PRACTICUM
HANDBOOK
(GUIDELINES/PROCEDURES)
Current Revision/Edition – Dated 12/5/2007
This revision
replaces all previous editions
INTRODUCTION
During
the course of your program, you will be required to complete a specific number
of practicum (10, 25, or 35 dependent upon program). Phase
I students are required to complete a total of ten (10) practicum. Phase II students are required to complete an
additional fifteen (15) practicum. Students who are enrolled in the NCCA
License + PhD and 2d Doctorate program are required to complete an additional
ten (10) practicum in Phase III
Your
program is a phased program. This means
that students may not proceed into a successive phase without completing all
requirements of the phase they are in.
Alternately, students may receive approval to begin taking the next
Phase academic courses while completing a preceding Phase requirements. (This includes academic coursework,
submission of all required enrollment documentation, proof of ministerial
credentials (if applicable), program payments, and completion of required practicum).
which is reviewed and must be approved by signature of the
Clinical Supervisor. Dr. Mangus will
perform a review at the end of each phase, and the student will be notified of
any/all requirement shortcomings. If you are nearing the end of a phase and it's requirement, it is incumbent on the student to remind
Dr. Mangus, when you are ready for a review. There are no exceptions to the
process, as Dr. Mangus must process documentation to facilitate each phase of
your program. Upon successful
completion of Phase I, all students are processed for N.C.C.A. certification
and membership. Upon successful
completion of Phase II, students are processed for basic licensing.
For
degree seeking students, there are additional requirements in Phase III for
submission of Case Studies, which will consist of your requirement for
(dependent upon your degree program) the thesis or dissertation case studies,
based upon the practicum work previously completed. The
practicum requirements discussed and outlined herein are specifically designed
by your Clinical Supervisor to not only fulfill your practicum requirements of
the program, but to also prepare you for your Phase III case study work and submission, which is to
be based upon the required practicum work submitted through the program. Your case studies will look similar to your
practicum submissions, but will be reviewed and critiqued based upon a deeper
level of understanding and application. Students are taught how to specifically
develop a case study in Phase II, in preparation for Phase III Case Study
requirements. Please keep thorough
written notes during your practicum work! Your written notes may be requested
to be submitted with your thesis or dissertation case studies. Helpful Hint:
The more work you put into your upfront practicum submissions, the less
work you will be required to do when it comes to case studies. Case Study submission requirements: Two complete copies along with a copy of your
written notes kept during the sessions. Thesis and Dissertation Submission
requirements will be provided each student, when they reach that particular
portion of the program
DEFINITION OF PRACTICUM
Practicum
means “practice”.
SELECTING INDIVIDUALS FOR
PRACTICUM
Individual’s selected by the student to be part of the
practicum process depends greatly upon the students experience.
We
have two categories of students; a)
Active, experienced counselors in counseling ministries, and b), active counselors or less experienced
counselors who are not in structured counseling ministries. There are two (2) categories of individual’s
that may be selected by you to complete practicum requirements; Actual counselees
or volunteers.
ACTUAL COUNSELEES
For
our experienced students already in legally established counseling
organizations or ministries, practicum may be integrated into current or future
counselee workload, or select volunteer subjects.
VOLUNTEER INDIVIDUALS
For
our less experienced students we recommend selecting volunteers from the
community. Volunteers can be friends,
family members, co-workers, acquaintances, bible study group members, Sunday
school group members
CAUTION: For students with little or no experience in
counseling individuals selected/referred to you for Practicums
should not select persons who have current, serious emotional issues. We never use individuals who are being seen
currently by another counselor or therapist.
This is duality of counselors and is a violation of the NCCA Code of
Ethics. Let’s keep these little tidbits
of possible liability issues in mind.
PRACTICUM PROCESS
The
suggested basic format and guidance for development and completion of practicum
are included further below in this document.
For our more experienced student counselors, we urge you to apply
additional elements of the suggested session-by-session counseling format
listed in one of the following:
Temperament Therapy coursebook,
pages 248-251, or
Creation Therapy coursebook, page 303 – 306
Every
student has liberty to interject their own writing style, as long as it is
within the basic format of the counseling approach and formats presented. The examples provided in the student area are
actual student practicum reports, and are provided as an example of minimally
accepted work.
