Welcome to the Introduction
to Practicum presentation.
In this presentation you will learn
about the practicum component of
Yorkville's Master of Arts and
Counseling Psychology program,
as well as the pre Practicum process.
We will also cover important things
you need to know when preparing
and submitting an application
for your practicum placement.
Your Practicum Advisor will be with
you throughout your prepracticum period
and as your go to person when you have
Practicum related questions or concerns.
Please note your Practicum Advisor
is not the same person as your
Program Advisor who's associated
with the Registrar's office.
For immediate support,
please submit an Ask Yu case by
using the Ask Yu button in the
upper corner of your course site.
The starting point for preparing for
practicum should be familiarizing
yourself with all the required
information provided on the
MACP Practicum Portal website,
reflecting on the type of
Practicum experience you want,
creating your Practicum specific
resume and cover letter,
and starting an inventory of possible sites.
You are not expected to be reaching
out to Practicum sites in your
first trimester of the MACP program,
but you still can.
Depending on geographic location,
site requirements,
and potential deadlines,
you are required to find your own site
and need to inform yourself about
Yu requirements in order to find
an appropriate site and supervisor.
Feel free to reach out to your
Practicum Advisor for support.
As you plan for Practicum Yorkville's
MACP Practicum Portal via the Yu
website will be a crucial part of
your preparation and readiness.
The Practicum Portal contains
all the documents, guidelines,
and information you will need for
a successful placement experience.
You will also find all of the
information that you need to submit
your Yorkville Practicum Placement
application by the relevant deadline
via the MACP Practicum Portal.
The MACP Practicum Portal is
there to guide you through your
search and application.
While you do have a fair amount
of time before submitting your
practicum placement application,
you should make efforts to make sure you
are at the right spot in the process.
The pre Practicum timeline provided
on the MACP Practicum portal
is very helpful for this,
being mindful that for larger urban areas,
securing a practicum placement
can be highly competitive,
especially when there are
other universities close by.
The Practicum Guide for Students
will also be very helpful in
outlining everything you need to
know about the Practicum process.
The Prepracticum Timeline lays out
suggested Prepracticum activities,
including suggested timing for them,
at 12 months, nine months,
and four months before.
The Prepracticum Timeline will give
you an idea of where you should
be in the process throughout each
trimester of your MACP program.
It offers a suggested order in
which to read course content and
complete activities related to
beginning and practicum.
By adhering to these steps,
you guarantee the best possible
outcome for both obtaining your
practicum site and performing
well during your practicum.
If you click on the tab for 12
months before the practicum start,
you will see the chart of practicum
requirements at the bottom under Resources.
It will also be helpful for you
to review information regarding
your provincial regulatory body
or professional association.
If none exists in your province
or place of residence,
review the National Association
website and become familiar with the
regulations and requirements related
to completing your practicum during
your Masters of Counseling Psychology.
It might also be helpful for you to
download the registration application.
Or your provincial or national regulatory
body or professional association.
The Charts of Macp Practicum Requirements
is a helpful resource designed
as a chart version of all hourly
requirements for the onsite practicum.
This is a very helpful document to
understand the requirements of your
practicum and also to take with you to
discuss with prospective supervisors.
Under the Practicum Information section
for students in the MACP Practicum Portal,
you will find several Hevel
icons to assist you.
This is also where you can find information
regarding potential practicum sites.
Yorkville University's MACP Practicum
Portal Site Locator is a list of
sites that have previously hosted
Yorkville students and have indicated
that they are willing to have their
agency or organization be approached
by future students seeking placement.
While searching,
it is important to recognize your
level of competence and look for
practicum sites that will provide
you with entry level counseling
experience in general mental health.
As you are researching for
potential practicum sites,
be sure to also read site and
supervisor requirements in the
Practicum Guide for Students.
Many agencies require Yorkville to
submit an initial application for
students and prefer that students
do not contact them directly.
