Spring 2020 - EDUC 802 G001

Counselling Practicum II (1.5)

Class Number: 2394

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2020: Mon, 4:30–7:20 p.m.
    Surrey

  • Prerequisites:

    EDUC 801. Students must successfully complete a Criminal Record Check.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Advanced supervised clinical experience for students enrolled in the MEd or MA Counselling Psychology Program. Graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

COURSE DETAILS:

By working with clients in a community or school site, students in this practicum course will concentrate on developing sound and consistent case management that includes implementing theoretically based counselling strategies and assessment skills.   T

The SFU seminar portion of the course provides students with opportunities to:  

(1) Develop and practice counselling strategies through instruction and discussions;
(2) Receive supervision and feedback from instructor and peers through client case presentations and/or videotaped demonstrations with clients;
(3) Become familiar with a team approach to case management;
(4) Develop fundamental supervisory skills that include such activities as offering appropriate feedback, skills practice in dyads or triads, and the use of visual recordings as a supervisory tool.
(5) Develop your professional counsellor identity by researching professional memberships, affiliations, licensure options, and other practice and research activities relevant to your career and professional goals.

Students who attain the competency levels described above by the end of EDUC 802 will complete only two semesters of Practicum. Other students may require additional supervised practice in order to achieve the outcomes described. It is our practice to inform students at the earliest time possible that their performance may not reach a satisfactory level by the end of the Practicum and that an extension may be warranted.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Course Evaluation Assignments  

1. Class Activities:

Students are expected to maintain regular attendance in seminar classes and participate in all activities, including giving/receiving feedback, presenting and observing teaching demonstrations, requesting feedback from the class regarding examples from casework (i.e., challenging session materials/interactions and/or choice and application of specific interventions).   

2. Theoretically -based Case conceptualization and analysis:

Students will present an oral conceptualization to the class and submit a written report to their SFU instructor for evaluation and feedback. Various dates TBD.  

3. Clinical and Supervision Reflections:  

2-3 pgs.- Reassess Professional Dev’t goals from beginning of 801 practicum based on your learnings about Clinical, theoretical and supervision strengths, challenges and needs for this term. Due Jan.6 2020.    

4. Personal Reflection Paper:

The purpose of this assignment is to help students monitor, describe, process, and consolidate their growth as individuals and novice counsellors, over the course of the program and the practicum.  You are invited to reflect upon your development in these two capacities.  As an individual, how have you changed with respect to perceptions of yourself? Of others? Of the world? How have relationships changed as a result of being in a new role and professional setting?  How has your practicum site work affected your daily functioning?  Have boundaries been challenged?  Have values been challenged?  Have assumptions been altered?  What have you learned about your personality?  Your mood states?  Presentation? Others’ perceptions of you?   As a beginning counsellor, you are engaged in a steady and challenging learning trajectory of information and experience.  How would you describe the development/evolution of your ethical identity (referring back to the work you commenced in the Ethics course)?  Also, what of your professional values’ and assumptions have you explored due to your practicum experiences?  How have you learned to sit with your concerns, expectations of yourself, expectations of others whilst on this practicum?  How is your sense of confidence, competency, and efficacy changing?  What are your new and evolving learning needs and challenges?  How have you experienced supervision?  What have you learned about your capacity to ask for and integrate feedback? What are the terms and conditions under which you best ask for and receive supervision? Please feel free to add reflections beyond those suggested above, if they are also relevant to description of your growth as an individual and counsellor. This paper will not receive a grade.  However, it will be weighted in consideration of your final grade as an indicator of your capacity for reflexive practice.  The paper should be between 5 and 6 pages.  You may use references to support your ideas, but this should not read as a research paper Due Last class March 23.   5.

