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Field Experience
What is Field Experience?
Field experience is a graduation requirement for all human service majors and lies at the heart of our curriculum. It provides the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you’ve gained in the classroom, build your professional network, and gain experience to include on your resume.
Students complete a minimum of 10 credit hours of field experience coursework.
- 10 Credits: HSP 4840 can be completed in two 5-credit semesters (200 hours each semester) or in a single 10-credit semester HSP 4880 (400 hours).
Addictions Concentration
- 10 Credits: HSP 4840 can be completed in two 5-credit semesters (200 hours each semester) or in a single 10-credit semester (400 hours).
- 5-15 Credits: HSP 4880 can be completed in three semesters (200 hours) or two semesters (400 hours/200 hours).
Students who are in catalog years prior to 2024, please schedule an appointment with your academic advisor.
Careful reading and understanding of the HSP Field Manual is the most important preparation you can do for the field experience.
The information provided here on the website does not include all the details you need to know for the field experience. Please download and read the field manual if you have further questions: Student Field Manual and Supervisor Field Manual.
Field Due Dates
Internship Deadlines
In order to register for an internship class, you must first meet with the field coordinator to discuss your possible placement site, to get department advising and to create a plan to graduate. The class sections and appointments with the field coordinator are a first-come, first-serve basis. While we do our best to accommodate student needs, we cannot guarantee that you will get a seat in the semester you desire. We encourage you to start the process early.
Please contact the Human Services and Counseling office to set up an appointment with the field coordinator. The deadlines for meeting with the field coordinator are as follows:
- Placement information: Two Weeks before your semester starts.
- Placement hours may be completed starting one week before your semester, and ending the Friday before Finals Week.
Do I need a background check before starting field?
Each of you has a unique story, which draws you to the field of Human Services, and there are situations where that history may include arrests, convictions or jail/prison time. We strongly encourage you to consider running a Criminal History Check on yourself prior to the field courses. It is very important, as you formulate your place in this field, that you are aware that many felonies or combinations of misdemeanors may make you unable to find employment.
Can I do an Internship if I’m in recovery or on probation?
Policies Related to Field Registration:
The following policies and procedures were adopted by MSU Department of Human Services and Counseling to support student success in the field placement experience:
- If you are in recovery from drug and/or alcohol addiction, the MSU Denver Department of Human Services and Counseling requires that you have been clean and sober for a minimum of one and a half years prior to registering for field placement.
- If you are on probation or parole, you are required to complete that probation/parole prior to field placement.
- You may not seek placement at an agency where you have been a client in the last five years.
- You must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA in order to qualify for field placement.
Additionally, you may be placed on a temporary or permanent hold from field courses if your history includes one or more of the following:
- One or more F’s in any MSU Denver course
- A current incomplete or an incomplete in the previous four semesters
- Prior removal from a placement (either by the agency or the HSP department)
- An improvement plan from the HSP Professional Review Team
- A conviction (felony or misdemeanor) in the past two years
- A violation of the MSU Denver Student Code of Conduct
If any of these issues impact you, you must disclose this information to the field coordinator during your advising appointment. The field coordinator will work with you to determine a strategy to complete your MSU Denver degree.
Requesting Exception
To request an exception to these policies, explain the situation to the field coordinator in writing, providing a rationale for why you believe you are ready to do a field placement. You may include supporting documentation from a probation/parole officer, counselor, or other appropriate professional. The field coordinator, in conjunction with field faculty, will determine your readiness to participate in field placement. You may be asked to meet with the field coordinator and a field faculty member before a decision is made.
What are the prerequisites for Internship?
