Advanced Therapy Practicum

Located in Buchanan Hall on the College’s South Campus, the Health and Wellness Center includes counseling services, health services, and wellness promotion.  The Health and Wellness Center supports the college’s mission to promote an exceptional student experience that celebrates personal growth by providing prevention-focused, accessible, and high quality health care and counseling for a diverse student population. The Health and Wellness Center’s mission is to encourage behaviors that eliminate or change barriers to learning, and promote optimal physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and community wellness through a collaborative team approach. Interns will have the opportunity to develop programs and workshops that support this mission.  

The Health and Wellness Center seeks to provide culturally competent clinical services, outreach, and supervision/training and to promote and affirm the diversity of our community. We strive to create an environment where all people feel recognized and respected and where student, trainee, and staff identities are supported and celebrated. As a staff, we attempt to facilitate mutual respect and understanding among people of diverse racial, ethnic, national, and socioeconomic backgrounds, gender identities, sexual identities, mental and physical abilities, languages, classes, ages, and religious/spiritual beliefs. We recognize that systems, and the individuals within them, cannot be considered healthy while oppression and marginalization maintain power imbalances and inequality within them.  Therefore, our commitment to mental health is also a commitment to advocate against oppression in all of its forms.

In addition to two advanced practicum therapists, the Health and Wellness Center is staffed by four full-time clinical psychologists, two doctoral psychology interns, a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, and a department assistant.  Counseling staff have expertise in a range of theoretical orientations including humanistic/existential, client-centered, interpersonal, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, developmental, family systems, and multicultural/feminist. Our training staff is collaborative, collegial, professional, and committed to the training of students.  Please see the program brochure or the Counseling Services Staff page for additional information about the clinical supervisors. The program brochure also contains additional information about Lake Forest College and the Health and Wellness Center’s clientele.

The advanced therapy practicum at the Lake Forest College Health and Wellness Center is intended for Clinical and/or Counseling Psychology doctoral students who have previously completed a therapy practicum (Master’s or Doctoral) or those who have experience in counseling through employment. In addition, preference will be given to applicants with experience and/or interest in conducting outreach programming and university/college counseling.

The advanced practicum begins Thursday, August 8, 2024, and ends on Friday, May 16, 2025.  Following a two -week orientation period, each trainee will begin their specific schedule negotiated with the Coordinator of Clinical Training. Trainees are expected to be on-site for 22.5 working hours each week over 3 days.  The Health and Wellness Center closes at noon for a one-hour lunch each day, during which time there are no clinical activities.

During a typical training year, practicum therapists are expected to have 11-12 direct service hours with therapy clients per week: 8-10 hours of individual clients; intake assessment (1-2 hours), drop-in crisis hour or Let’s Talk coverage (1 hour) and risk assessment/crisis management (as needed). Practicum therapists also are expected to provide intervention via outreach programming. The required training time is Tuesdays 8:30am – 12:00pm, in order to participate in meetings and seminars. Practicum therapists will be given 45 hours of personal leave time during the course of the training year, in addition to College holidays and a 3 week break during the College’s Winter Break.

Throughout the practicum, trainees must be actively engaged in either a clinical seminar or individual supervision in their clinical or counseling psychology doctoral program. Prior to seeing clients, each trainee must provide written proof of coverage under an occurrence-based, professional liability insurance policy with $1,000,000/$3,000,000 minimum limits, that is to be maintained throughout the practicum contract.

Lake Forest College’s campus is accessible by car and train. Advanced practicum therapists receive parking permits at no cost. The Lake Forest stop on the Metra Union Pacific North line is about 1 mile from Buchanan Hall where the Health and Wellness Center is located. As part-time trainees, advanced practicum therapists are expected to work in person, but flexibility for remote work may be offered on an occasional as needed basis for things such as illness or weather-related concerns. Advanced practicum therapists have access to the campus’ Sports and Recreation Center for no fee and are eligible to purchase meals in the cafeteria at the discounted staff rate.