If this is the case,
please follow all instructions for
that specific health authority or
institution and note that deadlines
and requirements may differ from ours.
This information can be found on
the MACP Practicum portal and in
the Practicum Guide for Students.
As mentioned,
it is critical that you do not
contact an agency that needs
Yorkville to apply on your behalf,
as this can potentially jeopardize
the progress of your application.
Refer to the Agencies slash health
Authorities icon on the MACP Practicum
portal For more information.
If you are planning on applying to
complete your practicum with an agency
requiring Garfield to apply on your behalf,
the most important thing to stress is that
in addition to finding a suitable practicum,
the pre practicum process is really
built on being well informed in advance.
As much as this process is about
receiving direction and support
from the field training team,
it's critical to make sure you are
very familiar with all requirements
for Yorkville potential sites and
professional colleges or associations.
The search for a practicum opportunity
can at times be anxiety inducing.
It is important to realize that it is
not uncommon depending on your area.
To have to apply to upwards of
30 plus sites to secure one spot,
it takes hard work.
Not securing a spot does not necessarily
mean that you are doing anything wrong.
It is also a matter of fit,
availability and timing.
If you experience difficulty
with your search,
reach out to your practicum
advisor for assistance.
Students often ask how early is too early.
And this is a question that largely depends
on the expectations of individual sites.
You should,
however,
be conscious that practicum comes
up quickly as students are very busy
with their lives and other courses.
This is why we encourage you
to think about practicum
early. Sometimes it is also
helpful to consider more than one
option in case things don't work
out the way you had anticipated.
It may be helpful to consider
seeking out volunteer opportunities
early on in your MACP program to
have time to gain experience to
include in your practicum resume.
It's great to volunteer to gain experience
because you can build a network,
increase your knowledge,
help identify interest areas,
and it looks good on your resume.
Great volunteer opportunities
are agencies where you are
working with people and learning,
communication, and listening skills,
especially distress centers.
Crisis lines and other agencies that provide
structured training and supervision,
especially recognized and structured
training such as assist or mental
health first aid in a volunteer role.
It may also be helpful to seek
out an agency or organization that
offers support to their volunteers
in the form of training,
guidance from staff,
and opportunities for feedback.
Practicum covers 215 week trimesters
completed as 7113 during the 1st
15 week trimester and 7203 during
the 2nd 15 week trimester.
Each section of the Practicum course
will be led by a faculty instructor
and have an assigned Practicum
coordinator to support students
throughout the practicum process.
The Practicum course is designed to
enrich the student learning experience
throughout the Practicum placements.
It also provides an opportunity
to formally evaluate counseling
competencies of students,
ensuring that graduation from the
MACP program signifies readiness
to work effectively.
As an entry to practice level counselor,
students should anticipate approximately
10 to 15 hours per week of coursework,
along with 13 1/2 hours per week
at the practicum sites.
On site,
students are expected to spend at least
13.5 hours per week as a minimum average.
Of the required 400 total hours,
200 need to be direct client contact hours,
which are hours spent directly
interacting with clients.
120 of these direct client contact
hours need to be direct counseling,
primarily individual therapy.
As well as some exposure to couples and
family therapy if offered at the site,
these are one-on-one sessions.
The remaining 80 hours can be in any
other form of direct client contact,
including intake,
screening and assessment.
The Yu chart of Practicum requirements
found on the Practicum Information
Hub details these requirements
and hourly breakdowns further.
The Practicum course is designed
to support students during their
practicum placement and enrich
their learning experience.
It also provides an opportunity
to formally evaluate counseling
competencies of students,
ensuring that graduation from the
MACP program signifies readiness
to work effectively as an entry
to practice level counselor
scheduled throughout the practicum courses
Psych 7113 and Psych 7203 combined.
Students will attend a number of mandatory
2 hour interactive web-based seminars
that will provide opportunities to
connect with other students and the MACP
faculty instructor in 7113 and 7203.
