Clinical Practicum Manual

Master of Science in Clinical Psychology

Department of Psychology

CHRIST (Deemed to be University)

Bengaluru - 560029

March 2023
 Clinical Practicum Manual
Overview
What is supervision
Hess (1980) defines supervision as “A quintessential interpersonal interaction with the
general goal that one person, the supervisor, meets with another, the supervisee, in an effort
to make the latter more effective in helping people.”
Supervision has three main components:
1. It is an extension of theoretical learning and it is educational. It helps the student to
● To translate the theory into the practice
● To demonstrate the skills and to internalize the approaches and theoretical
framework of working with the clients
● To reflect on the processes in the therapy or any client related work
● An opportunity to think and generate creative ways of skills.
2. It is a supportive mechanism for the student
● It helps in validating the person as a therapist or clinical practitioner.
● It provides constructive feedback and criticism that helps the student to grow
as a practitioner.
● It gives a safe space for the student to explore and clarify.
3. It is a framework for the student to work with the supervisor and the client
● working with the supervisor in terms of supervisor and supervisee
relationship, maintaining confidentiality and other ethical standards of
practice, Regular attendance in supervision.
Supervision will be effective only when both the supervisor and the supervisee
recognise their responsibilities and roles and work for their personal and professional growth
and very importantly for the benefit of the clients. Outlined below the roles and
responsibilities of both the supervisor and the supervisee.

Responsibilities of a supervisor
● To hold a safe space for students to discuss the challenges that they face during their
internships.
● To help students to clarify their thoughts and feelings that underlie practice.
● To guide them by providing theoretical knowledge, therapeutic strategies and
appropriate resources.
● To engage in productive and critical discussions with regards to the unethical and
incompetent practice.
● To help students to reflect on personal or professional boundaries and blindspots.
Responsibilities of a Supervisee
● Identify challenges in work with the clients and client sessions which need
clarification and support and to share these issues freely.
● Open to the feedback of the supervisors and the group.
● Aware of the ethos and the values of the internship organization.
 ● Using their best efforts to apply their knowledge, skills and professional standards to
alleviate the issues faced by the clients.
Mission
The purpose of the Supervised Clinical Practicum course is to provide students with
on-field exposure in areas of counselling, psychotherapy and psychological assessments,
under the supervision of trained professionals. It aims to provide them an opportunity to
apply the knowledge and skills gained through the course of the program in a real-life
context.

Objectives
1. Provide psychological services under the guidance of the supervisors at the university
level as well as the mental healthcare professionals working at the organization of
internship
2. Develop the desired level of skills and knowledge in the application of interview and
diagnostic skills, psychological assessments, and interventions necessary for entry-
level practice (i.e., internship).
3. Inculcate holistic skills to help the student become a competent and ethical
practitioner in the field of clinical psychology and psychotherapy in the future.

General Practicum Information and Prerequisites

Prior to the start of the practicum, the students are expected to have completed
courses in the areas of psychopathology, psychodiagnostic assessments, basic clinical
interviewing and counselling skills and theories of psychotherapy as per the requirements of
each semester. The students should also be undergoing/ have undergone personal therapy
sessions for personal development

Structure of Training Programme

1. Summer Internship: The semester break between second and Third semester (2
credits)
Trainees are required to complete a minimum 30 days of block internship
(minimum100 hours) during summer break. The objective of this internship is to
expose and orient students to various helping professions in general and to develop an
active interest in this field to take up a professional career path in future. The skill
competency expected to develop in the semester are case history taking, assessment
and observership.
2. Third Semester: Weekly two days field internship (2 credits)
Trainees are required to complete a minimum 30 days of field internship (minimum
150 hours), two days in a week. The objective of this internship is to expose and
orient students to various clinical settings in general and to develop an active interest
 in this field to take up a professional career path in future. The skill competency
expected to develop in the semester are case history taking, assessment, Diagnostic
formulation, CBT formulation through observership or direct engagement with the
clients.
3. Fourth Semester: Two months of Supervised Clinical Practicum (8 credits)
Students are required to engage in 250 hours of supervised clinical practicum at
various internship sites.Students can seek internship at single or multiple sites that
provide adequate referrals and site supervision. The main role of the internship sites is
to provide suitable referrals for the trainee.
Direct hours( 150 hours): Students must engage 150 hours of client sessions at the
internship site. This includes Psychometric and diagnostic assessments, case history
taking and Therapeutic interventions. Within these 150 hours, students have an option
to conduct approximately 40 hours of pro bono sessions.
Indirect hours (100 hours): Indirect hours include, preparation for the client
sessions, Process Diary (supervisor and clients process diaries), Generating Reports
for the assessments, Case histories, Therapies and other client related work( Example,
Referrals) and supervision (site supervision).
University Supervision (4 hrs per week): The site internship organization must
ensure that the trainees are undertaking the required amount and quality of clinical
supervision from the university supervisor. The amount is 4 hours of clinical
supervision for every week i.e. 2 hours of group supervision and 2 hours of individual
supervision. This 4 hours of supervision will be carried out in the online mode.
In most cases, 2 hours of individual supervision will be splitted into 20 minutes of
discussion with the supervisor, specifically individual session notes, progress notes
and challenges in the client work and 1 hour 30 minutes of reflective exercises or
activities that guide the students to become self analytical practitioners in real world
settings.
In group supervision, case studies, relevant common topics will be presented along
with the constructive feedback by the supervisor and peer members of the cohort.
4. End of Fourth Semester: Clinical Internship (2 credits)
In Order for the completion of the programme, students are required to complete
another 30 days of clinical internship without supervision. This internship is aimed to
self analyze their strengths, challenges and to reflect on the processes of clients
sessions in a real world setting.

