Supervision
Interns meet for two hours of supervision each week (one hour each week with the primary supervisor and one hour each week with the secondary supervisor) to facilitate growth and development. Supervision is provided by licensed psychologists. After meeting the clinical staff, interns request a primary and secondary supervisor. The Training Director makes assignments based on these requests combined with supervisor availability and overall CAPS needs. Interns make supervision requests at the beginning of the internship year, at the beginning of Spring Semester, and at the beginning of Summer Semester. Interns may elect to continue working with a previous supervisor or to select new supervisors. Interns are required to work with at least two different supervisors during the internship year. Supervisors oversee the intern's clinical case load, provide mentoring, and facilitate professional development. Interns participate in additional supervision for each therapy group they co-lead. Interns may also receive supervision related to their specialty areas (e.g. career counseling). Consultation with other senior staff is done on an informal and/or as-needed basis.
Individual Counseling
Interns are encouraged to work with clients whose presenting issues and demographics fit their individual training needs and experience, and to maintain a caseload of clients that allows for depth and breadth of experience. Interns are given autonomy to make decisions about client selection in collaboration with review and/or approval of their supervisor.
Group & Couples Counseling
Interns are expected to co-lead one group and may request to co-lead a second group, depending on availability. Groups are co-led with a senior staff member, and supervision is provided for each group that an intern co-leads.
Couples counseling has become increasingly used by students, and interns may request opportunities to work with couples.
Assessment
Interns receive training and supervision in the area of clinical interviewing. All CAPS clients take the Outcome Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) at intake and on a continuing weekly basis. Interns receive training in outcome assessment and the use of OQ-45 data in treatment planning.
Interns also develop additional skill in the use of psychological tests related to a university counseling center population. Interns are required to administer psychological tests and provide feedback to a minimum of two different individuals throughout the internship year. Possible tests include personality inventories (MMPI-2, PAI), educational assessments (WAIS-IV, WJ-III), an eating disorder inventory (EDI-III), and inventories of career interests and skills (MBTI, SII-II). Training Seminars address topics related to assessment, and interns receive ongoing supervision on testing from their supervisors.
Outreach/Programming
Interns are expected to lead and/or co-lead programs based on their training needs and experience. Programs (e.g., eating disorders, stress management, sexual assault prevention) may be assigned by the Outreach Coordinator throughout the semester. Interns are also encouraged to develop their own programs. Interns are expected to provide two or more outreach presentations each semester.
Professional Development
The first two weeks of August, all trainees are oriented to the counseling center. By participating in orientation, trainees are provided with opportunities to become acquainted with each other, as well as the staff, and become acclimated to the center before they begin to see clients.
Seminars are held weekly, and typically led by senior staff members. Topics and leaders are scheduled by the Training Director, with input from both trainees and senior staff.
Trainees may also have opportunities to attend conferences (e.g., Utah University and College Counseling Centers conference) for professional development and networking. A small conference fund is made available for trainees to defray some of the costs.
Specialty Area
Each intern, in conjunction with their individual supervisor and the Training Director, is encouraged to develop a particular area where they would like to pursue more training and experience. Interns are encouraged to develop goals for this area, and seek out training opportunities during the semester. Possible specialty areas include career counseling, outreach, research, assessment, couples work, group therapy, eating disorder work and counseling center administration. Interns may also elect to seek specialty area experience by working with another university office such as the Center for Women & Families, Multicultural Center, REAL Peers, Services for Students with Disabilities, Student Support Center, or University Housing. CAPS offers a great deal of flexibility in selecting specialty areas and interns are encouraged to select or develop an area that best meets their training needs.