College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Catalog 2016

85 external practicum to complete the required hours and to enhance their skills. Students must adhere to their site contract requirements (i.e., school systems provide therapeutic services throughout the school year and require student interns to sign a contract to provide continuous services). In addition to the weekly client contact hours, students are required to schedule additional time at the internship sites to complete paperwork, allow for missed appointments, and become a valued member of their site. Thus, 20 hours a week committed to the internship site is realistic. This time may include weekdays, evenings, and/or weekends, depending on the site requirements. If students are unable to commit the needed amount of time to a site, they will need to register and take additional practicum(s) to accrue the required 500 clinical hours. Students must be supervised throughout the practicums. If students want more diverse experiences, or are not accumulating hours rapidly enough at one internship site, they may develop an additional site. A contract for each site must be completed prior to beginning at that site. The internship contract should be clearly understood by all parties. No more than two internship sites are recommended and must have their faculty supervisor’s, Internship Coordinator’s, and Program Director’s approval. Practicums are evaluated by both the site supervisor and faculty supervisor each term, utilizing the program's practicum evaluation forms. Students are invited to assess their own performance as well. These forms, designed by faculty, closely assess clinical skills and can be obtained online at the CAHSS website at http://CAHSS.nova.edu/Downloads/index.htm under the M.S. in Family Therapy program. Practicum Evaluations Students are enrolled in two Internal Practicums once they complete their core courses. Within the internal practicums and later the external practicums, the supervisor and students are able to evaluate their progress in therapeutic skills by reviewing the following:  Attention to Professional, Ethical and Legal Issues  Systemic Case Conceptualization  Clinical Session Management  Attention to Client/Therapist Position  Effective Use of Supervision It is recognized that student progress in acquiring and practicing therapeutic skills and formulating their therapeutic orientation as they move through the program from novice to professional. As such, students have the opportunity to identify their strengths and needs for further development throughout their clinical experiences. The evaluation forms can be viewed under http://CAHSS.nova.edu/Downloads/index.htm . Concentration in Family Systems Health Care Students in the M.S. in Family Therapy program may choose to pursue a concentration in Family Systems Health Care. The concentration focuses on the relationships between psychosocial medicine and biomedicine in the treatment and prevention of illness and disease. Students learn the basics of biopsychosocial theory, practice, and collaboration. The program prepares professionals to offer therapeutic services in a variety of medical settings, including private medical practices, hospitals, community clinics, primary care/specialists' offices, and agencies. Students in the Family Systems Health Care concentration program have ample opportunities to gain practical expertise through classroom learning and hands-on clinical, research, teaching, and service experiences. Specific areas of study include: adjustment