There will be a focus on integrating
theory with practice,
resolving ethical dilemmas,
case conceptualization and planning,
developing competencies in dealing with
cultural issues, embracing diversity.
Working collaboratively across disciplines,
accessing and maximizing the
benefits of site supervision,
and developing a professional
identity as a counselor,
topics and resources will be closely
connected to those previously
introduced throughout the program to
provide opportunities to synthesize
and apply students' learning.
This approach will facilitate a deeper
level of experiential learning and retention.
In seeking appropriate practicum settings,
it is important for students to
understand that by the time they have
completed their academic coursework,
the majority of MACP students are just
beginning their counseling careers and
therefore are novices to the profession.
As such,
it is important for students to
recognize the level of importance and
look for practicum sites that will
provide them with entry level counseling
experience in general mental health.
It is vitally important.
Students understand that the MACP program
is first and foremost a counseling
degree and not a psychology degree.
As such, the focus of the MACP Practicum
is to develop basic entry level counseling
skills within the traditional 50 minute
counseling session while also learning to
appropriately apply psychological theory.
It is important students seek
out a potential practicum site.
That has an established and structured
mental health counseling delivery
model where general mental health
issues such as stress,
depression, anxiety, grief, etc.
Are addressed.
Entry level counseling students
are strongly cautioned away from
securing practicums at agencies or
organizations where the focus is on
highly specialized mental health
services or alternative therapies.
Examples of more specialized or advanced
forms of therapy are listed here and
would include agencies that exclusively
provide services such as assessments,
severe psychiatric disorders,
eating disorders, and forensics as well.
Marriage and family therapy is an
advanced modality that you may be
able to gain some exposure to,
but you would likely not be
working with predominantly.
Alternative therapies including art therapy,
player therapy,
animal assisted therapy,
et cetera would not be areas to focus on
during this practicum as they require
postgraduate training and specialization.
Practicum plans,
including advanced,
specialized,
or alternative therapies may not be
approved and will require a deeper
level of inquiry prior to approval,
so keep this in mind when
planning for your practicum.
Students are permitted to
work with children aged 10 and
older without documentation.
If students want to work with children
aged 7 to 9 as part of their practicum,
they will need to submit a viability
questionnaire as part of their application.
The rationale here is that therapeutic
Interventions for Children and
Youth underage 10 May require a
more advanced and complex skill set
or specialized training,
and the MACP program does not train
students specifically for this.
Students outside of Canada must
consider the following In addition
to all other Yu requirements,
the MACP program is aware of challenges
that students may face in locating a
practicum site and site supervisor,
including students who live outside
of Canada,
in being able to complete the
practicum requirements.
Therefore,
the MACP Department of Field Training
has created a Policy and Viability
checklist to help students who reside
within and outside of Canada achieve
a greater potential for success in
completing their practicum experience.
The MACP student who desires to
complete their practicum outside of
the location within which they reside,
or any MACP student who resides outside
of Canada is required to complete
the viability checklist questionnaire.
Which can be found on the MACP
Practicum portal under cross-border
and International Practicums.
Completing a practicum in a student's
place of employment is considered a last
resort when there is no other option.
Therefore,
a student must have a valid reason
for applying to complete a practicum
in his her their place of employment.
For example,
The student has exhausted all other
possibilities in trying to secure
a practicum placement elsewhere.
Or it is required by employer or it will
cause the student extreme hardship.
It is possible to apply to complete
the practicum in a student's place
of employment as long as both the
agency or organization and proposed
practicum supervisor meet the
necessary Yu eligibility criteria
and the employer is agreeable.
All workplace practicums must receive
additional review and approval.
To obtain this approval,
the student must complete the
Practicum application and provide
additional supporting documentation.
This includes the Workplace Practicum
Information Form and a copy of the
site's official organizational charts.
The Workplace Practicum Information Form can
be accessed in the MACP Practicum portal.
Students who plan to complete their
practicum in a school setting must
do so in a middle school or high
school and must start in September.
