CBU practicum luncheon honors collaborative agencies

Riverside, Calif. (Feb. 18, 2019) –The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences hosted a practicum luncheon to honor 40 agencies—ranging from school districts to government programs to nonprofits— for their collaboration and support of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program on Feb 15. 

The event also gave counseling psychology students at California Baptist University a chance to network with the agencies representatives. Counseling psychology students at CBU are required to obtain at least 400 practicum hours.

“The practicum luncheon is a time when our students and our wonderful agencies come together to bring all this hard work to fruition to really begin to help clients,” Dr. Mischa Routon, associate dean of graduate programs in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, told the audience.

The event benefits both the agencies and the students, said Dr. Jay Burke, program director of the Master of Science in Counseling Psychology program at CBU.

“For the students, it’s accessibility,” Burke said. “This is an opportunity for them to come in and meet people face to face. Through these conversations, they can get clarity on a potential placement for them.”

For the agencies, it is a way for them to get a sense of which students they think will be a good fit, Burke added.

Leslie Delgado, a graduate student in the counseling psychology program, wants to work with couples and children. Delgado said she looks forward to starting her practicum work.

“The practicum will definitely give me that experience that I need,” Delgado said. “It will help me put into practice what I’ve learned in the classroom.”

Arvely Lopez, a counseling psychology graduate student, desires to conduct a practicum at a school or a hospital.

“It’s all about exposure. The more clients you see, the more prepared you are,” Lopez said. “Also, you’re building up experience. Clients from different cultures and different issues are going to come up, so getting exposure is good experience.”