Clinical & School Internships
Internship in the CACREP accredited M.A. in Counseling programs is a planned field-based clinical experience where master’s level counseling students work with clients or students under supervision in order to further develop or refine therapeutic skills in a real world setting.
Deadline Date for M.A. Spring 2025 Applications:
August 30, 2024
PLEASE NOTE: Any fillable PDFs on this page must be typed when submitted, no handwritten copies will be accepted.
MA APPLICATION
Students need to have either attended an on campus orientation meeting or thoroughly read the information that was sent via email in order to apply for internship.
To start internship in Spring 2025, please submit this application.
- Personal Counseling Verification Form (required for students who started in the program BEFORE Fall 2023)
CGS APPLICATIONS
(for CGS students who earned licensure-track master’s degree at another university)
Students need to have thoroughly read the information that was sent via email in order to apply for internship.
To apply for a CGS Internship in Spring 2025, please submit this application.
PhD in CES Application
To apply for CES Internship, please reference this document for the application link and deadline dates.
SCHOOL PLACEMENT REQUEST FORMS
- Chesapeake Public Schools Internship Request Form
- Norfolk Public Schools Internship Request Form
- VB Schools Internship Request Form – M.A. Degree Seeking
- VB Schools Internship Request Form – CGS
- Generic School Internship Request Form – M.A. (to be used when requesting placement in a different school district)
- Generic School Internship Request Form – CGS (to be used when requesting placement in a different school district)
LIABILITY INSURANCE
HANDBOOKS
- MA Practicum & Internship Handbook
- PhD Practicum & Internship Handbook
- Site Supervisor’s Quick Reference Guide
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Finding an internship site can be exciting. It enables you to become familiar with the mental health and/or school counseling fields and network for possible jobs.
Identifying and interviewing with sites can take months so be patient! At the same time, open your mind to a variety of experiences. A you know, God has a way of working everything out for His glory!
Instructions
- Choose the top 3 sites you are interested in and include them where asked on the Google Form Application for Internship. Please do not include more than 3 sites, any more will not be considered with the application.
- The Field Placement Liaison (FPL) will make first contact with all sites from the list that students are interested in to determine who is interviewing for internship placement and will provide you with contact information for those sites that respond affirmatively. It is important to note that the FPL does not begin contacting sites until all internship applications have been submitted and processed.
- Email resumes and cover letters, complete application packages, and/or set up interviews, as directed by the FPL.
- Interview with any site that offers you that opportunity.
- When interviewing with a site, make sure you are familiar with the requirements for internship:
- MCF Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship), with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. At least 200 of those direct service hours MUST be spent working with couples and families. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- CMHC Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 60 total hours (over both semesters of internship) with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- Please know that your supervisor MUST be a fully licensed mental health professional (i.e., LPC/LCMHC/LMHC, LMFT, LCSW, or a Licensed Clinical Psychologist). Please check with the FPL for more details on supervisor requirements if needed.
- When you accept placement with a site on the list, sign a FieldWork Contract with the person who will serve as your site supervisor. Each semester of internship is treated as a separate entity so this first contract is for Internship A, you will sign another one for Internship B later.
- Submit this completed contract to the FPL, who will add her signature and return a fully signed copy to you. Provide a copy of that fully signed contract to your site supervisor.
- Students are NOT ALLOWED to register themselves for internship, nor can University Advising do this. You will be notified when registered for the appropriate section of either COUN 593 Internship in Marriage, Couple, & Family Counseling or COUN 595 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
- Research and identify potential sites that Regent University has not worked with in the past.
- Provide information on this site (or sites) where asked on the Google Form Application for Internship. This MUST include the name of the site, street address, and their website. You will not be able to click the submit button on the application unless information on 3 sites is listed. Please do not include more than 3 sites, any more will not be considered with the application.
- The FPL will review the site(s) and will let you know how contact will be handled. For the most part, you will be making first contact in order to cut out the “middle man” (AKA the FPL). This is due to how cumbersome it can be to make contact with a new site, as the main focus of most places that provide counseling is on the client/patient. If given the go ahead to make contact with a site that isn’t on the list, that “permission” will be for just that site.
- Interview with any site that offers you that opportunity.
- When interviewing with a site, make sure you are familiar with the requirements for internship:
- MCF Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship), with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. At least 200 of those direct service hours MUST be spent working with couples and families. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- CMHC Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship) with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- Please know that your supervisor MUST be a fully licensed mental health professional (i.e., LPC/LCMHC/LMHC, LMFT, LCSW, or a Licensed Clinical Psychologist). Please check with the FPL for more details on supervisor requirements if needed.