WHEN DO
PRACTICUM START?
You
may not begin Practicum work until you have successfully completed Temperament Theory, Test Measurement,
and Therapy Courses. Practicum for each phase may not begin until
the appropriate supervision fee has been paid.
APS reports for each individual/volunteer must be paid at the time each
APS survey is submitted for scoring.
PREPARING FOR PRACTICUMS
LOCATION AND PREPARATION
Select
a location that is free of distraction, such as a home or office. If your local church has an office that can
be used, this is also ideal. For each
individual/volunteer, you will need:
To
have completed the textbook study of Temperament Theory, Test/Measurements, and
Temperament Therapy Courses. Completion
of the Christian Psychology and Counseling Course, may better prepare some
students.
To
have completely reviewed this handbook and other aids provided for Practicum
work from the student area.
To be versed in the ability to explain Temperament Therapy to
the individual, including the counseling plan, approach, and expectations. Some students have synopsized material from
their textbook or this manual and provide as a handout to the
individual/volunteer, as they explain the process.
Have
a note taking material, blank Practicum Information Release Form, and blank APS
survey questionnaire forms.
HOW MANY AT A TIME ? It is strongly
recommended that you do not attempt to administer and complete all of your
phased practicum requirements at one time.
Experience has shown that
students who attempt more than 2-3 practicum at a
time, become overwhelmed with the written requirements of the progress reports
that are submitted and submitted work is of a poorer quality. Plan your time wisely. The average practicum takes upwards of 10
hours or more (Preparation, Session Time, Report Writing, Between Session
Research, and Summary/Conclusion).
Submissions
in Phase One are session by session, with each session built onto the basic
foundation file. Please spread out your
practicum work and individuals to fit your personal schedule of time available.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN A
VOLUNTEER DOES NOT FINISH THE PRACTICUM?
From
time to time, students will begin a practicum with an individual, and for
various reasons (known or unknown), the individual stops, or doesn’t return to
complete the process. Diligently try to
seek a commitment from the individual to complete the practicum process. Reiterate the benefits of the end
results. If the individual doesn’t show
for an appointment, find out why. Stress
the importance of keeping appointments, or providing a courtesy call, if they
cannot show. Your time is valuable
also. Make two or three attempts to get
the individual to commit to complete the process, or reschedule when time is
better for them. You can always pick
back up on a practicum later.
Although
not common, If an individual/volunteer completely drops out and does not wish
to continue, unless you have gotten through all three areas of the temperament
analysis, their practicum reports can not be accepted as completed work, and a
new individual/volunteer would need to be found to fill your required numbers.
A
vast majority of individual’s who go through this process, are excited to
participate, and find the work with the student counselor and information
provided in the APS Reports to be very helpful personally, and in their
relationships.
PRACTICUM DO’s and DON’Ts
DO
NOT:
* Do not select
individuals/volunteers who do not believe in God, or do not have a personal
relationship with God.
* Do not “tell” individuals
that they “will” or “must do” any recommendations. Everyone is responsible for making personal
decisions/choices. Your main job as a
counselor is to discuss a range of possible choices the individual can make,
discuss each one in some detail, to include possible consequences of each
choice. It is the complete
responsibility of the individual to make adjustments and final decisions in
their life. People seek counseling for
various reasons……some to get some options to review and choose from, others are looking for someone to tell them what to
do. If you present it to them in a way
that can be construed as you telling them to make specific changes, you open
yourself up to possible liability.
Discuss and present, bounce it up against the Word of God,
and God’s expectation, discuss consequences of not following the Word of God,
and then leave it up to the individual to determine which route they will take
and decisions they will make. If
presented in this way, it is our prayer and hope that they would begin making
Godly decisions.
* Do not delve to deeply into
one’s private life. Keep it at a general
level. Note any areas of concern and
address later.
* Do not have sessions that
are completely private and away from others.
If counseling the opposite sex, leave a door open and ensure someone is
nearby. You will want to avoid the
possibility of being coerced into a compromising position. This is especially important when counseling
a hurting individual of the opposite sex, who scores Sanguine or Sanguine
Compulsive in the Affection area.
