Graduate Student Policy
Department of Psychology
Counseling Track
(revised 2006)
Overview and General Issues
A. The Counseling Track Graduate Student Policy is intended to supplement the Psychology Department Student Handbook, the University of West Florida Student Handbook, and the University of West Florida Catalog. Each student is expected to obtain, read, be familiar with, and abide by all of these.
B. Upon admission to the program, the student will sign a statement certifying that he/she has read and agrees to abide by Counseling Track, Psychology Department, and University policies (Appendix A). This statement must be signed and placed in the student's file prior to registration for classes.
C. Responsibility for completing all applications, meeting all deadlines, and complying with the requirements and policies of the Counseling Track, Psychology Department, and University rests entirely with the student.
D. In order to assure compliance with the current Ethical Standards of the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), and applicable Florida law regarding the practice of Mental Health Counseling and Psychology, no student may engage in any paid work of a psychological nature without the approval of the Counseling Track faculty. A student must provide a written proposal for such activity for faculty approval prior to accepting any such position.
E. Each student is expected to maintain continuous enrollment in the program. A student may petition the Counseling Track faculty in writing for a leave of absence from the program. Such a leave of absence will normally be granted for one semester, but may be extended by the faculty for an additional semester upon written petition by the student. A student on a faculty approved leave of absence for more than three consecutive semesters must reapply to the University to reactivate his/her graduate student status, and shall be expected to meet requirements for graduation in effect at the time of readmission. A student who is not enrolled and is not on a faculty approved leave of absence shall be considered to have voluntarily withdrawn from the program and must reapply for admission to the program along with other candidates for that year.
F. Each student is expected to complete the required Counseling Track Core Courses, which are listed in the Psychology Student Handbook, while in residence as a student at UWF.
Faculty Advisor
Each student
in the Counseling program will be assigned a Counseling Track faculty member
as an advisor. It is the student's responsibility to schedule an appointment
with his/her advisor prior to registration for the first semester courses. At
that time, the advisor will discuss the training program and degree plan which
will be placed in the student's file after it is signed by both student and
advisor. The advisor will also discuss the statement to be signed by the
student certifying that he/she has read and agrees to abide by Counseling
Track, Psychology Department, and University policies. The advisor's
role is to serve as a mentor for the student throughout the course of the
student's training. In this role, the advisor is available to the student for
consultation and advice on any matters pertaining to the student's progress in
the program. It is the advisor's responsibility to discuss the student's
regular evaluation results with the student and authorize appropriate course
registration in line with the student's degree plan. It is the student's
responsibility to seek out his/her advisor for consultation and advice, and to
schedule an appointment to discuss registration and evaluation each semester.
Performance
Requirements A.Academic
Performance. A high level of academic performance is expected at the
graduate level. Each student is required to maintain a minimum grade point
average (GPA) of 3.0.
B.Professional Conduct.
Each student's behavior, including but not limited to, interactions with
university faculty, staff, and students, as well as practicum and internship
supervisors, staff, and clients shall reflect a level of personal maturity,
emotional stability, and professional integrity consistent with conduct in the
professional community. Each student is expected to be familiar with and
adhere to the current ethical standards of the relevant professional
association (e.g. American Psychological Association (APA), American
Counseling Association (ACA)). In addition, each student is expected to
adhere to the standards for professional conduct that have been established
for mental health professionals by Florida statute and regulations developed
by the relevant state agency (e.g. Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA),
the Department of Children and Families (DCF)). These standards shall include
the relevant sections of Chapter 491; Chapter 490; Chapter 394, Part I;
Chapter 415; and/or Florida Statute 090.503. (these standards will be covered at length in the Ethics course, taken during the students 2nd year)
C.Clinical Skill. Each
student is expected to demonstrate satisfactory progress in acquisition of
applied skills at a consistent rate to meet at least minimum performance
standards for a student at his/her level of training (e.g., 1st year, 2nd year,
etc.). Minimum performance standards shall be established and periodically
reviewed by Counseling Track faculty in the context of average level of
performance of current and recent students in the following areas:
1) Clinical Assessment
2) Clinical Intervention
3) Consultation and Written
Communication 4) Application/Integration of
Clinical/Scientific Knowledge
Performance Evaluation Given the
nature of the practice of mental health counseling as an academically based
profession, the Counseling Track faculty have a responsibility to promote and
assure minimum standards of excellence for students in the training program.