- When you accept placement with a site that isn’t on the list, notify the FPL and provide updated contact information – telephone number for the site, a contact person, and an email address for that person.
- The FPL will make contact with the site to complete the university approval process BEFORE authorizing you to sign a FieldWork Contract with the person who will serve as your site supervisor. Each semester of internship is treated as a separate entity so this first contract is for Internship A, you will sign another one for Internship B later.
- Submit this completed FieldWork Contract to the FPL, who will add her signature and return a fully signed copy to you. Provide a copy of that fully signed contract to your site supervisor.
- Students are NOT ALLOWED to register themselves for internship, nor can University Advising do this. You will be notified when registered for the appropriate section of either COUN 593 Internship in Marriage, Couple, & Family Counseling or COUN 595 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
No matter which option you choose (and you can do both) make sure to provide updates of your progress to the FPL, do not wait until the last minute to inform the university of any problems in securing a placement.
- Research and identify potential sites in your area. Please see this LIST for sites that Regent University has worked with in the past. It is a Google Sheet with tabs for each state where at least one student has done a field placement in the past, with the final tab being the few international sites students have been placed with over the years.
- You will provide information on the top 3 sites you are interested in where asked on the Google Form Application for Internship. This MUST include the name of the site, street address, and their website. Please do not include more than 3 sites, any more will not be considered with the application.
- Once the FPL has reviewed the information on your top 3 sites, you will be given permission to begin contacting these sites on your own, along with more information on doing this. You may contact more than these 3 sites, however you do not need to send additional site information to the FPL when doing so.
- Interview with any site that offers you that opportunity.
- When interviewing with a site, make sure you are familiar with the requirements for internship:
- MCF Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship), with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. At least 200 of those direct service hours MUST be spent working with couples and families. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- CMHC Internship – you must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship) with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- Please know that your supervisor MUST be a fully licensed mental health professional (i.e., LPC/LCMHC/LMHC, LMFT, LCSW, or a Licensed Clinical Psychologist). Please check with the FPL for more details on supervisor requirements if needed.
- When you have accepted a placement, notify the FPL and provide complete contact information for the site (name of it, address, telephone number, website, contact person, and email address for that person).
- The FPL will make contact with the site to complete the university approval process BEFORE authorizing you to sign a FieldWork Contract with the person who will serve as your site supervisor. Each semester of internship is treated as a separate entity so this first contract is for Internship A, you will sign another one for Internship B later.
- Submit the completed FieldWork Contract to the FPL, who will add her signature and return a fully signed copy to you. Provide a copy of that fully signed contract to your site supervisor.
- Students are NOT ALLOWED to register themselves for internship, nor can University Advising do this. You will be notified when registered for the appropriate section of either COUN 593 Internship in Marriage, Couple, & Family Counseling or COUN 595 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Even though you will be contacting potential internship sites on your own, it is important to know that you are not alone in this process. Reach out to the Field Placement Liaison if you have any questions regarding a site. You may encounter a site that wishes to speak with a university representative first (this is few and far between), and in those cases provide the complete contact information (as described above) to the FPL.
Make sure to provide updates of your progress to the FPL, do not wait until the last minute to inform the university of any problems in securing a placement.
FYI: School placements are not possible in the summer semester.
- Refer to the SPC Field Placement Site List for a listing of the school districts that Regent University works with for internship placement.
- Complete the appropriate school placement request form and upload it where asked on the Google Form Application for Internship. Please do NOT submit the application without the request form. NOTE: Only ONE placement request form for ONE school system per student.
- The FPL will submit the placement request to the school district on your behalf. Students are NOT to make contact with school systems unless otherwise directed. Most school districts have a centralized placement process and we must follow those requirements.
- Be prepared to furnish any additional items that may be required by the school district (i.e., application, resume, recommendations, official/unofficial transcripts, etc.)
- Please be patient. When requesting placement for the fall semester, it could be August before we receive anything from the school system. When requesting placement for the spring semester, it could be December or even early January before we receive anything from the school system.
- When placement information is received, the Field Placement Liaison will notify you via email. You should contact the assigned School Counselor ASAP to introduce yourself and hopefully schedule a meeting with him/her before your placement begins.
- Check this page of the website for the deadline date to submit the FieldWork Contract. However, you can take care of this earlier if you like, and it can be done via email with your site supervisor. Submit the completed contract to the FPL, who will add her signature and return a fully signed copy to you. Provide a copy of that fully signed contract to your site supervisor.