This ensures students have enough time to
complete the practicum hour requirements
over a continuous 7 1/2 month period.
Please note that this restriction does
not apply to postsecondary institutions,
universities,
colleges, etcetera,
where counseling services may
to be delivered year round.
Professional Liability insurance purchased by
the student is required for all practicum.
Students Insurance coverage should
cover the student's work being performed
while in the capacity of a practicum.
Student.
Proof of Liability Insurance
documentation must be submitted with
the student's practicum application.
Students must maintain a current
Professional Liability Insurance
policy throughout the practicum
in some circumstances,
depending on the practicum site.
Students may also be required to
purchase an additional professional
liability insurance.
Rider riders are additional terms that
go into effect along with your basic
policy to provide additional coverage
and added protection against risks.
Students are responsible for checking
with their practicum sites to see
if additional insurance riders
should be purchased.
As a general rule,
students should purchase an insurance
policy limit up to $2,000,000.
However,
if you are a student in Ontario working
with a site slash supervisor in Ontario,
please be advised that your insurance
policy limit should be up to $5 million.
You have already had the opportunity
to get a sense of the MACP coursework
and how you can balance it around
your other commitments.
You have a great deal of latitude to study
and complete work at almost any time,
as long as you meet deadlines.
Practicum is a different experience,
however.
Much of your placement time will be
spent during agency business hours.
Rarely,
sites may offer counseling
during evenings and weekends,
but for the most part you will
need to make yourself available
according to the needs of the site
and the clients you are working with.
As such,
we do not recommend working full
time during your practicum.
This is an intense, demanding process,
not just in terms of the work required,
but personally and emotionally.
It's critical that you engage
in adequate self-care.
Remember that this isn't something
you rush through and get finished.
You should devote enough of yourself
to do it well and really learn
from the experience.
The opportunity to learn and
grow with such an extensive
support network is likely something you
won't have access to in your future career.
To focus on maximizing on this
opportunity while you have a chance,
ensure that you are realistic.
Devoting your minimum average of 13.5
hours per week plus a recommended
10 to 15 hours of coursework can
easily add up to 65 to 75 hours per
week if you are working full time.
This is neither realistic nor healthy.
Because of how much this
experience will require of you,
about 1/3 of students choose not to work.
Most others work reduced hours.
We don't tell you that you can't work,
but we can explain the intensive experience
early on to give you some time to balance
your schedule as a practicum student.
You aren't preparing to work in the field,
you are working in the field.
You are beginning to craft your experience
and your professional career in practicum.
You are working as a counselor
and this is a unique opportunity
to appreciate and capitalize on.
Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Become fully informed.
Read information on the MACP practic
and portal and ensure that you are
very familiar with all requirements.
Remember that you are expected
to engage in a professional,
respectful manner at all times with peers.
Yorkville staff,
potential supervisors,
and agency staff remain open to
receiving constructive criticism
without becoming defensive.
Your e-mail address should be professional.
First and last name is always best.
Some e-mail servers allow you to create
an alias which delivers to the same
inbox rather than open a new account.
You may also use your
Yorkville e-mail address.
It's important that you cite your degree
properly by putting in progress after the MA.
If you list the MA on your resume
without putting in progress.
It looks as though you've already
completed your Master of Arts
and Counseling Psychology.
Please note the degree is a Master of Arts,
MA, not MACP,
which is the program name.
Finally, always be conscious of the
first impression you are setting,
especially with other professionals
in the field.
To better support our students,
the MACP program offers office
hours held twice a week.
Members of our Field Training team will
be there to answer any questions you
may have about the pre Practicum process.
This concludes our Introduction
to Practicum Presentation.
If you have any questions about this
presentation or require any additional
information or clarification that can't
be found in the Practicum Guide for
Students or the Macp Practicum Portal,
please feel free to contact your
member of our Pre Practicum Advising
team via and ask why you take it.