Field Placement ProcessDr. Amanda DePippo PhD, LMHC, CRC, MCAP

Instructor and Director of Field Placement

adepippo@usf.edu

Field Placement Webpage and Handbook

• Please read our webpage and field handbook before moving forward:

Field Placement | RMHC

What is the Purpose of Field Work?

• Your field placement experiences are invaluable opportunities to put theory into action. No amount of reading, role playing, or talking "about" counseling can substitute for working with people in the "real world.”

• Field placements are practica and internship classes that give you a chance to experience firsthand what you've been reading about in textbooks and discussing in class.

Hour Requirement for Field Classes?

• Students in the RMHC program spend a total of 1000 hours in the field.

a. 200 hours in practicum I (40 hours must be face-to-face client contact)

b. 200 hours in Practicum II (40 hours must be face-to-face client contact)

c. 600 hours in internship (240 hours must be face-to-face-client contact).

• In a typical 15-week semester, students in practicum I or II spend 14 hours per week at an agency (20 during the summer), and in internship, 40 hours per week. The student and agency arrange actual days and times for practicum. You can work evenings and weekends. You also attend a class on campus.

Additional Requirements for PracticumPracticum 1 and 2 (requirements are the same for both courses) 1. Students are required to obtain 200 agency hours over the span of the semester (for summer that averages about 20 hours per week at an agency and for spring and fall semesters, it averages about 14 hours per week at an agency). In addition, students attend a practicum class on campus. 2. Of the 200 hours for Practicum 1 and 2, 40 of the hours must be face-to-face client contact (individual sessions, group counseling, family, or couples). This number is higher if the student is completing the marriage and family certificate. Students are not allowed to market or recruit their own clients. An agency would need to have enough clientele to support the required hours. 3. Students need to have the ability to audio record (with client consent) about 4 individual client sessions over the span of the semester. 4. Students need one hour of clinical supervision at their site each week. This can be performed by a staff member with the following credentials: LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, or Licensed Psychologist. Supervisors must be on-site while students complete their hours each week. 5. Site supervisors are asked to complete a mid-term and final evaluation regarding the student's performance. We use an online system where you would receive log-in information and would complete all necessary paperwork electronically.

Additional Requirements for Internship

Internship 1. For internship, students are required to obtain 600 agency hours over the span of the semester. This breaks down to 40 per week. Of the 600 hours, 240 must be face-to-face client contact. 2. Audio recordings of client sessions are not required. 3. Students need one hour of clinical supervision at their site each week. This can be performed by a staff member with the following credentials: LMHC, LCSW, LMFT, or Licensed Psychologist. Supervisors must be on-site while students complete their hours each week. 4. Site supervisors are asked to complete a mid-term and final evaluation regarding the student's performance. We use an online system where you would receive log-in information and would complete all necessary paperwork electronically.

Helpful Tips

• All field placement hours must be accrued within the confines of the semester dates.

• You cannot begin to accrue placement hours prior to the beginning of the semester, and all hours must be completed by the end of finals week for the semester.

• Begin your field placement search early. Along with our program, students from various other departments and universities are vying for field placements throughout the community.

I am ready for field, now what?

• About 4-6 weeks into the Spring and Fall semesters, an announcement will go out via email stating that now is the time to secure your field placement site. You typically have a deadline of about 6 weeks to get it secured.

• Once you secure your site, you can complete the field placement application on our website. Field Placement | RMHC

• *Important – When the announcement goes out in the Spring, this will be for those who are doing field during the Summer and/or Fall so you need to secure for one or both semesters at that time. When the announcement goes in in the Fall, you are securing for the Spring semester only.

Keep in Mind!

• Once you apply for field placement via the field placement application, you will be provided with a course permit. You will use this permit to register for the course in OASIS when registration opens.

• Permits for field placement courses are issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. These courses can fill up quickly and we cannot exceed the enrollment cap in these courses.

How do I Find a Site?