DO:
·
Do
Pray At Every Session and have a Bible available.
·
Do
be friendly and courteous. You are the
teacher and are teaching.
·
Do
be a good listener. There is a time to
speak and a time to listen. Many rooted
problems can be uncovered through listening to the individual, or listening to
responses to your probing questions.
·
Do
be available to talk to individuals when they need to, by reasonable
appointment. Do not let an individual
begin to eat up your personal time. This
is why we have appointments. For some
temperaments, if you allow them to have free access to you, they will use it,
sometimes they will call daily or more often, then your time is constrained and
you have to back off. This is rejection
to some, and you will lose them and their confidence. Best plan:
Don’t allow it to start.
·
Do
contact Dr. Mangus, if any issue comes up, or you are uncomfortable about
anything.
·
Do
recognize the limits of your ability to help.
If an individual’s issues are beyond your training or experience,
contact Dr. Mangus, for guidance. If you
are in this situation, a referral will usually be in order.
Outline/Format
Information For The
Practicum
Study & Progress Reports
The
next section details the Format and Guidance of what is minimally acceptable
for the development and submission of practicum for review and acceptance by
For
the more experienced counselor, additional elements are detailed in the course
book
“Temperament
Therapy” (Pages 258 – 251) , or course book “Creation
Therapy” (Pages 303 – 306)
GUIDELINES
FOR PRACTICUM SESSION REPORTS
(Examples Of Actual Reports Done By Others Are Linked On The Student
Menu Page)
Practicum Study & Progress Report
By
(Student Counselor’s Name)
HEADER PAGE (THIS
IS DEVELOPED ALONG WITH SESSION ONE)
Practicum Individual’s
Personal Background Information
Name: (First
Name Only) (No Last Names)
Sex: (Male or Female)
Age:
Marital Status: Single, Married, Divorced, Divorced & ReMarried.
Children:
Number and Ages.
The A.P.S. results for
this individual are: (Spell it out)
(This
section cannot be filled out until you have received the APS report back from
1.
Inclusion: Melancholy (Compulsive) Expressed: 0 Wanted: 1
2.
3.
Medical History: (Take a brief
survey/history of any physical or emotional issues the individual is dealing
with currently, or has dealt with in the past. (Surgeries,
Depression, Chronic Ailments, Sleeplessness, etc.) Also provide a general observation of their physical
appearance). (Ask if any history of
Alcohol, Drug or Tobacco Usage, Gambling history, eating disorders, etc.). Ask about their current dietary and exercise
regime)
Spiritual History: (Individual’s personal testimony, past and
current participation in Church services/activities/Bible studies/social
activities) Are they in church leadership?
(How often do they pray/read the Bible, how often, etc.)
Social History: (Ask about the environment they grew up in
as a child and adolescent, disciplinary history, social groups they belonged
to, type of friends they have, Are they the first-born, last born, middle child,
relationship to siblings, parents, other relatives, etc.)
Session One: (Date)
Goals For This
Session: Introduction, Explain
Temperament Therapy Process, Plan, and Approach with the individual, Administer
the APS Questionnaire, Execute the Information Release Form, Gather Medical,
Spiritual, and Social History and other information for the Header Information
Page
Discussion: All discussion items need to be
in here in some detail. Having been
trained in a therapeutic technique called Creation Therapy, you will explain to
the individual your counseling plan and approach for your practicum sessions
with the individual, and your goal to “teach” them their special In-born
temperament traits, and that they will be filling out an Arno Profile System Survey
Response Form. Explain that the APS
survey is not a test, as there is no pass/fail criteria. It is simply a series of survey questions
which will help in identifying the individual’s inborn temperament. The results of the Arno Profile System analysis
report will provide you with a clear “photograph” of the individual in three
temperament areas, and will aid in explaining why they may experiencing issues.
You should also explain that homework may be assigned along the way (as needed),
and that practicum will eventually culminate with you providing some practical
personal recommendations that will help ease general stress and anxiety
Homework/Activities Assigned: Usually not assigned
in Session One
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned: Note your
observances. Be honest with your own
self evaluation of what went well, and what didn’t go so well
Upon completion of this session, you will submit to
through the student area site. The resulting APS report should be returned
to you and in your hands BEFORE you schedule the next session. This is vitally important if you used Session
One to allow the individual to open up and discuss issues in their life, and
you are ready to go across the APS report in your next session.
