MHS 6805 - Advanced Group or Individual Counseling Practicum: Career Counseling

Fall 2003 - Florida State University

 

Dr. James P. Sampson, Jr.

385-8195 (home) 322-8918 (Mobile)

A4151 University Center

644-2490 (office) 644-3273 (FAX)

215T Stone Building

644-1286 (office) 644-8776 (FAX)

E-mail

jsampson@admin.fsu.edu

Web site

http://www.career.fsu.edu/techcenter/

 

Purpose

The purpose of this advanced practicum is to provide students with an opportunity to further integrate career development theory and practice within the context of career counseling services provided at a university career center. The specific setting for this practicum is the Curricular-Career Information Service (CCIS), a unit of the Florida State University Career Center.

 

Practicum Sequencing

A total of three practica are required in the doctoral curriculum for the counseling specialization in Counseling Psychology and Human Systems. The two career counseling practica completed at CCIS, combine with the mental health counseling practicum, to enhance students' ability to effectively integrate mental health, family, and career issues in the delivery of counseling services.[1] Students in the school psychology specialization are required to complete one career counseling practicum.

 

Phase One. The first career counseling practicum is divided into two phases. During the first phase, which lasts six weeks, students complete the initial component of CCIS Career Advisor training. This training follows the same format and uses the same materials as the standard CCIS Career Advisor training. Students divide their time between formal presentations, demonstrations, and use of assessment, information, and learning resources in the Career Center Library. During the first day of class, practicum students receive the following materials:

 

1) MHS 6805 course syllabus;

2) Career Advisor Guide (contents: directory information, organizational structure, Career Center staff, Career Center program descriptions, working in the CCIS center, communications, Xeroxing, Career Center support staff services, professionalism, evaluation, typical Center questions/problems, and library assistant's manual);

3) All current CCIS module sheets;

4) Three career advisor training checklists; and

5) Staff survey form (used in developing the Career Center staff listing - this form should be completed during the first class meeting).

 

The course syllabus and the Career Advisor Guide should be read prior to the second day of class (week two). Students should review (or read) chapters from the practicum text as indicted in the course topics and schedule. Module sheets should be reviewed and training lists completed by the fifth class (week 5). At the end of the fifth class, the CCIS resource assessment exercise will be distributed. This exercise, which includes 55 common questions posed by CCIS clients, is the final component of the initial phase of training. Students should complete this exercise prior to the start of the sixth day of class (week six). Successful completion of the above training activities is required before students begin seeing clients in CCIS.

 

Phase Two. In the second phase of the practicum, which lasts ten weeks, students maintain an individual career counseling caseload, as well as provide self-directed career decision-making assistance in CCIS. Leading a career counseling group is an optional possibility for the second semester of practicum. Students are expected to make audiotapes of each individual career counseling session for their own review, unless clients refuse to give permission for audiotaping. Students are expected to make at least two videotapes of sessions for review by their supervisor, unless clients refuse to give permission for videotaping. Each student will receive individual supervision from the instructor. One and one-half hours per week will be allocated for group supervision. The second doctoral career counseling practicum will continue this phase two operation for the sixteen weeks of the spring semester.

 

Course Prerequisite

Theories of Vocational Behavior (MHS 6300), is required as a prerequisite for this practicum. Under unusual circumstances, MHS 6300 may be taken as a co-requisite with the practicum with instructor permissions. The doctoral curriculum is designed so that students directly apply principles gained in Theories of Vocational Behavior in the doctoral career counseling practicum. As a result students obtain an optimal blend of theory and practice in the delivery of career counseling services.

 

Context of the Practicum

The two doctoral career counseling practica are offered in an operational service delivery facility at Florida State University. As a result, the nature of students' practicum experiences are strongly influenced by the theoretical perspective, history, resources, physical facility, and staffing pattern of CCIS. The Program in Psychological Services in Education and the Career Center have entered into a cooperative relationship, with the goals of providing enhanced career services to students and adults in the community, as well as providing a quality learning experience for FSU graduate students. The availability of practicum students to provide individual career counseling expands the range of services available to FSU students and community members. The opportunity of completing a practicum in an actual organizational setting provides students with a greater understanding of how organizational dynamics influence the nature and availability of services offered to individuals.

