Clinical Practica. The core of our students' practicum experience takes place in “vertical” practicum teams (i.e., students from all year levels). These are supervised by budgeted, tenure-track Clinical Psychology faculty. Students see their clients at SIUC's interdisciplinary Clinical Center. Our students enroll for practicum beginning in their first semester on campus, continuing through the first, second and third years, and, in many cases, into the fourth year of the program. Training proceeds in a graduated fashion whereby first semester students participate in weekly team meetings, reviewing the clinical activity of advanced students or sitting-in as co-therapists. When students feel ready, and with the supervisor's endorsement, they begin to see their own first clients. This typically occurs during the second semester of the first year or at the beginning of the second year in the program. Individual supervision at this stage is on an hour-for-hour basis and students would typically see just one client. With increasing experience and confidence, and progressing through the second year, the student will begin to see 2-3 clients. We typically provide four vertical teams each semester, two adult- and two child-oriented. Adult-clinical supervisors include Drs. D. Gilbert, Teng, Rodriguez, DiLalla, and on occasion, Dollinger. Child-clinical supervisors include Drs. B. Gilbert, Cashel, Kibby, DiLalla and on occasion Dollinger. Whereas the audiotaping of sessions is routine and expected of all students, some supervisors prefer more frequent use of videotape; one prefers to have students serve as peer-supervisors; one prefers to be a guest co-therapist with each student each semester; another asks students to schedule most clients on the same evening so live supervision occurs frequently. Supervisors' orientations could be described variously as behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, integrationist, systems-oriented, relationship-oriented and eclectic.
Field Placement. This two-summer course is required of students in our clinical program. In the first summer, students visit a variety of agencies accompanied by the instructor (Dr. Dollinger) to understand the range of human services provided in the region. We visit such agencies as Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Franklin-Williamson Human Services, Choate Mental Health Center, Women's Center, Brehm School, Chester Mental Health Center, Illinois Youth Centers and others. Students do a 125-hour placement at one agency during their second summer.
Elective Specialty Practica. Students frequently enroll in elective specialty practica. These include the Family Therapy Team offered by the Counselor Education program, Marital Therapy with Dr. Dave Gilbert, and assessment teams (Cashel, Kibby). Specialty practica can also be arranged at many external agencies.
Clinical Training Assignments. Of major importance to our training assignment model are the service contracts which our program maintains with non-university agencies such as FWHS, CCS, Brehm School, Choate and others. Nearly all fourth-year students (plus many third and fifth year students) fill half-time positions through these contracts which offer a greater range of clinical experience. |