Session Two: (Date) (Refer to the
Detailed Guidance For Practicum and Progress Reports)
Goals For This
Session: Allow individual to share any
stress/anxiety/issues they are having.
If you did this in Session One, This session may be used for beginning
to interpret the results of the APS Report (INCLUSION AREA ONLY) returned to
you from the submitted survey form.
Session Discussion: (Goal: APS results may or may not be back in your
hands. Interview the practicum individual) During this
session you will ask the individual to share some of their feelings and issues
they are experiencing in their lives. This is the time when the individual will
do most of the talking. During session two, you are the listener. Encourage
them to tell you what is going on in their life. Take notes during this session
for future reference. Do not begin this session without a clipboard and pen in
hand. Most of the things revealed will be overt issues. Write all of these
things down to the best of your ability. If the individual is prone to short
discussion, you should ask probing types of questions to help them open up and
expound. The latter part of this session is your greatest opportunity to deal
with spiritual issues.
If the person you are working with is someone who has volunteered
their time to help you in your practicum work, use this time to ask them is
they feel there are areas in their life that is creating an undue amount of
stress and anxiety in their lives.
Again, write any and all things down to the best of your ability.
Homework/Activities Assigned This Session: From discussions, you may want to assign Scripture reading, or
recommend books/articles for the individual to read that ties into any areas of
stress or anxiety that they have shared with you.
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned This Session: Note your observances. Be honest with your own self evaluation of
what went well, and what didn’t go so well
After completing this session you will submit your practicum report
to
Session Three:
(Date)
Goals For This Session: Review, interpret, and discuss the INCLUSION area tendencies
and recommendations of the APS report.
Session Discussion: During this session go through the
INCLUSION tendencies. Discuss strengths and weaknesses, note individual's
agreement/disagreement with APS results, ask probing questions, tie back
tendencies to behavior they share with you, or behavior you observe. After
discussion and sharing, identify and prioritize the unmet needs identified by
discussion, then share the personal recommendations for the INCLUSION area, that is on the report. You may assign homework
activities or reading that will help with identified needs. In particular,
search for those areas where they are meeting a need in ways that are not
conducive to the Holy Scriptures and that may be causing conflict in the
individual’s life. Present to them the personal recommendations from their
analysis. List any agreement/disagreement individual has about the analysis
results. In the discussion area, tie back any personal recommendations given
that you observe will meet unmet needs. At the
beginning of this session, it is necessary that you gain a full commitment from
the individual to begin to meet their needs in these new ways. Gain a
commitment, show them the need, determine how the needs are being met, show
them the problems, suggest correct ways to meet their
needs, with a goal of alleviating issues.
Homework/Activities Assigned This Session: Scripture Reading, Book Reading, or other assigned activities as
determined by need
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned This Session: Note your
observances. Be honest with your own
self evaluation of what went well, and what didn’t go so well
Session Four: (Date)
Goals For This Session: Review, interpret, and discuss the CONTROL area tendencies
and recommendations of the APS report. Review any homework assigned from last
session
Session Discussion: Go through each of the CONTROL
tendencies from the APS Report. Discuss strengths and weaknesses, Note
individual's agreement/disagreement with APS results, ask probing questions,
tie back tendencies to behavior they share with you, or behavior you observe.
After discussion and sharing, identify and prioritize the unmet needs
identified by discussion, then share the personal recommendations for the
CONTROL area, that is on the report. You may assign
homework activities or reading that will help with identified needs. In
particular, search for those areas where they are meeting a need in ways that
are not conducive to the Holy Scriptures and that may be causing conflict in
the individual’s life. Present to them the personal recommendations from their
analysis. In the discussion area, tie back any personal recommendations given
that you observe will meet unmet needs. At the
beginning of this session, it is necessary that you gain a full commitment from
the individual to begin to meet their needs in these new ways. Gain a
commitment, show them the need, determine how the needs are being met, show
them the problems, suggest correct ways to meet their
needs, with a goal of alleviating issues.
