Fieldwork ◊ Student Statement

To ensure that fieldwork will be a meaningful and useful experience, students should begin to prepare for it early in their program.  Students are also encouraged to speak with student colleaues regarding fieldwork sites, particularly those students who are presently enrolled in fieldwork. 

The primary objective of the counseling fieldwork program is to enable students to apprentice in the role of a practicing counselor.  Thus the fieldwork experience is designed to provide the student with an opportunity to practice and expand his/her counseling skills in a setting other than the department enviornment that is congruent with the student's specialization.  Additionally, it assists candidates in making the transition from graduate student to professional through concrete experiences at a fieldwork site.  Under the direct supervision of an experienced counselor, you will apply theory and concepts you have learned in your classrooms and gain skills you will need in your professional roles.  Additionally, you may use these experiences to explore possible areas of professional interest as well as gaining specialized experience in a particular direction you have alrady chose. 

Prerequisites:

Before registering for CCPJ 5260 (Fieldwork psychological counseling and rehabilitation), CCPJ 5263 (Supervised fieldwork in elementary school gudance), or CCPJ 5265 (Supervised fieldwork in secondary school guidance), students must complete:

CCPJ 4064 Foundations of Counseling

CCPJ 5062 Career Counseling & Development

CCPJ 5371 Counseling Skills

CCPJ 5025 Group Counseling & Development

HUDK 402(2,3,4) Developmental Psychology or HUDK 5029 Personality Development and socialization Across the Lifespan

Placement

Fieldwork sites are selected by students in consultation with the fieldwork coordinator.  All students must attend the mandatory fieldwork orientation. 

It is advisable for students to begin contacting potential sites during the semester preceding the one in which their fieldwork is to start. 

Sites are recommended on the basis of past experience, however, to meet particular personal needs (location, time constraints, etc.), students may develop a new site for their own fieldwork. This may be set up only with the approval of the coordinator. In doing so, it is essential to remember that the quality of the supervision offered and the breadth of the experience provided are most important in judging a potential placement.  The following are types of sites that are typically available:

Schools (elementary, middle, secondary)

Colleges & Universities

Hospitals & Rehabilitation Centers

Agencies (substance abuse, family therapy, etc.)

Business/Industry

Supervisory Requirements

Potential site supervisors must have at least 3 years of experience in the field and at least a master's degree in a relevant field.  They should also be able to commit to 2 hours a week of supervision and submit an evaluation at the end of each semester of fieldwork.

Time Commitment

Depending on the program, students are expected to commit to a minimum of 600 hours throughout the course of two semesters at the same site.  600 hours is the equivalent of 2 - 3 days (20 hours) a week.  Students interested in becoming certified as rehabilitation counselors or licensed counselors should complete 600 hours (3 days a week) of fieldwork.  The actual distribution of time is negotiated between the professional needs and requirements of the agency and the course work and other commitments of the student. Most time requirements can be satisfied flexibly in two semesters (September-May).

Please note, fieldwork requirements are normally met in two regular semesters, however, students who select a site that require a one calendar year commitment will be expected to meet that commitment. Graduation in a normal sequence will not be affected unless fieldwork is done on a part-time basis. In such cases, graduation will be delayed until the requisite hours are completed.

If a student plans to do their fieldwork during the summer, he or she will be expected to work for a minimum of 13 weeks and must complete the number of hours normally done in 15 weeks.   Please note, completing fieldwork over the 2 summer sessions is counted as 1 regular semester of work.

Job Responsibilities

Interns are required to provide individual, (personal and/or career) and group counseling to a caseload of five or more students/clients.  Students should try to involve themselves in the total program of the fieldwork site as much as possible.  For example, they should attend staff meetings when appropriate; they should learn the roles and internal relationships among all the staff; and they should understand the overall mission of the fieldwork site and its place in the larger community.  Additional training experiences include case conferences, crisis intervention, testing and assessment, data gathering and record keeping as it applies to their clients.

All fieldwork activities must be done under the guidance of their direct supervisor(s).  (Students in the School Counseling Specialization must do their field placement in a setting, under the direct supervision of a licensed or certified school counselor (this is a State requirement).  Students who are following the requirements for Bilingual School Counselor must do their field placement in a bilingual school setting.)

Credit/Points

It is recommended that students register 3 points for each semester in which they engage in fieldwork.  Registration for more than 3 points a semester must be approved by the placement coordinator.

Insurance Coverage

Students starting fieldwork are mandated to register for liability insurance coverage during their fieldwork experience. This insurance is necessary to protect you from any claims which may arise from your professional services while you are a student.  In order to qualify for this insurance, you will need to be a member of your chosen organization. 

Insurance may be acquired through one of three counseling associations: APA (www.apa.org), ACA (www.counseling.org) or ASCA (www.schoolcounselor.org).  The easiest way to apply for the insurance is on-line.  Please purchase insurance that will provide at least 2 million dollars annual aggregate coverage. 

Ethical Considerations

To the general public and the clients of the agency, the field worker is an employee of that agency and should conduct him/herself as such.

The field worker represents the Program in Counseling Psychology of Teachers College, ColumbiaUniversity while in the field. Thus, the performance (dependability, tact, resourcefulness, staff relations, etc.) of the field worker may have much to do with future working relationships between that agency and the program including the employment of graduates.

Under some circumstances, the field worker may leave an unsatisfactory placement. However, there must be extenuating circumstances.  S/he is required to consult the fieldwork coordinator and his/her supervisor in the field before taking such a step.

Any legal or ethical violation or inappropriate conduct deemed detrimental to the agency, client or TC will result in dismissal from the site and receive a No-Pass grade.  A student who experiences difficulties during fieldwork will meet with both the on-site supervisor and the Fieldwork Coordinator.  This discussion will hopefully resolve the problem.  A student may be removed from a fieldwork site if they are demonstrating unethical or unsound counseling practices or if the student is not conducting him/herself in an appropriate manner within the agencies setting.  This may include but not be limited to questions of tardiness, absenteeism, and general behaviors which would be reasons for dismissal as a probationary employee.