Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Candidacy Requirements
- Present the case of a current client with an accompanying tape (videotape preferred) of that session. (A tape sample critique form may be obtained from your Advisor.)
- Discuss the case presentation and videotape with the Faculty members of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Team.
- Demonstrate basic listening and relationship skills, basic case conceptualization skills, treatment planning, client assessment, and an analysis of their clinical strengths and weaknesses.
- Complete a portfolio (instructions are available from your Advisor).
- Discuss case conceptualization of a client vignette given to the student during the candidacy meeting.
- Discuss with the Team the student’s progress in the program and review the Plan of Work.
Portfolio Requirements
The portfolio is an organized, structured exhibit of the clinical competencies students develop through the initial phase of the counseling program at Shippensburg University. The portfolio provides a way of summarizing the essential learning in the program and it helps students integrate the various component parts of the introductory counseling curriculum. The criteria listed below may be helpful as students develop their portfolio that tells who they are as a professional.
The review of the portfolio will take place at the time of candidacy during Practicum. The granting of candidacy will not occur until all of the portfolio requirements as outlined below are met.
The portfolio will include:
I. A Resume (in progress)
Minimally include:
- A statement of professional goal
- A listing of your educational and professional employment
- A listing of professional experiences (e.g., workshops, lectures, conferences presented or attended)
- Membership in professional organizations
- A list of clinical references who can attest to your potential as a community or mental health counselor
The Clinical Mental Health faculty members will review your resume and provide feedback and suggestions. While we are not asking you to list courses you have completed, be prepared to discuss what you learned in each course and particularly, how what you learned might apply to your counseling with clients and/or your growth as a counselor.
II. A Description of your Practicum Site and Experiences
Provide information about your Practicum site, your supervision, the clientele you have been working with (e.g., diagnoses and issues you have been working with), treatment modalities employed (e.g., individual, group), and professional activities (e.g., treatment team meetings, consultation, mental health consultation and education).
III. A statement of Your Philosophy of Helping or Your Theoretical Orientation
This statement is to be a statement that could be given to clients in an agency setting in an Informed Consent document describing how you think about the counseling process and how you work with clients. Include key concepts, the counseling relationship, goals, techniques, and desired outcome.
The Clinical Mental Health faculty members will review this statement for content and consistency with your demonstrated work with clients in your Practicum.
IV. An Assessment of your Unique Strengths and Vulnerabilities as a Counselor
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty members will review these strengths and vulnerabilities and their congruence with our observations and those of your site supervisor.
V. An Audio or Videotape and Critique of an Actual Client Session
Select one of the individual client sessions from your Practicum and choose approximately 10 minutes of that session to demonstrate your work with a client. You may choose a section to demonstrate your typical way of working with clients or to demonstrate your theoretical orientation. Consult the Tape Critique Form, which should accompany the submission of the audio- or videotape.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty members will listen to the taped selection with the student during the candidacy interview. Be prepared to discuss such issues as your clinical impressions of the client, your counseling goals and objectives, and transference and countertransference issues.
VI. A Case Conceptualization of a Client Vignette
During the candidacy meeting, the Clinical Mental Health faculty members will give you a vignette of a client situation and ask you to provide a case conceptualization of that client, including your initial impression of the client’s issues, possible counseling goals and objectives, and potential transference and countertransference issues.
The Clinical Mental Health faculty members will assess your case conceptualization skills for accuracy, appropriateness, thoroughness, and insightfulness. Feedback will be provided to the student.
Section I-V must be provided to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum instructor at least two (2) weeks prior to the candidacy interview for review. Section VI will be provided to you during the interview. We will return your materials to you at the end of the interview. The faculty members will meet and make a decision regarding your candidacy within two weeks of your interview. We will make a recommendation to the entire Department of Counselor Education faculty at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting at which time a vote will be taken on whether or not candidacy should be granted. At that meeting, faculty members will have input into this decision based on their interactions with you. The Department will send you a letter informing you of the decision.