Clinical Mental Health/Marriage and Family Counseling Practicum (COUC 692) – Residential

All prerequisite courses are non-negotiable and must be successfully completed prior to the start of practicum.

• Course Prerequisites
  • Orientation to Counselor Profession Identity & Function (COUC 500)
  • Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling (COUC 501)
  • Human Growth & Development (COUC 502)
  • Multicultural Counseling (COUC 504)
  • Counseling Techniques & the Helping Relationship (COUC 505)
  • Theories of Counseling (COUC 510)
  • Group Counseling (COUC 512)
  • Research & Program Evaluation (COUC 515)
  • Assessment Techniques in Counseling (COUC 521)
  • Psychopathology (COUC 546)
  • CMHC students – Clinical Diagnosis & Treatment Planning (COUC 667)*
    • CMHC students may take COUC 667 as a co-requisite
  • MFC Students – Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Marriage and Family Counseling (COUC 602)
    • MFC students may take COUC 602 as a co-requisite
• Additional Prerequisites
  • Background Check: You must purchase a background check through CastleBranch within no more than one year before applying for practicum.
  • Fingerprints: You must purchase and complete your fingerprints before applying for practicum.
  • GPA: You must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the posted application deadline.

International Graduate Students must receive approval for what is called “Curricular Practical Training” (CPT) for any internships, regardless of whether they are paid or unpaid. The CPT Document (pdf) must be filled out with the Practicum & Internship Office and submitted to the student’s International Student Advisor for approval. Questions can be directed to mystatus@liberty.edu or by the student making an appointment to meet with an advisor at (434) 592-4118.

Disclaimer: Students are enrolled in practicum sections based on the Degree Completion Plan Audits submitted at the time of applying. If a student switches degrees after submitting their practicum application, they will be responsible for notifying the Practicum and Internship Office immediately.

Minimum Total Practicum Hours: 100

• Direct Client Contact Hours (PDF)
• Individual Supervision Hours (PDF)
• Faculty Group Supervision (PDF)
• Related Activities Hours (PDF)

Students should check with their state counseling board for practicum requirements for the state they wish to be licensed in.

Semester Requirements

• Practicum officially starts the first day of Liberty’s academic semester.
• Practicum is a full-semester commitment.
  • Students are required to earn hours each week of the semester with the approved site and supervisor.
• Practicum is an A-Term course:
  • 16-17 weeks during the Fall and Spring semesters
  • 14-15 weeks during the Summer semester

Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy

In-person clinical counseling is the expected standard in meeting the direct service requirements. However, students and site supervisors are permitted to use telehealth services if the approved site uses telehealth services as a normal delivery of services. If telehealth is used, students and site supervisors are expected to maintain a 50/50 ratio of in-person and telehealth direct client contact hours. This is to ensure students have a well-rounded counseling experience using both modalities.

Please note: There will be no exceptions to this policy unless directed by federal and/or state mandates.

Students will be responsible for the following when telehealth services are used:

• Coordination of a balanced approach in use of telehealth and in-person clinical services
• Completion of the Liberty telehealth training prior to conducting telehealth services
• Midterm and Final hours reporting on telehealth services
• No more than 50% of telehealth direct client contact hours permitted

Please direct all questions regarding the Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy to the Practicum/Internship Office (cmhcpracticum@liberty.edu). 

Video Recording Requirement

• Students must record two counseling sessions to submit to site supervisors and to be presented during Faculty Group Supervision.
• Students will submit a verbatim form that is an eight to ten minute segment of the recorded session.
  • Faculty will provide feedback on this portion of the session.
  • Devices students can use for recording:
    • Digital cameras
    • Camcorders
    • Computer Webcam – must be recorded through a HIPAA compliant platform
  • Devices that are inherently cloud-based such as phones and tablets cannot be used for video recording. Please contact the Practicum and Internship Office if you need further clarification.

**Please note: live observation and role play is no longer permitted starting Fall 2023. All students must have at least one site that allows videotaped sessions to fulfill this requirement.

Students are allowed a maximum of two supervisors.

• Please visit our site supervisor webpage for helpful information for practicum supervisors.

