Introduction

1. Introduction College interns make a school counselor’s life easier, really! CSCA November 15-16, 2007 Kayla Dodson, M.A. Kelly Mendenhall, M.Ed. School Counselors Grand Mesa Middle School 585 31 ½ Rd. Grand Junction, CO 81504 Kmendenh@mesa.k12.co.uskdodson@mesa.k12.co.us http://gmms.mesa.k12.co.us/staff/counseling/index.htm

3. Best and Worst Memories… • Having the space to intern, to do your job • Having various experiences in different school locations • Feeling wanted • Feeling needed within your school

4. Intern Tasks • Easy Transcribe notes • CSAP labels • Alpha • Mailing letters • Filing • Lunch duty • Finding students • Updating resource lists • Laundry • Email form letters • Calling parents abt meetings, parent teacher conf. • Medium • Data collection • Shadowing • Web site • Simple scheduling • 4-year plans • ELF folder stuff • Co-facilitate groups • Researching and planning group or classroom guidance lesson • Advanced • Individual counseling • Parent meetings • 504 • Testing • RTI • SST • Calling parents on serious issues • Building meetings • Credit checks • Independlenty leading groups • Helping to implement the ASCA model

5. Easy Example • *Photo of Intern Poster* • Program support • Calling Parents (events, etc.) • Counseling bulletin boards • Data organization

6. Medium Examples • Co-facilitating small groups • Team teach classroom guidance lessons • Lesson Plans for above • Gathering Data/Research • Routine Schedule Changes • Logging counseling hours (SCAATAP)

7. Advanced • New Student registration and orientation • Mentoring Students one on one • Creating a schedule • Writing and presenting a classroom guidance lesson • Independently plan and lead a small group • Help with grant writing • Organizing community/counselor events

8. Even more benefits! • Interns bring diversity and enrich your counseling department. • Interns are not tired yet. They are coming with the latest techniques, research, practices, and ideas. • They are excited to be applying what they are learning, and that energizes you.

9. Sharing Your Space

10. Being Creative with time/tasks • What they do? • How/What/When do you assign jobs? • Establish long-term projects • Something to do always?! • Joining counselor in meetings, sessions, groups, classroom guidance, events, conferences • Interns working with interns

11. Possible Drawbacks from the Counselor’s point of view… • Interns seem to catch all bugs going around • They have fall break when you didn’t expect it • You don’t have one for a semester  • They could take more supervision and mentoring than the average. • You don’t have time to get the intern organized, so they “hover” • You have to share your space • They are TOO efficient! 

12. Possible Drawbacks from the Intern’s point of view… • Not enough to do • Only clerical tasks • Lack of consistent constructive feedback • Not paid • Being mistaken for an 8th grader • Not knowing school climate subtleties. • Balancing intern time with life responsibilities

13. What is Supervision? • Murphy, Sally. ASCA National Model: the Foundation for Supervision of Practicum and Internship Students. Professional School Counseling, February 2007. • “A means of transmitting the skills, knowledge and attitudes of a particular profession to the next generation of that profession. This relationship is evaluative, extends over time, and has the simultaneous purpose of enhancing the professional functioning of the junior members, monitoring the quality of services offered, and serving as a gatekeeper for those who are to enter the particular profession.” • Bernard and Goodyear, 2004

14. Counselor Refreshed • Re-reminded of best practices

15. You Can Do It!!!! • Trust Yourself, you already have skills and concepts to mentor! • You can interview an intern to find out their background, goals, requirements from their program. • You can model and teach how to organize and lead counseling groups, classroom guidance lessons, meet individual with students. (and lunch duty... ) • You can co-counsel with an intern as they begin to practice. • And you can debrief and discuss and celebrate!

16. They can do it!! • Have faith in your intern • Look to see what their University is sending them with that would enrich your program • Interns have the book learning and are ready to get real life experiences • They are supervised by faculty within their program

17. Using Technology Use caution! • Know the district policy: usage of software programs, internet • SASI/student data management • Email account within district • Internet access/research/ word processing • SCAATAP • Phone Usage • Ethics

18. Supportive Supervision: • Help the intern feel welcome and wanted in your program • Intern poster, who’s who? • Teach them unique acronyms for your school (PBS, RTI, IST, ALT, etc..) • Provide them with school calendar, daily schedule, regularly scheduled meetings and events • School T-shirt (if you have some left over)  • Welcome bag (a nice touch) • Recommendation letter • Contact information exchanged • Name Tag/ID and sign-in

19. Supervision = Time • Help interns have a system for documenting how they spend their time based on the ASCA model • *Show Time Log* • Finding time to give interns one on one supervision time weekly • Establishing goals • Using supervision time to help reflect on what you are doing as a counselor • Self reflection? • Motivation for improving professional techniques • Paperwork for University/college • Writing a recommendation letter

20. Recruiting Interns • Practicum vs. internship. What’s the difference? • Looking at master’s level counseling programs Colorado State University, Fort Collins University of Northern Colorado, Greeley University of Colorado, Colorado Springs University of Colorado, Boulder Adams State College Denver University Regis University Western State College Naropa University Argosy University • Bachelors Degree: any 4 year college/university maybe 2 year vocational college? • High School Clerical tasks, help with passes etc… • Confidentiality and Ethics

21. CACREP • Knowing their educational program’s requirements. • The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) The Colorado Counselor Licensure Bill allows a counselor with a master’s or doctoral degree who has successfully completed supervised experience, education, and examination requirements to pursue licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado. Students graduating from a CACREP approved program are eligible to take the Licensure exam during or after their last semester.

22. Intern Web Site • http://gmms.mesa.k12.co.us/staff/counseling/index.htm

26. Interviewing Your Possible Intern • Have a packet/web site with forms: • Volunteer forms • Technology Use form • Contact information (Job application) • School calendar and class schedule • Ask intern about their school’s requirements • Ask intern about their personal goals • How many hours? Every day? Every Monday? Etc…

27. Closing: • Evaluations • Any good ideas? Have interns you’d like to share? Email Us! • Kayla Dodson: kdodson@mesa.k12.co.us • Kelly Mendenhall kmendenh@mesa.k12.co.us