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Submitting Your Field Experience Applications

Applications for field experience must be submitted in Meditrek within the Application Submission Windows listed below.

Applying for field experience can be a lengthy process. Start early. Incomplete and/or late applications will not be accepted.

 

Important

If there are any changes to your field experience plans (including your site supervisor, provision of TMH or in-home services, your employment status) after you have submitted your field experience application, contact the SOC-OFE immediately.

Application Submission Windows

 

Spring Quarter: February 26, 2024
Application Window Closes: December 15, 2023


Summer Quarter: May 27, 2024
Application Window Closes: March 15, 2024


Fall Quarter: August 26, 2024
Application Window Closes: June 15, 2024


Winter Quarter: November 25, 2024
Application Window Closes: September 15, 2024

 

The application window opens the day after the window closes for the previous quarter.
Field experience applications can be accepted only within these windows.

 


  • If you will not have been enrolled in a professional practice experience (Residency/Pre-Practicum or Field Experience Course) for 2 years or more prior to entering field experience, you will need to submit a Counseling Work Sample. The Counseling Work Sample submission window closes at the same time as the field experience application submission window.
  • A separate application must be completed and approved for every quarter of enrollment in field experience (including Practicum, Internship I, and Internship II, as well as Practicum and Internship Extensions, if needed).

Student Application Requirements

The field experience application consists of several checklist items, all of which are required for application submission.

 

Documents to Upload in Meditrek

Some of the Meditrek® checklist items are documents that will need to be completed outside of Meditrek® and uploaded into your Meditrek® field experience application.

 

Field Experience Application Worksheet

Must be completed in coordination with your proposed site supervisor. It provides the site supervisor with an overview of the field experience requirements, and you will use the information contained within the document to help you complete your field experience application in Meditrek®.

Professional Liability Insurance

You are required to obtain professional liability insurance prior to beginning a field experience and to maintain active professional liability insurance throughout the duration of the field experiences.

International Students

You must attempt to obtain the required professional liability insurance for field experience. If insurance is not available or is cost-prohibitive in your location, you may request a waiver from the Office of Applied Learning Agreements.

To request a Professional Liability Insurance (PLI) Waiver Form, please contact the Office of Field Experience.

  • The form must be completed in its entirety.
  • The SOC-OFE will submit the PLI Waiver Request to the Office of Applied Learning Agreements (OALA) for a decision.
  • The SOC-OFE is not involved in this decision, but will communicate OALA's decision when it is received
  • Submission of the PLI Waiver Request does not guarantee approval.

Forms to Complete in Meditrek

Several application checklist items are online forms that you will complete right in your Meditrek® application. You will gather information needed from your field site to complete these online forms in the Field Experience Application Worksheet. The information in the Field Experience Application Worksheet must match exactly the information entered into the online forms in your Meditrek® application. Discrepancies will result in rejection of the field experience application and could result in a delay of the field experience.

Counseling Work Samples

The School of Counseling evaluates students’ skills regularly. If a student has not had their skills evaluated for more than 2 years for any reason, it is required that they submit a Counseling Work Sample before they enter a field experience. The work sample allows Walden faculty to evaluate the student's clinical skills to ensure that the student is prepared for a successful field experience.

  • The Counseling Work Sample is submitted as part of due at the same time as the field experience application (see Demonstration of Skills Competency). If you are not sure if a Work Sample will be required for you, contact the SOC-OFE.

SOC-OFE Application Review

The SOC-OFE application review process includes multiple layers of review (academic and operations). Applications can be returned to you throughout the review process to allow for revision, with the intent of approving all viable applications. You must monitor your Walden email account closely during the application review period (from the time you submit your application for field experience through the start of enrollment) to ensure that you are able to respond to requests for additional information during the time frames provided.

Operations Review

Field experience operations coordinators complete the operations review of field experience applications, including:

  • Field experience documentation (e.g. professional liability insurance certificate),
  • Affiliation agreements,
  • Onboarding requirements,
  • Eligibility audits, and
  • Group supervision scheduling and course registration.

Academic Review

School of Counseling faculty on the field experience committee complete the academic review of field experience applications, including

  • Quality of field experience to ensure it meets program and accreditation requirements,
  • Site supervisor credentials and qualifications,
  • Academic quality of field experience, and
  • Site appropriateness for your program.

Additional Important Preparation

Preparation for field experience does not end when you submit your application!

Monitor your application status

Meditrek allows you to see the status of your application in real time. Log into Meditrek and click on the Field Application button.


Status Definitions

  • Incomplete-started—The application has been started with course name and quarter, but the application has not been completed or submitted
  • Incomplete—The application is incomplete as some checklist items have been completed but application is not officially submitted for review. This application will not be reviewed until completed, finalized and submitted in Meditrek.
  • Submitted—The application has been submitted in Meditrek.  This application is either queued up for review or is under review by the Office of Field Experience.  The Office of Field Experience typically begins application reviews after the application deadline.  Applications will remain in this status while the application is being reviewed.
  • Returned The application has issues or corrections that need to be resolved by the student and resubmitted for review.  Students should review the email notification for further details, next steps and instructions for resolving the issue with the application.   This application will not be reviewed until the issue is resolved and the application is resubmitted in Meditrek.
  • Approval Pending—The application review is complete, but there are items needed prior to approval (completion of an affiliation agreement with the field site, site onboarding requirements, completion of student support plans, prerequisite coursework, etc.)
  • Approval Pending Prerequisites Only The application review is complete and is only awaiting satisfactory completion of prerequisite coursework for approval. The Office of Field Experience will review the Eligibility Audit for completion of prerequisite coursework in the week prior to the term start and update the status as appropriate.
  • Approved—The application review is complete and the application has been approved. The student is approved to begin the field experience as described in their application at the start of the quarter for which the application was approved.
  • Closed The application has been closed and is not approved. The student is not approved to proceed with the field experience.  Students should review the email notification for further details regarding the reason for closure.
  • Replaced The application was approved, but has since been replaced (site supervisor changes, etc.).
  • Discontinued The application was approved, but the field experience was discontinued prior to completion of the quarter.

Affiliation Agreement Status

You can see the status of the affiliation agreement with your field site on your Meditrek Application Checklist. This must be “Completed and Approved” before your application for field experience will be approved.

Ensure you will be eligible for registration

Contact your Student Success Advisor to

  • Ensure that you are and will remain actively enrolled in the university
  • Ensure that you have no holds on your account that will prevent registration
Complete field experience prerequisites
  • Click on the Eligibility Audit in your Meditrek Application checklist to see your outstanding prerequisites
  • Do not drop or withdraw from courses that are required for completion prior to field experience.
  • Contact us if you think you will not complete prerequisite courses satisfactorily so that we can assist you with next steps regarding field experience.
  • Operations coordinators review student records in the week prior to the term start (after grades for the previous term are final and transferred into the university database) to ensure prerequisite coursework has been completed.