Homework/Activities Assigned This Session: Scripture Reading, Book Reading, or other assigned activities as
determined by need
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned This Session: Note your observances. Be honest with your own self evaluation of
what went well, and what didn’t go so well
After completing this session you will submit your practicum report
to
Session Five: (Date)
Goals For This Session: Review, interpret, and discuss the AFFECTION area tendencies
and recommendations of the APS report. Review any homework assigned from last
session.
Session Discussion: Go through the AFFECTION tendencies.
Discuss strengths and weaknesses, note individual's agreement/disagreement with
APS results, ask probing questions, tie back tendencies to behavior they share
with you, or behavior you observe. After discussion and sharing, identify and
prioritize the unmet needs identified by discussion, then share the personal
recommendations for the AFFECTION area, that is on the
report. You may assign homework activities or reading that will help with
identified needs. In particular, search for those areas where they are meeting
a need in ways that are not conducive to the Holy Scriptures and that may be
causing conflict in the individual’s life. Present to them the personal
recommendations from their analysis. List any agreement/disagreement individual
has about the analysis results. In the discussion area, tie back any personal
recommendations given that you observe will meet unmet needs.
At the beginning of this session, it is necessary that you gain a full
commitment from the individual to begin to meet their needs in these new ways.
Gain a commitment, show them the need, determine how the needs are being met,
show them the problems, suggest correct ways to meet their needs, with a goal of alleviating
issues.
Homework/Activities Assigned This Session: Scripture Reading, Book Reading, or other assigned activities as
determined by need
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned: Note your observances. Be honest with your own self evaluation of
what went well, and what didn’t go so well
After completing this session you will submit your practicum report
to
Additional Sessions (and
beyond, as needed) (Wrap Up and Summary (Date) (Total number of additional sessions
will vary based on the number of unmet needs identified) (Refer to the Detailed Guidance For
Practicum and Progress Reports)
Goals & Discussion For
First Additional Session: Review homework from last
session. Identify all unmet needs from previous
sessions. Prioritize the unmet needs. Work with the individual to establish a
plan and approach to satisfy identified unmet temperament needs. Summarize your session accomplishments to
date, review priority personal recommendations.
Regain a commitment from the individual to diligently make lifestyle
adjustment to meet unmet temperament needs.
Schedule subsequent sessions (as needed, based upon the number of issues
that need attention) allow the
individual to choose the method to meet this need. This must be discussed, and you must
continually work toward getting them to gain control in areas. Help them meet that need in a way that is
compatible with the Holy Scriptures. Regain their commitment.
Homework/Activities Assigned This Session: As needed. Be available to meet with them at any time in the future, as an
accountability partner.
Counselor Comments & Counselor Lessons
Learned: Note your observances. Be honest with your own self evaluation of
what went well, and what didn’t go so well
After completing this session you will submit your practicum report
to
completed you will then complete a
Summary/Conclusion Section (See Below)
(wrap up a concluding paragraph or two,
with overall highlights of the practicum sessions, include counselor
observation, counselor lessons learned, follow up assistance provided,
recommended referrals, specific recommendations, plan for improvement, etc. If you (counselor) have identified areas
that need self improvement, a synopsis of these should be provided here also.
Essentially the SUMMARY/CONCLUSION should be a concise and to the point digest
of your work with the individual.
SUBMISSION
OF INITIAL AND PROGRESS PRACTICUM REPORTS
SUBMITTING PRACTICUM
REPORTS
Session
By Session Reporting is required for the first ten
(10) practicum performed in Phase One.
Once a session is completed by the student, a practicum report is
required to be submitted to Dr. Mangus within seven (7) days. Subsequent session reports are to be
submitted as a “running report”. This
means that subsequent reports will be added to previous reports, then submitted. Since
you are developing your reports in a WORD document, this would be a natural
iteration.
For
Phase II and III practicum reports, students may submitted
completed reports versus session by session reports. Although exempt from session by session
reporting, students are still required to submit surveys and release forms in
accordance with procedure, AND are required to contact Dr. Mangus anytime
during the practicum process when encountering any issue that may require advise/guidance
immediately.
