INTERNSHIP/SECONDARY PRACTICUM CONTRACT
Professional Mental Health Counseling &
Professional Mental Health Counseling‐Specialization in Addictions Programs
An internship placement and its fulfillment involve not only the interests of the intern, but also the interests of the host agency/school, the site supervisor, clients of the agency/school, and the relationship of mutual support and accountability between the host agency/school and the Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology (CTSP) Department. Important aspects of these relationships are outlined below. Agencies, interns, and Lewis & Clark College agree to the provisions detailed below. This document serves as a contract between all parties.
INTERNSHIP SITE RESPONSIBILITIES
Sites accepting graduate student counseling interns from Lewis & Clark offer sufficient structure and stability to allow interns to complete their internship requirements at the site within a 9‐month period. This includes providing appropriate training and supervision to ensure client welfare and enhance student learning.
Internship sites will provide:
Access to a client caseload to meet program requirements for breadth and depth of services, including a minimum of 240 direct client contact hours with an average of about 8 client contact hours per week throughout the contract time. Students must complete a minimum of 120 direct client hours (half of the required 240) by the end of their first semester of internship unless it is designated as a secondary internship site only. If a student has not completed at least 120 direct client hours by the end of their first semester of internship, students may terminate their internship and/or reduce their hours at the site to allow them to secure another internship site in order to complete their hours requirement.
A qualified supervisor must be on site during all times when an intern is meeting with clients, and the supervisor must watch the student at least once during the internship (live or over video). If the primary supervisor is not available, a back‐up supervisor must be available at the location where the intern is meeting with clients. Exceptions must be approved by Lewis & Clark prior to the internship.
For placements beginning Summer 2025: If, for any reason, the supervisory relationship is not an appropriate fit, students may request a change of supervisor, in consultation with their faculty supervisor. Such a change will be made only if another qualified supervisor is available, and the request will be handled in a supportive and professional manner without any negative impact on the student's standing or experience.
If students are seeing clients virtually, the site must provide office space and equipment in order to bolster student support and development and to avert the practice of interns working from their own homes. Supervisors must be available by telephone during times when students are seeing clients virtually.
Support from the site administration to foster a learning environment. This includes support for site supervisors to provide adequate time for appropriate supervision as outlined in the section on supervision expectations. Although this requires a minimum of one hour per week of individual supervision, it is expected that supervisors may need additional time to track client caseload and welfare.
Orientation to the site with written documentation and pre‐service training to ensure student understanding of agency policies and procedures including:
Agency administrative and supervisory organization
Client assignment and scheduling
Clerical support available
Paperwork and documentation expectations
Protocols for reporting abuse
Crisis response process for client danger to self or others (including suicide assessment supervisory support)
Confidentiality procedures, release of information, and consent for treatment
Acquainting interns with culture and norms of setting
Students must also lead or co‐lead a counseling or psychoeducational group during practicum or internship. If the site has no opportunities for group and the student did not fulfill this requirement during practicum, they must find a secondary site to obtain this required group experience.
Opportunities for the intern to develop professional relationships with peers, experienced counselors, supervisors, and related agency personnel through in‐service training, case staffings, and other agency activities.
Ability to videotape client sessions, if possible, for review during on‐campus faculty supervision or an opportunity to be observed by the site supervisor while engaged in the work of counseling or therapy.
An adequate workspace in which interns can schedule time to see clients on a regular basis.
In cases where changes to the contract need to be made, a request to the Lewis and Clark faculty supervisor to make any changes in the contract including work location, supervisor, intern hours, or intern expectations. Any changes must be approved by Lewis & Clark prior to the change and will be appropriately documented.
SECONDARY PRACTICUM/INTERNSHIP SITE RESPONSIBILITIES
Sites accepting graduate counseling students for secondary practicum/internship offer sufficient structure and stability to allow them to complete the expectations listed above other than the number of hours required:
Client contact hours for secondary practicum students are primarily accumulated through the Lewis and Clark Community Counseling Center. Secondary practicum sites are not required to provide any specific number of hours.
Client contact hours for secondary internship students are primarily accumulated through their primary internship placements. Secondary internship sites are not required to provide any specific number of hours.
SITE SUPERVISION EXPECTATIONS & RESPONSIBILITIES
Consistent with supervision expectations outlined by licensing agencies, on‐site supervisors are expected to be responsible for direct supervision to ensure client care. Lewis & Clark College faculty supervisors will typically not have access to client data to manage client care directly.