 

While the practicum instructor has direct responsibility the delivery of quality career services, CCIS administrators meet regularly with the instructor to ensure that services delivered by each practicum student is congruent with the mission and goals of CCIS. Feedback from CCIS administrative staff on the performance of a practicum student is provided directly to the practicum instructor who then provides the feedback to the student. Specific feedback from CCIS administrative staff on the provision of services in CCIS, especially where client welfare is concerned, may be given directly to the practicum student.

 

Objectives

1)      To understand the process of career counseling with varied client populations within the context of available options for service delivery.

 

2)      To understand how information processing theory and other career theories are used in the delivery of career services.

 

3)      To understand how readiness assessment is used to improve the cost-effectiveness of career service delivery.

 

4)      To understand how screening (triage) and needs assessment (diagnosis) are used in creating individual learning (treatment) plans.

 

5)      To understand how assessment data facilitates career problem solving and decision-making.

 

6)      To understand career information facilitates career problem solving and decision-making.

 

7)      To understand ethical and professional issues related to the provision of career counseling.

 

Course Topics and Schedule                                                                          Reading

Week 1

Introduction and review of course syllabus

 

Screening/triage, needs assessment/diagnosis, and

 

       intervention planning/treatment planning

 

Case study: Integrating personal, family, and career issues

 

Introduction to the CCIS training process and materials

 

Review of Practicum Logs

 

Tour of the Career Center

 

Introduction to the Career Center Library

 

Introduction to the Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) Approach

Chapter 1 & PowerPoint

Key Elements of the CIP Approach

Sampson et al. (2001)

CASVE Exercise assigned

Sampson et al. (1999)

 

Week 2

Helping Individuals Make Occupational, Educational,

Chapter 2 & PowerPoint

       and Training Choices

 

Helping Individuals Make Employment Choices

Chapter 3 & PowerPoint

Review of Career Center Library resources and Career Key

 

Review of Career Advisor training checklists

 

Time allocated for work on training checklists

 

Historical Perspective on CCIS

 

 

Week 3

Planning and Delivering Career Services

Chapter 4 & PowerPoint

Assessing Readiness for Career Choice and Selecting Appropriate Assistance

Chapter 5 & PowerPoint

Readiness assessment measures

 

Time allocated for work on training checklists

 

 

Week 4

Using the Career Thoughts Inventory to Measure Career Choice Readiness

Chapter 6 & PowerPoint

The CTI Test Booklet

Sampson, et al. (1996a)

The CTI Workbook

Sampson, et al. (1996b)

The CTI Manual

Sampson, et al. (1996c)

Planning and Delivering Career Resources (Assessment)

Chapter 7 & PowerPoint

CASVE Exercise due

Sampson et al. (1999)

Time allocated for work on training checklists

 

 

Week 5

Effective approaches to service delivery in CCIS

 

Planning and Delivering Career Resources (Information and Instruction)

Chapter 7 & PowerPoint

Interpreting the Self-Directed Search

Holland (1994a; 1994b)

Individual counseling procedures for practicum

 

Time allocated for work on training checklists

 

CCIS Resource Assessment Exercise assigned

 

 

Week 6

Using card sorts in career counseling

 

Case Study for Individual Case-Managed Services

Chapter 8 & PowerPoint

Case Studies for Brief Staff-Assisted Services

Chapter 9 & PowerPoint

Case Study for Self-Help Career Services

Chapter 10 & PowerPoint

CCIS Resource Assessment Exercise is due

 

 

Weeks 7 through 16

Students deliver individual career counseling and self-directed career

 

       decision-making services in CCIS while participating in individual

 

       and group supervision

 

Resume critique training

 

Delivering services for special populations

 

Using the Strong Interest Inventory in career counseling

 

Career Counseling Competencies

NCDA (1997)

Ethical standards for service delivery

NCDA (1991)

 

Final Exam Week

Completion of an individual appointment to discuss each student's
Final Evaluation Statement

 

Assignments

Complete CCIS training activities by week 6 of the semester:

Includes completion of career advisor training checklists, career advisor individual learning/staff development plan, assessment instruments, computer applications, CASVE Exercise, and the CCIS Resource Assessment Exercise

 

Maintain a regular individual career counseling caseload:

Includes utilizing Individual Career Learning Plans, needs assessment instruments, and regular case notes and client log entry on each client seen in individual counseling.