The department does not assume responsibility for the regulation of this
profession, which is the mandate of AHCA, nor for the administration of mental
health programs, which is the mandate of DCF. However, the department
recognizes its responsibility to establish and maintain a training program
which is consistent with the standards set by AHCA and DCF for mental health
and school professionals. Each student
seeking a graduate degree shall be evaluated at regular intervals in the 3
areas of performance requirements (academic performance, professional conduct,
and clinical skill) to document progress and/or identify areas of difficulty
for the student. Each student's performance in these 3 areas will be
evaluated according to minimum expectations for the student's level of
training, as determined by the faculty. Blank evaluation forms and
performance criteria are available to students and each student is encouraged
to discuss these with his/her advisor, practicum supervisors, and other
faculty as needed (Appendix B). It is
recognized that problems in a student's academic, professional, and personal
conduct can take many forms, and that there are many demands and stresses
involved in graduate study. The following evaluation procedures are
established in recognition that each student deserves direct and immediate
feedback on his/her progress toward achievement of the goal of graduation.
For the successful student, regular evaluation will provide support and
encouragement to continue his/her good work. For the student having temporary
difficulty, regular evaluation will provide early identification of problems
along with support and encouragement for resolving those problems in a timely
fashion. For the student with significant, long-term difficulties, regular
evaluation will provide support and encouragement for recognizing problems
which cannot be resolved and for consideration of alternate career options. Formal
evaluation of each student shall take place at the end of each semester, with
a written evaluation summary provided to the student by his/her advisor. The
student shall be offered the opportunity to respond to the evaluation in
writing and this response shall be attached to the evaluation placed in the
student's file. If no student response is offered, the student shall
acknowledge, by signature on the evaluation, having read and discussed the
evaluation with his/her advisor and decline the opportunity for written
response. Each formal
evaluation shall include a decision by the faculty to issue a recommendation
for one of several options, as follows: 1) Commendation of Honor: The faculty may elect to formally recognize a student for performance that
exceeds expectations and represents excellence in the profession, relative to
the minimum expectations for the student's level of training.
2) Continuation in Program: The faculty may recommend continuation in
the program for a student who demonstrates satisfactory performance,
represented by meeting expectations in all areas evaluated. 3) Continuation, With Remedial
Action: The faculty may recommend continuation in the program, but with
specific recommendations for remedial action to be taken by the student who
demonstrates satisfactory performance in most areas evaluated, but is also
found to be below expectations in one area evaluated. Such remedial action is intended to assist the student in correcting the area of deficiency and is
expected to be completed by the next regular evaluation. This recommendation
shall include a notice to the student of the potential for being placed on probation or dismissed from the program if the remedial action is not
successfully completed (Appendix C).
4) Probation: The faculty
may recommend probation in any of the following circumstances: a) for a
student whose performance in more than one area is found to be below
expectations, or whose performance in one or more areas is evaluated as being
significantly below expectations, b) for a
student who fails to successfully complete a previously recommended remedial
action, c) for a student under investigation for alleged violation of APA or
ACA ethical standards, until the conclusion of the investigation, d) for a
student under investigation for alleged violation of Florida statutes which
would normally result in restriction from professional activities as a mental
health professional, until the conclusion of the investigation, e) for a
student under investigation for alleged violation of the UWF Student Conduct
System, until the conclusion of the investigation. The recommendation for
probation shall be in relation to the Counseling Track only, and shall be
separate from and/or in addition to academic probation imposed by the
university. The recommendation for probation shall include specific
conditions of the probationary period as well as a remedial action plan
intended to assist the student in correcting the area(s) of deficiency. The
recommendation for probation shall also include a notice to the student of the
potential for being dismissed from the program if the conditions of the
probation are not honored and/or if the remedial action plan is not
successfully completed (Appendix D). A student on probation must submit a
written request for removal from probation to the Counseling Track faculty to
consider at the next regular evaluation. Removal from probation and
reinstatement in the program requires action by the Counseling faculty upon
interview with the student and review of the student's successful completion
of the conditions of probation and the remedial action plan. 5) Dismissal: The faculty
may recommend dismissal from the program for a student who consistently fails
to
demonstrate adequate progress in any one or more of the areas evaluated, or
for a student who fails to successfully
complete recommended remedial plans.
