Internship is the second and final field experience in the School Counseling Program at Cleveland State University, and is intended to provide students a supervised learning experience to develop and demonstrate the required skills and knowledge for the setting and population of his or her eventual placement. A site should be chosen for both the service they provide to their students and for the learning opportunities they provide to the intern. Internship is offered starting in Fall semester (CNS 685) and ending in Spring semester (CNS 685). All required forms for internship are located at the bottom of this page.

Internship Requirements:

Completion of all your course work prior to your internship experience will enrich your educational journey and is recommended. Completion of the following courses prior to internship is mandatory.
 

Some of the following courses may be taken concurrently with internship.

Application:

• Application is no longer required.

Orientation meeting:

• All students planning to take internship in the Fall or Spring must attend an orientation meeting which is held during the Spring semester. Please check News and Announcements on the counseling Web page for date, time, and location of the meeting.

Site Placement:

• Interns are primarily responsible for selecting and obtaining the internship site. This is to provide students the opportunity and flexibility to find a site most suited for their unique needs (e.g., geographic location, work requirements, family responsibilities, etc.)
• The school counselor site supervisor must be an Ohio Licensed/Certified School Counselor with at least 2 years of experience as a school counselor.
•  School Counseling Site Placement List

Site Requirements:

• Interns must have the opportunity to earn 600 total hours total in two semester. This means 300 (120 direct; 180 indirect) hours per semester. These 600 hours must include 240 direct service hours and 360 indirect service hours. This approximates 20 hours per week on site with 8 direct hours per week.
• Intern must be able to record at least 6 counseling sessions. You must have the parent or guardian sign the Consent to Tape Form before recording the session.
• Please check on appropriate dress code for your site. Deep cut tops, overly tight clothing, see through clothing, flip-flops, sweat pants are deemed inappropriate.

Class Requirements:

• Must attend weekly classes in addition to site requirements.
• Course instructors will provide you with additional requirements to complete the practicum.

Insurance:

• All students in the program are required to have liability insurance for the duration of internship. Most professional organizations include liability insurance in their student memberships.
  Some suggested insurance carriers are:
• American School Counseling Association - www.schoolcounselor.org
• Other related professional associations Insurance companies
• Insurance companies
• Sometimes insurance is covered by the school or agency.
• Liability insurance obtained for practicum will expire during internship. Please make necessary arrangements to renew in a timely manner.

Forms to be completed for CSU:

Licensing Examinations & Other Requirements:

Please check with ESSC in Julka Hall 170 during Spring semester of internship for the necessary paperwork to complete to obtain your school counselor license.
As of Jan. 1, 2014, you licensing exam is Ohio Assessment for Counselors (OAE)
Test Name: OAE School Counselor
Test #: 040
Score to pass: 220
Please check Ohio Assessments for Educators for test registration and information.
NOTE: If you are terminated from your internship site, this may be considered an automatic failure to complete internship requirements. You must complete internship successfully, in addition to other coursework, to graduate..

Implications for Criminal Record on Field Placements and Licensure

Students must take personal responsibility to inform themselves of the potential professional implications if they have a history of a criminal convictions on their legal record. For School Counseling students, The Ohio Department of Education denotes on their website that:

“ODE's Office of Professional Conduct investigates allegations involving criminal convictions or conduct unbecoming the teaching profession and, if warranted, pursues disciplinary or remedial action against an educator’s credentials or application for credentials.”

Additionally, students are required to obtain a background check that is shared with potential practicum and internship sites. Therefore, field placements site positions may also be impacted by a criminal conviction history. Students are encouraged to speak with their academic advisor, OCSWMFT Board, and/or ODE if they have a criminal conviction on their legal record that may impact their field placements and/or licensure in Ohio.