 

Maintain regular hours in CCIS providing self-directed career decision-making assistance:

Includes working at the Career Advisor desk, and when appropriate, utilizing Individual Career Learning Plans and needs assessment instruments.

 

Present a case during group supervision covering the following:

1) Presenting problem and background data for the client;

2) Assessment data including CTI data (profile data including client scores and general population/client norms) and SDS data (raw scores, percentiles, and secondary constructs);

3) Theoretical hypotheses including conceptualizing the client in terms of Holland's theory (Hexagon and secondary constructs) and CIP theory (the Pyramid of Information Processing Domains, the CASVE Cycle, and the two-dimensional readiness model); and

4) Plans for service delivery (anticipated or completed) as operationalized on the Individual Learning Plan.

Case presentations should present evidence of the ability to incorporate theory and assessment in the conceptualization of screening/triage, needs assessment/diagnosis, and intervention planning/treatment planning.

 

Complete a Final Evaluation Statement covering the following:

1) Career counseling strengths;

2) Opportunities for improvement; and

3) Plan for ongoing skill development during the second career counseling practicum incorporating the opportunities for improvement mentioned in the previous section.

 

Evaluation

Grades will be assigned on the basis of:

1) Career counseling knowledge and skills verified by performance in completing CCIS training activities (20% of the final course grade);

 

2) Career counseling knowledge and skills verified in supervision by the instructor (50% of the final course grade);

 

3) Ability to present a case that shows evidence of competent use of theory and assessment in the conceptualization of screening/triage, needs assessment/diagnosis, and intervention planning/treatment planning (20% of the final course grade);

 

4) Ability to accurately self-evaluate career counseling strengths and opportunities for improvement, as well as plan for future development in the Final Evaluation Statement. The paper should include evidence of the ability to incorporate theory and assessment in the conceptualization of screening/triage, needs assessment/diagnosis, and intervention planning/treatment planning. (10% of the final course grade).

 

The Florida State University Honor Code

Students are expected to uphold the academic honor code published in the Florida State University Bulletin and the Student Handbook. The academic honor system of the Florida State University is based on the premise that each student has the responsibility (1) to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in the student’s own work, (2) to refuse to tolerate violations of academic integrity in the university community, and (3) to foster a high sense of integrity and social responsibility on the part of the university community.

 

Class Attendance and Participation

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes during the semester unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor or the student has an excused absence (documented illness or family emergency). Students are also required to participate in class discussions as part of completing the class.

 

Policy on Late Assignments

Students are required to submit assignments on the date they are due unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor or the student has an excused absence (documented illness or family emergency).

 

Accommodation for Students with Disabilities

Students with any type of documented disabilities needing accommodation should (1) register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center, and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done the first week of class.

 

Text

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Reardon, R. C., Peterson, G. W., & Lenz, J. G. (2004). Career counseling and services: A cognitive information processing approach. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

 

Additional Required Reading

 

Holland, J. L., Powell, A. B, & Fritzsche, B. A. (1994a). Professional users guide: Self-Directed Search. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

 

Holland, J. L., Powell, A. B, & Fritzsche, B. A. (1994b). The Self-Directed Search technical manual--1994 edition. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources,

            Inc.

 

National Career Development Association (1991). Ethical standards. Tulsa, OK: National Career Development Association [On-line]. Available:

            http://www.ncda.org/about/poles.html

 

National Career Development Association (1997). Career counseling competencies. Tulsa, OK: National Career Development Association [On-line]. Available:

            http://www.ncda.org/about/polccc.html

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Lenz, J. G., Reardon, R. C., & Saunders, D. E. (1996a). Career Thoughts Inventory. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment

            Resources, Inc.

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Lenz, J. G., Reardon, R. C., & Saunders, D. E. (1996b). Improving your career thoughts: A workbook for the Career Thoughts

            Inventory. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Lenz, J. G., Reardon, R. C., & Saunders, D. E. (1996c). Career Thoughts Inventory: Professional manual. Odessa, FL:

            Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc.

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Reardon, R. C., & Lenz, J. G. (2001). Key elements of the CIP approach to designing career services. Unpublished manuscript,

            Florida State University, Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development, Tallahassee [On-line]. Available:

            http://www.career.fsu.edu/techcenter/keyelements.html

 

Sampson, J. P., Jr., Peterson, G. W., Reardon, R. C., & Lenz, J. G. (1999). Practical application of the CASVE cycle of problem solving and decision making.