Examples of Approved Supervisors:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Psychologist (LP) with either a PhD in Clinical Psychology or a PsyD (all other Licensed Psychologists will be reviewed on a case by case basis)

Examples of Supervisors Not Approved:

• Doctorate degrees that are not in the counseling field or are unaccredited
• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) – with the only exception of the macro- or clinical- designations in the state of Michigan.
• Limited Licensed Professional Counselor (LLPC)
• Master of Divinity
• Pastoral Counselors
• School Counselors
• Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist

Please review the Practicum Supervisor Information before proceeding.

The numbers below correspond to the order in which the documents will be uploaded in the SharePoint application:

1. Degree Completion Plan Audit
   • Located under the Degree Completion tab on the Course Registration page
2. Background Check Receipt
   • Students must submit a background check receipt that was purchased no more than one year prior to the date of their application.
   • The practicum office will also verify that you have completed your fingerprints through CastleBranch at the time of your application. If you have not purchased and completed your fingerprints through CastleBranch, these will need to be completed by the time you apply or you will be denied to begin your practicum.
   • Only send the receipt that is sent to your email once the purchase of the background check or re-check has been made. Visit the Background Check website for further instructions on background check or fingerprints.
3. Supervisor’s License Verification
   • Found on your state counseling board website.
   • Includes name, license number, issue date, expiration date, & current/active
4. Fieldwork Contract
   • On-Site Fieldwork Contract (PDF): an on-site supervisor is an individual who is an employed counselor at the site you are applying to complete your practicum
   • Offsite Fieldwork Contract (PDF): an offsite supervisor is an individual who is not an employed counselor at the site you are applying to complete your practicum, but has received approval to come on-site and provide supervision
   • Signed by student and site supervisor
     • The dates must match Liberty’s A-term semester dates. Check the Academic Calendar for the semester dates you will be completing practicum.
     • Please note: you must only fill out one fieldwork contract per site/supervisor. Students are only required to have one site and supervisor but may have up to two sites and supervisors.
5. Supervisor & Site Information Forms (PDF)
   • Signed by the site director, supervisor, and student
6. Digital Photo of Student
   • Professional photo, driver’s license, or student ID
7. Liability Insurance Face Sheet (PDF)
   • Students are required to purchase their own coverage for the duration of practicum and internship. The coverage requirements are detailed in the link above.
8. Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
   • Cover Page: Completed by a site representative
   • 8-Page Agreement: Completed and signed only by legal signatory at site
   • 3-Page Schedule A & B (Student Addendum): Completed and signed by the student
   • Extensions will not be granted for Affiliation Agreement negotiations

Important:

• The informed consent and how the site maintains records will need to be submitted with a copy of the Fieldwork Contract for potential school or church sites.

All approval documents must be submitted to the Practicum Office through the SharePoint submission portal prior to the deadline listed above. No late documents will be accepted. Submission of these forms does not mean automatic acceptance of the proposed site and/or supervisor; they must be approved first. Liberty University must validate that the student’s proposed site will provide a good educational experience and that it has adequate oversight and safeguards built in to ensure an appropriate clinical environment.

Students are allowed to switch site(s)/supervisor(s), add an additional site/supervisor, or drop a site/supervisor during their Practicum/Internship. Review our policy below.

Site/Supervisor Switch Policies

1. Students may only earn hours once a site/supervisor has been approved by the Practicum/Internship office. Hours worked prior to the official approval date given by the Practicum/Internship office may not be counted.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to immediately let the Practicum/Internship Office and faculty supervisor know about any changes to the site and/or supervisor for the Practicum/Internship.
3. All required paperwork must be submitted (correctly) within two weeks of switching a site/supervisor at your site, dropping a site/supervisor, or adding a site/supervisor.
4. Barring any extenuating circumstances, no paperwork will be accepted the last two weeks of the semester.

*Students may email the Practicum/Internship Office with any questions regarding the policy. Students are also encouraged to review the information in the Practicum/Internship manuals regarding this policy.

