CMHS is a service area within University of Connecticut Student Health Services (SHS). SHS is a member of the Student Affairs area of the University of Connecticut and is accredited by Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC). SHS offers several services in addition to counseling and psychological services including specializations in allergy, immunization, radiology, physical therapy, audiology, sports medicine, women's health services, health promotion, and labs.
Mission Statements: SHS & CMHS
The mission of Counseling and Mental Health Services is to provide the highest quality clinical services to promote the emotional, relational and academic potential of all students. We are committed to the core values of respect, responsiveness, innovation and quality to enhance the unique experience of each individual at the University of Connecticut.
CMHS Diversity Statement
We value and appreciate the uniqueness and diversity of all individuals. Our commitment is to create an environment where all people feel welcome. We recognize the right of human beings to be treated with dignity and respect. We are dedicated to enhancing cultural sensitivity and cultural competency in all of our work. This promotes our growth as individuals and as a community.
Facilities
CMHS is located in the Student Health Services Annex on the Storrs campus. GAs are active trainees and service providers at CMHS. CMHS staff is composed of 5 Ph.D. and Psy.D. Licensed Psychologists, 4 Licensed Clinical Social Workers, 1 M.D. Psychiatrist, 1 Psychiatric Advanced Nurse Practitioner, and 2 Support Staff. Approximately 10% of the student body receive direct clinical services from CMHS each year while nearly 20% of the student body are serviced through CMHS outreach and psycho-educational programming.
Graduate Assistants share furnished offices as well as office equipment. Graduate Assistants also have access to personal computers, university mainframe, internet, and the World Wide Web. CMHS maintains a library of relevant and up to date mental health books and journals.
A Practitioner Model Informed by Theory and Research guides the CMHS Training Program. GAs are trained to ground their practice of psychology or social work in theory and research. This model is principally accomplished in an intensive, supervised university counseling center experience working with a multicultural group of interdisciplinary professionals. Imbued in this model are service provision, didactic and experiential instruction, and the use of psychological theory/research.
CMHS provides a setting in which GAs increase and strengthen their abilities to practice psychology or social work throughout their year with the agency. GAs successfully complete their assistantship when they reach a skill level of intermediate to advanced competence practice defined by having sufficient ability to practice core skills within ongoing supervision. Training involves developing both core skills and positive professional identity essential for the work of an entry-level psychologist and social worker providing services in:
Long- and short-term counseling
Programming
Assessment
Consultation
Training
CMHS recruits students from scientist-practitioner and scholar-practitioner departments so that they come with a foundation of theoretical and research-based knowledge, with the capacity to engage in theoretical and research-based inquiry, and with a readiness for intensive training in practice. CMHS continues training in integrating practice and theory and research as these provide the underpinnings of the practice of psychology and social work. A part of competent practice also includes being informed about the seminal and current theoretical and research-bases of psychology and social work. CMHS accomplishes integration through:
Developing critical thinking to guide the use of research to inform clinical practice
Generating clinical hypotheses to explore in supervision
Learning the empirical bases that guide the use of comprehensive assessment
Attending and presenting at professional conferences
Participating in inservice training programs on best current practices in clinical practice, (e.g., training, supervision, crisis response, clinical ethics, and so on).
The work environment in which this model of training occurs is designed to provide a collaborative milieu for training. To accomplish this, CMHS provides a
Mentor/Apprenticeship Environment. This is operationalized in a variety of ways including:
Staff provide clinical and professional identity role modeling, i.e. case conference.
Staff collaborate with GAs, i.e. group co-therapy.
Staff create a milieu respectful of GAs: honoring their cultural identities, valuing their positive self-growth, and establishing a strong work ethic.
This is the basic model and setting for the CMHS Training Program. This model and setting are further guided by seven philosophical tenets which describe in more detail the basic values of the CMHS Training Program:
Trainees Are Primarily In Training
The primary purpose of the assistantship is to train GAs to practice psychology or social work. Intensive supervision is the primary vehicle for training and evaluating GAs.
Mentorship Is The Cornerstone Of Professional Development.
GAs are always under the direct supervision and guidance of several staff members. CMHS Training Program is founded on the belief that individuals grow primarily as the product of significant collaborative relationships. The GA-Supervisor relationship provides the foundation for growth in core skill areas and in professional identity development.
GAs Are in Training to Develop Positive Professional Identities.
CMHS staff provides opportunities for GAs to work with culturally diverse professionals from various disciplines (e.g., clinical and counseling psychology, social work, student services, psychiatry, assessment, medicine, and nursing). GAs are provided time to process and reflect on their experiences in order to promote growth and integration of their professional confidence. GAs are encouraged to be members of staff.
The Growth Of A Professional Identity Occurs Developmentally.
CMHS Training Program provides higher levels of direction and structure initially, with movement towards greater autonomy and responsibility. High levels of structure assist practicum student transition into a new system by providing guidance and direction. GAs have multiple opportunities to be increasingly autonomous and self-directing in all aspects of their functioning at CMHS.
Training Needs Are Met Through the Expertise of CMHS Staff and Other Campus Professionals.
CMHS provides exposure to a broad range of experiences during the year, both internally and externally. This allows GAs to seek their own areas of interest within different venues such as clinical intervention, programming, consultation, psycho-pharmacology, alcohol and other drug usage, assessment, career counseling, multiculturalism, and scholarly inquiry.
Individuals Learn In Individual Ways.
CMHS Training Program uses various learning methods including practical experiences, modeling, process-based activities, group, didactic, experiential, and self-guided learning. CMHS provides an environment that is supportive and challenging and based in part on GAs' self-assessments. Time is spent initially working with GAs to assist them in defining their goals and desires for training. CMHS provides an array of training experiences, venues, and modalities so GAs are provided opportunity to learn based on their individual styles.
Psychologists Are Informed Through the Integration of Science And Practice.
Theory, research, and practice mutually inform each other. GAs are guided and encouraged in their pursuit of observing, inferring, formulating, and evaluating clinical hypotheses. GAs generate clinical hypotheses based on theory and research.
The CMHS Training Program offers students the opportunity to engage in clinical activities focused around the direct delivery of counseling services. Students will have the opportunity to engage in individual, couples, and group therapy modalities either as the primary therapist or as a co-therapist with another member of Staff. This track also involves GAs in assessing and conceptualizing presenting concerns from a theoretical frame-of-reference, providing disposition for cases, and formulating and formalizing treatment planning and implementation.
The focus of the Clinical track is on the development of moderate skill levels in the delivery of clinical service through intensive individual/ group supervision, case conference, and seminar experiences.
Typical Graduate Assistant Schedule
The week for CMHS GAs is 20 hours. The schedule listed below is a rough approximation of the time that is spent each semester engaging in training, direct, and indirect service provision (based on an average of a 12-15 hour week):
Training Type
Hours Per Week
Direct Service:
Individual/Couples
10-12
Group
1.5
Supervision:
Individual
1-2
Group
.5
Peer Process Group
1 - Every Other Week
Agency/Team Meetings
2
Case Management/Administrative Time
1
Service Learning Project
2
Specific Mandatory Times:
Clinical Case Conference: Either Tuesdays at 10 a.m. or Fridays at 11:00 a.m.
Staff Meeting: Thursdays 8:45 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Individual Counseling
GAs engage in individual counseling seeing students in brief model therapy providing between 10-12 individual contact hours a week. Individual counseling involves GAs in assessing and conceptualizing from a theoretical frame-of-reference, presenting problems, providing disposition on cases, and formalized treatment planning and implementation.
Couples Counseling/Couples Co-Counseling
GAs engage in couples counseling for unmarried, partnered, and married students. GAs also have the opportunity to engage in co-counseling with a professional staff members when doing couples counseling.
Group Co-Counseling: Therapy, Support, and Workshop/Seminar
GAs are involved with co-leading one or more of the various types of groups that are facilitated through CMHS. Practicum Students may be involved with therapy and/or support groups which are focused primarily on the more clinical aspects of clients' presenting problems. CMHS primarily conducts General Therapy Process Groups and has specialized groups including: the GLBTQ Support Group, Stress Management, Olde Students, and others.
Psycho-Educational Programming and Outreach
CMHS engages in a wide range of programming and outreach including invited presentations to departments, classes, and residence halls. GAs are encouraged to be part of the Outreach program at CMHS through joining other staff in presentations as well as developing their own based on their areas of expertise.
Service Learning Project
This project involves the application of mental health theory to practice in a university counseling center. This can involve both theoretical and data based projects on methods and practices used in the application of mental health. This project is one manifestation of the "Practitioner Model Informed by Theory and Research" that guides the CMHS Graduate Assistantship.
Primarily, the project is intended to promote skill in applying theory and research to practice.
Secondarily, the project is intended to foster skill in collaborating with colleagues. The project should be of local interest to CMHS, but should be generalizable to the work of practitioners in university counseling centers.
The project can address any area of practice in university counseling centers: (a) individual and group psychotherapy, (b) assessment, (c) outreach and consultation, and (d) supervision and training. The project can examine a vast array of topics, including ethics and legal issues, treatment issues, diversity issues, professionals' attitudes and opinions, diagnosis and symptomology, training issues, and so on. The project can involve an empirical investigation or a conceptual analysis.
The project will culminate in:
An in-service program for CMHS staff.
A product to be provided to CMHS that will be used in CMHS' daily functioning.
Members of the staff will supervise the project, but it is important that GAs assume ownership of the project. The first step is to identify a topic for investigation that is of interest to all GAs. If this is not possible, GAs can work individually.
Individual One-to-One Supervision
Supervision of GAs is conducted on a regularly scheduled, individual basis by licensed, professional staff. GAs have one or two primary supervisors during the time they are with CMHS.
GAs are expected to be prepared each week for one to two hours of supervision. Preparation can involve reviewing audio and video tapes, organizing cases, preparing questions, and reviewing set goals for supervision to set directions for each session of supervision.
Case Conference
GAs are assigned to a case conference team with several other members of the professional staff. Case conference is a time to be used to review specific cases, review specific struggles as therapists, address any variety of direct clinical issues such as ethics, multiculturalism, diagnosis, treatment planning, and so on. Case conference is a time to seek group support, instruction, and process to resolve and work through the various difficulties all members of the staff have in working as therapists.
Peer Process Group
This group meets every other week and serves as an opportunity for:
GAs to have a "safe place" in which to address and process issues with which they may be struggling during their training year, including: identity development, cultural issues, concerns about the post internship time, conflicts with Staff, interpersonal issues between GAs, and so on.
Sharing information and answering questions about expectations, activities, policy and procedure, and other staff issues.
Having a central meeting time for GAs so they may come to know each other as a cohort.
Case Management
GAs are responsible for managing their own case loads so that they have continually and consistently have enough clients, but do not have too many. In addition to this, administrative time is provided each week so that GAs can also write up clients reports and case notes, write business/ professional letters and e-mails, return telephone calls, consult with supervisors and other staff, and do general planning.
Committee Meetings
GAs are viewed as administratively responsible individuals whose opinions are highly valued. As a result, GAs participate as members of one of the various teams that make up the working groups of CMHS (usually one GA per team). Current committees available at CMHS include: policies and procedures, training, search committees, clinical services and web development.
Staff Meetings
Staff meeting is held once a week for two hours. The purpose of the staff meeting is for staff to have a set time each week to share office and university-wide information, to experience scheduled learning experiences together, process through various staff issues as they arise, and to share colleagueship which becomes especially important when the semester becomes very busy. All administrative, professional, and GA staff members attend these meetings. GAs are strongly encouraged to participate in these meetings as full staff members.
Evaluation Procedures: Each semester CMHS Staff who are serving in the capacity of supervisor are responsible for evaluating their supervisees. Evaluations are completed by supervisors and reviewed with supervisees who are given opportunity to formally respond to each evaluation. In addition, supervisees complete an evaluation for their supervisors. The Director collects evaluations after they have been reviewed. Supervisor evaluations by supervisees are given to the Director for filing. Supervisee evaluations are filed in their files.
The process for evaluation of supervisees is as follows: Evaluations are conducted formally using pencil and paper evaluation forms and through discussion. Evaluations occur at several levels among supervisees and supervisors. Supervisees are evaluated for all experiences including individual, couples, and group work; outreach and programming; assessment; and diversity work.
Supervisees are also given opportunity to evaluate all individuals from whom they receive evaluation. Supervisees are also provided with formal opportunity to respond to any evaluation they receive. Supervisees also provide evaluation on their overall CMHS experience in written and verbal forms.
Evaluation occurs three times during the course of the training year, once during:
October to set baseline for each supervisee's skill level and to decide goals for the first half of the year. This occurs with all of a supervisee's supervisors.
December at the mid-way point of the year. This is a group evaluation with all of the supervisee's supervisors. The supervisee receives feedback, reviews Fall goals and sets/reaffirms final Spring goals, and is assisted in generating methods by which to meet the training goals.
May to assess at the end of the regular academic year to address progress. This is a group evaluation with all of the supervisee's supervisors. The supervisee receives feedback and reviews regular academic year goals for progress for the year and unfinished goals for continued training after CMHS.
University of Connecticut |