In these instances, dismissal is intended to be the final step taken after
repeated efforts to assist the student in meeting minimal expectations have
failed or been rejected by the student.
Dismissal from the program, without
any prior recommendation for remedial action or probation, may also be
recommended under the following circumstances: a) Serious violation of APA or
ACA ethical standards, b)
Violation of Florida Statutes which would normally
result in restriction from professional activities as a mental
health
professional, c) Serious misconduct in violation of the UWF Student Conduct
System.
Due Process Due process
ensures that student evaluations and faculty decisions regarding students are
not arbitrary, discriminatory, personally biased, or otherwise unfair. Upon
admission to the graduate training program, each student is provided a copy of
evaluation procedures and criteria in this policy document. Each
student is also provided a copy of the Psychology Department Student Handbook
and the UWF Student Handbook, which outline the appropriate appeal procedures
available to the student. A student who is dissatisfied with the content or
outcome of an evaluation is encouraged to attach a written response to the
evaluation. The student is also encouraged to attempt to resolve his/her
concerns through discussion with the faculty advisor and/or Counseling Track
Coordinator. If this process does not yield a satisfactory outcome, the
student is encouraged to follow the Student Grievance System as described in
the UWF Student Handbook. Recommendation for
Placement in Practicum / Internship Field Settings Placement in a
practicum usually represents the student's first step out of the role of
student into the role of a mental health professional under supervision. As a
student, one has responsibilty primarily for oneself, to learn and make the
most of the educational opportunities afforded by the university. In taking
this first step into a professional role, the practicum student assumes
several additional responsibilities. The first is the responsibility for
representing the Counseling Track, Psychology Department, and the university
in the professional community. The second is the student's responsibility to
the practicum site, to be a responsible staff member and colleague. The
third, and arguably the most important, is the student's responsibility to the
clients to whom he/she will be providing mental health care. Given these
additional responsibilities, placement in a practicum is an important
milestone in the student's training. The Counseling Track faculty bears
additional responsibility for assuring that the student is adequately prepared
prior to being permitted to take this step. Thus, the decision to authorize a
student to apply for a practicum position and register for practicum hours
requires careful consideration of the student's previous performance in the
training program. In order to
apply for permission to begin practicum (find application here), the student must
successfully complete specific
courses listed as pre-requisites for practicum. Thus, a student ordinarily
will not apply for permission to begin practicum until at least the 4th
semester in the program. Typically, students begin practicum during their second summer in the program. No student who is currently on a recommendation for
remedial action or on probation will be permitted to apply. Thus, the
student's most recent evaluation must have resulted in either a recommendation
for commendation or a recommendation for continuation without any remedial
action. In effect, the student's most recent evaluation must clearly indicate
a level of performance in all 3 areas evaluated (academic, professional
conduct, clinical skill), that is consistent with that of the average student
in the program entering the applied practicum stage of graduate training. Practicum Placement Upon receiving
authorization from the Counseling Track faculty to apply for a practicum
position and register for practicum hours, the student should review the
authorized practicum placement sites to determine which sites will be most
likely to meet his/her training needs. Ordinarily, application for practicum
takes place as part of the Counseling Track core course, Pre-practicum: Techniques of Counseling and Psychotherapy (PCO 6204). Ordinarily, a
student will not be placed for practicum in an agency where the student is
already employed. Exceptions will be considered if the practicum placement is
within a program that is administratively distinct from the student's
employment and if the practicum supervisor is not the student's
employment supervisor. Employment in the practicum site agency which would
commence after the start of the practicum may be considered on a case
by case basis, if the above criteria for distinct program and supervisor are
met. Practicum
Requirements The
expectation is that the practicum student will spend a minimum of 10 hours per
week, but no more than 15 hours per week at the practicum site performing
counseling training duties assigned by the supervisor at the practicum site.