Students
are required to submit session by session practicum reports directly to the
supervisor, Dr. Bob Mangus. The first
session will include the Introductory/Header Page with personal information and
history. All submissions must include
notes and comments from each of the sessions in the outline/format provided
herein.
Subsequent
submissions are to be "built onto" your last session, so Dr. Mangus
can have a running report. Also, be sure in the Email Subject Line: Indicate what
it is you are sending in, (i.e. Practicum for Judy – Through Session 3, This example indicates that you have as an
attachment your practicum report for Judy which includes header page and
sessions 1, 2, and 3. If it is a final
submission with Summary and Conclusion:
(Practicum Judy – Final)
All
session submissions (as detailed above) are required within seven (7) days of
the session date, and the preferred method of receiving is as a WORD document
attachment to E-Mail. Additionally, if you are submitting a final session and
complete report, indicate First Name, Practicum Final in the email subject
line, and be sure that your submission attachment is a final report with all
sessions included. Another good way to help track your practicum submissions
(helps me too), is number your practicums.. (i.e. Practicum # 3, Judy -
Session 3). As you administer the APS, give each of your practicum individuals
a number.....in this case Judy is the 3d individual you administered the APS to
and are doing practicum. Then when you
get to the 10th one, you and I will have an easy reference number to know when
you are near completion of Phase I requirements, etc. Some students have
already done this, and I find it to be very helpful. The email addresses to be used for
submissions are; mdesigns@dmrtc.net
or counselor@rmcm.org If you would rather
mail your practicum reports in, this is fine also, but follow the same
identification guidelines, as above.
Students
who do not strive to work within these procedures are subject to having their
practicum work not accepted.
RECEIPT,
REVIEW AND CRITIQUE OF PRACTICUM REPORTS (INITIAL AND PROGRESS)
Once
received the practicum reports will be reviewed by the clinical supervisor
primarily for acceptability to ensure primarily that the therapeutic concept
and method has been learned and is being applied correctly. When the Clinical Supervisor is satisfied that
the student has grasped the basic concepts of the therapeutic method, following
the proper format and use of the guideline, your practicum work will be
accepted. This process is an iterative
process, and will be complimented by communication from the supervisor, in
areas they feel have been missed or improvement is needed. If you don't hear
from the supervisor on your submission, it generally will indicate that it is
satisfactory. Sometimes I feel
“super-human”, but I am far from it.
If there is something missing or lacking, you will hear from the
supervisor.
Students
who do not strive to work within these procedures are subject to having their
practicum work not accepted.
COMPLETION
OF THE PRACTICUM REQUIREMENTS
When
inexperienced students have successfully completed at least ten (10) practicum
during Phase I, they should be more adequately prepared to move toward actual
"counseling" situations, and are encourage to seek opportunities to
develop their skills in subsequent practicum requirements for Phase II and III
using the more detailed instructions as outlined in the Temperament Therapy,
pages 248 - 251, or Creation Therapy Course Book, pages 303 – 306.
For
the more inexperienced student counselor:
When the Clinical Supervisor is satisfied that students have grasped the
basic concepts of this "teaching" outline and procedure, he will
notify them and officially release them to do the expanded
"teaching/counseling” as outlined in the textbook, for use in Phases II
and beyond. If a student does very well in the practicum work, the supervisor
(at their discretion) may exempt the student from session by session report
submissions. In all cases, if the student runs into difficulties or has
questions, the student must contact the supervisor for consultation.
End
of Phase Credential Review: Even though
practicum reports are submitted electronically during Phases I and II, all
Students are required to resubmit their practicum reports as completed
practicum reports, (re-checking for spelling errors, word smithing,
beefing them up a bit…..generally making them more tidy) then the students will print them off and mail to Dr. Mangus at the end of Phases I and II. Receipt of the printed practicum reports will
kick-off the end of Phase I or II reviews for credentials. At the end of Phase III, the student will
take all completed practicum reports and convert them into Case Study
format. See Converting Practicum Reports
Into Formalized Case Studies section below.