The Health and Wellness Center staff is committed to training and shares the philosophy that supervision and mentoring are essential in helping trainees develop their professional confidence, competence, and autonomy. The training program at Lake Forest College’s Health and Wellness Center utilizes a practitioner-scholar training model which emphasizes the integration and application of critical thinking and skillful reflection across a broad range of experiential activities. The purpose of the advanced practicum is to provide a supervised experience that focuses on developing strong clinical and professional skills. The program combines experiential clinical practice, outreach programming, and supervision, all informed by research and theory, towards the overarching goal of furthering trainee development into multiculturally competent and ethical generalist practitioners.

The training team’s goal is that each trainee leaves the advanced practicum with an understanding of how to effectively conceptualize and intervene in their clients’ lives in a grounded manner that integrates theory, technique, and practical understanding with a basic respect for the individual. 

All activities and experiences are conducted under continuous and intensive supervision to foster the development of more skills throughout this process.  Training and supervision are collaborative in nature, emphasizing each supervisee’s unique strengths, goals, and areas for growth.

Training is recognized as a developmental process, and advanced practicum therapists are assessed individually regarding their clinical skills and stage of professional development. Advanced practicum therapists are asked to complete a self-assessment at the beginning of the training year to identify the skill and expertise that they bring to the program as well as their unique training needs, goals, and interests. This process is the foundation of a collaborative approach that is infused throughout the training program.

 The training program strongly values respect for diversity, an understanding of how one’s own identities and experiences influence them as a psychologist/psychologist in training, an awareness of the cultural and individual differences that are present for clients or others we interact with in our roles, and an orientation towards social justice. The internship program supervisors strongly believe that to train supervisees to be multiculturally competent and to create an ideal environment for training and empowering trainees of a variety of identities and cultures, supervisors must engage in the same critical self-reflection and awareness that they request of interns. We value authentic, theoretically based, self-reflective, and culturally humble practice, and we strive to meet the highest ethical standards as clinicians and supervisors working within an interconnected university community.

Practicum therapists will gain experience working with a diverse traditional-aged college client population across many domains including presenting problems, acuity, socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds and sexual orientations, and educational and career interests.

Clinical experiences during the course of the practicum include:

• Brief individual therapy (average of 7 sessions)
• Long-term individual therapy with a small subset of caseload
• Outcome assessment utilizing the CCAPS (Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms)
• Potential for providing a psychoeducational group and/or observation of a process group
• Intake assessment
• Crisis assessment and intervention (with supervision)
• Case management and referral

Trainees will have the opportunity to collaborate with other members of the Lake Forest community by providing outreach and consultation. The Health and Wellness Center staff offers programs and services through a variety of formats, including workshops, seminars, tabling events, and social media interventions. The content of the wellness programs and services varies depending upon the needs of the College community and trainee skills and interests. Some of these programs may take place during evening or weekend hours.

Trainees will participate in a regularly scheduled Community Psychology and Outreach Seminar, with a focus on generating prevention-focused outreach for the Lake Forest College population. As trainees select their outreach projects, they receive consultation, support and guidance. Practicum therapists are encouraged to use time outside of seminar to work individually with the Community Wellness Coordinator, Doctoral Interns, undergraduate Wellness Peer Educators, or fellow practicum therapists as needed.

Advanced practicum outreach expectations include:

• Creation of original outreach projects on varying topics
• Development of at least six outreach programs in the training year (3 in the Fall and 3 in the Spring)
• Assistance with other programming as requested

Additional outreach, consultation, and collaboration opportunities include:

• Developing and presenting seminars or workshops
• Orientation activities for new students and international students
• Collaboration with other departments in the Office of Student Affairs
• Sexual responsibility and healthy relationships, healthy eating behaviors, and alcohol and drug harm reduction programming

Trainees will also have the opportunity to provide formal and informal consultation to staff, faculty, and students. Consultation can focus on assessment of the needs of a student and/or support for the consultee in best supporting the student. Consultation with family members and outside providers is also often an important element of psychotherapy or case management with clients.