Site Supervisor Qualifications
A master’s degree in counseling, social work, or a related field
Licensed in any of the following: LPC, LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, Licensed Psychologist
A minimum of two years of post‐degree counseling experience
Training and experience in supervising students is strongly preferred. However, in lieu of previous training and experience, consideration will be given for the following:
Enrolling in the Lewis & Clark continuing education course in supervision during the first semester the student is on site
Supervision of supervision: the site supervisor will receive regular supervision of their supervision of the intern
A familiarity with, and adherence to, the ethical codes of the American Counseling Association, the American Psychological Association and/or the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists
Familiarity and compliance with the Lewis & Clark Community Counseling Internship policies as outlined in this Contract
Familiarity and compliance with the internship practices and policies described in the Lewis & Clark Internship Manual
Site Supervisors will provide:
Individual supervision for a minimum of one hour per week. Group supervision time cannot replace individual supervision but may be used for additional supervisory time. Supervision for secondary internship sites can vary, depending on number of hours the student accumulates at the site.
Supervision appropriate for the developmental level of the intern including:
Consultation with the intern to develop individual learning goals
Client screening and assignment according to intern competency level and individual learning goals
Monitoring client caseload for risk and reassigning clients if necessary
Helping the student learn to manage caseloads
Supervision and training in ethics and law as issues arise with clients
Regular review of work samples (videotape, case notes, and treatment plans)
Supervisory experiences to assist the student in applying basic counseling skills and developing new skills
Assistance in developing ability to apply theory to practice including case conceptualization and treatment planning
Ongoing evaluation and feedback to facilitate the intern’s professional growth
Formal written evaluation, using Lewis & Clark forms and criteria, at least once per semester
Communication with faculty supervisor as needed
LEWIS & CLARK FACULTY SUPERVISOR RESPONSIBILITIES
It is the role of the faculty supervisor to provide general academic supervision to students around issues of ethics, standards of care, student counselor growth and development, development of case conceptualization, treatment planning, development of theoretical orientation and other relevant topics.
Faculty Supervisors will provide:
Coordination of the internship experience between the site, Lewis & Clark, and the student intern including:
A minimum of one site visit per placement
Contract changes (e.g., intern hours, location, supervisor, etc.)
Monitoring of intern progress toward completion of the internship requirements
Periodic review of intern work samples including videotape, audiotape, and written case summaries
Final evaluation of intern performance for purposes of meeting standards and requirements for the Lewis & Clark Professional Mental Health Counseling program and the awarding of academic credit
LEWIS & CLARK COUNSELING, THERAPY, AND SCHOOL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT (CTSP RESPONSIBILITIES)
The department’s primary responsibility is to ensure appropriate training of students through monitoring quality of training experiences.
The CTSP department will provide:
Evaluation and approval of internship sites and supervisors
Approval of appropriate placements of students
Appropriate academic supervision
Tracking of paperwork for the internship placement
Cooperation and consultation with site regarding student progress, possible conflicts, or impairment (including decisions regarding modification of duties or the termination of internship placement)
Intervention consistent with ethical guidelines of the profession in cases where the faculty supervisor believes that there is an ethical dilemma around client care or agency/student relationships that has not been successfully resolved in a less formal manner
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
The primary purpose of the internship is for students to gain supervised practice and clinical experience to help develop and integrate the skills necessary to become professional counselors. This experience carries with it the following responsibilities:
Adopting an attitude of attending to client welfare as a counselor’s primary responsibility
Adhering to the ethical standards of the American Counseling Association
Adhering to the legal mandates of the state of Oregon or Washington
Adhering to the provisions of the internship contract including:
Consistent and punctual attendance at all work and training activities on site
Following agency policies. If a conflict between agency policies, ethics, and/or Lewis & Clark policy occurs, the student will seek supervision and support from their Lewis & Clark campus supervisor.
Appropriate client termination or transfer
Following detailed expectations as outlined in the Internship Manual
Maintaining appropriate documentation as outlined by the site and the college confidentiality guidelines
Completion of all documentation at end of internship
Maintaining personal liability insurance ($1 million per occurrence, $3 million aggregate)
Engaging in a working alliance with on‐site and college supervisors including:
Developing an understanding of the scope and purpose of supervision
Attending all supervision sessions on‐site and at the college
Accurately communicating content and scope of counseling sessions in supervision
Maintaining an openness to feedback in supervision, and following through on directives of supervisors
Willingness to videotape interactions with clients if possible and receive feedback on taped interactions
Seeking supervision in a timely manner about individuals who are at risk (making full disclosure to supervisors of risks to client welfare)