Pre-master's Degree Clinical Field Experience Requirements

(1) Eligible applicants must demonstrate the completion of a pre-Master's degree Practicum that includes Supervised Clinical Field Experience and Direct Client Contact Experience. The Practicum must take place over a minimum period of at least seven weeks through an academic campus or through a Clinical Field Experience Site. The must include: (a) 40 Contact Hours of Direct Client Contact Experience through Clinical Field Experience Sites conforming to the Mental Health Counseling scope of practice as defined under 262 CMR 2.02 or peer role plays and laboratory experience in individual, group, couple and family interactions; (b) 25 Supervisory Contact Hours of supervision; of which: 1. a minimum of ten Supervisory Contact Hours must be Individual Supervision; 2. a minimum of five Supervisory Contact Hours must be Group Supervision with no more than ten supervisees in a group; the remaining ten Supervisory Contact Hours may be Individual or Group Supervision. (2) Eligible applicants must demonstrate the completion of a pre-Master's degree Internship which includes Supervised Clinical Field Experience and Direct Client Contact Experience. Where the Internship is conducted through the intern's place of employment, the Internship site must provide additional activities and supervision clearly delineated from the intern's usual work activities. The Internship must include: (a) 240 Contact Hours of Direct Client Contact Experience through Clinical Field Experience Sites conforming to the Mental Health Counseling scope of practice defined under 262 CMR 2.02; (b) 45 Supervisory Contact Hours of supervision; of which: 1. a minimum of 15 Supervisory Contact Hours must be Individual Supervision; 2. a minimum of 15 Supervisory Contact Hours must be Group Supervision, with no more than ten supervisees in a group; 3. the remaining 15 Supervisory Contact Hours may be either Individual Supervision or Group Supervision. (3) and Internship supervisees in a Clinical Field Experience Site may see clients only when there is an Approved Supervisor or Contract Supervisor available. In the temporary absence of either, a supervisee may see clients so long as an Emergency Contact is available. (4) Supervisors must conduct regular evaluations of the Practicum and Internship supervisee's performance throughout the experience including a formal evaluation upon completion of the experience. Such evaluations shall include but not be limited to direct observation and review of process notes.