These will include conducting counseling sessions with clients of the agency,
participating in case conferences and meetings at the agency, participating in
regular supervision sessions with the on-site supervisor, and completing any
record keeping and case management duties required in a responsible,
professional, and timely fashion. Under normal circumstances, the time spent
at the practicum site should involve at least half of the time devoted to
direct client contact. In addition, the practicum student will be expected to
attend the 3 hour, scheduled practicum class meeting each week. An essential
component of the practicum class is the regularly scheduled individual
supervision with the course instructor, in addition to the class meeting.
Over the course of the semester, these components of the practicum
experience will provide the student with a minimum of 150 hours of on-site training in addition to university-based supervision and class.
Successful completion of the practicum will be determined by the grade
received for the course, based on the evaluation of the on-site practicum
supervisor and the course instructor.
Internship
The process
for completing the requirements for the internship is similar to, and follows
in sequence, the completion of the requirements for the practicum experience.
The student must, in conjunction with the Counseling Track
faculty, be cleared to continue training in an internship position (almost always in the same setting as the practicum), and register for internship credit
hours. In order to obtain permission to begin internship, a student must
have successfully completed Practicum. Thus, a student ordinarily will begin internship near the completion of the student's program.
No student who is currently on a recommendation for remedial action or on
probation will be permitted to begin internship. Thus, the student's most recent
evaluation must have resulted in either a recommendation for commendation or a
recommendation for continuation without any remedial action. In effect, the
student's most recent evaluation must clearly indicate a level of performance
in all 3 areas evaluated (academic, professional conduct, clinical skill),
that is consistent with that of the average student in the program nearing the
end of his/her graduate training. For students
in the licensure degree option, a minimum of 850 on-site hours are required to
fulfill the requirements for the internship. Internship is usually a
full-time placement, the equivalent of 28-40 hours per week across two
semesters. Under some circumstances, a part-time placement over a longer
period of time may be approved by the faculty. Licensure students are responsible for creating an internship committee (2 faculty, Chair must be from the Counseling Track) near the end of their practicum training, or at the very beginning of their first internship semester, that will assist in creating an Integrative Paper which shall be defended near the end of their training. (find paper requirements/guidelines here) For students
in the non-licensure degree option, a minimum of 300 on-site hours are required
to fulfill the requirements for the internship. Thus, the placement will comprise twice as many hours as the placement for the practicum..
Appendix A
CERTIFICATION OF ADMISSION AND
AGREEMENT
TO ABIDE BY COUNSELING PROGRAM
POLICY
Student Name:
_____________________________
Admission Date:
___________________________
I understand that, as a graduate
student, I have certain rights, privileges, and responsibilities, as do the
faculty, which are described in the Counseling Track's Graduate Student Policy. In accepting
admission to the Graduate Program in Counseling in the Psychology Department,
I certify that I have received, read, and agree to abide by the provisions of
the Graduate Student Policy for the Counseling Track Program, the Psychology
Department Student Handbook, and the UWF Student Handbook.
___________________________________
______________________________
Faculty Advisor
Signature/Date
Student Signature/Date
Appendix B
STUDENT EVALUATION -
COUNSELING TRACK Through the
course of graduate training, the student is expected to demonstrate progress
in each of three areas: Academic Performance, Professional Conduct, and
Clinical Skill. Evaluation of the student in these three primary areas of
performance is based on expectations for a student at his/her particular level
of training. For example, expectations in the area of clinical skill will be
quite different for a student in his/her final semester, than for a student in
his/her first semester. Thus, a level of performance that merits a rating of
satisfactory or even excellent for a first year student will likely merit an
unsatisfactory rating for a second year student. In this context, student
evaluations are based on the following scale: I. Below
Expectations: The student's performance represents a significant problem that
requires a disproportionate amount of attention by faculty and/or supervisor(s).
