School Counseling Internship Info

All prerequisite courses are non-negotiable and must be successfully completed prior to the start of practicum: 

• COUN 5501 Lifespan Development
• COUN 5512 Counseling Strategies and Techniques 
• COUN 5531 Career Counseling and Development
• COUN 5600 Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling
• COUN 5515 Group Counseling
• COUN 5506 School Counseling Foundations

• Additional Prerequisites

• Passing Score in GACE 103 for practicum and 104 for internship for school counseling candidates.

• Background Check and Fingerprints: You must purchase a background check and complete your fingerprints each semester before applying for practicum, internship I and II.
• GPA: Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the posted application deadline

Minimum Total Practicum Hours: 100

Minimum Total Internship Hours: 600

• Direct Hours (PDF)
• Individual Supervision Hours (PDF)
• Faculty Group Supervision (PDF)
• Indirect Hours (PDF)

Candidates should check with their state counseling board for internship requirements specific to their state.

Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy

In-person counseling is the expected standard in meeting the direct service requirements. School counseling candidates are not permitted.

Please note: There will be no exceptions to this policy unless directed by federal and/or state mandates.

Please direct all questions regarding the Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy to the program coordinator (annie.lewis@asurams.edu). 

Video Recording Requirement

• Counselor candidates are expected to submit one recorded counseling sessions weekly throughout the semester in which they are enrolled in practicum. Weekly recordings of counseling sessions must be uploaded to Supervision Assist for review.

**Please note: live observation is permitted as long as it is approved by the program coordinator. All candidates must have a written letter from the site stating that recording is not permitted to be approved for live observations.

Please note that all candidates are responsible to keep a record/copy of their verification of final hours form for licensure purposes.

School Counseling

Practicum and Internship Opportunities

• On average, finding a site and supervisor takes at least three to four months.
• Candidates are allowed a one site and should apply to sites that will allow them to complete their required taped client sessions.

Types of sites that can be considered for school counseling practicum and internship:

• Approved practicum and internship sites are K-12 schools that are accredited public or accredited private schools. The school must have a school counseling office, a school counselor, and a comprehensive school counseling program in place.  
• Elementary sites include preK/K-5 or PreK/K-6 (housed in the same school building).  
• Secondary Schools include grades 6-12 or 7-12 (middle and high schools).  
• Summer school programs or after-school programs are NOT approved as elementary or secondary accredited school placements. Hospitals, clinical counseling agencies, residential/group homes, or juvenile correction agencies that educate candidates while they are in the care of those facilities are not approved as internship sites. Candidates interested in these options should explore these clinical placements for practicum.

Please review the Professional Practice Handbook for additional potential site and site supervisor requirements.

Supervisor Information

Candidates are allowed a maximum of two supervisors.

• Discuss the Practicum Quick Facts and Internship Quick Facts with potential supervisors.

Examples of Approved Supervisors for SC Candidates:

• Certified/Licensed School Counselor with an active license

Review the Internship Supervisor Information before proceeding.

• SC Practicum and Internship Checklist

The numbers below correspond to the way the documents will be uploaded in the application portal:

1. Fieldwork Application Form
2. Completed and Signed by both student and site supervisor
3. Information Sheet
4. Completed and Signed by both student and site supervisor
5. Fieldwork Contract

• Practicum and Internship Student Contract: an on-site supervisor is an individual who is an employed counselor at the site you are applying to complete your internship
• Practicum and Internship Supervisor Contract
  • Signed by student and site supervisor
  • Please note:you must only fill out one fieldwork contract per site/supervisor. Candidates are only required to have one site and supervisor but may have up to two sites and supervisors.

1. Background Check Receipt
2. Candidates must submit a background check report that was purchased no more than one semester prior to the date of each application.
3. Supervisor’s License Verification
4. Found on your state counseling/school board website.
5. Includes name, license number, issue date, expiration date, & current/active
6. Digital Copy of Student Photo
7. driver’s license or State ID
8. Liability Insurance Face Sheet (PDF)
9. Candidates are required to purchase their own coverage for the duration of practicum and internship. The coverage requirements are detailed in the link above.
10. Placement Activity Proposal
11. Please note the types of activities the learner will engage in at the site to meet the required competencies. These activities should be provided in sufficient amounts to facilitate meeting the required fieldwork hours. The learner and supervisor should collaborate in filling out the Placement Activity Proposal.
12. GACE 103 and 104 Scores
13. Candidates in the school counseling program need to take and pass GACE 103 before enrolling in practicum and GACE 104 before enrolling in internship.
14. Confirmation of Signed MOU if Applicable
15. Signed by a site representative

Important:

• Candidates are required to apply with the full application for their first semester of internship, even if they are staying with the same site and supervisor from Practicum.
• All documents must be submitted as PDF files only. The order the documents are listed above is the exact same way they will be uploaded to the portal.

All approval documents must be submitted to the Practicum and Internship Coordinator through the submission portal prior to the deadline listed above. No late documents will be accepted. Submission of these forms does not mean automatic acceptance of the proposed site and/or supervisor; they must be approved first. Albany State University must validate that the student’s proposed site will provide a good educational experience and that it has adequate oversight and safeguards built in to ensure an appropriate clinical environment.

Changing Site and/or Supervisor

Candidates are allowed to switch site(s)/supervisor(s), add an additional site/supervisor, or drop a site/supervisor during their Practicum/Internship. Review our policy below.

Site/Supervisor Switch Policies

1. Candidates may only earn hours once a site/supervisor has been approved by the Practicum/Internship coordinator. Hours worked prior to the official approval date given by the Practicum/Internship coordinator may not be counted.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to immediately let the Practicum/Internship coordinator and faculty supervisor know about any changes to the site and/or supervisor for the Practicum/Internship.
3. All required paperwork must be submitted (correctly) within two weeks of switching a site/supervisor at your site, dropping a site/supervisor, or adding a site/supervisor.
4. Barring any extenuating circumstances, no paperwork will be accepted the last two weeks of the semester.

*Candidates may email the clinical coordinator with any questions regarding the policy. Candidates are also encouraged to review the information in the Practicum/Internship manuals regarding this policy.

Site/Supervisor Switch Documents

To request to change/add a new site or supervisor or drop a site/supervisor, you must submit all the following required documents via email to the Practicum/Internship Coordinator:

• Candidates applying to change the supervisor at their current site must submit:
• A typed and signed brief statement from the site director or approved supervisor outlining the student’s transition to a new supervisor
• Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
• Practicum or Internship Evaluation
• Final Hours Report
• Documents for new supervisor:
• Supervisor’s License Verification
• Supervisor Contract
• Information Form
• Candidates applying to change their site and supervisor must submit:
• Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
• Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
• Practicum or Internship Evaluation
• Final Hours Report
• Documents for new site and supervisor:
• Supervisor’s License Verification
• Fieldwork Contract
• Supervisor & Site Information Forms
• Memorandum of Understanding if applicable
• Candidates dropping a site/supervisor
• Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
• Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
• Practicum or Internship Evaluation
• Final Hours Report
• Candidates adding a 2nd supervisor must submit:
• Supervisor’s License Verification
• Contract for new supervisor
• Supervisor Information Form for new supervisor
• Candidates adding a 2nd site and keeping current supervisor must submit:
• Contract for new site with current supervisor
• Supervisor & Site Information Forms
• Memorandum of Understanding if applicable
• Candidates adding a 2nd site and a 2nd supervisor must submit:
• Supervisor’s License Verification
• Contract for new site with new supervisor
• Supervisor & Site Information Forms
• Memorandum of Understanding if applicable