Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum (COUC 692) – Online

All prerequisite courses are non-negotiable and must be successfully completed prior to the start of practicum

• Course Prerequisites
  • Orientation to Counselor Profession Identity & Function (COUC 500)
  • Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling (COUC 501)
  • Human Growth & Development (COUC 502)
  • Multicultural Counseling (COUC 504)
  • Counseling Techniques & the Helping Relationship (COUC 505)
  • Theories of Counseling (COUC 510)
  • Group Counseling (COUC 512)
  • Research & Program Evaluation (COUC 515)
  • Assessment Techniques in Counseling (COUC 521)
  • Psychopathology (COUC 546)
  • Clinical Diagnosis & Treatment Planning (COUC 667)*
    • *COUC students can enroll in COUC 667 as a co-requisite with practicum only if:
      • they enroll in the COUC 667 Intensive that occurs before or in the same month as the start date for practicum.
      • they are enrolled in a B-term online section of COUC 667.
        • If a student is enrolled in a D-term online section of COUC 667 the same semester they wish to take practicum, they will need to switch to a B-term online section or take the intensive version of COUC 667 or they will be denied.
    • Important note: The Practicum Office cannot guarantee COUC 667 will be offered as an intensive each semester.
• Additional Prerequisites
  • Background Check: You must purchase a background check through CastleBranch within no more than one year before applying for practicum.
  • Fingerprints: You must purchase and complete your fingerprints before applying for practicum.
  • GPA: Must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA by the posted application deadline

Minimum Total Practicum Hours: 100

• Direct Client Contact Hours (PDF)
• Individual Supervision Hours (PDF)
• Faculty Group Supervision (PDF)
• Related Activities Hours (PDF)

Students should check with their state counseling board for practicum requirements for the state they wish to be licensed in.

Semester Requirements

• Practicum is a full-semester commitment. 
  • Practicum officially starts the first day of Liberty’s academic semester.
  • Students are required to earn hours each week of the semester with the approved site and supervisor.
  • Practicum is an A-term course
    • 16-17 weeks during the fall and spring semesters
    • 14-15 weeks during the summer semester

Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy

In-person clinical counseling is the expected standard in meeting the direct service requirements. However, students and site supervisors are permitted to use telehealth services if the approved site uses telehealth services as a normal delivery of services. If telehealth is used, students and site supervisors are expected to maintain a 50/50 ratio of in-person and telehealth direct client contact hours. This is to ensure students have a well-rounded counseling experience using both modalities.

Please note: There will be no exceptions to this policy unless directed by federal and/or state mandates.

Students will be responsible for the following when telehealth services are used:

• Coordination of a balanced approach in use of telehealth and in-person clinical services
• Completion of the Liberty telehealth training prior to conducting telehealth services
• Midterm and Final hours reporting on telehealth services
• No more than 50% of telehealth direct client contact hours permitted

Please direct all questions regarding the Telehealth and In-Person Counseling Policy to the Practicum/Internship Office (practicum@liberty.edu). 

Video Recording Requirement

• Students must record two counseling sessions to submit to site supervisors and to be presented during WebEx Faculty Group Supervision.
• Students will submit a verbatim form that is an 8-10 minute segment of the recorded session.
  • Faculty will provide feedback on this portion of the session
  • Devices students can use for recording:
    • Digital cameras
    • Camcorders
    • Computer webcam – must be recorded through a HIPAA compliant platform
  • Devices that are inherently cloud-based such as phones and tablets cannot be used for video recording. Please contact the Practicum and Internship Office if you are needing further clarification.
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“**Please note: live observation and role play is no longer permitted starting Fall 2023. All students must have at least one site that allows videotaped sessions to fulfill this requirement.

Practicum Opportunities

State Site Lists: sites previously used by Liberty University students

• On average, finding a site and supervisor takes at least three to four months.
• Students are allowed a maximum of two sites.
• All students must apply with at least one site that will allow them to complete their required 2 taped client sessions.

Types of sites that can be considered for practicum:

• Counseling Agency
• Hospital
• Private Practice
• University Counseling Center
• Community Services Board
• School*
• Church**

*School Site Requirements:

• Provide clinical mental health services to elementary, middle, and/or high school-aged students
• Use approved informed consent
• Store clinical counseling records of sessions

**Church Site Requirements:

• Have an established clinical counseling center and services
• Use approved informed consent
• Store clinical counseling records of sessions
• Student must inform the Practicum & Internship Office if they are a member of the potential church site

Students are allowed a maximum of two supervisors.

• Please visit our site supervisor webpage for helpful information for practicum supervisors.