CONVERTING PRACTICUM
REPORTS INTO FORMALIZED CASE STUDIES
Dependent on the students work and detail in their
practicum reports, the practicum reports can easily be converted to required
case studies for Phase III Thesis or Dissertation presentation/turn-in. Practicum reports will require minor format
adjustments, may include additional session work (after completed practicum
acceptance), or additional notes and research may be added to fill out the case
study submission requirements. Case
study examples, as well as the Thesis/Dissertation turn in requirements can be
found on the Student Menu Page.
Each
student is provided with an APS starter pack in their Temperament Therapy
Coursework in their program studies. You
may locally reproduce these APS forms for future use in your practicum. If you find you are in need of additional
forms, they are available to link and download in the student area.
All
Child/Teen reports are Clinical. We advocate that during Phase I, that practicum
be conducted with adult (18 +) individuals. All adult APS results during Phase I will
be PERSONAL APS reports (Unless the student is already a credentialed counselor
and working in a counseling ministry or organization. If you are a very experienced counselor, we
may assist you by generating a CLINICAL APS report. This is on a case by case basis and must be
discussed with Dr. Mangus, your Clinical Supervisor. IN ALL
CASES: Clinical reports must never be
copied or shown to any other individual.
Clinical reports are for “counselor eyes only”. Of course, specific security handling must be
observed. The basic process is that all practicum individuals for Phase I will
be adults, and the report requested and provided you
will be a PERSONAL report. There are no
provisions for generating PERSONAL APS Reports for Child/Teens. Only clinicals. If you need a pass out for Child/Teen
parents, you must order a Special Personal Handout ($10 extra) at the time you
send in your APS survey. If you request
a CLINICAL APS Report for Adults, and you need a pass out report, you may order
an additional PERSONAL APS Report ($25 extra), or a Special Personal Handout
($10 extra) to give to these adults.
These also should be ordered and paid for at the time you send in your
APS survey.
Anything
outside of these basic arrangement must be discussed
and approved by Dr. Mangus prior to beginning your practicum work.
APS SURVEYS & REPORTS
NOTE:
Sometimes an individual you have
received an APS report, doesn't like the results. You are reminded that the APS
survey measures inborn temperament, not current personality, and this should be
explained to them at the first session, as recommended by the practicum
guidelines, and as taught in the text. If
the APS survey was administered properly, the first results will be the most
accurate. Many times an individual or counselor may want retest. Retests are
discouraged, as the individual may be seeking a desired result, and a retest
will be skewed, and fill out the survey responses with a bias, in an attempt to
reach a changed result. All APS reports
have negative tendencies in them, thus the individual would probably never be
satisfied with the results they are seeking. Any request for a retest will generally be
denied. Do not attempt to be cunning and submit a survey under a different
name. Any such found attempts, if caught, may result in student being put on
suspension, or subject to program dismissal. Deceptive techniques of any kind are not a
desired character quality of a Christian, or Christian
counselor, and will certainly be considered at the time Dr. Mangus has to
signature recommend any student for certification or licensing. Be sure to administer the APS survey properly
the first time.
RMCM STUDENTS:
Submission
of APS Surveys for scoring can be by U.S. Mail, or electronically.
US. Mail:
Electronically: Go to the student menu page and find the link
for electronic multi-submission form, or you may go
directly to the electronic form at: www.rmcm.org/submit.htm
and transfer the 54 question responses onto the form and transmit the report by
the submit button. Unless you have
prepaid for the APS Reports, you will be expected to follow up all submissions
with the APS Report fees of $25.00 each. (Check/MO) or ($26.00 each if paying by PayPal or Credit Card).
Checks/MO Payments must be put in the mail immediately. Dr. Mangus reserves the right to hold up any future
scoring of any APS that payment has not been received from in a timely manner
in the past.
Electronically
sent APS forms results in a faster turn-around time, as mailing time is
eliminated.
Communication
between the student and the clinical supervisor during the practicum work is
imperative. Do not struggle with
questions or understanding what you need to do to successfully complete your
practicum requirement. If you have any
question whatsoever,
go to the student area and review other policy/procedures, check
the announcement and student communication boards. If you have not found your answer through
research first, then contact Dr. Mangus by phone: (812) 636-7817 or by
E-Mail: mdesigns@dmrtc.net
or counselor@rmcm.org
MORE
HELPFUL PRACTICUM TIPS:
1.
