Direct and Indirect Hours

Students, site supervisors, and fieldwork course instructors collaborate to document both the direct counseling and indirect supportive work that students need to successfully complete their Practicum and Internship experiences. Both types of hours are important for students’ professional development. As part of the direct hours, students must lead or co-lead a counseling or psychoeducational group. This group requirement must be successfully completed by the conclusion of internship I. Students are expected to create logs of direct and indirect hours and to review these logs with their site supervisor and with their fieldwork course instructor. Should the site require the graduate counseling student intern to provide counseling services during the semester break, the site will provide weekly supervision and maintain full legal responsibility for client care during such time. The student is not allowed to count any direct or indirect counseling hours provided to clients during the semester break toward the required contact hours for COUN 6303 or 6348.

Direct Hours for Professional School Counselors

 Types of direct counseling hours for Professional School Counseling track students include the following:

1. One-to-one individual and small group counseling sessions with students;
2. Theory-based consultation and advocacy on behalf of students with teachers, administrators, parents/legal guardians, and other school personnel;
3. Large group/classroom guidance sessions;
4. Crisis intervention, assessment (affective, mental health & psychological nature), and counseling;
5. Participation as a school counselor representative in Annual Review & Dismissal and 504 meetings (and other similar planning on behalf of students);
6. Career, vocational, and educational counseling;
7. Assessment of student issues and needs;
8. Training and instruction for parents, teachers, and other school stakeholders; and
9. Training and instruction of students in peer-facilitation and leadership for anti-bullying, conflict resolution, substance use issues, and other relevant academic concerns.

Direct Hours for Clinical Mental Health Counselors

Types of direct counseling hours for Clinical Mental Health Counseling track students include the following:

1. Individual, group, couple, and family counseling and psychotherapy sessions;
2. Assessment and treatment planning with clients;
3. Theory-based consultation, where the student provides consultation to another clinician, professional, client family member, or the parent/legal guardian for a minor-aged client;
4. Training and instruction on mental health topics for professionals and community members (e.g., sexual assault and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) prevention, signs of depression or suicidal tendencies, wellness, etc.);
5. Career, vocational, and educational counseling;
6. Counseling and psychotherapy for substance abuse, rehabilitation, and comorbidity related issues.
7. Referral counseling (where students evaluate the needs of clients in order to refer the client to a specialist or other service); and
8. Crisis intervention, assessment, and counseling.

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