Examples of Approved Supervisors:

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Psychologist (LP) with either a PhD in Clinical Psychology or a PsyD (all other Licensed Psychologists will be reviewed on a case by case basis)

Examples of Supervisors Not Approved:

• Doctorate degrees that are not in the counseling field or are unaccredited
• Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) – with the only exception of the macro- or clinical- designations in the state of Michigan.
• Limited Licensed Professional Counselor (LLPC)
• Master of Divinity
• Pastoral Counselors
• School Counselors
• Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist

Review the Practicum Supervisor Information before proceeding

The numbers below correspond to the order in which the documents will be uploaded in the SharePoint application:

1. Degree Completion Plan Audit
   • Located under the Degree Completion tab on the Course Registration page
2. Background Check Receipt
   • Students must submit a background check receipt that was purchased no more than one year prior to the date of their application.
   • The practicum office will also verify that you have completed your fingerprints through CastleBranch at the time of your application. If you have not purchased and completed your fingerprints through CastleBranch, these will need to be completed by the time you apply or you will be denied to begin your practicum.
   • Only send the receipt that is sent to your email once the purchase of the background check or re-check has been made. Visit the Background Check website for further instructions on background check or fingerprints.
3. Supervisor’s License Verification
   • Found on your state counseling board website.
   • Includes name, license number, issue date, expiration date, & current/active
4. Fieldwork Contract
   • On-Site Fieldwork Contract (PDF): an on-site supervisor is an individual who is an employed counselor at the site you are applying to complete your practicum
   • Offsite Fieldwork Contract (PDF): an offsite supervisor is an individual who is not an employed counselor at the site you are applying to complete your practicum, but has received approval to come on-site and provide supervision
   • Signed by student and site supervisor
     • The dates must match Liberty’s A-term semester dates. Check the Academic Calendar for the semester dates you will be completing practicum.
     • Please note: you must only fill out one fieldwork contract per site/supervisor. Students are only required to have one site and supervisor but may have up to two sites and supervisors.
5. Supervisor and Site Information Forms (PDF)
   • Signed by the site director, supervisor, and student
6. Digital Photo of Student
   • Professional photo, driver’s license, or student ID
7. Liability Insurance Face Sheet (PDF)
   • Students are required to purchase their own coverage for the duration of practicum and internship. The coverage requirements are detailed in the link above.
8. Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
   • Cover Page: Completed by a site representative
   • 8-Page Agreement: Completed and signed only by legal signatory at site
   • 3-Page Schedule A & B (Student Addendum): Completed and signed by the student
   • Extensions will not be granted for Affiliation Agreement negotiations

Important Notes:

• The informed consent and how the site maintains records will need to be submitted with a copy of the Fieldwork Contract for potential school or church sites.
• All documents must be submitted as PDF files only. The order the documents are listed above is the same way they will be uploaded to the portal. The Affiliation Agreement will be uploaded as one 9-page PDF file. The Site and Supervisor Information Forms will be uploaded as one 2-page PDF file.

All approval documents must be submitted to the Practicum Office through the SharePoint submission portal prior to the deadline listed above. No late documents will be accepted. Submission of the forms does not mean automatic acceptance of the proposed site and/or supervisor; they must be approved first. Liberty University must validate that the student’s proposed site will provide a good educational experience and that it has adequate oversight and safeguards built in to ensure an appropriate clinical environment.

WebEx Faculty Group Supervision is a requirement for passing practicum.

• WebEx satisfies the requirement of group supervision.
• WebEx occurs via live video for 120 minutes (2 hours) each week of the semester.
• WebEx is led by a Liberty professor and will include 8-10 other practicum students.

WebEx Time Preferences

• When applying for practicum, students must pick two different general time preferences.
  • The Practicum and Internship Office strives to place each student in one of their two selected time preferences. However, students are placed in preferences on a first-come, first-served basis.
  • The Practicum and Internship Office cannot guarantee the specific day or time WebEx Faculty Group Supervision will be held.
• Students will be placed in a section according to either their first or second time preference provided on their application.
  • It is your responsibility to accommodate your assigned WebEx meeting time, as our office will be unable to switch you.
  • Extenuating circumstances will be reviewed by the Practicum/Internship Office on a case-by-case basis. All switches must be requested no later than Monday of week 0.
  • Please do not try to drop/re-add yourself to a more preferred section, as students are unable to add themselves to the practicum or internship courses.
  • Our office is unable to honor section switches based on a preferred professor.

Choosing WebEx Time Preferences: Students will choose their two general time preferences by selecting weekday or weekend in combination with morning, afternoon, or evening based on the following timeframes.

• Weekday Morning – Monday through Friday, start time between 8-11:30 a.m. (EST)
• Weekday Afternoon – Monday through Friday, start time between 12-4:30 p.m. (EST)
• Weekday Evening – Monday through Friday, start time between 5-9:30 p.m. (EST)
• Weekend Morning – Saturday only, start time between 8-11:30 a.m. (EST)
• Weekend Afternoon – No Longer Available
• Weekend Evening – Sunday only, start time between 5-9:30 p.m. (EST)

NOTE: WebEx times are based on Eastern Time (ET). Please keep that in mind when choosing a preference if you live in a different time zone.

Students should communicate the above information with sites and supervisors during their interview process.

Students are allowed to switch site(s)/supervisor(s), add an additional site/supervisor, or drop a site/supervisor during their Practicum/Internship. Review our policy below.

