Criteria for Intern Tasks, Reports, Etc.

Criteria for Intern Tasks, Reports, Etc.

Criteria for Developing a Goal Statement and Objectives

Student interns are required to write a goal statement and list of objectives for completing their internship experience. The Goal Statement and Objectives should be discussed thoroughly with the Site Supervisor and approved by the ADS Internship Coordinator. 

Goal Statement

A goal statement:

1. Provides a basis in which the student intern and site supervisor can discuss expectations for the internship experience.
2. Presents an overview of the organization and its mission in dealing with chemical dependency issues.
3. Helps the student intern to gain an understanding of and appreciation for the programs offered through the organization selected as an internship site.

Objectives

A list of objectives is prepared to help the student intern:

1. Meet agreed upon expectations.
2. Monitor progress toward achieving established the goal statement.
3. Develop skills in selected areas of chemical dependency counseling.
4. Provide feedback to the student intern on their performance.
5. Identify a plan for improving upon strengths and minimizing weaknesses.

Examples of activities used to complete the objectives may include:

• Diagnosis/assessment skills
• Case (treatment) planning and management
• Lecturing and teaching skills
• Individual/group counseling skills
• Family counseling skills
• Program development and evaluation
• Research
• Consultation
• Supervision and administration
• Other

Criteria for Maintaining a Daily Journal

A journal is a means of examining, sorting out, and giving interpretation to the internship experience.  It is a systematic record of your thoughts and feelings. It is not a diary. A journal does much more than list and describe events occurring during your internship experience. Your journal should be a means of connecting the knowledge you have acquired in the classroom with your experience during your internship. Listed below are ideas to include in your journal.  They are simply ideas.  They are not meants as an outline for a journal, for if you use them as such; the journal will not reflect you and your feelings.

Items that might be included in the journal on a daily basis are:

• Work situation
• Discussion with clients and fellow counselors
• Your thoughts and ideas
• What you agree or disagree with
• The important or unimportant parts of your internship
• What you think is missing from your internship
• Questions that are important to you
• Your fulfilled or unfulfilled wants and needs
• Areas of your life that need work
• Your self–reflections of your entire internship experience
• What you have gained or not gained from the internship experience

Criteria for Maintaing a Log of Hours

In order to better understand the Core Functions, students are required to maintain a log of hours.  Students are strongly encouraged to use the Log of Hours form provided.  The following items must be included in the log:

• Date of activity
• Description of activity
• Identification of Core Function the activity fulfills
• Amount of time spent on the activity

Students must be specific in completing the Log of Hours.  The log is meant to be itemized by each identifable activity.

When logging hours, students are only allowed to log hours that are directly related to the completion of their role as an intern.  For instance, travel to the internship cannot be counted.  However, travel to a work-required meeting during internship hours may be counted.  Also, hours spent eating lunch may not be counted.  However, if you are required to supervise clients during a group lunch, hours may be counted.

Activities that do not fit into one of the Core Functions should be identified as "Other."  Hours logged as "Other" should be kept to a minimum.

Criteria for Completing the Bi-Weekly Summary Statement

Interns are required to provide the ADS Internship Coordinator with a Summary Statement every two weeks.  The Summary Statement should include:

• The date the Summary Statement is completed.
• The total number of hours the Student Intern has completed to date.
• A brief statement of any key events that took place during the two week period.
• Identification of any issues that may have occurred during the two week period.
• A brief evaluation of "how" the internship is going.
• Any questions the intern has which need to be answered by the ADS Internship Coordinator.
• A copy of the Log of Hours for the two-week period being completed.

Criteria for Completing the Final Report

Each student intern is to prepare a final report on his or her ADS Internship Experience.  The final report must be typewritten and double spaced.  The final report is based upon satisfactory completion of the internship experience.  The length of the final report is to reflect what was accomplished while realizing your goal statement and working toward completion of objectives.

Please respond to the questions below in completing the final report.

1. Were your expectations for the Internship Experience met? Explain.
2. Did you achieve your Goal Statement?  If not, why?
3. Did you accomplish each of your objectives?  If not, which objectives were not completed and why?
4. What did you see as your strengths during the internship?
5. What did you see as your weaknesses during the internship?
6. How would you describe your counseling style, and how did it change during the course of the internship?
7. How would you describe your view of addiction, and how did it change during the course of the internship?
8. How well prepared were you for the internship experience? Explain. 
9. At this point, do you feel you are prepared to enter the field as an alcohol and drug counselor?  Why or why not?
10. What do you need to do to become a better counselor?
11. Provide an evaluation of the strengths and limitations of the internship site you worked at.