INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
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Counseling Psychology and Social Work Graduate Internship Program

The Hunter College Graduate Internship Program is a unique training opportunity, designed mainly for graduate Counseling Psychology and Social Work students. It provides valuable training experience for potential future professionals to work with a highly diversified client base. Trainees are placed at Personal Counseling Services of the Office of Student Services, which collaborates with the Wellness Education, Career Development Services, Brookdale Residence Hall, and AccessABILITY (disability support services) to provide a variety of learning opportunities. This program is tailored to meet individual needs of Counseling Psychology and Social Work Interns to promote their professional development.

Goals of the Internship Program
The Graduate Internship Program focuses on the following areas of development. Interns will:

• Integrate and apply various theories/conceptual knowledge.
  
• Increase competency in clinical practice.
  
• Increase cultural competency and sensitivity in work with our diverse student body—using these skills for assessment and intervention.
  
• Develop sensitivity to gender-specific issues.
  
• Attain awareness of, and learn to address personal issues that may impact professional functioning.
  
• Learn and integrate the legal and ethical guidelines that govern the practice of mental health professionals.
  
• Become more knowledgeable about and learn to address the impact of the academic environment on the student-client's sense of well-being.
  

Clinical Curriculum

I. Practice

• Individual and group counseling
• On-call for intakes
• Psycho-social assessment
• Crisis intervention
• Consultation, outreach and education
• Task projects (e.g. mental health and eating disorder screenings)
• Career counseling/workshops
• Relevant Office of Student Services activities (e.g. academic advising, career and health fairs, first-year orientation seminar)
• Administrative responsibility
• Possible participation in research

II. Supervision
To enhance the diversified experiences working with individual students, trainees are supervised by qualified faculty/staff from the Office of Student Services who have a wide range of professional expertise.

• A two-hour didactic seminar/case conference weekly
• An hour and a half individual supervision by field supervisor
• Individual/group supervision by task supervisor when appropriate
• Workshop, outreach, consultation, referral, and crisis supervision as needed

III. Seminars and Conferences

Case Conference: Weekly two-hour conference, at which interns present and discuss their cases, is attended by staff and supervisors.

Didactic Seminars: Regularly scheduled seminars conducted by Hunter College staff/faculty and invited guests, on topics of special interest (crisis intervention, potentially suicidal students, eating disorders, gender identity.)

Qualifications
Candidates must be second-year, full-time students enrolled in a Master’s program in psychology or social work. Post-graduate internships are limited to post-master certificate and doctoral counseling or social work programs.


Time Commitment
The internship time requirement and work schedule are agreed upon by Hunter College and the trainee’s school. Internship begins in mid-August and ends in late May/early June time off for the holiday/New Year intersession and Spring break. All trainees must be available on site at least three days per week. Doctoral Social Work Interns’ time requirement is negotiated between Hunter College and the doctoral programs. During the year, assignments or aspects of individual trainees may be modified in accordance with new opportunities, trainee's interests, and the needs of the Office of Student Services and Personal Counseling Services.

Application Procedures
Applicants should submit a cover letter, resume/curriculum vitae as soon as possible. Qualified students will be contacted for an individual interview. Interviews for Counseling Psychology Interns are usually held during the second to fourth week of February. Interviews for prospective Social Work Interns are held on the dates to be determined between Hunter College and the individual schools. Students will be notified as soon as the selection process for their field is complete.

Applications should be submitted to:
Sudi Shayesteh, Director