Liberty University Counseling Internship Requirements: A Comprehensive Guide
The Liberty University counseling program emphasizes experiential learning, viewing it as vital to developing both school counseling skills and professional practice. The internship is a crucial component, required for all candidates seeking state licensure/certification as professional school counselors. This article provides a detailed overview of the internship requirements, drawing directly from Liberty University's guidelines.
Field Experience: Sites and Structure
Candidates in the school counseling program must complete three field experiences: a practicum, Internship 1, and Internship 2. The School Counseling Internship course is specifically designed to cultivate school counseling skills within elementary and secondary school settings. This 600-hour experience, spanning two semesters, focuses on applying and further developing these skills within a K-12 environment. The internship allows candidates to integrate classroom knowledge with real-world practice.
Supervision: Faculty and On-Site
The internship experience is conducted under the guidance of two supervisors: a Liberty faculty supervisor and a licensed school counselor serving as the on-site supervisor. The on-site supervisor must have a minimum of two years of experience as a school counselor and must have completed the Advanced Internship Assessment (AIA) Site Supervisor Scorer Training.
Internship Hours: Direct and Indirect Service
The internship consists of fieldwork totaling 300 hours per semester, resulting in 600 hours overall. A minimum of 120 direct service hours is required each semester, totaling 240 direct student service hours. Direct service activities include:
- Student assessment
- Academic and career planning
- Individual counseling
- Small group counseling
- Classroom guidance lessons
- Psycho-educational activities
The remaining hours are dedicated to related activities.
Read also: Liberty University Fees
Course Structure and Delivery
This Counseling Internship course involves participation in a planned clinical experience in an approved agency or other setting under an approved supervisor. As the culminating experience of the MA licensure programs, the course is delivered using synchronous technology, with students attending 1.5 hours of weekly group supervision via WebEx throughout the 16-week course.
Hour Tracking and Requirements
Students must complete 600 total hours of supervised clinical training, with at least 240 hours dedicated to direct client service. The hour distribution includes:
- 1 hour per week of individual supervision (IS)
- 1.5 hours per week of group supervision (GS)
- Remaining hours allocated to Related Activities (RA)
Related Activities encompass tasks such as office work, telephone calls to clients, writing progress notes, and billing insurance companies. Individual supervision must be provided by the approved supervisor, while group supervision includes both faculty supervision and sessions with the approved supervisor and other site colleagues. Students track their hours weekly using the Tevera/LiveText Time Log and Summary of Hours Spreadsheet. Failure to complete the required hours necessitates seeking approval to register (and pay) for an additional semester, with a maximum of three semesters allowed for course completion.
Evaluation and Assessment
Student counseling performance is evaluated throughout the internship. Several assessments are used to measure student progress and competency:
- Midterm and Final Counselor Competencies Scale: Students must pass both scales.
- Supervisor Evaluations: The approved supervisor completes a Midterm Evaluation and a Final Evaluation in Tevera/LiveText.
- Faculty Supervisor Evaluation: Faculty supervisors also complete a Counselor Competencies Scale in Tevera/LiveText.
Students who do not receive passing evaluations will collaborate with their supervisors and Liberty University internship faculty to develop a plan to address any identified deficits. Unethical or improper behavior at a site resulting in an "NP" (No Pass) grade leads to expulsion from the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies.
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Additional course requirements include:
- Quizzes: Two open-book/note quizzes test knowledge of the Internship Manual and the American Counseling Association’s Code of Ethics.
- Case Presentations: Students participate in Faculty Group Supervision via WebEx, completing two 35-minute case presentations, including a treatment plan, an ethics section, and a multi-cultural section.
- Course Requirements Checklist: Completion of the checklist located in Week 1 Module.
- State Requirement Checklist: Completion of the state requirement checklist.
- Student Evaluation of Site and Supervisor Form: Completion of the evaluation form.
- Liability Insurance: Submission of a copy of liability insurance at the beginning and end of the semester.
- Taped Counseling Sessions with Verbatim Transcriptions: Completion of at least two taped counseling sessions with verbatim transcriptions, requiring informed consent from the site and client. Students with sites that disallow video or audio taping must complete Live Observations of client sessions and tapings of role-play sessions.
- Peer Consultation: Completion of a 90-minute peer consultation via WebEx or telephone, divided equally among 2 or 3 students to share experiences with clients.
- Textbook Quizzes: Quizzes on the Jungers & Scott, et al. textbook and the Thomas, et al. textbook, each consisting of 5 multiple-choice questions with a 30-minute time limit.
Stepped Model for Therapeutic Exposure
To facilitate a comfortable transition into the therapeutic process, CAPS (Counseling and Psychological Services) employs a gradual exposure method. Initially, practicum/intern students observe sessions conducted by a supervisor with a client. Subsequently, students conduct sessions with a supervisor present to observe and provide feedback. Practicum/Intern student training is led by licensed supervisors with diverse educational backgrounds.
Key Components of Supervision
While gaining direct service experience with clients, students regularly meet with an approved supervisor. Written and oral presentations are a basic part of the group supervisory process with a Liberty faculty member via technology. The student’s professional development along with the dynamics of the counseling relationship, diagnosis, treatment, and legal/ethical issues are primary areas of focus.
Read also: Explore Liberty University's Graduate Programs
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