PSY 499
Psychology Internship Fall
Dr. Lorna Catford
Phone: 664-2402 fax: 664-3113
Office: Stevenson 3087
Office hours: By Appointment
E-mail: lorna.catford@sonoma.edu
Psychology Internship home page: http://www.sonoma.edu/psychology/internships
General Information
• The focus of your work will be the time you spend in a community agency or similar setting, applying what you've learned in the classroom in a "real life" situation.
• You will receive 1 unit of credit for each 45 hours worked during the semester. On average that is three hours per week for fifteen weeks. You may enroll for up to 4 units per semester; up to 8 units total.
• Please note that PSY 499 is offered for CR/NC only. You cannot take it for a grade. It DOES count towards your Upper Division psychology major units.
Internship Learning Objectives
This course is designed to provide the opportunity to:
- Apply your theoretical knowledge and training in an actual field placement;
- Understand the responsibilities, ethics and boundaries of applied psychological work;
- Set and meet appropriate personal and professional development goals;
- Become familiar with the philosophy and objectives of the agency at which you work;
- Develop counseling or other skills appropriate to the specific agency;
- Understand the application of psychological practice in the context of broader social issues and contexts;
- Participate effectively in collaborative case discussions;
- Clarify possible continuing educational and career directions.
Departmental Learning Objectives
This course meets the following Psychology Department goals that students will:
- Be able to apply psychological theories, concepts and principles to individual experience as well as to broader social issues and social systems;
- Be able to reflect on personal experience in the light of psychological knowledge;
- Be able to recognize and understand the complexity of cultural diversity, in light of psychological knowledge;
- Be able to demonstrate skills that promote behavioral change at the individual, organizational, and community levels.
Prerequisites
PREREQUISITES
To be eligible, you must have completed at least one of these prerequisites:
- Prior relevant coursework
- Prior paid or volunteer psychology-related experience
- Currently in a position for which you wish to receive Internship credit
To Apply and Register
1. Come to a required Information Meeting. If you have previously completed a PSY 499 internship, you need not attend.
2. Obtain an approved placement(paid or unpaid) which has a field supervisor. If your Internship is your regular job, you must select new skills to develop so there is an element of learning to it.
• Do this on your own; or from information (a) on the Psychology Internship Home Page; (b) on the Internship Bulletin Board (near Stevenson 3092); (c) in the Internship File in the Psychology Office (small black file cabinet on left at front of office); or (d) at the Career Resource Center (Salazar 1070),
3. Complete an Internship Agreement, (Get from Psych. Office or Internship Information Meeting). This is your contract. At the Information Meeting we can help with this.
4. Turn in your completed Internship Agreement (except for Class # at top right & final 3 signatures), signed by your on-site supervisor, to Dr. Lorna Catford by the end of the add/drop period.
• We will get the required SSU signatures for you and send your Internship Agreement to Admissions & Records to register you. (Aren’t we kind?) Don’t do anything, except check that it’s on your schedule after add/drop period. You cannot add it on line!!!
• Internship Forms will not be processed until Add/Drop. If your internship will put you over 20 units, you MUST complete and attach the Petition for Extra Units, available on line or from Admissions & Records. If you go over these totals or don’t petition, you will NOT be registered!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• If you need to have your Internship units on your class schedule ASAP for any reason, please write “Financial Aid (or “Residency” or whatever) – Please expedite” at the top of your Internship Agreement form, and submit it ASAP. In this case the 17 – 20 unit petition might apply.
Recommended Texts
Faiver, C., Eisengart, S., & Colonna, R. The counselor intern’s handbook. (3rd Ed.) Thomson, 2004.
Information about most elements of counseling, including how to deal with many specific challenges.
Kiser, P. M. The human services internship. (2nd Ed.) Thomson, 2004.
Detailed “How-To” manual on issues you’ll face as an intern and as a counselor.
Class Meetings (4 Required)
You must attend FOUR meetings: (a) one Information Meeting (prior to your 1st Internship), followed by (b) THREE Supervision Meetings.
(a) Required Information Meetings for FALL 2013:
You MUST attend one of these if you’ve not done an internship before (Sooner is better than later!)
• Tues Aug 27 5-5.55 pm Stevenson 3070
• Thurs Aug 29 9-9.55 am Stevenson 3070
• Wed Sep 4 12-12.55 pm Stevenson 3070
(b) Required Supervision Meetings
These meetings will cover the following topics in a collaborative case-conference style where you present at leas one professional development topic or question for discussion, and students (and instructor) respond with ideas and questions to allow you to assess your situation and develop a plan for proceeding:
• Confidentiality • Communication and listening skills
• Reporting abuse • Individual & group counseling techniques
• Professional conduct • Skill & confidence building
• Boundaries • Stress management
Please choose ONE of the following Supervision Sections (the first Monday lunch-time, first Tuesday afternoon, or first Wednesday morning of the month). If you should miss a Supervision Meeting, you MUST attend the Make-Up Meeting to receive credit for the class!
Section A - 3rd Tuesday AFTERNOON, 4:45-5:55, Stevenson 3095 Sep 17 Oct 15 Nov 19
Section B - 3rd Wednesday, LUNCH, 11:45-12:55, Stevenson 3082 Sep 18 Oct 16 Nov 20
Section C - 3rd Thursday MORNING, 8:45-9:55, Stevenson 3095 Sep 19 Oct 17 Nov 21
MAKE-UP Meeting: If you miss a meeting, you MUST come to the Make-Up meeting, Tuesday Dec 3, 4:45-5:55, Stev. 3095, if you want credit for your internship. Please try NOT set yourself up to do this right before Finals!
