Graduate Level Practicum & Field Placement Training
UHS Mental Health Services offers robust practicum training for UW-Madison graduate students in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, and social work.
We are committed to providing a high-quality, inclusive training experience that prepares trainees. The practicum training program is designed to help counselors in training to begin to develop their counseling style, refine their assessment, conceptualization, and therapeutic skills to grow in professional and personal areas.
On this page
Our staff
We have a multidisciplinary staff including:
- Psychologists
- Social workers
- Counselors
- Psychiatric nurses
- Psychiatrists
- Specialized staff, including specialized assessments and crisis stabilization
Eligibility and application process
Eligibility
UW-Madison graduate students who are in their second year in the Department of Counseling Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, and the School of Social Work are encouraged to apply.
Practicum trainees are not eligible for individual counseling, group counseling, care management, or psychiatric services through UHS during their training year. Trainees may resume or begin services at UHS after the practicum ends.
Students who previously utilized UHS Mental Health Services are eligible to apply.
Application Process
Students can apply through their academic department’s practicum and field placement coordinator or academic advisor. Application deadlines are decided in collaboration with academic departments and UHS.
Applications typically include:
- Letter of interest outlining your program of study, year in training, theoretical orientation or approaches you gravitate towards, relevant training and clinical experience, objectives and career goals, and how you believe UHS Mental Health Services is a good fit for your goals.
- Current curriculum vitae (CV)
Training and Start Date
Orientation for each training year is typically held in late August prior to the first day of classes. The regular practicum schedule begins on the first day of classes of the fall semester.
Responsibilities
Practicum trainees typically work between 16-20 hours per week.
Sample Schedule:
- Individual Counseling: 8 hours per week
- Group Counseling: 1-2 hours per week (based on department needs)
- Individual Supervision: 1.5 hours per week
- Group Supervision: 1.5 hours per week
- Seminar and In-Service Training: 1.5 hours per week
- Administrative/Case Notes: 5.5 hours per week (minimum)
Trainees are required to video record all individual counseling sessions. On a weekly basis, trainees are provided with individual and group supervision utilizing their recorded sessions.
Each supervisor seeks to establish a trusting, challenging, and supportive relationship with trainees to foster competent clinical practice. Discussions may focus on the dynamics of the client, the counselor, and the interactions between the two. Discussions will be informed by applications of theoretical orientation, therapeutic interventions, implications of counselor-client cultural differences and similarities, and personal and professional values/ethics.
In addition, supervisors are responsible for ensuring compliance with organizational standards and practices, including review of clinical documentation and completion of programmatic evaluations. If the individual supervisor is not licensed, all work is further supervised by a licensed clinician.
As a cohort, trainees meet weekly with Mental Health Services staff members for group supervision. This meeting is intended to create a safe space to review cases, engage in self-exploration/evaluation, and seek clarification related to clinical procedures and day-to-day organizational operations.
Every week, trainees will participate in educational seminars, led by various Mental Health Services staff members. The seminars are designed to address key issues related to the delivery of clinical services in a university setting.