Prerequisites for HSP 4840 Internship:
- HSP 1020—Trauma Informed Care
- HSP 2020—Small Group Dynamics
- HSP 2030—Theory and Practice of Counseling*
- HSP 3330—Ethical and Legal Issues in Human Services
- HSP 3490—Multicultural Issues in Human Services
- All General Studies
Prerequisites for HSP 4880 Internship:
- HSP 4840—Internship
- HSP 3425—Pharmacology of Drugs & Related Infections Diseases
- HSP 3470—Counseling the Substance Abuser
- HSP 4320—Psychopathology & The Mental Health Clinician
- All General Studies
Prerequisites or Co-requisites for HSP 4880
- HSP 2040—Family Systems
- HSP 3220—Conflict Resolution & Decision Making
- HSP 3710—Research Methods & Program Evaluation in Human Services
- HSP 4040—Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- HSP 4660—Clinical Supervision in Human Services
I’ve worked in the field for a long time. Can I portfolio out of a field experience class?
Students with at least two years of full-time human services experience in an area related to their concentration in the major may develop a portfolio showing evidence of prior learning in place of one Practicum course. All students must take Professional Internship (you cannot use a portfolio in place of internship). You must ask a faculty advisor to work with you before you begin the process and you must schedule a meeting with the field coordinator to apply for the portfolio options. The department policies for portfolio include the following:
HSP Practicum Portfolio Policies:
- B- or higher in ENG 1010 and ENG 1020
- Must complete the portfolio within 12 months of completing the faculty agreement form
- Portfolios have the following deadlines:
- November 1 for Spring
- April 1 for Summer and Fall
- The portfolio process (including faculty, department chair, and dean approval) must be completed prior to Internship registration
Additional Portfolio Policies
- Students may only complete one portfolio course at a time
- They can do more than one class just not at the same time
- All portfolios follow the same deadlines as noted above (within 12 mo and ENG)
- Any student wishing to complete a portfolio must have completed all general studies coursework
To find out more about the general portfolio process, seek advising in the department from the field coordinator or Department Chair.
Internship Resources
Do you need help with finding a placement?
It is your responsibility to secure a field placement site; however, the Pre-Field Seminar is designed to assist you with this process. It is essential to begin looking for a site several weeks in advance of your Practicum or Internship class. A good place to start this process is on the TIP database. You will automatically be registered for the TIP database in your Pre-Field Seminar class.
Feel free to schedule a meeting with the field coordinator if you are struggling to find a placement after you’ve applied and interviewed through the TIP process. You must have a placement site by the date provided by the field coordinator (generally two weeks prior to the start of classes). The field coordinator approves placement sites and you must have an approved placement site by the first week of class. If you do not have a site by the first week of class, the field coordinator has the right to administratively drop you from the class.
For students seeking internship resources:
Please click here for a list of currently approved internship sites.
Please click here for information about selecting an internship site.
Criteria for the field supervisor
The field supervisor must have a master’s degree in Human Services, Social Work, Counseling, Behavioral or Social Sciences or a related field. An exception to this requirement may be made if the supervisor has the appropriate professional experience and expertise to create a positive learning environment for the student. Students must ask the field coordinator for an exception to the master’s degree requirement and may need you to forward them your current resume.
In addition, the supervisor must have the time and make the commitment to complete all the necessary paperwork and provide training, weekly supervision, support for developing a learning contract, and evaluation for the student.
Students who are seeking hours towards the Certified Addictions Counselor (CAC) Level I must be supervised by an individual with a CAC III or Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) in order for those hours to count toward certification.
Students who are seeking state approval to work with domestic violence offenders must be supervised by a state approved Domestic Violence Clinical Supervisor.
The field supervisor must also:
•Fill out all paperwork required by department in a timely fashion;
•Facilitate student participation in appropriate learning activities;
•Answer questions and provide guidance to support student success;
•Participate in one or two site visits with the student and seminar instructor;
•Contact the seminar instructor with any questions or concerns during the placement;
•Report any problems or concerns to the field coordinator and seminar instructor immediately.
