K-State CAPS Practicum Training
Overview and description
The Practicum Training Program is designed to help Master's and Doctoral-level students in clinical mental health programs seeking to further develop their skills in consultation/triaging and short-term individual therapy (e.g., 8-15 sessions or less). Other supervised clinical opportunities include co-leading skills-focused therapy groups and serving as a process observer for interpersonal process groups. Outreach opportunities are also available for those who are interested in psychoeducation. Practicum therapists receive one hour a week of individual or group supervision and participate in weekly multi-disciplinary staff case conferences/consultations and all staff meetings, as well as monthly seminars.
This training experience requires an academic-year commitment beginning a week before classes start in August and ending about a week after classes end in May. For supervision purposes, trainees are required to video record all sessions, with the video equipment provided by CAPS. Practicum therapists and their supervisors collaborate to develop a schedule at the start of each semester.
Practicum therapists will provide short-term individual therapy (e.g., 8-15 sessions or less) to K-State students for a wide range of presenting concerns, with increased responsibility likely to occur throughout the training experience as the practicum therapist demonstrates increased competency and skill. For example, working with high-risk clients and those with more complex presenting problems (e.g., clients with suicidal ideation and trauma histories).
Practicum therapists receive one hour of individual clinical supervision per week. Each therapist will be assigned one supervisor, who may be a permanent staff member or a Doctoral Intern in Health Service Psychology. To provide a variety of supervisory experiences, practicum therapists may switch their supervisor after the semester break, if staff are available to do so. Supervisees may also participate in group supervision. All supervision sessions are videotaped. The functions of the supervisory relationship include monitoring client welfare, enhancing therapeutic skills and multicultural competence, promoting personal and professional growth, and ongoing evaluation of the practicum therapist's professional development and training needs. Practicum therapists are required to prepare for supervision (e.g., be ready to discuss clients and professional growth, watch taped sessions, and have clips identified to review with supervisor).
Practicum therapists are required to attend weekly case conferences, typically on Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. These are one-hour conferences with a multidisciplinary team comprised of CAPS providers, health center medical providers, and other trainees. The purpose of the case conference meeting is to provide clinicians and trainees with opportunities to offer and receive consultative support regarding clients with whom they are working, learn about other assessment and treatment interventions, increase knowledge about helpful resources available to clients, celebrate successes in work with clients, be exposed to various theoretical frameworks employed by team members, and hone case conceptualization skills. Practicum therapists have the opportunity to present a formal case presentation at the end of the spring semester.
Practicum therapists are required to attend weekly CAPS all staff meetings typically held on Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. In those meetings clinical procedures, policies, outreach opportunities, relevant updates and concerns regarding agency operation, and issues pertaining to treatment services are discussed.
If you are a student of the K-State Couples and Family Therapy, you may apply for a Graduate Assistantship Practicum Therapist position at CAPS. It requires a commitment of 20 hours each week. Master students will receive a $10,000 USD stipend, and PhD students will receive a $12,000 USD stipend. At this time, we are not offering tuition reimbursement. If students are not able to commit 20 hours in office but are able to commit to a minimum of 12 hours, they can still apply for a (non-graduate assistantship) practicum therapist position.
Activity
|
Hours Per Week
|
Clinical appointments
|
Up to 10
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Individual or group supervision
|
1
|
Large/small case conference
|
1
|
Staff meeting
|
1
|
Clinical prep, video review, and paperwork
|
7
|
Skills group facilitator or process observation of interpersonal process therapy group
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Optional
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Total
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20
|
Application requirements
Applications for the upcoming training year will be accepted until May 31, 2025. Please include the following materials in your application:
- Letter of Interest describing goals for practicum position at CAPS
- Current Curriculum Vitae
- The email address for a professional reference (e.g. professor/clinical supervisor)
Selected candidates will be contacted to do one-hour, in-person interviews.
We ask that any student who was seen previously as a client at CAPS consider that when applying to our practicum. For instance, if you complete a practicum at our site, you may interact with your prior therapist throughout your training activities here. However, your former therapist will not be your clinical supervisor.
For more information or to submit your application, please email:
Marcos Mendez, Ph.D., LCMFT
CAPS training coordinator
AAMFT Approved Supervisor
1105 Sunset Ave, Room 101
Manhattan, KS 66502
(785) 532-6927
counsel@ksu.edu