Internship Competency Areas

Initial Consultation (IC): A 20-30 minute session with the student during which the counselor and student create a plan to address the presenting concerns.

Crisis intervention: Crises are seen within the Initial Consultation and at times may require the IC to be extended beyond the 30-45 minutes.

Brief Individual Psychotherapy: While the Counseling Center does not have any session limit, the aim of these individual sessions is to focus on an identifiable goal.

Group Counseling: Interns are expected to co-facilitate a minimum of 1 therapy or support group during each of the Fall and Spring semesters of their internship year. Beginning in the Spring semester, those who desire more group experience have the opportunity to facilitate a second group, through one of two options: (A) co-facilitating a second group with a senior staff clinician; or (B) partnering with another intern to co-facilitate a skills- and/or support group under the supervision of a senior staff clinician. For more information on our groups, please visit our Groups page.

Outreach and Consultation: Interns participate in outreach activities by 1) volunteering to provide programs requested by members of the university community; 2) facilitating workshops regularly offered by the Center; 3) participating in programming initiated by the Center; and 4) developing an independent outreach project in a concentration area to address a need they have identified in the community. Each intern is expected to do at least 5 outreach programs/semester, facilitate a 1 workshop series/semester (first as a co-facilitator and then independently) and complete an independent outreach project.

Formal Clinical Case Presentations: Interns will present a case to professional staff using a format provided by the Training Director. This component is intended to provide interns with an opportunity to demonstrate to the professional staff, their capacity to conceptualize, plan, and implement a treatment in a theoretically coherent fashion.

Outreach Project: The Outreach Project is an opportunity for interns to express their passion and creativity while utilizing their outreach and consultation skills. The goal of the Outreach Project is for interns to contribute their specific interests and skills to the overall work and mission of the JHU Counseling Center. Interns will be required to do a brief presentation on their project.

Orientation: Interns receive an orientation to the internship program, the Counseling Center, and the university community during the first three weeks of the internship. During this time interns are trained in the workings of the Counseling Center and meet with University Staff who are frequent Counseling Center collaborators.

Individual supervision: Interns will have two primary supervisors, one for each half of the year. All primary supervisors are licensed as psychologists in the State of Maryland. Primary supervisors will provide two hours of regular individual clinical supervision per week for Initial Consultations, brief individual therapy, crisis intervention services, consultation, and case management. Interns will also receive additional supervision for their group work and outreach activities.

Supervision of Peer Supervision (SOPS): This is a weekly seminar co-facilitated by one or more licensed psychologists to develop the supervisory skills of interns. Interns will receive didactic instruction on clinical supervision, multicultural supervision, and feedback upon supervisory responses to their peers.

Training seminars: Interns participate in a series of 2-hour seminars, which meet bi-weekly from September through July. Seminar topics cover areas relevant for clinical practice in a university counseling center.

Multicultural Seminar Series: This series alternates with the training seminars noted above. The format of the seminar includes both didactic training and experiential exercises. The goal is for the interns to reflect on their own privileged and oppressed identities, gain more insight into their own biases, and understand how these may affect the therapeutic and other professional relationships.

Intern Support Group: Interns meet for one hour per week to process their internship experience, and to discuss general matters relevant to professional development. A licensed clinical social worker who is not involved in the evaluation of the interns facilitates the group. This component is intended to directly support the emotional development of interns in a manner that complements efforts provided in supervision.

Weekly check-in meeting. Interns and the TD meet as a group each week to discuss a variety of topics. Generally, meetings earlier in the internship year are focused on logistical processes and acclimatizing to the CC. Over time, these discussions focus more on professional development and other topics.

Case Consultation Meeting: Interns participate in weekly 2-hour case management meetings. These meetings focus on clinical and case management issues, such as internal and external referral of cases, ongoing crisis situations, clinical difficulties, ethical and legal issues, and the tracking of clients with significant suicidal features.

Staff Business Meeting: Interns are involved in weekly meetings devoted to the administrative business of the Center. These meetings offer interns opportunities to observe and participate in management of the Center, through such activities as the development of Center policies and procedures.

Professional Development Programs: Interns are expected to participate in the professional development activities of the Center.

Orientation: Interns receive an orientation to the internship program, the Counseling Center, and the university community during the first three weeks of the internship. During this time interns are trained in the workings of the Counseling Center and meet with University Staff who are frequent Counseling Center collaborators.

Individual supervision: Interns will have two primary supervisors, one for each half of the year. All primary supervisors are licensed as psychologists in the State of Maryland. Primary supervisors will provide two hours of regular individual clinical supervision per week for Initial Consultations, brief individual therapy, crisis intervention services, consultation, and case management. Interns will also receive additional supervision for their group work and outreach activities.

Supervision of Peer Supervision (SOPS): This is a weekly seminar co-facilitated by one or more licensed psychologists to develop the supervisory skills of interns. Interns will receive didactic instruction on clinical supervision, multicultural supervision, and feedback upon supervisory responses to their peers.

Training seminars: Interns participate in a series of 2-hour seminars, which meet bi-weekly from September through July. Seminar topics cover areas relevant for clinical practice in a university counseling center.

Multicultural Seminar Series: This series alternates with the training seminars noted above. The format of the seminar includes both didactic training and experiential exercises. The goal is for the interns to reflect on their own privileged and oppressed identities, gain more insight into their own biases, and understand how these may affect the therapeutic and other professional relationships.

Intern Support Group: Interns meet for one hour per week to process their internship experience, and to discuss general matters relevant to professional development. A licensed clinical social worker who is not involved in the evaluation of the interns facilitates the group. This component is intended to directly support the emotional development of interns in a manner that complements efforts provided in supervision.

Weekly check-in meeting. Interns and the TD meet as a group each week to discuss a variety of topics. Generally, meetings earlier in the internship year are focused on logistical processes and acclimatizing to the CC. Over time, these discussions focus more on professional development and other topics.