UL Lafayette: Counselor Education: Current Students

Practicum: Students typically register for counseling practicum after completing COUN 500, 502, 505, and 509. Practicum consists of 100 clock hours during the semester within an agency or school setting with a qualified supervisor. Forty of the total hours must be in direct contact with a client or group. The purpose of practicum is to expose students to counseling settings and begin orienting them with the profession. Students should begin having direct contacts with clients. An application for practicum must be submitted one semester prior to the practicum semester. The application for the practicum can be accessed here.

Internship: Before beginning an internship, students must have successfully completed practicum and most, if not all course work. Internship consists of 600 clock hours. Students should begin planning for internship ahead of time because it involves a significant time commitment. Some students complete their internship requirements in two semesters. Of the 600 hours of internship, 240 should be direct contact hours. A completed application and program approval is necessary at least one semester prior to the internship experience. The application for the internship can be accessed here.

The following documents can also be accessed at the LPC website:
1. Registration of Supervision Process
2. Code of Conduct
3. Guidelines for Developing a Declaration of Practices and Procedures
4. Documentation of Experience for License as a Professional Counselor
5. Registration of Supervision part I
6. Registration of Supervision part II
7. Registration of Supervision part III
8. Rules for Declaration of Practices and Procedures
9. Sample Counselor Intern Declaration of Practices and Procedures
10.Synopsis of the Louisiana Mental Health Counselor Licensing Act and the Board Rules on Licensure
11.Transcript Form

Supervision: Student progress in practicum and internship will be monitored by a supervisor at the site along with a professor through the practicum and internship class.

Professional Liability Insurance: All students are required to obtain liability insurance before they reach the practicum and internship level. A copy of the liability insurance premium form must be submitted to the practicum or internship supervisor before the student can begin practicum. Without evidence of appropriate liability insurance, the student will not be allowed to continue in practicum or internship and will be administratively dropped from the course. While lawsuits involving school, vocational rehabilitation, or community counselors are relatively uncommon, any service provided to the public by a professional (or professional in training) is vulnerable to the threat of a lawsuit.We have compiled a directory of potential practicum and internship sites (excluding schools). This directory is available in the Counselor Education Office in Foster Hall Rm. 250. If you would like one, you may come by our office.

Comps: This semester, comps are April 12 - Anyone interested MUST email Dr.Esters as soon as possible. There are some books that students have found useful when preparing for comps and NCE exams, Encyclopedia of Counseling by Howard Rosenthal, Study Guide for the NCE by Andrew A. Helwig and The Official Guide for the NCE by Douglas Guilbert & Thomas Clawson. These books contain practice questions, practice tests, and study tips.

Professional Development:
Chi Sigma Iota is the national counseling honor society. To learn more information or join contact April Hermanson or Dr. Elliott.

Newsletter:
Our current newsletter can be accessed here.

FYI...
Plans and preparations are coming along as scheduled for the move of Counselor Education to Foster Hall, as is the development of the counselor training facility there.

Here is a list of Fall 2007 graduate assistants in the Counselor Education Dept. Foster Hall Bonnie Hippler , Lori Guidry and Maria Garcia. To contact the Graduate Assistant office, call 337-482-1018.
Girard Hall - April Hermanson