Training Opportunities

• Letter from the Training Coordinator
• General Information
• Practicum Experience
• Record Keeping Guidelines
• Application Process
  • Application Form

A Letter from the Training Coordinator

Dear Prospective Trainee:

Thank you for your interest in completing a training experience at Rowan University Counseling & Psychological Services Center. Briefly summarizing, the Center’s mission is to promote, within a climate of confidentiality, the psychological well being, personal growth, retention, and graduation of a diverse student body. We accomplish this mission through the provision of a comprehensive variety of individual, group and couples counseling, outreach, workshops, consultation and crisis intervention services.

In addition to completing our training application, please provide an official transcript and a recommendation letter from either a clinical supervisor or a professor familiar with your clinical readiness. I look forward to scheduling an interview to discuss our program and your training needs. Feel free to call me at (856) 256-4222 should you have any additional questions or email me at Mallory@rowan.edu.

Sincerely,

Julie Mallory Church, AM
Assistant Director and Coordinator of Training Experiences

Dr. Michael Silverstein
Liaison to Immaculata Consortium Internship

General Information
The Rowan University Counseling and Psychological Services Center (CPSC), in keeping with its mission, offers supervised practica for graduate students in Psychology, Counseling, Social Work and related fields. Experiences are tailored to meet the needs of students from masters through doctoral level studies. In consultation with the immediate supervisor, caseload responsibilities will be determined by prior training and consistent with individual program requirements.

Supervision is an opportunity for students to review pertinent information regarding cases, refine treatment plans, hone theoretical approaches and techniques, as well as discuss other clinical, ethical and administrative issues related to client care. Therefore, trainees must arrive prepared for supervisory sessions with written records and audio or videotaped casework for review. Methods of evaluation may include, but are not limited to, case tapings, direct observation, contracts, supervisory conferences and consultation with any additional staff, who observe or participate in the trainee’s supervision.

Trainees are typically asked to commit 14 hours per week to the practicum, although they may negotiate more hours if required by their graduate program. Historically, we have provided the majority of our group trainings on Monday mornings, as this seems to be the most convenient times for trainees, all of whom are expected to attend. Practicum training includes the following:

1. One hour per week of individual supervision.
2. Weekly, half-hour Case Assignment Meeting (CAM) to review current caseloads and assign new cases.
3. Weekly, 75 minute in-service on a wide variety of topics presented by staff and invited guest speakers. See list below. During the Spring semester, trainees who are working on their thesis, dissertation or have some relevant area of expertise are also invited to present to the entire staff.
4. Weekly, one hour Case Conference. All trainees are expected to present at least one case per semester.
5. Weekly, one hour group supervision.
6. Provision of intake interviews and assessment.
7. Provision of individual psychotherapy. Limited opportunity to provide couple’s therapy is also available.
8. All trainees are expected to co-facilitate a weekly psychotherapy or psycho-educational group with a senior staff member .
9. Trainees may assist with or lead workshops and/or presentations as appropriate to their program levels and goals. A trainee may, in consultation with a supervisor, design and execute training for peer staff programs such as Resident Assistants or the HELP Hotline.
10. Trainees are expected to answer telephones, keep accurate records, schedule appointments, make appropriate referrals and greet the public as needed. During the hours of practicum experience, personal calls are to be strictly for emergencies only.
11. All trainees are required to maintain their own independent malpractice insurance, as typically required by and/or provided by their host institution. The State of New Jersey does not carry public liability insurance, but the liability of the State and the obligation of the State to be responsible for tort claims against its employees is covered under the terms and provisions of the New Jersey Tort Claims Act.
12. Whenever feasible, trainees may be called upon to assist in after-hours, emergency interventions for which they have been the primary counselor involved.
13. Trainees are expected to collaborate with their assigned supervisor in their evaluation. This would include, but is not limited to, mutually agreed upon criteria for assessment of their professional duties.

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Practicum Experience
CPSC provides counseling, consultation, crisis intervention, and outreach services to the Rowan University community. CPSC conducts initial triage interviews, intake assessments, psychological testing and learning disability screenings for Rowan University students. We provide individual, couple and group counseling services to students as well as community referrals. We also provide a wide variety of outreach programs focused on primary and secondary prevention, including workshops, screenings and orientations. Often we work closely with other departments such as Healthy Campus Initiatives, Resident Learning, Public Safety and the Academic Success Center.