Site/Supervisor Switch Documents

To request to change/add a new site or supervisor or drop a site/supervisor, you must submit all the following required documents via email to the Practicum/Internship Office:

• Students applying to change the supervisor at their current site must submit:
  • A typed and signed brief statement from the site director or approved supervisor outlining the student’s transition to a new supervisor
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
  • Documents for new supervisor:
    • Supervisor’s License Verification
    • Fieldwork Contract
    • Supervisor Information Form
• Students applying to change their site and supervisor must submit:
  • Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
  • Documents for new site and supervisor:
    • Supervisor’s License Verification
    • Fieldwork Contract
    • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
    • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
• Students dropping a site/supervisor
  • Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
• Students adding a 2nd supervisor must submit:
  • Supervisor’s License Verification
  • Fieldwork Contract for new supervisor
  • Supervisor Information Form for new supervisor
• Students adding a 2nd site and keeping current supervisor must submit:
  • Fieldwork Contract for new site with current supervisor
  • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
  • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
• Students adding a 2nd site and a 2nd supervisor must submit:
  • Supervisor’s License Verification
  • Fieldwork Contract for new site with new supervisor
  • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
  • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum

It is important to know that some sites in VA require that you have been approved as a Qualified Mental Health Professional-Trainee (QMHP-T). When you have completed 30 hours of your Master’s program you may submit an application for the QMHP-T credentials.  While this is not an official policy, your application may be considered by the state. Here is the link to information about QMHP application for the state of VA.

Virginia QMHP information: view the “Regulations for Registration of Qualified Mental Health Professionals” PDF document.

The Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies Practicum and Internship Office is excited to inform you they are teaming with LU Send Now to allow actively enrolled Practicum and Internship students to utilize learned clinical skills and training to help with disaster relief.

If you are enrolled in a Practicum or Internship course, you are eligible to join LU Send Now. If/when called to respond to affected natural disasters or humanitarian emergencies, you will be permitted to utilize LU Send Now as a second site and count hours toward your Practicum or Internship requirement.

You will be teamed with a licensed and experienced faculty member who will act as your approved ‘onsite’ supervisor while deployed to an area in need. Every deployment will include a vetting process that will include your current academic and professional standing, as well as, your availability to go. If selected to join LU Send Now, you will simply need to inform the Practicum/Internship Office so they are aware and can take the necessary steps with providing you and your faculty supervisor with details regarding steps that will need to be taken during your time of deployment.

If you are placed at two sites, you will not be able to participate as you are unable to “temporarily” drop one site to add LU Send Now in its place.

Disasters and other emergencies cannot be scheduled, therefore there is no way to determine if/when you may be called to an area of need. However, this is an incredible opportunity to utilize your skills and help with disaster relief as needed.

If you are interested in becoming a part of the LU Send Now team, click the below link for additional details and application to take advantage of this great opportunity. Liberty University LU Send Now Office states, “Deploying with LU Send Now for crisis response and disaster relief requires three steps: Apply, pay fee, and attend training. There are three areas to our program Hands & Feet Domestic (cleanup/physical labor in the US), Hands & Feet International (cleanup/physical labor in any nation), and Head & Heart (Chaplaincy/trauma ministry). Our humanitarian aid and our psychological aid are still both relevant to any of these tracks, the options in how to serve simply have different focuses. Go to the LU Send Now webpage and you will see the three options under “How to Serve” when you scroll down a little. By clicking a selection the application, payment, and training will follow. Disclaimer: stay tuned for next semester’s trainings as they are not yet posted. If you’re in the system, we will be able to notify you as they are scheduled so you can complete that portion. In the meantime, we are allowing the Counseling Department courses to supplement.”

If you are only interested to be considered for domestic then fill out Head & Heart Domestic. If you are interested in both domestic and international then fill out both Head & Heart Domestic AND Hands and Feet International. The $100.00 fee is a one-time only fee and is to be paid only once regardless if you apply for both domestic And International. Finally, this $100.00 fee is the only cost to this.

Although there are trainings offered through the LU Send Now Office, the training for this specialized counseling disaster team will be via videos. Once you completed your application and paid your deposit you will be directed to the training videos. You will not be considered for deployment until all this is completed. We encourage you to complete this process ASAP because disasters are not predictable and LU Send Now teams are deployed at very unpredictable times. You want to be prepared if you want to be involved.

Finally, once you have filled out all the applications, paid your deposit, and watched all videos there will be a vetting process.

1. Your academic and professional standing in the program will be reviewed
2. We will need a recommendation letter from your current site supervisor stating they are aware of you being a part of this specialized team, they approve, and believe you are prepared for this team
3. You will need to submit your Disaster Relief Intervention Paper you did for CMHC/COUN 604
4. You will have a formal interview with the lead professor for the trip

We look forward to the wonderful way God may use you to help individuals affected by disaster and crisis situations.