PSYCHOLOGY 670: TRAINEESHIP PRACTICUM
BETH MENEES RIENZI, PH.D.
Winter 1996
MEETING TIME: Tuesday 6-8 PM PLACE: D 114
This seminar accompanies the field placement required in the MFCC option of the M. S. in Psychology program. Our primary objective is to enrich your field placement experience. Presentations and discussions will allow you to raise questions, compare experiences, and consider alternatives in a confidential setting. The primary supervision and responsibility for your field work is the role of personnel at your agency. Your primary supervisor(s) will need to sign for your Traineeship hours as MFCC experience. Be sure that you have discussed this with your supervisor and that you are keeping all records required by your field placement, the M. S. program, and the Board of Behavioral Science Examiners (BBSE). We are recommending that you know the BBSE requirements to protect yourself and that you utilize the recommended form that requires weekly signatures from your supervisor. You will be given articles and information as part of the seminar, but you may contact the BBSE directly to obtain the most recent information and forms. You are encouraged to join CAMFT as soon as possible so that you receive the California Therapist with all the BBSE information interpreted on a regular basis. It is your responsibility to understand these requirements and to maintain the necessary records. As of January 1, 1994, it is no longer necessary for you to register directly with the BBSE, however it does appear that you are still required to have a supervisor responsibility statement signed by your supervisor (a copy of your agreement letter should fill this requirement) and this should be mailed to the BBSE within 30 days of starting your field placement.
The oversight for Trainees has shifted to the educational institutions under B&P Code Section 4980.42. This means that each field placement site must be approved by CSUB and there must be a written letter of agreement with each site that details each party's responsibilities, including the methods of supervision provided. Your field placement supervisor will need to sign a contract with our campus that guarantees that all the BBSE requirements are met. You, your supervisor, and the graduate school coordinator (Dr. Ishida) should all have copies of this form. Part of this contract will include regular progress reports and evaluations of the trainee's performance at the site. Your traineeship hours can not start until you have earned 18 quarter units of coursework as part of the degree program (which you all meet at this point). Not more than 750 hours of counseling and direct supervision contact may be obtained prior to the granting of the qualifying master's degree, but this limit does not include professional enrichment hours. Thus, you may also earn up to 300 hours for personal psychotherapy received and up to 250 hours for workshops, seminars, training sessions, and conferences. It is therefore possible for you to gain 1300 hours maximum as a trainee under the above rules.
Supervision at your field placement has important considerations also. Any week in which you claim clinical experience, you must have at least one hour of direct supervision. Be sure to have your supervisor sign and date your hours form each week for this reason. You must also receive at least one hour of direct supervision for every five (5) hours of client contact in each setting in which experience is gained. One hour of direct supervision is defined as one hour of individual face-to-face contact with your supervisor or two hours of contact in a group of not more than eight persons. There have been some articles suggesting that there is a limit on the number of hours or supervision that you can count in any one week (3 or 5). I am in the process of checking on this and will have this information to you before the winter quarter starts.
Major areas of discussion during our 670 meetings will include legal issues, ethics, professional responsibility, therapy, treatment planning, and personal development as a therapist in the mental health profession. Discussion material and videotapes will be used to stimulate discussion.
The seminar component requires weekly attendance with all students participating in class discussions. Students are scheduled for presentations that range from 15 minutes to one hour per student (including questions and discussion). Topics and responsibilities will be assigned for the quarter on the first night of seminar. Presentation dates may be traded between students. There are no examinations or papers. During the quarter, all the field placements will be visited and the supervisors will be interviewed regarding your progress and participation in that agency. Your supervisor will be asked to fill out an evaluation form each quarter regarding your progress.
The field placement component (Psych 670) requires 15-20 hours per week in Winter and Spring at a mental health setting, with at least 160 hours of direct clinical contact [BBSE rule is a minimum of 150 hours of face-to-face experience in counseling individuals, couples, families, or groups, B&P Code Section 4980.40 (b)(2)]and at least 40 hours of supervision. Additional hours may be needed to bring your total for the two terms to 300. To receive credit (CR) for each term, you must complete at least half of the required hours in each category and in total, receive satisfactory evaluations from field setting personnel, and fulfill all seminar obligations. If you have not turned in Log Sheets documenting enough hours by the end of the quarter you will receive an "SP" grade (Satisfactory Progress) for the Winter PSYCH 670 course until the hours are completed.
OFFICE HOURS DDH-D119 (805) 664-2367 E-mail: brienzi@CSUBAK.edu
W 7:30 -9 AM and 1:30-3:30 PM and Tuesday PM after class by appointment
REQUIRED READING: Text Book: Judith Viorst, Necessary Losses
This paperback book has been ordered at the bookstore and should sell for about $6. I think you will find it extremely readable and extremely useful. In addition to this "text," other readings will be assigned to supplement any area of concern as noted during the group discussions.
3 _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
4. _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
5 _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
6. (ALL REPORT) POTENTIAL ETHICAL PROBLEMS AND AREAS OF CONCERN
7. _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
8. _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
9. _____________ CASE PRESENTATION
10. FEEDBACK FROM VISITS WITH SUPERVISORS