Our permanent staff consists of a director, staff psychiatrist, four doctoral level psychologists, a master’s level social worker, a substance abuse counselor, two secretaries, a graduate assistant and student workers. Our staff psychiatrist is available two days per week. Each of these individuals contributes to the general operation of our Center, including answering phones and scheduling appointments when necessary. Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. during the fall and spring semesters. We are open until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays evenings and provide additional evening appointments on an as needed basis. Summer hours are from 8a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday; however, the Center does not offer practicum experiences during the summer.

Examples of groups that are often provided include General Psychotherapy, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills, DBT for Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorder, Body Image Support, Men’s Issues, Grief and Loss, and Interpersonal Skills, with additional groups provided based on student need. We also provide consultation services to students, families, faculty, staff and administrators. All permanent, professional counselors are scheduled on a rotating basis to provide emergency coverage during our hours of operation as well as nights and weekends. We conduct many outreach programs each year including Depression Screening, Eating Disorder Screening, Drug and Alcohol Awareness Training, Sexual Assault Prevention and Green Dot Training, Take Back the Night, Healthy Relationship workshops, Stress and Time Management workshops, and programs outlining our services. The Stress Management and Response Team (SMART) provides trauma response including psychological first aid, death notification and stress debriefings to the campus community.

Examples of weekly in-service trainings include the following:

1. Developing the Therapeutic Alliance
2. Addressing High Risk Behaviors: DBT Applications
3. Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning
4. Diversity and Cultural Issues in Counseling
5. Treatment of Substance Abuse
6. Collaborating with the Psychiatrist
7. Motivational Interviewing
8. Stress Management and Relaxation
9. Psychopharmacology I
10. Psychopharmacology II
11. Integrative Approach to Eating Disorders
12. Addressing Sexual Abuse
13. Brief Solution-Focused Therapy
14. A Mindfulness Approach to the Treatment of Anxiety
15. Assessment and Treatment of Aspergers Disorder
16. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
17. Addressing Transference/Countertransference
18. Application of Mindfulness Strategies in Group Practice

Record Keeping Guidelines

• Trainees must adhere to all office policies regarding confidentiality of sessions and records outlined in the Center’s Consent for Treatment Agreement.
• All taping is considering a confidential record and is to be treated in keeping with professional ethical standards and office policies regarding privileged communication. Sharing of audio/videotaped client sessions contacts outside the Center is prohibited.
• The Center adheres to the highest standards in protecting client confidentiality; therefore, audio and videotaped sessions remain the property of the Center. As such, tapes that must be reviewed by the practicum supervisor can only be viewed at the Center.
• All trainees are required to maintain accurate and complete records of client contacts including intake forms, personal counseling contacts, telephone contacts, correspondence, statistics, and consultations.
• No written client files are to be removed from the Center for any reason. Any requests for release of information must be cleared through the supervisor and written records co-signed by the supervisor before release to an outside agency.
• Although trainees will be given responsibilities commensurate with their level of experience and preparation, ultimate responsibility for client care resides with the Center staff.
• All trainees are required to use the forms provided by the Center for intake, progress notes, treatment plans, release of information and data collection. Personal notes and daily logs may vary, but should be approved by the immediate supervisor. These notes may be used for class purposes as long as client names and other identifying information is deleted.
  
  

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Practicum Application Process

CPSC utilizes a rolling admission process, with most interviews taking place between January and March. Completed applications will be reviewed as they arrive for potential interviews until all slots are filled for a practicum usually commencing in September and ending in early May. All trainees attend a two-day orientation in late August and begin their practica after Labor Day. Selection is competitive with four students usually selected. Due to a decrease in service demand over the summer sessions, applicants are rarely granted requests for summer training experiences. Each application packet should include the following:

1. A cover letter briefly summarizing the type of clinical training experience desired and expected hours of service, including any specific goals the applicant may have.
2. A completed application form
3. A current curriculum vitae including:

• All relevant educational experience.
• A list of all counseling related coursework.
• All clinical experience including number of hours of actual direct service, type of service and clientele, and names of supervisors.
• Applicants who have no prior clinical experience should provide evidence of prior community service within a human service field.

4. Current official graduate transcript.
5. A letter from the applicant’s program indicating good standing in your graduate program in a human services field.

Please forward your completed application to:

Julie Mallory Church, A.M.
Assistant Director and Coordinator of Training Experiences
Counseling and Psychological Services Center
Rowan University
201 Mullica Hill Rd.
Glassboro, NJ 08028
Phone: 856-256-4222
Fax: 856-256-5628
Email: Mallory@rowan.edu

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