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Frequently Asked Questions - Predocs & Post-MSW's
No. We accept copies of official transcripts. Will you accept a 4th letter of recommendation? We will accept it but we may not read it. Given the number of applications
we receive and the short time allotted before we need to make very important
decisions (i.e., who to interview) we suggest only sending 3 letters
from individuals you believe can best speak to your skills and areas
for growth. This will ensure we read your best letters of support. What are you looking for in an intern? The majority of our predoctoral and post-MSW interns have previous
practica experience in counseling centers, experience providing brief
therapy and experience with crisis management. The predocs will also
have some knowledge of career counseling/assessment. As a staff, we
value diversity both in terms of learning from each other and from the
students we serve. Applicants that are able to articulate how diversity
has impacted them on a personal and professional level tend to be a
good fit with our training program. Similarly, we are looking for individuals
who enjoy working collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team setting. Can I receive specialized training in some clinical area? You will definitely get specialized training in providing multiculturally
competent brief therapy; crisis management; and group therapy. In Social
Services the post-MSW's will get training in AOD, newly diagnosed illness,
pregnancy, eating disorders and domestic violence. Other specialized
training (e.g., specific clinical issues, couples counseling, specific
populations) can occur through individual supervision. However, this
needs to be discussed with the Training Director and your individual
supervisor. If you have specific training goals/needs that are not specified
in our materials please ask before, or during, the interview so we can
discuss the possibilities. How many long term clients do I get to have? Two. However, the clients you see for longer-term therapy need to fit
specific criteria that you will discuss with your supervisor and colleagues
in case conference. What is AVC? AVC is our acronym for Advice Counseling. AVC is typically a two or
three hour block of time where you will see students who are in varying
levels of crisis or who state that they need to be seen today (rather
than simply making an appointment). During AVC you also take phone calls
from staff, faculty, and parents concerned about a student. Are there opportunities for testing? There are a number of assessments available for predocs to use in working
with students. Our staff primarily uses the Strong Interest Inventory,
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the California Psychological Inventory,
MMPI-II, and depression and anxiety inventories. In the assessment seminar
you will learn about these assessments and others that you might choose
to use in your clinical work. Are there opportunities to do outreach? Yes. Interns play an important role in our outreach to the campus.
CPS and SOS frequently get requests from the campus to do workshops,
trainings, and other preventive mental health programs as well as doing
proactive outreach work to the campus to reach underserved populations.
CPS and SOS does approximately 100 outreach events/year. Interns are
expected to be involved in these outreach efforts (the expectation is
that interns will be involved in approximately 4 programs per semester)
and to develop their skills and comfort level in leading such programs.
In addition, interns are paired with senior clinicians to respond to
urgent outreach requests (e.g., crisis debriefings, responses to campus
emergencies), which may involve evening work. Finally, predoctoral interns
have served as liaisons to residential life (dormitories), providing
consultation to resident advisors and resident directors, as needed. Will predocs be able to provide supervision? Most likely. Every year we do our best to have predoctoral interns
supervise our career practicum interns. However, sometimes we have fewer
career interns than we do predoctoral interns. All predoctoral interns
participate in the Supervision of Supervision seminar and every effort
is made to have interns, especially those without prior supervision
experience, supervise for at least one semester. In the past 10 years
there has only been 2 occasions where a predoctoral intern did not get
to supervise a practicum student for both semesters. How are supervisory assignments made? During the summer interns are sent an email asking, among other things,
what their goals are for supervision and what they would like in a supervisor.
The training staff meets to discuss possible matches based on the stated
interests and goals of the incoming predoctoral intern. Similarly, staff
also have a say in whom they would like to work with based on their
availability and own interests. Do interns have an opportunity to lead groups at CPS and SOS? Yes, we welcome intern involvement in our group program. CPS and SOS
offers a range of therapy, support and psycho-educational groups each
semester. Interns are encouraged each year to co-lead at least one group
with a post-doctoral fellow or senior staff member. Group leadership
assignments are based both upon the clinical needs of the group program
and the training needs of an intern. How would you characterize the culture of the Counseling Center
and Social Services? We like to have fun with each other, love working with college students,
and enjoy celebrating each other's accomplishments (with food). That
said, this is a fast-paced setting that is highly utilized. Thus, there
can be increased stress during certain times of the year when demand
for services is high. We continually look at what how we can better
meet the need for student access while at the same time monitor self-care. Are staff involved in research? A few members are involved in research and publishing. However, there is no formal program of research taking place at Counseling & Psychological Services. The 2006-2007 predoctoral interns decided (in collaboration with the Training Director) to work on a group research project examining, among other things, presenting concerns of various ethnic groups. This was possible because they were done with their dissertations (or far enough along) and able to use their 2 hours of weekly research time to conduct the project. Will I get my own office? Our hope is that every predoctoral and post-MSW intern would have their
own office. For at least the past 10 years this has been the case. However,
there could arise a situation where this is not possible. In sum, although
we would love for our interns to each have their office it is important
to know that this can not be guaranteed. Will I have access to computers? Of course. Each office is equipped with Microsoft's Office Suite, Eudora
Email, Internet Explorer, and NextGen which allows access to patient
information. All notes are done electronically. How many applications do you typically receive and how many applicants
will remain under active consideration after interviews? We receive between 140-150 applications each year for the predoc internship.
During the 2007-2008 selection process, we received 142 applicants,
interviewed 40, and ranked 32. We receive up to 25 applications for
two post-MSW internship positions. Do I need to call you after the interview to "show interest"
and hopefully improve my chances of getting ranked high. No. However, feel free to contact us if you have any questions that
are not addressed on our website or that were not addressed during the
interview. Email is often the easiest way to reach us. What do interns do after they leave? All kinds of things. Usually two out of the three predoctoral interns
complete a postdoctoral fellowship to gain hours for licensure (sometimes
with us); many interns apply for staff positions in counseling centers;
some go on to teach at universities; and a few interns have left to
work as consultants. This year, for example, one intern has taken a
job as a faculty member and the other two are staying to complete a
postdoctoral fellowship. Post-MSW insterns work in a variety of settings to continue to gain
hours for licensure. Some have gone on to get positions at eating disorder
outpatient clinics, county mental health and counseling centers. Some
find community practitioners to supervise them in their private practice. Do predoctoral interns and post-MSW interns get preferential consideration
for job openings? Not really, although several predoctoral interns, post-MSW interns
and postdoctoral fellows have joined our staff at some point after finishing
their training experience. Having worked here helps you understand the
challenges and rewards of working at CPS and SOS and thus gives any
applicant somewhat of an advantage during an interview. How do predocs and post-MSW's survive on $24,884? It is a challenge but many of our interns have found creative ways to get by on the salary. We suggest contacting current interns directly for more information about this particular issue.
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