In service learning courses and practicum courses, you’ll use knowledge and skills acquired in your class to meet genuine community needs.
You must apply to enroll for most of these courses. To receive permission to enroll, you may just need to email the instructor for approval or you may need to submit an application or be interviewed.
Instructions for enrolling in a service-learning course will appear in the description of that course in the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes.
Our current service-learning course:
PSY-X 370 Real-World Program Evaluation: Applying Psychology Research to Service
Enrolled students volunteer at either Middleway House or The Rise (which provide transitional housing and programs). The class will consider the needs of the groups served by Middleway/Rise and evaluate the quality of programs and interventions for those groups.
You can also explore the Service-Learning Program at Indiana University.
The Practicum in Psychology (PSY X-476) is offered as part of the Clinical Psychological Sciences B.S. program. Clinical Science majors receive preferential placement, although students who are not in the major may be accepted if space allows. Practicum opportunities allow students to gain supervised, hands-on experience with mental health intervention and assessment in order to apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world settings.
Placements vary semester to semester. The descriptions below reflect our current partners for Spring 2025. In order to apply, you must complete the online application which is located in site descriptions below using the "Apply to Program" button. Some placements may also require an interview or the submission of additional materials. This will occur after your initial application has been reviewed. Once you have been accepted to a practicum site, you will be granted permission to enroll in X476 Practicum in Psychology. You cannot enroll in X476 without receiving permission from the instructor first. This is contingent on your application being accepted.
Applications will remain open until all slots are filled. Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. Please note that you may not know if you have been accepted to a practicum until after course registration has begun, and you may not have confirmation until the end of the Fall 2024 semester. Please work with your advisor to plan accordingly and make sure you leave space in your schedule to enroll if you wish to participate.
All Clinical Science Majors will receive an email about the application process in early October. If you have not received the email by October 18th or you are not a Clinical Science Major but would like more information about practicum experiences, please contact Dr. Emma Schiestl (emthschi@iu.edu).
Centerstone is among the nation’s leading nonprofit behavioral health systems with thousands of employees dedicated to delivering care that changes people’s lives. As a dynamic, well-established organization, Centerstone offer rewarding opportunities to serve all ages in a variety of settings. Practicum students will be supervised and trained by Research and Evaluation Associated to conduct research interviews using trauma-informed techniques, with clients who are receiving mental and behavioral health services. Students will also learn to enter, clean, and manage client data utilizing an electronic health records system, as well as analyze secondary data and conduct literature reviews to present to clinical staff. The primary goal of practicum student’s responsibilities at Centerstone is to ensure that clients are receiving the highest quality of care.
Students enrolled in the Aldrich Project Practicum are trained to deliver the evidence-based program, SecondStep, designed to motivate children, adolescents, and young adults to engage in healthy behaviors and reduce risky behaviors. SecondStep includes lessons on anti-bullying, assertive communication, and the prevention of substance use. Students primarily work in elementary and middle schools alongside an interdisciplinary team, including graduate students from the School of Nursing and the School of Social Work. Please note, the Aldrich Project placement requires practicum students to participate ALL DAY ON TUESDAYS, so you should arrange your schedule around this requirement (AKA, you should schedule an in person class on Tuesdays if you anticipate participate in the Aldrich Project). Students must also provide their own reliable transportation to and from their school placements each week. However, students often carpool and are reimbursed for transportation to reduce the barrier of this requirement.
This practicum will be for the whole academic year from August 2024-May 2025.
With funding from Indiana Department of Mental Health Administration (DMHA), IU Health, and Riley Children’s Foundation, this project will integrate pediatric behavioral health into the IU Health primary care system to address unmet behavioral health needs in children and adolescents. With expert ongoing consultation to support pediatricians and family medicine providers, integrated care will increase access and directly provide evidence-based family-oriented assessments, virtual psychotherapies, and medication consultation. Integrating mental health services into a wellness driven medical home model normalizes behavioral health and reduces stigma – making care more accessible. It also results in less costly care, clear pathways for additional services, frees up slots in psychiatric specialty clinics and a strengthened collaboration between Primary Care and Behavioral Health providers. Students will receive training in the FIRST model and get experience in delivery of care, clinical documentation, session planning, and clinical supervision. They will also gain experience in group therapy interventions. 3 new clinics will start services in Bloomington in the summer of 2024 which may provide opportunity for both in person and virtual participation for students.
We will be accepting 3-5 students. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and will be closed EOB on April 22 or once all the spots have been filled.
Supportive Community Innovations (SCI) focuses on providing assistance and guidance to individuals and families of those who have developmental differences. SCI's primary goal is to help our clients reach their individual potential by supporting skills they need to live a life well-lived. We provide individualized services based in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) that are tailored to the needs of our clients. Practicum students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with clients in a variety of settings (e.g., clinical office, in the community, at a client's home) while working with a collaborative care team (e.g., board certified behavioral analysts, speech therapists, behavioral technicians).
Head Start programs are free, federally funded early education programs designed to prepare young children from low-income households to succeed in school and life beyond school. To achieve this, Head Start programs deliver services to children and families in core areas of early learning, health, and family well-being while engaging parents as partners every step of the way. Practicum students will gain hands-on experience working with students receiving behavioral and disability support services in collaboration with teachers and our Disabilities Coordinator.
Questions? Please contact Dr. Emma Schiestl (emthschi@iu.edu) for more information about current and upcoming practicum placements, the application process, general practicum requirements, and more.
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