            Unpublished manuscript, Florida State University, Center for the Study of Technology in Counseling and Career Development, Tallahassee.

 

Additional materials on reserve in the career library will be assigned as appropriate. Typical additional materials include test manuals, professional manuals for

            computer-assisted career guidance systems, and specific resources that relate to individual client needs.

 

Practicum Procedures

            Individual counseling. The sequence of procedures for individual counseling will be as follows:

 

1) Career Advisors will refer and schedule potential clients for individual career counseling services offered on Tuesdays from 2:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Clients may only be scheduled one week in advance, e.g. Wednesday morning is the first time that Career Advisors can schedule a client for the following Tuesday. Appropriate clients for the practicum would include:

 

a) Those individuals who need assistance with career problem solving and decision making issues such as

 

* Choosing a major

* Exploring values, interests, and skills

* Exploring occupations

* Career decision making

* Exploring options for graduate study

* Dual-career issues

* Job hunting

* Writing a resume

* Interview preparation

 

Inappropriate clients for the practicum would include:

 

a) Those individuals who are experiencing a serious life crisis that would prevent them from taking advantage of a cognitively based and insight-oriented approach to counseling;

 

b) Those individuals who are enrolled in a section of SDS 3340 - Introduction to Career Development; and

 

c) Those individuals who are not able to commit at least one to two hours of time for counseling and use of information resources.

 

Questions concerning the above guidelines should be referred to CCIS administrative staff or the practicum instructor.

 

2) The Career Advisor or practicum student on duty will ask the client to sign-in at the front desk. Information sheets, consent forms, and assessment instruments may be completed at this time. At the time of a scheduled individual appointment, the practicum student needs to be in the vicinity of the career library front desk in order to avoid problems where clients are unable to locate their counselor.

 

3) The practicum student will then conduct the client to one of the individual offices in the Career Center that are allocated for individual counseling. (Please note: Career Center recruitment activities always have precedence for room space.)

 

4) As part of the initial interview, the practicum student will ask the client to complete the following materials (if not completed previously):

 

a) Career Center Information Sheet (includes demographic information and informed consent); and

b) The Career Thoughts Inventory.

 

5) After the client and the practicum student mutually identify the client's needs, an Individual Career Learning Plan (ICLP) will be collaboratively completed to guide the client's access to Career Library resources. Unlabeled client folders containing the Career Center Information Sheet, Career Thoughts Inventory, and an Individual Career Learning Plan, is located in room 4107 of the Career Center. Career Center Release of Information Forms are also available in room 4107.

 

6) After each session the practicum student will maintain appropriate case notes and log sheet. Client files are stored in room 4107. Case notes are not to be removed from the Career Center.

 

7) No test data, counselor observations, or client information can be released to any third party or organization without the completion of a Career Center Release of Information Form.

 

Please Note: An audiotape of each counseling session is needed for individual supervision. A minimum of two videotapes for the semester will also be required.

 

            Self-directed career decision making. The sequence of procedures for self-directed career decision making will be as follows:

 

1) The Career Advisor or practicum student on duty will ask the client to sign-in at the front desk.

 

2) The next available practicum student will briefly interview the client to determine his or her needs.

 

3) The practicum student will then either -

 

a) Assist the client in selecting, locating, and using information in the Career Library to meet specific needs, or

 

b) If the complexity of the client's needs warrant, assist the client in collaboratively completing an Individual Career Learning Plan (ICLP), followed by assisting the client in selecting, locating, and using information in the Career Library. (The practicum student has the option of using the Career Thoughts Inventory as a resource in determining the best approach to collaboratively completing an ICLP with the client.)

 

Please Note: Practicum students need to regularly check their mailbox for messages regarding client appointments and information regarding various aspects of Career Center service delivery. Practicum students also need to assist each Tuesday night in the process of "shutting down" the Career Center. Procedures for this activity are provided in the Career Advisor Guide.



[1] Note: Sections of this syllabus dealing with Purpose, Course Prerequisite/Co-requisite, Context of the Practicum, Required Reading, and Practicum Procedures also apply to the second career counseling practicum.