Due to the integrated nature of the Health and Wellness Center as both the primary health and counseling clinic on campus, interdisciplinary collaboration is a daily occurrence for interns. This collaboration will happen both formally and informally. Opportunities may also exist to build relationships with other professionals across campus, as well as additional opportunities for collaboration on outreach, campus events, and meeting student needs.

Individual Supervision: Each practicum therapist will receive two hours weekly of individual supervision. One hour of supervision will be provided by a licensed clinical psychologist who will serve as the trainee’s primary supervisor. An additional hour of supervision will be provided by a doctoral intern, who will serve as a secondary supervisor. Therapy sessions will be video/audio recorded, and recordings will be reviewed in supervision. At various points throughout the year, it is expected that trainees will have significant interaction, mentoring, and supervision from all licensed clinical psychologists and doctoral interns. Content of supervision will vary according to trainee needs and may include emphasis on assessment, therapy and session recording review, theory, ethics, and other relevant topics.

Orientation: Trainees will begin the year by participating in a training orientation. Didactic trainings during this period are focused on orienting practicum therapists to the policies, clientele, presenting concerns, and setting of an integrated health and counseling center in a college setting. The orientation is also designed to help trainees adjust to the training year and provide information about the practicum experience and the operations of the Health and Wellness Center.

Case Consultation: Trainees and supervisors (including interns and staff supervisors) rotate case presentations during this weekly group supervision.  It is designed to complement each trainee’s individual supervision. Practicum therapists will have the opportunity to provide constructive feedback to fellow staff and interns and develop their oral, written, and case conceptualization skills during the course of the group supervision. Case consultation occurs weekly for 1.5 hours each week, and is paired with a 30-minute counseling staff meeting for announcements/updates and case disposition when the center is operating on a waitlist.

Community Psychology and Outreach Seminar: This 1-hour seminar meets three times per month and focuses on how to develop effective wellness programs, with an emphasis on programming that encourages resiliency, self-care, and fostering student engagement in the college experience. Trainees are required to develop and implement at least six outreach programs in the training year (3 in the Fall and 3 in the Spring) and assist with other programs as requested. They receive consultation, support and guidance on these projects in this seminar.

Multicultural Seminar: This 1-hour seminar meets three times per month and includes the advanced practicum therapists and the doctoral interns. Advanced practicum therapists can expect to increase their awareness and knowledge of diversity issues in their clinical work and their personal development during this seminar.  The focus is on enhancing and increasing core diversity competency skills to promote multicultural competence. The seminar is based on the understanding that we are all multicultural beings who bring multiple identities to the counseling relationship. In the seminar, interns can expect to grow in their awareness of their own intersecting identities, explore reactions and assumptions regarding cultural identities, increase knowledge of how a client’s and therapist’s identities may impact the clinical work, and facilitate a deepening of competence when intervening with clients. 

Practicum Check-In: Once a month the advanced practicum therapists meet with the Coordinator of Clinical Training for a more formal check-in time. Topics of discussion can range from addressing logistical questions, to processing the internship application process, to discussing developmental concerns.  This is designed to be a space to check in and process the development and needs of the practicum therapists and address any issues that arise.

Trainees are expected to be on-site for 22.5 work hours each week over a period of 3 days. The Health and Wellness Center is open from 8:30am-5:00pm and closes for one hour for lunch each day. A typical practicum therapist work week can be expected to appear similar to the breakdown below. Please note that specific activities and allocation of hours may vary by times of the year.  Occasional evening and weekend time may also be required for outreach programming. As previously noted, Tuesday 8:30am-12:00pm is the required training time. The remainder of each trainee’s schedule will be negotiated with the Coordinator of Clinical Training.

In accordance with ACEPT guidelines, applications will be accepted beginning Friday, January 26, 2024. Applications are due by 4pm on Friday, February 9, 2024.

