EDCP 619 - Practicum in Counseling (3 semester hours credit)

Term 1 & 2 - August-December 2001 - United Kingdom

Prerequisites: EDCP 617; a grade of B or better in EDCP 610, EDCP 615 and EDCP 616; and faculty recommendation. Open only to admitted degree-seeking students.

Instructor: Dr. Jim Calvin, who: took over 100 undergraduate semester hours (and got B.A. degree) and took two graduate EDCP courses, from UMUC, on Okinawa; got Ph.D. at Kent State; is a Board Certified licensed clinical psychologist; served 27 years in the United States Navy - 9 years enlisted and 18 years as a clinical psychologist and health care manager; and has been teaching undergraduate and graduate courses since 1990.

Dr. Calvin's e-mail - jcalvin@faculty.ed.umuc.edu

Dr. Calvin's mailing address - Univ. of Maryland, RAF Mildenhall, APO AE 09459 OR Univ. of Maryland, RAF Mildenhall, Mildenhall, Suffolk IP28 8NF

Class Hours: Thursdays 1845-2130, Aug 23 - Dec 20; 619 class is "technologically enhanced": some class meetings and class assignments will be handled through our UK EDCP 619 Web Board. Please check, by August 21^st, to ensure that you are enrolled in our Web Board.

Class Location - Lakenheath High School, Bldg 816, Room 213

Office Hours before/after class & by appointment

Required Texts: 1) Alle-Corliss, L., & Alle-Corliss, R. (1999). Advanced practice in human service agencies: Issues, trends, and treatment perspectives. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole. 2) American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th Ed. - Text Revision). Washington, DC: APA. 3) Sweitzer, H. F., & King, M. A. (1999). The successful internship: Transformation and empowerment. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Course Description and Purpose: EDCP 619 Practicum in Counseling is designed to accompany the student's initial supervised field placement at an approved practicum site. The course serves two related functions: it addresses the need for ongoing group supervision during practicum and provides additional instruction on counseling skill acquisition and ethics to enhance practicum learning outcomes. EDCP 619 is a required course for the Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling and Personnel Services, and a prerequisite course for EDCP 888 Apprenticeship in Counseling. Together, 619 and 888 complete the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) specified sequence for Clinical Instruction.

Practicum Topics will include: 1) Self awareness, knowledge and skills in practice; 2) Importance of individual and group supervision in practice; 3) Communication skills with clients, supervisors, co-workers, and peers; 4) Counseling with individuals, families and groups, and organizations and communities; 5) Cultural competency and diversity issues in counseling; 6) Ethical and legal issues in practice; and 7) Developmental nature of personal transformation and empowerment during practicum.

Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are for students to:

1. Attend all face-to-face sessions and actively participate in all Web Board virtual group assignments;
2. Make a commitment to complete a minimum of 300 total clock hours of supervised practicum experiences on site and in the classroom;
3. Partake in peer supervision sessions in pairs or triads - to review tapes, share ideas, and discuss mutual concerns and problems;
4. Submit biweekly one page summaries of counseling activities. Emphasis should be on the counselor's personal reflections and FEELINGS;
5. Keep a log of work experience regarding clinical practice, including summaries of significant interactions, interventions, etc.;
6. Read assignments of clinical material. The instructor will suggest various articles, books, internet/web sites, etc.;
7. Arrange a convenient time for the practicum instructor to meet with respective site supervisors for the purpose of discussing the progress, issues, content, and format of the supervision;
8. Plan to meet with the practicum instructor at designated times mutually agreed upon, to evaluate progress in the practicum;
9. Discuss the assigned readings in class.

Evaluation - Grades will be assigned based on passing/mastery of every element of Practicum - participation, written exercises, Web Board assignments, a paper, evaluation of counseling tapes, and site supervisor evaluation.

Attendance and class participation are significant! If you miss class, or are tardy on Web Board assignments, you are responsible for making up all work. Class participation will account for 30% of your grade.

Some written assignments will be done in class; others will be done on your own and brought or mailed in to Dr. Calvin; others will be posted on our Web Board. Written assignments will account for 15% of your grade.

Our Web Board will be used to post assignments and to provide communications and feedback to all!

There is ONE written project, a 5 - 6 page ("double spaced") project - "Summarize your Practicum Experience." The paper should include your major experiences, how you have grown professionally, how you have grown personally, what "work" still needs to be done, etc. The paper is worth 15% of your grade, and is due on December 13^th (paper may be brought in, mailed in, or e-mailed as an attachment).

Because effective writing is a critical part of your education, appropriate essay work should be clear and concise, with proper grammar and spelling. It should also be in proper "APA" format and properly referenced.

Evaluation of Therapy Tapes - Submit two audio-recorded sessions with client for review and comments by instructor. Due dates: November 15, 2001; and December 6, 2001. In addition, each student will select two transcribed excerpts from above recorded sessions and present them to the class for discussion and critique (please be sure the tape is audible); this will account for 20% of your grade.

Site Supervisor Evaluation - Evaluation by your Practicum site supervisor will account for 20% of your grade.

Grades will be assigned as follows: 90-100 = A; 80-89 = B; 70-79 = C

In addition, JOURNALING is strongly recommended, as it will enhance your self-awareness and facilitate your written assignments.

Students are reminded of UMUC's policies on academic dishonesty and plagiarism, and UMUC's penalties for same - including course failure and/or dismissal.

Students seeking accommodation for special needs are requested to discuss their situation with the Instructor well in advance, so that reasonable accommodation may be addressed.

CONFIDENTIALITY: The right to privacy of each client requires that all case material, including audio/video taping and notes etc. obtained during the counseling sessions, be kept confidential and anonymous. Written permission must be obtained before the session begins. In case of clients under the age of 18, law requires written parental consent. The same privilege is extended to the class members during class time throughout the duration of the practicum.

Note - KEY for assigned reading: "A-C" = Alle-Corliss, Advanced practice in human service agencies; "S&K" = Sweitzer & King, The successful internship.

- KEY for Location - L = Lakenheath; W - "meet" on out Web Board

COURSE CALENDAR

S&K 17-58

A-C 88-133