Note: This option is available for on-campus students only

The Rehabilitation Counselor Program has an agreement with the Center for Careers in Teaching, the Dean of the College of Education, and the Counseling and School Psychology (CSP) Department whereby RCP students can pursue their PPS credential at the same time they are working on their Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling.

We have begun to put some standards of procedure into operation so that when students are interested in pursuing a PPS credential, they will know what steps are involved. There will be further negotiation and refinement over the next year -- and probably more frustrations along the way -- but we have come up with a starting place. If you are interested in the PPS credential, you must do the following:

1. You must declare your intent to pursue the PPS credential by the beginning of your first Spring semester. It is important that you declare your intent this early in your program because you will be required to do additional course work in three of your program classes, as well as take two mandatory electives required by the Counseling and School Psychology Department. (We are aware that there are students who are further along in your programs who have notified the RCP Program of their interest prior to the details of the PPS program being set up. If you are past your first Spring semester, but you had previously notified one of your professors, your adviser, or the Academic Assistant of your interest in the PPS program, please pick up your Declaration of Intent form from Joy immediately (see "Process" below).
   
   Explanation: You will need to do additional work in CSP 660 (Theory & Process of Counseling) and CSP 645 (Vocational Assessment) which focuses on counseling and assessing children. You will also need to do 450 hours of your field experiences (ARP 744 and ARP 745) in a school setting. Your required elective courses will be CSP 620 (Guidance Services in Public Education) and CSP 662 (Counseling Interventions with Children and Adolescents) and MUST be on your official program when it is filed.
   
   Process: Tell the Academic Assistant (Joy Scharringhausen) that you wish to pursue the PPS credential. She will give you a "Declaration of Intent to Pursue PPS Credential" form. Fill out the form and return to Joy. She will put one copy in your file, give one copy to Fred McFarlane, and give one copy to Dr. Caren Sax, who will be the PPS Credential Program Adviser.

2. You will be notified by Professor Sax (PPS Adviser) to come for an appointment with her to discuss your decision to pursue the PPS. It is not automatic that you will be accepted into the PPS Credential Program. You will be interviewed by Professor Sax and she will make a recommendation to the RCP faculty.

3. Your Declaration of Intent, along with the recommendations from Professor Sax and the RCP faculty, will be forwarded to the CSP Chair for approval. If you are approved at all three levels -- Professor Sax, RCP faculty, and CSP chair -- you will be notified by Professor Sax to come in and pick up a Pupil Personnel Services notebook.
   

Requirements for PPS additional coursework:

• Obtain "Certificate of Clearance" package from the Careers in Education office (ED-100). You will need to fill out all of the information provided, be fingerprinted by one of the suggested agencies, and send a cashier's check or money order for $86 to the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

• Obtain liability insurance. Both American Counseling Association (ACA) and California Association of Counseling and Development (CACD) provide reasonable liability insurance for counselors. Candidates for the PPS are responsible for obtaining insurance coverage prior to meeting with clients or working within a school system. Information is available privately or through the professional associations (see additional insurance information attached).

• Take the C-Best examination. Obtain information through the Careers in Education office.
  

• CSP 620, Guidance Services in Public Education (only enroll through Professor Sax when she advises you to do so.

• CSP 662, Counseling Interventions with Children and Adolescents (only enroll through Professor Sax when she advises you to do so.

• When you enroll in ARP 645, Vocational Assessment, notify your professor that you are in the PPS Program and will need to do additional assignments to learn about assessing children in the school setting.

• When you enroll in CSP 660, Theory and Process of Counseling, notify your professor that you are in the PPS Program and will need to do additional assignments to learn about counseling children in the school setting.
  

• When you enroll in ARP 744, Intermediate or Advanced Practicum in Rehabilitation and ARP745, Internship in Rehabilitation, notify your professors that you are in the PPS Program and will need to do 450 fieldwork hours in a school setting.

• Early in your final semester, you will contact the Center for Careers in Education to pick up your Pupil Personnel Services Credential Application packet. During your final semester, you will work with Professor Sax to complete all of the forms necessary to document the process you have gone through in preparing for the PPS Credential.

DO NOT CALL THE CSP DEPARTMENT OFFICE OR FACULTY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!! ALL COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PPS PROGRAM MUST BE DONE THROUGH JOY SCHARRINGHAUSEN AND/OR CAREN SAX.

PROFESSIONAL INSURANCE INFORMATION

Candidates are responsible for contacting professional organizations, joining and participating in sponsored conferences, and completing other professional development activities.

Both American Counseling Association (ACA) and California Association of Counseling and Development (CACD) provide reasonable liability insurance for counselors. Candidates for the PPS are responsible for obtaining insurance coverage prior to meeting with clients or working within a school system. Information is available privately or through the professional associations

CACD:

National Professional Group Risk Management Services, Inc. (NPG)
For information call: 800-253-5486

Graduate Student: $57 ($200,000 each incident, $600,000 aggregate)
$60 ($1 million each incident, $3 million aggregate)

ACA:

Professional Liability Insurance Program (ACA Insurance Trust)
Covers only those activities which are a part of and a requirement of the curriculum as a counseling student.
For information call: 800-347-6647, ext. 284

Student Coverage:
$1 million/$3 million - $35
$1 million/$1 million - $23
$500,000/$500,000 - $19
$200,000/$200,000 - $17