It’s your responsibility to tell me as soon as possible your two 1st choices of Supervision Section (A, B or C). Since I need to balance class size, the sooner you tell me, the morel likely you’ll get your 1st choice. If both are about equal, please indicate this. If you don’t tell me, you’ll be placed in the smallest section. If you don’t receive a call or e-mail to confirm your section by the week before your first meeting, you must see the Internship Board near the Psychology Office or contact me for this information. Once your section is confirmed, write it in your planner! You do NOT want a grade of “No Credit” or an extra meeting the week before finals.
Course Requirements
1. Apply for and be accepted to PSY 499.
2. Obtain an approved placement which has a field supervisor. If your Internship is your regular job, you must select new skills to develop so there is an element of learning to it.
3. Complete the Internship Agreement, with your & your field supervisor’s signatures. Turn it in to Dr. Catford.
4. Attend 1 on-campus Information Meeting and 3 on-campus Supervision Meetings (if you miss a Supervision Meeting, you MUST attend the Make-Up Meeting!!!)
5. Turn in your Entrance Paper at your firstSupervision Meeting.
6. Do your Field Work throughout the semester & record your hours on the Psy 499 Time Log.
7. Turn in Exit Paper on or before the Make-Up Meeting (Dec 3). Please include (1) the Internship Summary Page, (2) your Time Log signed by your supervisor, (3) Checklist Evaluation from your supervisor, plus (4) a Statement from your supervisor on agency letter-head, to verify that you’ve put in the number of hours required.
Entrance Paper
Due at your First Supervision Meeting. 1 page, double-spaced, typed.
1. Data: (a) Your name, (b) Your placement, (c) Your field supervisor, (d) Your specific duties.
2. Please say something about your Goals, Expectations, and Concerns regarding your internship placement. What interesting possibilities do you see that you might open up which are not part of the explicitly stated duties? How does it connect with your interests and passions? What issues concern you? What do you hope to learn?
On-Campus Supervision Meetings (3 Required for Credit)
Please think about each meeting before you actually show up to these working case-conferences.
At one or more meetings you are required to share your experiences, especially your challenges, so all participants gain from brainstorming concerns, and also get a glimpse of a variety of placements.
Issues that you might like to discuss may include: how to work with your clients, especially challenges; concerns you are reluctant to talk about with your field supervisor; or even problems with co-workers or with your supervisor. Our goal is to collaboratively be supportive and helpful in regard to all these kinds of issues. You are expected to participate each time, providing feedback and brainstorming for your classmates’ concerns.
Everything discussed is confidential. Your participation in the Internship program implies your agreement to keep professional confidentiality.
Exit Paper
Due on or before the Make-Up Meeting. 3 – 4 pages, double-spaced, typed.
Make sure to include (a) your Internship Summary (or explanation of why you aren’t including it), (b) Signed Time Log, (c) Supervisor’s Evaluation & (d) Supervisor’s Letter.
Please provide the following at the top of the page:
• Your Name
• Date
• Placement Agency
• Field Supervisor's Name
Please answer the 1st 3 questions in about a paragraph each, and write a 1-2-page reflective response to Question 4, making sure to label and address each sub-topic.
1. What are the goals of this agency, or the particular unit of it in which you participated?
2. Briefly describe what you actually did.
3. In your estimation, how did your Internship benefit your clients? Please be specific.
4. Both personally and professionally, what did you learn from your internship experience? Please identify specific skills, information, personal “stretching”, attitude shifts, and other learning as applicable.
Internship Summary Page (Please submit with your Exit Paper on or before the Make-Up Meeting)
This page (available on-line or in the Psychology office’s Internship File Cabinet), will be kept on file in the Psychology Office for reference by future students seeking internships. Please briefly provide the information requested. Be specific.
Time Log (Please submit with your Exit Paper on or before the Make-Up Meeting)
Make sure your supervisor signs your log of hours worked. If you have not yet completed the number of hours you registered for, you may project ahead to the hours you will complete, with permission of your supervisor, who should add a comment on the Time Log that you will in fact do the work.
Supervisor’s Evaluation (Please submit with your Exit Paper on or before the Make-Up Meeting)
You will receive a short evaluation form for your supervisor to complete at the end of your internship. It is a good idea to meet with your supervisor midway through your internship to discuss your performance on each item on the form and to learn how to make any necessary improvements.
Supervisor’s Letter (Please submit with your Exit Paper on or before the Make-Up Meeting)
At the start of your internship, let your supervisor know that you will need a final letter from him or her, written on the agency’s letterhead paper.
I suggest that you ask for a detailed (and glowing!) “To whom It May Concern” letter of recommendation that you can use with your résumé when applying for jobs or graduate school. Keep the original and hand in a copy for this class.
Alternately, the letter may be brief -- a simple statement on agency letterhead that you fulfilled your obligations. If you’ll continue in your internship and might need an “official” letter of recommendation later, or if your supervisor is unable to write a recommendation, select this option.
You may turn in assignments at your final Supervision Meeting or any time prior to the Make-Up Meeting if you wish. Some students ask their supervisor for the letter earlier so they get it for sure by the deadline.
Teaching and/or Research Assistant Opportunities for Next Semester
Teaching Assistant
Each semester one or two students assist me with facilitating the on-campus informational and supervision group meetings. Responsibilities include co-facilitating discussions, reading student papers and behind the scenes tasks related to teaching a class.
Internship Research Assistant
The internship program is kept up to date by students who contact agency personnel during the summer to determine what internships will be available for SSU students for the upcoming year. Responsibilities include interviewing agency personnel, outreach to new organizations and learning web tools (training provided) to enter agency data into the online internship database.
Requirements: Responsibility
Ability to follow through on commitments
Experience in an internship
Benefits: Getting to know the local agencies and their needs
Data entry and Web management experience
Teaching / Group Facilitation experience.
For further information see the
Psychology Internship
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