Social Work Internships

Welcome from the Master’s Internship Coordinator

Thank you for your interest in a Master’s Internship experience at the Counseling Center at Florida State University Panama City.

The Master’s Internship Training Program endorses a developmental model of supervision and training, reflecting a focus on development of competencies consistent with a master’s intern’s level of experience. To enhance the learning process, the clinicians in the program are committed to providing an experience that integrates development of clinical competence and ethical practice with professional growth and development in a supportive atmosphere.

If you have additional questions about the Master’s Internship Training Program after looking through the information, please do not hesitate to contact me via e-mail at krduval@fsu.edu or by phone at 850-770-2174.

Thank you again for your interest in the Master’s Internship Training Program in the Counseling Center at Florida State University Panama City.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Duval, LCSW, MSW, Mental Health Specialist 
Master’s Internship Coordinator

General Information

The Counseling Center (CC) is the mental health services provider at Florida State University Panama City. The Center’s mission is to enhance the academic experience of students by promoting healthy personal development through brief individual or couples counseling, group counseling, skill enhancement and preventative outreach services. This mission is accomplished within the parameters of a humanistic philosophy that honors and adheres to the individual student’s right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Individual, couples, and group therapies are provided as well as crisis intervention, consultations, presentations and other forms of outreach. Individual and couples counseling may be session-limited. Group therapy participation is unlimited. The CC offers full- and part-time training opportunities to Florida State University master’s students in social work 

Staff

The staff member holds memberships in a variety of professional organizations including the National Association of Social Workers, Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors, Yoga Alliance and the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Training and Philosophy

The social work internship program at the CC utilizes a mentor-apprentice model of training, whereby the professional growth and development of interns is facilitated by supervised applied practice, augmented by modeling, consultation and teaching. It is our belief that close, collegial involvement with professional counselor role models provides a phase appropriate learning experience for the interns, allowing for enhancement of their professional identity while further developing their skills and competencies as practitioners. The internship year is clearly a time of transition, when interns must bridge and integrate the science of their academic training with the practice necessitated by their developing role as mental health professionals. It is the program’s philosophy that mentoring provides our interns an opportunity to internalize and consolidate that professional role, and makes the transition from graduate student seem both possible and worthwhile.

Developmental considerations are foremost in our training approach. We recognize the need and necessity for our interns to apply, in an intensive manner, the science of counseling and social work they have learned in their graduate programs and further develop competencies in assessment, documentation, diagnosis, intervention and consultation. We strive to provide a supportive environment that allows interns to take on increasing levels of responsibility over the course of the internship, thereby building their confidence along with their competence. As part of this process, interns have the opportunity to observe and collaborate with senior clinicians in a variety of activities ranging from individual and group therapy to consultation and outreach. As the interns and their supervisors become comfortable with the intern’s skill level, supervisors function more as consultative mentors.

The Center views interns as professional colleagues and vital staff members whose contributions are encouraged and valued. Through supervision and training, we assist the intern in identifying areas requiring further growth, while exposing them to a broad range of theoretical orientations and specialized expertise of the staff that will enhance their professional development. Interns are thereby afforded the opportunity to pursue somewhat individualized training experiences based on their experiences, interests and goals.

The internship is a vital component of the CC and, as such, the goals of intern training are necessarily intertwined with the service goals of the CC. Thus the provision of high quality, informed and ethical treatment to a large and diverse student population is of paramount importance. Recognizing the educational mission of the Florida State University, it is also important for the internship to support this mission through the training of interns, engagement in scientific inquiry and outreach and consultation to the greater university community.

The overall goal of the internship is to prepare social work interns to function ethically, competently and independently as mental health professionals. The training is generalist in nature, aimed at expanding the intern’s experience and awareness of self and other, while refining skills necessary to practice effectively. The internship attempts to foster personal growth and self-confidence, along with a sense of professional identity.

Orientation

Clinical orientation of new interns is both a formal and informal process. The formal portion is designed to help new interns begin their training at the CC and generally occurs before the start of the fall semester. The purpose of the orientation program is to introduce new interns to the Center’s philosophy, mission, history, organization, staff, and policies and procedures. Included in the formal orientation are mini-seminars outlining crisis counseling, intake procedures, forms and documentation, and supervision requirements. In addition, tours may be conducted of other relevant resources on campus. Informal orientation occurs continuously through interaction with staff members in response to new situations and changing needs.