Agency and Field Supervisor Responsibilities
If an agency agrees to serve as a placement site, the field supervisor needs to be aware of the responsibilities involved in offering an effective learning environment for the student. The following is a list of responsibilities that the field supervisor, in conjunction with agency staff, must be willing to provide for the student:
•An orientation to the agency;
•Appropriate training and access to information about policies and procedures;
•Access to other written materials to support student learning and effectiveness;
•A collaborative process with the student to develop the learning contract;
•One hour of weekly supervision either in a one-on-one or group setting;
•Ongoing feedback and a final evaluation;
•Adequate work space and supplies.
Responsibilities At The Agency
What sort of work will I be asked to do while I’m working at my agency?
Students must be aware of liability risks and safety procedures. There are a variety of appropriate learning activities that students can participate in while at an agency.
Students ARE ENCOURAGED TO:
- Shadow professionals in one-on-one sessions with clients and in groups and in other professional settings
- Co-facilitate groups with a qualified professional staff member
- Facilitate educational groups with supervision from a professional staff member
- Participate in staff meetings and training opportunities
- Conduct intakes after proper training
- Write chart notes and complete other agency documentation after proper training
- Enter client documentation and other data into computer systems
- Assist with grant writing, fundraising, volunteer coordination, and event planning
Is there anything I CANNOT do while I’m working at my placement?
The following activities may NOT be performed by a student (an exception can be made for students who are paid employees of an agency and are performing the activity as part of the normal work expectation for that position and who have received training that supports safety for the student, staff, and clients):
- Drive clients
- Provide individual psychotherapy for a client
- Lead psychotherapy groups without a qualified therapist present
- Open or close an agency by him/herself
- Restrain clients without proper training and supervision
- Be left in charge of the agency without a qualified supervisor present
- Have a case load of clients without appropriate supervision
Am I covered by Worker’s Compensation?
If you are not paid by the agency where you are doing your field placement, you are covered by MSU Denver for on-the-job injuries. You must inform the field coordinator, your seminar instructor, and MSU Denver’s Office of Human Resources within 24 hours of the injury and you must use an approved medical provider for any services or you will not be covered. Your seminar instructor will have you sign a form acknowledging receipt of information about this policy. For more information about the policy and for a list of approved providers, go to the HR website.
CORE COMPETENCIES (Departmental Learning Objectives)
The student is enthusiastic about the field of Human Services and is able and willing to cooperate with field supervisors, co-workers, other interns, and the public.
The student is able to understand the context of the agency, i.e. the infrastructure, organization, and the contributions to community life.
The student demonstrates an understanding of ethical issues and a knowledge of all ethics codes that may apply in the setting.
The student does not engage in activities that are contrary to the ethical standards and is able to use ethical decision-making when situations are not clear-cut.
The student is aware of: the impact of cultural diversity (in the broadest sense of the term); their own personal culture; the various ways in which an individual’s multiple aspects of identity interact.
The student is able to interact with individuals in meaningful ways that demonstrates an understanding of the impact of culture on personal style, values, perspectives and experiences.
The student produces clear professional writing as appropriate to the placement such as grants, reports, case notes, evaluations and assessments, marketing materials, etc.
DIRECT SERVICE DELIVERY SKILLS
The student communicates clearly and appropriately with field supervisors, clients, co-workers, and the public.
The student is receptive to feedback.
The student responds to feedback in a professional manner by adapting the feedback into future performance.
The student is able to initiate and communicate appropriately in individual and group settings.
The student utilizes communication to effectively manage conflict.
The student is able to provide the service that is appropriate to the field placement site (for example: intake interviews, group facilitation, customer service, case management, mentoring, treatment planning, events coordination, educational presentations, fund- raising, grant writing, etc.).
The student uses critical thinking skills and applies knowledge to solve problems.
The student is willing to examine his/her own feelings, values, and behaviors and is aware of his/her own strengths and challenges
The student actively practiced self-care by establishing boundaries, seeking support when necessary, and taking steps to lead a healthy lifestyle.
The student presents him/herself in a professional manner through appropriate attire and personal grooming.