Practicum is the first field experience in the School Counseling Program at Cleveland State University and is intended to provide the students a supervised learning experience to develop and demonstrate the required skills and knowledge for the setting and population of his or her eventual placement. A site should be chosen for both the service they provide to their student and for the learning opportunities they provide to the practicum student. Practicum is offered during Spring semester only for School Counseling students and during Spring and Summer for Clinical mental Health students. Please click on forms to retrieve them.

Practicum Requirements:

Course work:
Completion of most of your course work prior to your field experience will enrich your educational journey and is recommended. Completion of the following three courses prior to practicum is mandatory.
CNS 517: Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling
CNS 620: Laboratory in Counseling Techniques
CNS 622: Individual Theories of Counseling

Application:

Application for practicum is no longer required.

Orientation meeting:

All students planning to take practicum in Spring or Summer during an academic year must attend an orientation meeting during the Fall of the previous year. Please check News and Announcements on the counseling Web page for date, time, and location of the meeting.

Site placement:

Students are primarily responsible for selecting and obtaining the practicum site. This is to provide students the opportunity and flexibility to find a site most suited for their unique needs (e.g., geographic location, work requirements, family responsibilities, etc.). Some sites used by previous Practicum students are listed under site information.
The supervisor must be an Ohio Licensed/Certified School Counselor with at least 2 years of experience as a school counselor.

 School Counseling Site Placement List

Site Requirements:

Practicum student must have the opportunity to earn 100 total hours total in one semester. These 100 hours must include 40 direct service hours and 60 indirect service hours. This approximates 6-7 hours per week on site with 2.5 direct hours per week during Spring and more during Summer.

Practicum student must be able to record at least 6 counseling sessions. You must have the parent/guardian sign the Consent to Tape prior to taping the session. A consent form is available at the end of this page.
Please check on appropriate dress code for your site. Deep cut tops, overly tight clothing, see through clothing, flip-flops, sweat pants are deemed inappropriate.

Class Requirements:

Must attend weekly classes in addition to site requirements.
Course instructors will provide you with additional requirements to complete the practicum.

Insurance:

All students in the program are required to have liability insurance for the duration of practicum. Most professional organizations include liability insurance in their student memberships.
Some suggested insurance carriers are:
American School Counseling Association - www.schoolcounselor.org
Other related professional associations

Insurance companies:

Sometimes insurance is covered by the school or agency.

Practicum Forms to be completed:

Licensing Requirements:

As of Jan. 1, 2014, you licensing exam is Ohio Assessment for Counselors (OAE)
Test Name: OAE School Counselor
Test #: 040
Score to pass: 220
Please check Ohio Assessments for Educators for test registration and information.
NOTE: If you are terminated from your practicum site, this may be considered an automatic failure to complete Practicum requirements. You must complete practicum successfully, in addition to other coursework, to be eligible for internship..

Implications for Criminal Record on Field Placements and Licensure

Students must take personal responsibility to inform themselves of the potential professional implications if they have a history of a criminal convictions on their legal record. For School Counseling students, The Ohio Department of Education denotes on their website that:

“ODE's Office of Professional Conduct investigates allegations involving criminal convictions or conduct unbecoming the teaching profession and, if warranted, pursues disciplinary or remedial action against an educator’s credentials or application for credentials.”

Additionally, students are required to obtain a background check that is shared with potential practicum and internship sites. Therefore, field placements site positions may also be impacted by a criminal conviction history. Students are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor, OCSWMFT Board, and/or ODE if they have a criminal conviction on their legal record that may impact their field placements and/or licensure in Ohio.