COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides field experiences in counseling in an appropriate school agency; students spend a minimum of 150 clock hours under supervision in the delivery of a counseling service. A minimum of 100 clock hours must be in direct contact. The course taken twice for a total of 6 hours. The course is taken in the last two semester of the student's program.

PRACTICUM OBJECTIVES:
The Practicum is designed to provide the student with experience in delivering guidance and counseling services under the supervision of certified and/or licensed professional provider of guidance and counseling services or the administrator who supervises counseling services. On completion of this experience, the Practicurn student should be proficient in counseling skills appropriate to the setting in which the Practicurn was completed. Minimum proficiencies include the ability to:

1. Describe the organizational structure and counseling program of the school or agency.

2. Assess an individual or group of individuals in terms of guidance/counseling referral needs.

3. Provide a written assessment of the individual or group with analysis and rationale for services/referral needed.

4. Provide the guidance, counseling, consultation, and other related services to include:
a. establishing a therapeutic relationship with the individual/group /family,
b. providing guidance/counseling on an individual/group/family basis,
c using assessment data, and
d. making appropriate referrals according to legal and ethical guideline.

5. Determine ways in which the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association applies to the services provided.

TExES COMPETENCIES:

All competencies are utilized and applied in this course and are found at http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/ .

PRACTICUM SEMINAR TOPICS:

1. The Roles of the School Counselor
2. The Four Components of a Guidance and Counseling Program
3. TExES Preparation
4. A Developmental Guidance Program
5. Smoking Cessation Counseling Unit
6.Crisis Situations and Intervention
7. Case Study

WEB SITES FOR COUNSELING:

www.divorceform.org deals with children of divorce and all kinds of problems.

www.parentnews.com  has general articles and links for parents

www.kidsource.com  for couses on behavior disorders and change