Performance is below expected level to the extent that a plan for remedial
action is necessary to improve the student's performance to achieve a
minimally acceptable level. II. Expected
Level: Three subcategories at this level.
1) Needs Attention:
Student's performance represents only a minimally acceptable level of
performance that is not a major problem requiring remedial action. However,
it is an issue of concern that requires additional effort by student and
faculty to improve the student's performance to an expected or satisfactory
level.
2) Satisfactory: Student's
performance represents solid, good work at the level expected for his/her
level of training.
3) Very Good: Student's
performance represents a high level of performance at the upper end of the
expected level. III. Above
Expectations: The student's performance represents outstanding achievement of
a level of performance that is well above what would be expected for his/her
level of training. This represents exceptional performance that merits
commendation of honor. Evaluation of
each area should include a brief description of specific information that
supports and illustrates this rating. Finally, one or more goals for the
student to work toward in each area should be described. In the event of a
rating below expected level, the goal shall consist of the remedial action
plan recommended by the faculty. The evaluation
form shall be reviewed with the student by his/her faculty advisor and signed
by the student before being placed in the student's file. The student shall
be offered the opportunity to respond to the evaluation in writing and this
response shall be attached to the evaluation placed in the student's file. If
no student response is offered, the student shall acknowledge, by signature on
the evaluation, having read and discussed the evaluation with his/her advisor
and decline the opportunity for written response.
Appendix B (cont.)
STUDENT EVALUATION -
COUNSELING TRACK Student Name:
___________________________________
Prepared By:
____________________________________ Date:
______________ A.Academic
Performance. A high level of academic performance is expected at the
graduate level. Each student is required to maintain a minimum grade point
average (GPA) of 3.0. Comments: Goals: B.
Professional Conduct. Each student's behavior, including but not limited
to, interactions with university faculty, staff, and students, as well as
practicum and internship supervisors, staff, and clients shall reflect a level
of personal maturity, emotional stability, and professional integrity
consistent with conduct in the professional community. Comments: Goals: C.Clinical
Skill. Each student is expected to demonstrate satisfactory progress in
acquisition of applied skills at a consistent rate to meet at least minimum
performance standards for a student at his/her level of training (e.g. 1st
year, 2nd year, etc.). Comments: Goals: Please sign
and date this form indicating that you have read your evaluation and have been
encouraged to discuss it with your advisor.
___________________________________ Student
Signature/Date
Appendix C
REMEDIAL
ACTION PLAN Student Name:
___________________________________ Date:
______________ The following
remedial action plan is intended to help the student address an area of
performance that has been evaluated as being below expected level for the
student's current level of training. This remedial action plan is regarded as
being a required component of the student's training program, which must be
successfully completed before the student can advance within the program.
Failure to honor or successfully complete this plan may result in the student
being placed on probation or even dismissed from the program, according to the
Graduate Student Policy. Area and
Nature of Deficiency: Remedial
Action and Criteria for Completion: Recommended
Time for Completion:
___________________________________
______________________________
Faculty Advisor
Signature/Date Student
Signature/Date
___________________________________ Counseling
Track Coordinator/Date
Appendix D
RECOMMENDATION FOR
PROBATION Student Name:
___________________________________ Date:
______________ This
Recommendation for Probation is intended to help the student address one or more
areas of performance that have been evaluated as being below expected level for
the student's current level of training or as representing a significant
impediment to the student's successful completion of the training program. This
probation status is regarded as being a temporary suspension of the student's
training program. The conditions of probation must be successfully fulfilled
before the student will be permitted to advance within the program. Failure to
honor or successfully fulfill the conditions of probation may result in the
student being dismissed from the program, according to the Graduate Student
Policy. Cause for
Probation: Conditions of
Probation and Criteria for Completion: Recommended Time
for Completion:
___________________________________
______________________________
Faculty Advisor
Signature/Date
Student Signature/Date
___________________________________ Counseling Track
Coordinator/Date