To apply, please send the following materials by e-mail to healthandwellness@mx.lakeforest.edu. All materials should be included in one document whenever possible:

• Cover letter describing your interest in the advanced practicum at the Health and Wellness Center
• Curriculum vitae
• Copy of transcript
• Three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is from a clinical supervisor

Applications may be directed to:

Kasey Schultz-Saindon, Ph.D.
Lake Forest College - Health & Wellness Center
555 N Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045

Application procedures will be in adherence with ACEPT guidelines. For additional information about ACEPT guidelines and important dates for the current application year, please see the ACEPT website. Important deadlines to make note of:

• Friday, February 9, 2024: Application deadline
• Monday, March 1, 2024: Date by which applicants will be notified of interview offers
• Friday, March 15, 2024: Pre-Notification Day
• Monday, March 18, 2024: Notification Day (Applicants will be emailed offers on this date beginning at 9am. Applicants will be able to hold an offer for up to one hour).
• Wednesday, March 20, 2024: Clearinghouse process begins, and applications are accepted again if a position remains open

For additional information, please contact the Health & Wellness Center at 847-735-5240, schultzsaindon@mx.lakeforest.edu, or healthandwellness@mx.lakeforest.edu.

The Lake Forest College Health and Wellness Center strongly values diversity and is committed to providing an equitable, inclusive, and safe environment for each trainee to learn and grow.  Consistent with the American Psychological Association’s charge that “professional psychology training programs strive to ensure that psychology trainees demonstrate acceptable levels of knowledge, skills, and awareness to work effectively with diverse individuals”, one of the core goals of the training program is the development of respect and understanding of all types of human diversity. This competency requires not only knowledge and skills but also strong awareness of oneself as a cultural being. 

Development of such self-awareness and integration into each trainee’s professional identity and practice requires a safe and supportive environment in which to examine one’s own identities and related values, beliefs, and biases that potentially impact encounters with others.  The training program makes every effort to create and sustain such a safe and supportive environment, and Health and Wellness Center staff actively advocate for policies and procedures that advance an inclusive and equitable environment for all the diverse members of the campus community.  The College similarly is committed to supporting and promoting respect for diversity and preventing any discrimination towards students, faculty or staff, as demonstrated in Lake Forest College’s Notice of Nondiscrimination:

Lake Forest College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, work authorization status, military or veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, order of protection status, arrest record, or any other classification protected by law in matters of admissions, employment, housing, or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates.

Lake Forest College complies with federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination based on the protected categories listed above, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex (including sexual misconduct) in the College’s educational programs and activities.

Lake Forest College provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants, students, and employees with disabilities and to individuals who are pregnant.

Any inquires or concerns with respect to sex discrimination, sexual misconduct, Title IX, and the College’s Title IX policies and procedures may be directed to:

LaShun McGhee
Title IX Coordinator
555 North Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045
847-735-6009
TitleIX@lakeforest.edu

 Any inquiries or concerns regarding Title VI (prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin), Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (prohibiting discrimination based on disability), or the College’s Non-Discrimination Policy and Complaint Resolution Procedures may be directed to:

Agnes Stepek
Director of Human Resources and Campus Coordinator for Section 504
555 North Sheridan Road
Lake Forest, IL 60045
847-735-5036
stepek@lakeforest.edu

 Individuals may also contact the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights for information.

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education-Chicago Office
500 W Madison St., Suite 1475
Chicago, IL 60661-4544
(312) 730-1560
ocr@ed.gov 

Consistent with this policy and the values stated above, the training program welcomes diverse applicants and actively seeks to create a diverse training environment.  Diversity amongst trainees and staff enrich the training experience for all involved and promote multiculturally competent services for our diverse student clientele.  The program does not discriminate against any applicants because of race, color, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, ability status, sexual identity or orientation, or gender identity or expression and evaluates applicants solely on the basis of prior education, training experiences, and alignment with the goals and activities of the program.