paperwork

By a specified date, you must complete and submit to Dr. Lorraine Guth:

Appendix B — Student Checklist and Field Experience Agreement
Appendix C — Field Experience Site Information Sheet
Appendix D — Field Experience Contract
Appendix E — Checklist for Site and Supervisor Qualifications
Affiliation Agreement (if necessary)
Affiliation Agreement Receipt
Administrator Letter (required if field experience is at place of employment)

Dr. Lorraine J. Guth, Field Experience Coordinator
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Department of Counseling
Stouffer Hall, Room 206
1175 Maple Street
Indiana, PA 15705

By a specified date, you must complete and submit to Kelly Duplin, departmental contact for clearances:

Appendix L — Checklist for Receipt of Clearances
Child Abuse Clearance (required)
Criminal Background Check (required)
Federal Fingerprinting (if required)
TB Test Results (if required)
Proof of Liability Insurance

Kelly Duplin, Departmental Contact for Clearances
Department of Counseling
Stouffer Hall, Room 206
1175 Maple Street
Indiana,PA 15705-1058

Important Note: Continuing interns must submit a field experience application for the second placement and new paperwork by the specified due dates.

Completing the Field Experience

Interns are required to document their hours. Students should download and use the log for School Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students who are continuing their field experience in a second semester should download and use the log for Continuing School Counseling or Continuing Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Lorraine J. Guth at lguth@iup.edu.