Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program: Internship Information

Bridge the Classroom and the Counseling Room

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship is your capstone field experience—where you’ll apply what you’ve learned in real-world settings, deepen your clinical skills, and prepare for licensure and professional practice.

Internship provides a supervised, professional environment to continue developing the competencies and confidence required for success as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Getting Started: Key Steps

• Internship Application: No application is required. You’re automatically eligible once pre-requisites are met.
• Orientation Meeting: If you plan to begin your internship in the Fall semester, you must attend an orientation meeting held during the Spring of the previous academic year. Actively enrolled students will be notified via email about the specific meeting date and time and the Internship Orientation meeting.

Coursework Requirements

To be eligible for CNS 686: Clinical Mental Health Counseling Internship, students must complete the following courses with a B or better:

• CNS 517 – Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling
• CNS 620 – Laboratory in Counseling Techniques
• CNS 622 – Individual Counseling: Theory and Process
• CNS 623 – Group Process and Practice
• CNS 706 – Psychopathology and Diagnosis for Counselors
• CNS 680 – Counseling Practicum (must be completed before internship begins)

Internship Site Placement

Students are responsible for securing their own internship site to ensure flexibility and alignment with personal needs such as location, work commitments, and other responsibilities.

A list of approved internship sites is available here. »

Supervisor Qualifications

Your site supervisor must:

• Be an Ohio Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor-Supervisor (LPCC-S) 

Internship Hours Requirement

To complete your internship, you must accumulate:

• 600 total hours over two semesters
  • 240 hours of direct service (e.g., individual, group counseling)
  • 360 hours of indirect service (e.g., paperwork, observation, planning)
     

This averages 20 hours per week at your site, including approximately 8 hours of direct client work per week.

You must be able to record at least six counseling sessions. Client or guardian must sign a Consent to Record form before any recording begins.

Class Attendance

In addition to your fieldwork:

• You must attend weekly class sessions during internship
• Your course instructor will provide additional internship requirements

Liability Insurance

All internship students are required to carry liability insurance throughout the internship.

Many students obtain insurance through professional associations, including:

• American Counseling Association (ACA)
• American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA)
• Other counseling-related organizations
   

Note: Liability insurance obtained for practicum must be renewed before the internship period begins.

Some agencies provide liability insurance coverage. Check with your site to confirm.

Licensing Requirements

To prepare for licensure as a Clinical Mental Health Counselor:

• Check the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist (OCSWMFT) Board website for:
  • Counselor Trainee (CT) registration paperwork
  • Other required documents
• You are eligible to take the National Counselor Examination (NCE) during your final semester of coursework.

If you are terminated from your internship site, it may be considered an automatic failure of the internship requirement. Successful internship completion is required for graduation.

Criminal Record Considerations

Students are responsible for understanding how a criminal record may impact internship placement and future licensure.

According to OCSWMFT Board rules:

"(D) Applicants for any license or certificate of registration issued by the board shall be of good moral character. The board may, in its discretion, deny any application for licensure or certification if the board finds that the applicant was convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled no contest to a felony or misdemeanor involving moral turpitude... The board shall consider the number and timing of any convictions and the relationship those convictions may have to the practice..."

The Board may also request a criminal records check, background check, or psychological evaluation to determine eligibility.

Additionally:

• A background check is required and shared with your internship site
• A criminal conviction may limit placement options or licensure eligibility
   

We strongly encourage students with a criminal history to consult:

• Their academic coach
• The OCSWMFT Board
• The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) if applicable

Internship Forms

Access all required internship forms, including the Consent to Record Form, here. »