Business Administration - John F. Kennedy University

When such evaluation indicates that a student’s performance falls
below the standards of the Counseling Psychology program, the
student will be referred to the review and Advisement Commit tee.
Please refer to the specific policies, procedures and guidelines in
the Student Handbook.
Supervised field experience
The 18 units of supervised field experience completed in Phases II
and III provide the student with the opportunity to apply their
academic coursework, and may not be completed in less than five
quarters. Students may do the first three academic quarters of their
field experience in a placement at one of the school’s Community
Counseling Centers, either in Pleasant Hill, Sunny vale, or at an
approved external site in a community. This field experience also
includes a school-based placement component. The Pleasant Hill
Community Counseling Center was originally established in
Concord in 1974 as a public service and training facility. The
counseling center in Sunnyvale was established in 1994 to provide
services to the South Bay community and it serves as the hub of
school-based counseling services to the Cupertino Union School
district. The counseling centers draw upon the teaching and
supervisory skills of psychologists, marriage and family therapists,
and clinical social workers, all licensed in their respec tive
disciplines.
At the community counseling centers, students counsel individu als
(adults and children), couples and families, and groups.
relationship difficulties, parent-child conflicts, and adjustment
problems of adolescents and children are among the many family
issues encountered at the counseling centers. various teaching
tools, including one-way mirrors and audio and video aids, provide
direct feedback and help students develop their thera peutic skills.
Students are also responsible for the intake proce dure with new
clients and participate in the administrative operations of the
center.
during the first three quarters of placement, students participate
in weekly clinical group supervision in which each student makes
at least one comprehensive case presentation. The instructor
facilitates discussion of the theory and practice relevant to the
issues at hand. The seminar also serves as a support group for
students as they meet the challenges of providing therapy to clients.
After completing the first three quarters of the field placement,
students either remain at one of the University’s Community
Counseling Centers to complete an advanced program or begin an
external field placement. To select an external placement, students
meet with the external field placement coordinator at least one
academic quarter before the start-up date. The Counseling
Psychology program maintains ongoing rela tionships with a range
of agencies throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area. These
include community mental health programs, private nonprofit
outpatient clinics, residential treat ment programs, and inpatient
and outpatient hospital settings. Other placements include those
appropriate for students pursu ing specializations, including
substance abuse treatment centers, which serve diverse
populations, and settings that use specialized approaches, such as
sport psychology or expressive arts therapy. Concurrent with
fieldwork, students continue to take academic courses which assist
them in applying theory to practice.
Students are required to have 150 hours of direct client contact
within their graduate studies in order to pursue MFT licensure.
College of Professional Studies
Typically, students satisfy this requirement during their field
placement. Occasionally, students who are unable to achieve these
minimum hours of direct contact must enroll in PSy 5266
Supervised Fieldwork Experience for an additional quarter of
fieldwork. Units earned in PSy 5266 do not apply toward the 87
graduate units required for the degree.
In addition, all students are required to purchase their own
malpractice insurance and be fingerprinted prior to beginning
fieldwork. Students who have concerns about the fingerprinting
requirement are encouraged to speak with a faculty advisor and
also to contact the Board of Behavioral Sciences early in their
educational process to determine any impact with regard to
licensure. For more information on field placements, please refer
to the student handbook.
didactic Training
As part of our commitment to helping students meet practicum
and workshop hours for licensure, students attend a didactic
training series that covers specialized topics in the field of
psychology. Speakers from public and private agencies, the health
care industry, and schools address the latest theories and ideas in
community mental health and disparities in mental health care in
traditionally marginalized communities. This is in keeping with
proposed changes in BBS requirements which incorporate
principles of wellness, recovery, resilience and cultural competence.
The didactic training series is a required part of the field placement
experience.
Comprehensive Master’s examination
All counseling psychology students must demonstrate an
under standing of the theoretical material and their capacity to
function effectively and ethically as professional clinicians. As part
of the assessment of these competencies, students complete a
two-part comprehensive master’s examination similar in format to
that of the California MFT Examination. Students must register
through the registrar’s office for the master’s examination and pay
the appropriate non-refundable fee one quarter prior to taking the
first component, the written examination (PSy 9090).
Students must take the written examination, which is based on
Phase I coursework, during Phase II. This examination is offered
twice a year. It is preceded by an orientation meeting and optional
practice session to be attended one quarter before the examination.
Students who are required to retake the written examination must
re-register and pay the appropriate non-refundable fee. Students
have three chances to pass the written examination. A student who
fails the written examination must meet with the review and
Advisement Committee.
At the end of the fifth or sixth quarter of field placement, students
complete the oral component of the Comprehensive Master’s
Examination. (Students must register through the registrar’s office
for the oral comprehensive examination, PSy 9091, and pay the
appropriate non-refundable fee.) The examination consists of a
presentation of a student’s own clinical work that the candidate
presents to two examiners which is then followed by an ad hoc
vignette given to the candidate. Examiners will then ask
predetermined questions. Both parts of the oral examination
provide students with the opportunity to demon strate competence
and the breadth and depth of knowledge necessary to become an
effective therapist. Students have three opportunities to pass the
JOHn F. KEnnEdy UnIvErSITy College of Professional Studies 85
College of
Professional Studies