The clinical experiences at IUPUI CAPS include opportunities to work with clients ranging in age from 18 to 50+ from a wide variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, including international students. The most prevalent diagnoses of treatment are depression and anxiety. Opportunities to work with individuals presenting with learning and social concerns, PTSD, bipolar disorder, relationship problems, and adjustment issues are also available.

Clinical experiences primarily include conducting intake interviews (initially observed by a clinical supervisor) and providing individual counseling. Opportunities to co-facilitate group therapy will also be available. Practicum students are expected to participate in CAPS screening days and other outreach opportunities.  Practicum students function fairly independently as therapists and are responsible for the provision of a minimum of 7 individual client contact hours per week, including intake assessments.

For all practicum students, on-site weekly supervision is provided through use of a developmental model. Students will receive at least one hour per week of individual supervision provided by a licensed professional staff member. In order to increase the breadth of the trainees’ supervisory experiences during the placement, supervision assignments will rotate half way through the training year when staff availability allows. Students are formally evaluated and receive written feedback regarding their performance at the mid and end points of each semester. Informal verbal and written feedback is provided on an ongoing basis throughout the training year.

The training curriculum also includes weekly case consultation sessions with other practicum students and select staff members. During these meetings, one on-going case is discussed in depth by an assigned trainee. Each practicum student submits at least one written case report per semester to facilitate discussion.

During the fall and spring semesters, all trainees participate in a didactic training curriculum. The didactic presentations cover a range of topics, including crisis intervention, diagnosis and treatment planning, and individual/cultural differences.