Seminars

Training seminars throughout the internship will focus on themes related to the counseling needs of the Center’s clientele–a broad spectrum of “traditional” and “non-traditional” college students. Treatment considerations, including a variety of approaches and intervention modes, are highlighted. The training is organized and may be conducted by the CC staff member or guest specialists from the university and local community. Representative topics include: crisis management, eating disorders, suicide prevention and intervention, addictions, LGBTQ concerns, couples counseling, ethics, multi-cultural counseling, anxiety and stress management, assessment, sexual assault/rape issues and treatment of depression. The array of topics reflects the many client issues interns face in this setting.

Supervision

All interns are supervised in the provision of individual or group counseling. Supervision is based primarily on case discussions. Critiquing video recordings of sessions, co-counseling, and in-person observation are used in supervision as seems appropriate to individual interns and their supervisors. Interns typically co-lead group therapies with experienced staff members with whom they can discuss group issues. Training in client assessment is strongly centered around interviews. Clients seeking career information are referred to the FSU Career Center; however, career issues may be a focus of counseling with CC clients.

Master’s interns receive a minimum of one hour of individual supervision. Frequent informal supervision and/or consultation with staff member is encouraged and expected in response to issues that arise between formal supervision sessions. Supervision of interns is provided by professional staff. Interns negotiate the specifics of supervision such as meeting times, goals, and evaluation criteria with their supervisor. Interns present for multiple semesters receive an evaluation at the conclusion of each semester. A transition meeting with the intern may be scheduled at the beginning of each new semester to facilitate the change and determine ongoing supervision needs. Issues which can be discussed at this meeting include the intern’s strengths, goals, and recommendations for further training needs.

Services

Individual Therapy

Clients generally call or email as a first contact and clinical needs are assessed. Some clients may only attend one session, some may continue in therapy and some may be referred to the community. 

Group Therapy

Groups may be offered which may focus on issues such as romantic relationships, family relationships, grief, body image, women’s issues, men’s issues, DBT, Social Anxiety, LGBTQ issues, and other topics. Some of the groups are structured with educational objectives; others are unstructured and rely primarily on interpersonal interaction. Master’s interns have the opportunity to process observe a group during the first semester and co-lead a group during the second semester if they are able to commit to an additional three hours per. 

Outreach

Staff and interns regularly provide outreach presentations to the university community. Interns are often involved in participating in campus-wide events and outreaches to various campus organizations.

Treatment Coordination Services

When client issues necessitate longer or more intensive care, it may be necessary or best practice to refer a student to a community provider for ongoing mental health treatment. This service includes referrals out to higher levels of care.

Counseling Center activity is “seasonal” by nature. The demand for services tends to steadily increase during fall and spring semesters.

Application Process and Selection

The FSU Panama City Counseling Center accepts applications from currently enrolled Florida State University graduate students for the master’s internship program. Applications are accepted and interviews scheduled mid-semester.

Guidelines for Applicants who are former clients of the FSU Panama City Counseling Center:

  1. Former clients are eligible to apply for Master’s internship positions.
  2. There must be a minimum of one semester between receiving clinical services at the Counseling Center and starting a training experience at the Counseling Center .
  3. Former client’s file will be sealed upon receipt of application.
Minimum Criteria for Eligibility
  • Fall and Spring semester commitment to the Master’s Internship Program in the Counseling Center at Florida State University Panama City for part-time social work interns.
  • Available to engage in training related activities for approximately 16/17 hours for part-time and 32 hours for full-time Social Work interns per week throughout the internship experience.
  • Currently enrolled in Florida State University’s Social Work Graduate programs.

If you meet the minimum criteria for eligibility and are interested in applying to the Master’s Internship Program in the Counseling Center at Florida State University Panama City, please submit the following application materials (Please note, the first four documents are available for download below):

  • Master’s Internship Application
  • Supervisor Reference Form (please submit two of these forms)
  • Academic Program’s Verification of Eligibility Form
  • Case Conceptualization (500-1000 word maximum)
  • An unofficial transcript of your graduate course work
  • Current Curriculum Vita
  • Cover Letter including a Statement of Interest (How would a training experience in the FSU PC Counseling Center benefit your professional and academic goals/plans and what would you bring to the FSU PC CC as a trainee? 500 – 1000 word maximum)

Selected candidates will have the opportunity to request an onsite or Zoom interview.

*** Please note that if accepted into the Master’s Internship Training Program, students must provide proof of their Student Liability Insurance at the start of the internship. Trainee will also be required to attend a mandatory orientation 1 week prior to the start of the Fall academic semester. ***

Please send all completed application materials to:

Attention: Master’s Internship Coordinator
Florida State University Panama City Counseling Center
Barron Building, Room 303
4750 Collegiate Drive
Florida State University
Panama City, FL 32405
Phone: (850) 770-2173
krduval@fsu.edu