Site/Supervisor Switch Policies

1. Students may only earn hours once a site/supervisor has been approved by the Practicum/Internship office. Hours worked prior to the official approval date given by the Practicum/Internship office may not be counted.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to immediately let the Practicum/Internship Office and faculty supervisor know about any changes to the site and/or supervisor for the Practicum/Internship.
3. All required paperwork must be submitted (correctly) within two weeks of switching a site/supervisor at your site, dropping a site/supervisor, or adding a site/supervisor.
4. Barring any extenuating circumstances, no paperwork will be accepted the last two weeks of the semester.

*Students may email the Practicum/Internship Office with any questions regarding the policy. Students are also encouraged to review the information in the Practicum/Internship manuals regarding this policy.

Site/Supervisor Switch Documents

To request to change/add a new site or supervisor or drop a site/supervisor, you must submit all the following required documents via email to the Practicum/Internship Office:

• Students applying to change the supervisor at their current site must submit:
  • A typed and signed brief statement from the site director or approved supervisor outlining the student’s transition to a new supervisor
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
  • Documents for new supervisor:
    • Supervisor’s License Verification
    • Fieldwork Contract
    • Supervisor Information Form
• Students applying to change their site and supervisor must submit:
  • Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
  • Documents for new site and supervisor:
    • Supervisor’s License Verification
    • Fieldwork Contract
    • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
    • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
• Students dropping a site/supervisor
  • Termination letter from site director on the site’s letterhead outlining departure
  • Assessments to be completed by the supervisor the student is terminating with:
    • Counseling Competencies Scale-R (CCS-R)
    • Final Hours Report
• Students adding a 2nd supervisor must submit:
  • Supervisor’s License Verification
  • Fieldwork Contract for new supervisor
  • Supervisor Information Form for new supervisor
• Students adding a 2nd site and keeping current supervisor must submit:
  • Fieldwork Contract for new site with current supervisor
  • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
  • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum
• Students adding a 2nd site and a 2nd supervisor must submit:
  • Supervisor’s License Verification
  • Fieldwork Contract for new site with new supervisor
  • Supervisor & Site Information Forms
  • Affiliation Agreement and Student Addendum

Students are required to purchase CORE for their practicum and internship. CORE replaced Tevera starting in Spring 2024. Please visit our CORE product page for more information.

For students who used Tevera previously, we recommend setting up your Tevera account as an alumni account. This is helpful for students who have graduated and wish to continue using Tevera for licensure hours tracking. Please find the training to set up your alumni account here: Setting your Alumni Status (tevera.com).

It is important to know that some sites in VA require that you have been approved as a Qualified Mental Health Professional-Trainee (QMHP-T). When you have completed 30 hours of your Master’s program you may submit an application for the QMHP-T credentials.  While this is not an official policy, your application may be considered by the state. Here is the link to information about QMHP application for the state of VA.

Virginia QMHP information: view the “Regulations for Registration of Qualified Mental Health Professionals” PDF document.

The Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies is aware of the many challenges that students living abroad face regarding the completion of the practicum and/or internship requirements. Therefore, the Practicum/Internship Office has created the following policy in order to help our students living abroad succeed in completing their practicum/internship. In addition to the standard application process, students looking to complete a practicum/internship at an international site must also meet the following criteria.

Students seeking a site outside of the United States:

• Site must be sponsored by an American organization
• Site must follow the general guidelines established by the counseling profession in the U.S. (e.g., ACA Code of Ethics, state board regulations, etc.).
  • Informed consent
  • Treatment plans
  • Record keeping
  • Supervisor requirements:
    • Must be licensed in the United States
    • Must have a minimum of a master’s degree in counseling or a related profession with equivalent qualifications, including appropriate licenses and/or certifications
    • Must hold a master’s degree or above in counseling or related field
    • Must have a minimum of two years’ professional experience
    • Must have knowledge of program requirements and procedures for evaluations
    • Must have appropriate training in counseling supervision.
    • Must hold a valid state license at an independent level of practice; i.e., supervisors must be able to practicum without being under supervision
    • Must be in good standing in the profession.
    • Must hold a license that qualifies the individual to provide clinical supervision. Licenses that typically qualify include:
      • Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC)
      • Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
      • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT)
      • Licensed Clinical Psychologists (LCP) with a Psy.D. All other degrees are reviewed on a case by case basis
      • Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW)
      • Psychiatrists
      • Ph.D./Ed.D in Counselor Education and Supervision from a regionally accredited university.

Students seeking licensure in the United States are responsible to know and understand the requirements of the state board in the state in which they wish to become licensed. Specific states may require internships to be taken at a site located in the state where you plan to seek licensure. If this is the case, an international internship may not be eligible for licensure. Before identifying an international internship site, check with your state regarding any potential residency requirements pertaining to the actual physical location of internship sites. You are solely responsible to find out this information. The Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies may not provide this or any other information pertaining to specific state licensure requirements.