Final Field Evaluation:


Evaluation will take place with the practicum SFU instructor and Field supervisor(s) and a written evaluation (template provided) will be submitted by student and site supervisor to the course instructor. The instructor will visit sites or meet by case-conference at the end of each semester.  Students are responsible for arranging visits to ensure site supervisor and student are present for the end of term meeting. Students must be evaluated as being prepared and ready to work with the public in a skilled, safe, and ethical manner in order to pass the course with a satisfactory rating.  

Grading

  • The course is graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis. All assignments must be completed in a satisfactory manner based on expected competencies for a beginning counsellor, in order to pass the course. Students are expected to work with clients, peers, and supervisors in a manner reflective of the profession. Any unethical, professionally inappropriate, or disruptive behaviour may result in the students dismissal from the course.

NOTES:

Class Conduct and Special Considerations

Please note that this class is not based on competition among students. There is no pre-set grade distribution. Thus, the course instructor is responsible for creating a class atmosphere conducive to students' self-exploration, simulated counselling interaction, and open communication. The psychological safety of all the students is paramount. Student behaviours that interfere with the development and maintenance of psychological safety for themselves and/or others are not tolerated. If such behaviours should arise, the instructor will approach and problem-solve with the concerned individual or individuals. For example, the instructor will approach and deal with students who show ethno-racial or gender discrimination, insensitivity to others' feelings and needs, intolerance of individual and cultural differences, indifference or failure to become involved in group process and learning, judgmental attitudes toward others, or inappropriate behaviours toward peers and the instructor.  

Counselling Assistance

Due to the nature of the course and its objectives, students may sometimes experience heightened anxiety, stress, or other types of emotional discomfort or challenges. If this should happen to you and it interferes with your class participation and learning, please consult with the course instructor or call/drop-in for an appointment to speak with a professional counsellor at the SFU Health and Counselling Services in the Maggie Benston Building phone-- 778-782-4615 (by email--intake@sfu.ca) or at SFU Surrey or SFU Vancouver for personal counselling, with appointments made by calling 778.782.5200 (by email Email: intake@sfu.ca). lf you want to talk to someone outside of regular HCS operating hours (9:00am to 4:30pm), please call the Crisis Centre of BC at 604.872.3311 or toll free at 1-800-784-2433. The Crisis Centre of BC also offers online chat from noon to 1am at www.crisiscentrechat.ca for adults. For more information visit www.crisiscentre.bc.ca/get-help.

REQUIREMENTS:

Counselling Psychology Program Policy: Practicum

We apply a competency-based approach to counsellor training. At the end of the practicum second we expect students to demonstrate competency in the following:

1. The student is capable of demonstrating the purposeful use of all the basic counselling skills at a level of a beginning professional.
2. The student is able to implement and evaluate an appropriate range of intervention strategies; is able to demonstrate client changes resulting from the deployment of these strategies.
3. The student is able to develop and continually refine hypotheses and to design interventions that are integrated combinations of appropriate strategies matched to the client’s unique situation. The student is able to maintain a close coordination between the working hypothesis and all aspects of the intervention.
4. The student’s theoretical and philosophical approach to counselling has become consistent. They are able to articulate this position in various situations, both with respect to client and with respect to self.
5. The student demonstrates consistent self-monitoring. Strengths and weaknesses in counselling are consistently evaluated. The student shows a high degree of commitment to professional development and self-reflection.
6. The student is aware of ethical guidelines for counselling and behaves in accordance with such guidelines. This includes identifying and bringing ethical issues to the attention of the site supervisor and practicum class instructor. Students who attain the competency levels described above by the end of EDUC 802 will complete only two semesters of Practicum. Other students may require additional supervised practice in order to achieve the outcomes described. It is our practice to inform students at the earliest time possible that their performance may not reach a satisfactory level by the end of the Practicum and that an extension may be warranted.

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

There is no required reading for this course. However, students are expected to review the literature on issues related to the clients with whom they work. Reading material may be provided in class or assigned as needed. Students may also provide handouts of relevant materials during their case presentations, for reading/review by the class.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS