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Externship Handbook 2005-2006

Prepared by: Lynn S. Bliss & Martha Dunkelberger

Introduction

Welcome to your externship. This experience is a wonderful time for you to discover what a typical employment setting is like. You will find that you will be extremely busy with report writing, evaluating and treating clients. This experience is designed to expand upon your UH clinical practica; it is not merely an extension of them. We think that you will enjoy your externships.

Here are some facts about your externship:

  1. The Council on Accreditation requires 3 different practicum sites. Language Learning Group will not count as a site; Optometry Clinic can count as a site, although we encourage students to have two off-campus sites.
  2. The new requirements (2005) are for 375 clinical hours with at least 325 at the graduate level. You will accrue 100 hours at the UH Clinic. Therefore, you will need at least 125 hours in each of two external sites.
  3. Please remember that you are a student, enrolled in a class (called externship), and are paying money for this class. You are not expected to be an independent clinician. You are placed at a site to gain experience through supervised learning process. If you feel that you are not getting adequate supervision, you need to tell UH personnel about this situation. You can tell the faculty liaison or the externship coordinator. Please tell someone. Your grade will not be compromised by your honest and timely reporting of inadequate supervision. This is your responsibility; we want you to have the most productive externship possible.
  4. The externship semester is intended to follow a progression of goals as you gain experience with the clients in the setting. We expect you to begin your externship with structured activities and gradually proceed to where you have increased independence. Even by the end of the semester, however, we do not expect you (nor should your extern supervisor expect you) to be an independent clinician. You should never be without minimal supervision. One of every two diagnostic sessions and one in every four treatment sessions should be supervised at the minimum.
  5. The one similarity between the campus clinic and the externship program is that we must maintain integrity of performance. Your externship supervisor will give you a midterm and final grade. The best way to insure that you achieve the grade you expect from your supervisor is to attend to attend to his/her feedback carefully. Apply suggestions consistently and strive to improve with each day. As always, if you receive a grade of B- or lower, you may not count the hours accrued to your certification.

Three Critical Questions and Answers

What does your site supervisor expect from you?

What can you expect for yourself?

How can you accrue hours at your externship site?

THE EXTERNSHIP PROCESS

  1. What must I complete before I am ready for an externship?
    1. Successful completion (grade of B or better) of 100 hours of clinical practicum on UH campus
    2. Completion of the following graduate level courses in: Phonology Language disorders Diagnostics
    3. When faculty and clinical staff have determined that you have demonstrated sufficient professional and clinical growth during your UH experience.
  2. Where should I have my externships?
    • Your job is to set goals for yourself. Think about where you want to work professionally and tailor your choices to meet those goals. Our goal is to provide you with a broad experience, with both adults and children. We will not let you limit yourself to a single population.
    • Within each population, you want to think about possible specializations. For example, with children you may want to focus with public school or early intervention settings or locations that focus on augmentative communication. We think you should have one public school experience, since most of you will find employment in this setting. With adults, you may want to specialize with cognitive impairments, organic disorders, long term or acute care.
  3. How do I obtain an externship site?
    • Use the Externship Site Book (or the computer program) to find out about the sites that are available. The academic schedule for UH for the next two years is presented in Appendix A.
    • Select sites based on your:
      • Clinical interests (you will need to do one adult and one child externship)
      • Experience and hours needed
      • Site location and schedule demands
      List your first, second and third choices in order of priority.
    • It may be possible to use ONE site for your place of employment if you are working in the schools. See Appendix B for the regulations for externships at places of employment.
    • The maximum number of hours that you can work at a site is generally 20 hours.
    • The externship begins the first week of the semester and ends the week before finals.
    • Students will not be granted extra time off to study before their comprehensive examinations.
    • Students should not expect to take spring break or any other University holidays without prior written approval by the UH externship coordinator and the externship supervisor.
  4. How will a site be identified for me?
    • The UH externship coordinator will determine what is the most suitable site for your externship, based on your academic and clinical experience. You may not get your first choice. We will make every effort to identify a site that you want. In the summer, it may not be possible to accommodate all students. We will make every effort to assign students to an appropriate site.
  5. What are the policies regarding externship placements?
    • If you work in the schools, you must do your externship with adults in the summer. In the summer, you may not always get your first choice of an adult placement because the placement schedule is always the most full.
    • If you are working in the public schools as an assistant, you may use your employment as one externship site, provided that a written plan is completed and approved by: yourself, the externship supervisor and the site supervisor (see Appendix B)
    • There are a limited number of spots every semester. Placements are not guaranteed. We do our best to place students. We cannot always give you first or second choices. Generally priority will be given to the graduating students (who will complete their academic and clinical requirements the semester they are doing the externship). Students who are tracked for an externship will generally be placed in the semester that they are scheduled for this assignment.
  6. How do I find out about my externship placement?
    • Attend the mandatory meeting that will be publicized on flyers in the building.
  7. What should I bring to the mandatory meeting?
    • Your completed resume and any questions you may have about the externship experience.
  8. How do I secure my externship placement?
    • Call the externship site supervisor and make an appointment for an interview. Bring your resume. Prepare for the interview by knowing the hours you are available, listing questions for the supervisor, dressing appropriately and being on time.
  9. How do I know if I have obtained this externship placement?
    • Complete the confirmation form (see Appendix C) and submit it to the externship coordinator.

THE EXTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Now you are in the externship, what do you need to do and what should expect?

  1. How is UH involved in my externship?
    • The University monitors your progress during your externship. There is the faculty liaison, externship coordinator and Chair of the department. All have a role in your externship experience.
    • Role of faculty liaison:
      • This individual monitors your progress routinely through the semester. The faculty member will call your externship site supervisor (or email) and visit the site at some time. If you have difficulty at your externship, you should call your faculty liaison.
    • Role of the externship coordinator:
      • This individual selects your externship sites. This person is not typically involved in the routine monitoring of your site, unless he/she is faculty liaison for the site.
    • Role of the department chair:
      • This person works with the externship coordinator to solve unusual problems and help determine the final grade. Your externship site supervisor makes a recommendation for a final grade. The externship site coordinator, in consultation with the chair, may at times change the grade. This policy is in effect to assure that there is uniformity in the grading policies among all student externs.
  2. What is expected of me at an external placement site?
    • The Communication Disorders Department at the University of Houston expects that you will:
      • Always conduct yourself in a professional manner. You are an ambassador for the program and your behavior should reflect that.
      • Adhere to strict boundaries of confidentiality concerning your externship placement, clients treated there, clients treated at the UH clinic and your fellow students.
      • Demonstrate the knowledge you have gained at the University of Houston via carefully worded written materials and verbal communication.
  3. If I do not get sufficient supervision, what should you do?
    • Call the faculty liaison and describe what is occurring at your site. Develop a plan with your faculty liaison.
  4. If I do not get along with your supervisor, what should I do?
    • Recognize that getting along with co-workers and supervisors is something that you will need to do throughout your professional career. Try to resolve the conflicts at the site. If you cannot resolve, them, then contact the faculty liaison and discuss the situation. Be prepared to explain the situations that have occurred and how they have been handled. Your faculty liaison will help you to develop a plan.
  5. If I encounter other problems, what should I do?
    • Contact the faculty liaison and discuss the situation. Develop a plan with your faculty liaison.
  6. What other responsibilities should I expect?
    • At your site, you may have to complete a project that is related to your externship site. Your supervisor will inform you about the nature of the project and when it is due. However, you should not be expected to do non-clinical activities (such as custodial duties or secretarial work). If these kinds of activities are requested, please inform your supervisor in a professional manner, that university policy prohibits you from performing them.
  7. If I am taking comprehensive examinations during the semester that I am having an externship, what are the UH policies?
    • You cannot have time off to study
    • You will be expected to follow your regular work schedule
    • You should inform your supervisor of the dates for the comprehensive examinations during the first week of the semester
  8. Do I have university holidays off at my externship site?
    • The externship supervisor determines what holidays you get (excluding religious holidays). You may be expected to work during spring break or the Friday after Thanksgiving.

GRADING POLICIES FOR EXTERNSHIPS

  1. How will I be graded?
    • You and your externship supervisor should establish goals for your clinical growth during the first two weeks of your externship. These goals will be the bases for your grade.
    • You should expect a midterm and final grade. You will have a formal midterm and final conference with your externship supervisor. The midterm and final grades will be communicated to the faculty liaison and the externship coordinator.
    • Your final grade is a recommendation made by the externship supervisor to the Department. The Department assigns your final grade.
  2. What can I do to be successful in my externship site practicum?
    1. Demonstrate professional behavior
      • Be on time
      • Maintain confidentiality
      • Follow a dress code
      • Be receptive to constructive criticism
      • Show initiative and interest
      • Ask questions
      • Follow directions
      • Don't complain
      • Observe when you don't have a client
    2. Be prepared
      • Read test manuals before administering them
      • Practice administering tests before you give them
      • Review applicable course notes prior to beginning your externship
    3. Submit materials on time
      • Proof read materials
      • Make them neat (signature ready form)
    4. Seek out opportunities to earn clinical hours
      • Volunteering for clinical activities
  3. How should I expect to grow clinically and professionally during my externship placement?
    • Within two weeks you should be able to understand:
      • The professional requirements of the site Scheduling (workings of the site)
      • Chain of command
      • Expectations of supervisor
      • Observation and grading style of the supervisor
      • How reports are written and filed
      • What my goals are
      • How clients are assigned to me
    • By midterm you should be able to:
      • Manage a full caseload
      • Show expertise in administering and interpreting assessment materials
      • Make qualitative observations of client behaviors during testing
      • Develop intervention goals and procedures and activities
      • Monitor your behavior as you work toward your goals
      • Modify your treatment techniques when a task is not working
      • Know your midterm grade
      • Manage a client from intake to discharge
    • By the end of the semester, you should have knowledge of:
      • The caseload
      • Assessment and intervention procedures
      • Professional management of the site where you are (including billing, scheduling, professional consultations, meeting protocols)
  4. What else do I need to know?
    • At the end of your externship, you need to complete an externship evaluation form. If this is not completed, a grade will be given for your externship.
    • Please take the time to thank your externship supervisor for his/her work. Your faculty liaison can make appropriate suggestions if you are unsure how to do this.

APPENDIX A

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES (2001 – 2002 and 2002 - 2003)

Fall Semester 2001

Spring Semester 2002

Summer Semester 2002

Fall Semester 2002 Semester begins: August 21 University Holiday(s): Thanksgiving November 27-30 Last Day of Classes: December 4 Semester Ends: December 17 Spring Semester 2003 Semester begins: January 13 University Holiday(s): March 3-8, Spring Break Last Day of Classes: April 28 Semester Ends: May 9 Commencement: May 9 Summer Semester 2003 Semester begins: May 27 University Holiday(s): July 4 Last Day of Classes: August 7 Semester Ends: August 11

APPENDIX B

UH Policy Regarding Externships in Place of Employment

  1. The department understands the need for graduate students to accept employment as speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) while pursuing their graduate degrees.
  2. The department strongly encourages students and employers to adhere to the guidelines for use of SLPAs provided by both the Texas State Licensing Board and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
  3. The department considers the completion of an externship assignment at the place of employment to have separate and distinct supervisory requirements as stated below:
  4. Please note the necessary supervisory requirements for diagnostic, treatment and counseling sessions for the graduate student clinician.

 

SLPA

Graduate Student Clinician

Responsibilities limited to:

(With appropriate supervision)

q       Conduct screenings,

q       follow protocols designed by supervising clinician,

q       assist during assessment,

q       complete clerical duties

q       document client progress,

q       prepare materials,

q       perform checks and maintenance of equipment

q       perform diagnostic evaluations and interpret test results (minimally one in every two diagnostic sessions)

q       write, develop and/or modify existing IFSP or ARD plans

q       implement IFSP or ARD plans (minimally one in every four treatment sessions)

q       provide family counseling, communicate client status to families or outside parties (100% supervision)

q       make referrals

q       select or discharge clients from services

q       document progress

q       schedule caseload

q       participate in any inter-disciplinary team (including IFSP/ARD meetings) (100% supervision)

 

Responsibilities may include:

q       schedule activities

q       participate in research projects and in-service training

q       perform checks and maintenance of equipment

q       participate in research projects and in-service training

Responsibilities may NOT include:

q       perform diagnostic evaluations or interpret test results

q       independently participate in any interdisciplinary team (including IFSP/ARD meetings)

q       provide family counseling, communicate client status to families or outside parties

q       write, develop or modify an existing IFSP or ARD plan

q       sign formal documents

q       select or discharge clients from services

q       make referrals

q       complete clerical duties

q       follow protocols designed by supervising clinician,

q       sign formal documents

 

APPENDIX C

Externship Confirmation Form

ATTN: Mrs. Dunkelberger

Name______________________________Phone:__________________

Address:____________________________________________________

Email address:_______________________________________________

Site:_______________________________________________________

Supervisor:__________________________________________________

Address:_____________________________ Phone:_________________

Email address:_______________________________________________

Start Date:______________________________

Hours: Monday: __________________________________

Tuesday: __________________________________

Wednesday: __________________________________

Thursday: __________________________________

Friday: __________________________________

Scheduled time off during the semester: (If this section is not completed, you will be expected to adhere to the above schedule for the duration of your externship)

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

End Date: __________________________________

Due back SEPTEMBER 1, 2000.

Please be certain that you have discussed the following points in your interview.

Dress code: _____________

Scheduled meetings: _____________

Expected caseload: _____________

Clinical goals: _____________

Attendance policy: _____________

Schedules for paperwork: _____________

Fax number: (713) 743-2926

Mailing address: (allow extra time for university mail system.)
100 Clinical Research Center
Houston, TX 77204-6018