Not all volunteer practicum subjects will feel
that they have issues in their lives.
However, we have found in the past that by going through the APS with
individuals, have brought about conviction, enough so, that they may begin to
share and reveal issues with you that need to be addressed. It is awesome how God works in this way. If this happens, contact Dr. Mangus
immediately for further instructions.
2.
The priority goal of all or
your practicum (volunteer or real) is to “teach”
the individual about their unique temperament, identify unmet needs in their
lives, and give practical recommendations to them to meet unmet needs, thus
reducing stress and anxiety in their lives.
More dramatic results are usually achieved when working with individuals
who are having real life issues. For
volunteers (especially volunteers who are devout Christians), may not see or
identify with some of the results of their APS report. Remember that God can cover any/all negative
tendencies in one’s life who is committed and
submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
As one’s spiritual life is weaker or distracted, this is when one would
see more of the negative tendencies in their lives, and the impact on their
commitment to the process, make lifestyle and priority changes, thus comes true
healing.
Every
temperament, temperament blending has negative tendencies listed in the
individual’s report. They are just that….tendencies, not a measure
of current behavior. In real counseling
situations, the student counselor may observe many of these negative
tendencies. In practicum situations you
may be working with Christians who are stable, and may not confess to having any
serious issues in their lives, thus, negative tendencies may be less likely
observed or admitted to by the individual.
So,
whether the individual is a volunteer, or someone who are going through issues,
you will be able to help them make life adjustments, thus improve themselves,
and their relationships with God, Family, and others.
3.
Keep your time for each session with the
individual reasonable (max 45 - 60 minutes).
This is especially important for practicum individuals who score
Sanguine tendencies.
4.
If you are wanting the best results from practicum, you will need to
accomplish the minimum acceptable number of sessions (As suggested by the
practicum examples), which is five (5) sessions. It can be done in four (4) sessions, but that
takes away a great opportunity to use session 2, as a session to let the
individual talk, and the counselor an opportunity to ask probing questions,
that will lend itself nicely, as you observe them
after their APS results come back, and you are going through the temperament
areas. Some practicum
may require more sessions, dependent upon the number of unmet needs that are
identified and plan developed/conveyed to meet those unmet needs. In ALL cases, when discussing the temperament
areas from the report, the student counselor will not address more than one (1)
temperament area per session. The
session may include discussion of the personal recommendations from that
temperament area during the session, or personal recommendations may be
presented during the last session, which is set aside to identify and go over
those unmet needs identified in the previous 3 sessions.
5.
You will be sharing personal information from your
notes with Dr. Mangus. You must complete
an information release form at the first session, for every practicum
individual you work with. This is to
protect confidentiality of their APS scores, and any discussions you may have
with Dr. Mangus. If you need information
release forms, find the blank forms on the
6.
The practicum exercises are specifically designed
to prepare you for future case study and more challenging counseling
situations, which all licensing students in degree programs will have to
prepare for. Please keep thorough
written notes from your practicum. Copious notes during sessions,
then expand your notes after the sessions to fill in. It is important to fill out your notes as
soon after the practicum as possible, while still fresh in your mind. These will help you develop better practicum
reports, which then become a good case study for thesis and dissertation
turn-in.
7.
Unless you are very experienced counselor, with
current credentials to counsel, AND working in a ministry or organization of
counseling, you will avoid accepting volunteers or referrals with individual
who are having deep-seeded issues, AND any individual who is currently under
the care of another counselor, psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health
specialist. Duality of counseling
relationships are deemed professionally unethical, as it interferes with the
work of the other, and vice versa. Be
sure your intake clearly asks, receives response, and that the individual
understands the importance of knowing this information. If you find during your work that the
individual is seeing other counselors or mental health specialists, you will
terminate your practicum work immediately, and your practicum report closed out
with full explanation.
8.
This list is not an exhaustive list…………If you are in doubt about anything and need
clarification about anything regarding the planning and executing your
practicum work, contact Dr. Mangus.
Phone works best. Don’t risk it,
if you don’t know.