Model of Training
An eclectic, integrative and multicultural approach to psychotherapy and assessments
would be taken up to train the students as per the need of the clients and the organization that
they are working for.
Application for Clinical Internship
Students are required to contact organizations/hospital/ therapy centres which offer
internship positions for students. Permission/ request letters for students to apply for intern
positions in various mental health organizations will be provided by the university in
advance. Acceptance/ permission letters from the institutions will have to be procured well in
advance to the commencement of the internship period.
Supervision and Training strategies
- Orientation
Students will be oriented to the course and course requirements, such as their course
objectives, preferred work profile on site, expected learning outcomes etc. prior to the
start of the on-site training.
- Individual Supervision
The students would receive individual one-on-one guidance and supervision from the
University assigned supervisor to enhance the learning experience in the field as well
as address the challenges that they are facing.
- Group Supervision
Common topics of learning as well as challenges faced by the students on field will be
discussed during the group supervision sessions to facilitate peer learning and
constructive discussions among the students. case studies will be presented and
discussed by protecting the confidentiality and identity of the clients.
- Seminar
Students will be required to conduct seminars and classes on topics related to the
course as well as internships. These topics will include, but are not limited areas such
as advanced psychopathology, psychotherapy and professional skills.
- Professional Development Activities
Additional university level workshops and training programmes will be provided to
the students to enhance their skills. These programmes will be offered by experts from
the field.
Evaluation
1. Internship Reports
At the end of each internship period, the students are required to submit a reflective
report on the learning experiences during the period. The report should include the
following aspects

Sl. No Criteria Description

1. About the institution Details about the organization/

hospital/ mental health institution
as well as the on-field supervisor

2. Duty/ tasks assigned Details of nature of work done

during internship and their
 outcome

3. Reflections and learning Overall reflections about the

experiences learning received through the
course of the internship

2. Detailed case submission

The students are required to submit the reports of 3 cases that they had observed/ were
assigned during the course of their summer internships and field internship and 7+1 cases for
supervised clinical practicum.The submissions should be in the formats prescribed for
reporting clinical case history and mental status examinations, as instructed to them during
their previous semesters.
3. Intern Evaluation by on-field supervisor
At the end of each internship, the students are required to submit a form filled by the
on-site supervisor evaluating the performance of the students during the course of the
internship. The evaluation will be based on their theoretical knowledge as well as
professional skills.
4. Progress notes
For the third semester weekly internship, the students are expected to submit weekly
progress reports detailing the work done and the learning outcomes from their work.
5. Viva Voce
The students are expected to appear for a viva voce at the end of their training period
at the University, to assess the learning received through the process of internship

Standards of Ethical Conduct

Students are expected to behave professionally and ethically at the internship site and when
interacting with clients/ patients/ supervisors and colleagues. They are expected to develop
appropriate professional etiquette, which would be essential to be a successful professional.
1. Students should maintain a professional relationship with the clients/patients/ other
stakeholders in the organization
2. Students should follow appropriate conduct and are expected to mindful of their
language and gestures
3. Students are expected to follow the relevant ethical guidelines prescribed by various
psychological associations, and be mindful of the confidentiality of client/patient
information
4. Students are expected to follow the dresscode of the university or as prescribed by the
organization of internship.
5. Students should be regular and punctual to their worksites
 APPENDIX

CONTENTS

1. SITE SUPERVISION LOG

2. INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION LOG – FACULTY
3. INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION LOG – SITE
4. SEMESTER SUMMARY SHEET
5.PROGRESS NOTES
6. INTERNSHIP CONTRACT LETTER
7. PRACTICUM REQUIREMENT
Supervision Client Log Sheet

SITE SUPERVISION LOG

TRAINEE: __________________________

SITE SUPERVISOR: __________________________

Sl No Date Assessment/ Case Discussion Supervisor’s Signature

Therapy (Direct) (Indirect)
 INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISION LOG – FACULTY

TRAINEE: __________________________

University Supervisor: __________________________

Si. date length of client session focus of supervisor Total clinical

No supervision number supervision session signature hours
completed
till date
GRAND TOTAL SUPERVISED / CLIENT HOURS _______
 SEMESTER SUMMARY SHEET PRACTICUM

Trainee: Date:
Faculty Supervisor:

Practicum Site(s): Instructions: Total the number of hours for each activity listed on your
Monthly Practicum Log. This signed document will confirm that you have completed the
required hours to meet practicum requirements. Please keep a copy for future reference.

Activity Total number of hours for the semester

1. Intake interviews _____________

2. Assessments _____________
3. Therapy _____________
4. Report Writing/Clinical Notes _____________
5. Case Presentation _____________
6. Other Practicum Site Activities _____________

Total Direct Hours _______________

Total Practicum Hours _______________
Total Supervision Hours _____________

Faculty Supervisor’s Signature Trainee’s Signature

 Intern Evaluation Form

We thank you for your valuable time and contribution to the professional growth and
development of our students. We request you to kindly fill this form to understand their
strengths and areas that need improvement.

Name of the Student:

Period of internship: From………………to……………………..

Total hours of internship:

Assessment domains

(Please rate the student in the following areas on a scale of 1-5, 1= Poor, 5 = Excellent). Use
NA if the domain has not been assessed or is not applicable

Domains Rating

Professional standards and Ethics

Basic theoretical knowledge of

psychopathology and psychodiagnostics

Supervision (Seeks and makes use of

supervision)

Psychological Assessment Skills

Diagnostic Skills

Case conceptualization and planning

intervention

Attitude towards supervisor, colleagues and

clients

Motivation and readiness to learn

Efficiency and time management

Areas of strength

Areas for improvement

Any other comments/ suggestions

Name of the Supervisor: _______________________________

Signature___________________

Internship site: ______________________________________

Date______________________
Progress Note Format