• We are partnered with a variety of sites across the Tampa Bay area and surrounding cities. The list of approved sites are located in our Intern Placement Tracking (IPT) database. You will receive your username and password during your first semester in Foundations class.

• You can locate the IPT database at www.runipt.com and the organization ID is usfrmhc.

How do I Find a Site Continued?

• You have the freedom to choose which site you would like to be at based on your interests as well your location around Tampa Bay.

• Finding a site is a lot like finding a job. You want to familiarize yourself with our approved sites and then begin reaching out to the respective sites.

• I find that email is the best way to contact sites. Please be sure that your emails are professional as unprofessional emails can prevent you from getting your placement of choice. P.S. this has happened to previous students.

Unprofessional Email: What Not To Do!

Unprofessional Email Example

“hey, i was wondering if you have any openings at your site for the fall. Thx!”

What makes this unprofessional?1. Improper salutation.

2. Not capitalizing where needed.

3. Nothing included that is specific to the student or the site.

4. Using the abbreviation “Thx.”

Professional Email: What to do!

“Dear Marsha, (if the individual has a PhD, address as Dr. …..)

My name is Amanda DePippo and I am a student in the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program at the University of South Florida. I will be completing practicum 1 during the Fall 2019 semester and I wanted to ask if you had any openings for an intern at your site? I am particularly interested in your site because (fill in the blank). I am very excited about the possibility to learn from you and your team. Please find my resume and cover letter attached to this email and I am available for an interview at your convenience.

Sincerely, Amanda DePippo

Liability Insurance

• All students are required to maintain professional liability insurance. Each student in the RMHC program is covered through the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center Self-Insurance Program pursuant to Florida Statutes §§768.28 and 1004.24. Such professional liability protection has limits of $1,000,000.00 per claim and $3,000,000.00 per occurrence. USF will maintain such insurance in effect at all times that students are assigned to a field placement agency.

I Would Like to Get a Site Approved?

• 1. Talk with the site and see if they are interested in taking interns. If so, you can contact me and share the following: A. General information about the agency. B. What interests you about this particular agency? C. Provide the name, email, and telephone number for the contact at the agency. I will set up a phone conference with this person to determine appropriate fit.

• Do not wait until the last minute to see about getting a site approved or it won’t happen. To become an approved site, an affiliation agreement has to be signed between the agency and USF which can be a lengthy process. The most important thing to do is to start the process early.

Disclaimers

• The student is responsible for all costs associated with finger printing and background checks.

• If you are considering being placed at a private practice location, you must meet face-to-face with Dr. Amanda DePippo prior to submission of a Field Placement Application

• Please be advised that, once arrangements have been finalized, a student MAY NOT change their field placement site. The difficulties encountered may include:

(1) The possibility that an affiliate agreement has not been signed by the new site you have chosen. The process of obtaining an affiliate agreement can be time consuming and complicated. Unless it is your place of employment, this agreement is required by the program. As a practicum student, the new site may not offer frequent opportunities to record counseling sessions. The taping of counseling session is required for both practicum courses. An abrupt departure from an already approved site is unprofessional and fails to meet our standard of professional conduct. It reflects poorly on the entire program and could result in that site no longer accepting our students in the future.

• If a modification of a field placement is necessary due to:

(1) An unexpected employment opportunity

(2) The placement and/or supervision falling through

(3) Some other special circumstance it MUST first be approved by the field placement director.

Frequently Asked Questions/Guidelines

• Do I need to remain at the same site for all field classes? We encourage you to remain at the same site for both practicum classes. This is a recommendation, not a requirement.

• Is there any paperwork that the site needs to complete once I’ve been accepted? They are not required to do anything until the beginning of the semester of your field class. The IPT database houses all field paperwork and the instructor for your class will electronically provide all documents needed for completion throughout the semester.

• Can I use my job as my field placement site? Possibly. See handbook pg. 6

• If you are an MFT or SA certificate student, please contact, Dr. Henry rghenry@usf.edu or Dr. Buckles vbuckles@usf.edu for certificate specific information related to field placement.