Services Interns Provide

Individual Counseling: In both the fall and spring semesters, interns manage a caseload of 11-12 individual clients. The counseling center receives clients who present a variety of concerns ranging from normal developmental issues to serious chronic maladjustment. A short-term counseling approach is the norm at SCS with the therapist and client negotiating a focused therapeutic contract. Each therapist is responsible for diagnosing the client using the DSM-IV-TR format. Interns are required to devote one hour of their caseload to career counseling. All intern caseloads are directly supervised by a licensed senior staff psychologist.

Group Counseling: Throught the year, interns co-facilitate a group with a senior staff member and receive supervision by that senior staff member concerning their facilitation skills. Interns are encouraged to develop special groups in line with their interests. The following is a partial list of groups which have been offered at SCS:

• Understanding Self and Other - Coed, Women's, Adult Students
• Graduate Women's Group
• Women Trauma Survivors
• Psychoeducational and Process
• Grief
• International Students

Assessment Interviews and Crisis On-Call: For four hours each week interns are alternately involved in assessment interviewing and crisis on-call counseling. SCS has established an intake system where clients are assessed for their fit into the agency's services. An assessment is an intake interview, consisting of a 45 minute clinical interview. On-call counseling is also available to clients who need emergency crisis intervention. Interns also carry our after-hours crisis phone a week at a time, a few times per year.

Supervision of Practicum Student: For 1 1/2 hours per week, interns supervise a doctoral level practicum student from the department of Counseling Psychology who is completing practicum training at SCS. Practicum trainees see approximately eight clients per week. These clients are screened through an assessment procedure in terms of the severity and complexity of the case to ensure appropriate assignments.

Eating Disorder Assessment: Interns all complete training in conducting a three to five session eating disorder assessment protocol and report writing during the August orientation. Interns are assigned to complete ED assessments throughout the school year and typically have one on their caseload at all times. Interns provide ongoing eating disorder treatment in individual therapy as well, depending on the intern.s interest in that clinical issue and client demand.

Substance Abuse Assessment: All Interns complete training in conducting both a one session screening and a three to five session substance abuse assessment protocol during the August orientation training. Interns are assigned to complete SA screenings and assessments throughout the year and typically have one on their caseload at all times. We do not provide formal substance abuse treatment, but we do address substance use issues within many of our individual counseling cases. Clients that require formal treatment are referred out of the agency.

Couples Counseling: Interns may choose to use one of their clinical hours to work with a couple. If an intern feels this is a skill they would like to improve, there are a number of senior staff who will conduct co-therapy with interns. Access to couples work is limited due to the presence of a couples clinic on campus. If an intern is especially interested in couples work, it is possible that special arrangements could be made to work in that agency.

Outreach and Consultation: One and one-half hour each week is devoted to the outreach and consultation services. Outreaches focus on issues of stress management, diversity, clinical issues, career, eating disorders, and a variety of other topics. Interns also provide consultation to students, faculty, and staff on psychological issues. As part of their consultative responsibilities, interns work with senior staff members to form a liaison team with one of the residence halls on campus. Liaison duties may include attending an occasional residence hall staff meeting, conducting in-service training for residence hall assistants, or engaging in consultations with residence hall staff about a specific student or current residence hall situations. Interns may also be paired with staff for other liaisons such as multicultural student affairs, women's center, international student services, etc.

Back to Intern Program

Our Mission

Settings:
Student Counseling Service
Iowa State University
Ames