- Make sure you are familiar with the requirements for internship in a school setting:
- M.A. in School Counseling – interns will do 2 semesters of internship, one in a high school and the other in an elementary school. You must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship) with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- CGS in School Counseling – CGS interns do ONE semester of internship, which must be in a middle school setting (defined as a school that houses students in 6th – 8th grades). You must accumulate a minimum of 300 total hours with at least 200 of those hours being direct service, 100 hours with 6th graders and 100 hours with 7th & 8th graders. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- Students are NOT ALLOWED to register themselves for internship, nor can University Advising do this. You will be notified when registered for the appropriate section of COUN 594 Internship in School Counseling.
FYI: School placements are not possible in the summer semester.
- Research and identify school districts in your area.
- Choose ONE of those school districts, complete the Generic Placement Request Form (make sure to choose the appropriate version, there is one each for M.A. degree seeking students and one for CGS students) and upload it where asked on the Google Form Application for Internship. Please do NOT submit the application without the request form. NOTE: Only ONE placement request form for ONE school system per student.
- The FPL will submit the placement request to the school district on your behalf. Students are NOT to make contact with school systems unless otherwise directed. Most school districts have a centralized placement process and we must follow those requirements.
- Be prepared to furnish any additional items that may be required by the school district (i.e., application, resume, recommendations, official/unofficial transcripts, etc.)
- Please be patient. When requesting placement for the fall semester, it could be August before we receive anything from the school system. When requesting placement for the spring semester, it could be December or even early January before we receive anything from the school system.
- When placement information is received, the Field Placement Liaison will notify you via email. You should contact the assigned School Counselor ASAP to introduce yourself and hopefully schedule a meeting with him/her before your placement begins.
- Check this page of the website for the deadline date to submit the FieldWork Contract. However, you can take care of this earlier if you like, and it can be done via email with your site supervisor. Submit the completed contract to the FPL, who will add her signature and return a fully signed copy to you. Provide a copy of that fully signed contract to your site supervisor.
- Make sure you are familiar with the requirements for internship in a school setting:
- M.A. in School Counseling – interns will do 2 semesters of internship, one in a high school and the other in an elementary school. You must accumulate a minimum of 600 total hours (over both semesters of internship) with at least 240 of those hours being direct service. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- CGS in School Counseling – CGS interns do ONE semester of internship, which must be in a middle school setting (defined as a school that houses students in 6th – 8th grades). You must accumulate a minimum of 300 total hours with at least 200 of those hours being direct service, 100 hours with 6th graders and 100 hours with 7th & 8th graders. All interns are required to lead, or co-lead, at least one group counseling session during internship. Supervision is an average of one hour per week.
- Students are NOT ALLOWED to register themselves for internship, nor can University Advising do this. You will be notified when registered for the appropriate section of COUN 594 Internship in School Counseling.
What to Do When You Get an Interview
- Make sure to dress appropriately for the interview, business attire is recommended.
- Bring a copy of your resume, the Practicum FieldWork Contract which is found HERE (yes, bring it even though you may not be able to sign it with a supervisor right away) and the Site Supervisor’s Quick Reference Guide.
- Be able to discuss the information on both the contract and the supervisor guide.
- Verify the practicum requirements with the supervisor.
Deadline for Spring 2025 Contracts (CMHC/MCF/Clinical Placements):
December 5, 2024
Deadline for Spring 2025 Contracts (School Counseling Placements):
January 17, 2025
Deadline for Personal Counseling Verification Forms for ALL interns starting in Spring 2025 (pertains to students who started the program in Fall 2023 and later):
December 5, 2024
The School of Psychology & Counseling uses an Academic EHR platform called Tevera for most evaluations and entering your time during internship. Please see the following How To documents for each of these activities, but do note that you cannot enter time until you have completed the assignment to add the appropriate M.A. or CGS Internship Time Track, and information about that is sent to you via email prior to the start of your first semester of internship. The assignments for the evaluation form completed by the site supervisor and the track hours log are done at the midterm and final points in the semester so will not show as available at the beginning of the semester. Students evaluate their field placement site and their site supervisor at the end of the semester.
HOW TO
MA INTERNSHIP DIRECT VS. INDIRECT SERVICE HOURS
RECORDING/OBSERVATION FORM
The School of Psychology & Counseling uses an Academic EHR platform called Tevera for most evaluations and entering your time during internship. Please see the following How to documents for each of these activities, but do note that you cannot enter time until you have completed the assignment to add the CES Internship Time Track, and information on that is sent to you via email prior to the start of your first semester of internship. The assignments for the evaluation form completed by the site supervisor and the track hours log are done at the midterm and final points in the semester so will not show as available at the beginning of the semester. Students evaluate their field placement site and site supervisor at the end of the semester.