A unique feature of The Chicago School is that all students receive support and mentorship from the Office of Placement & Training (OPT). OPT is responsible for overseeing all aspects of a student's practicum and internship training experience. This includes orienting the members of the learning community to the training site search, application, interviewing, and acceptance processes. Once a student begins their field placement, this office oversees the evaluation of the student's performance by site supervisors and Chicago School faculty as well as their collection of training hours. OPT faculty are responsible for developing training sites in their respective communities and regularly evaluating the quality of training that these sites provide.
THe role of the office of placement & training
Oversee student practicum and internship placement process
Provide small group and personalized meetings for students requiring specialized assistance
Provide general information meetings and resource materials about the training site search process
Provide professional mentorship of students in training, which includes negotiating professional relationships, conflict resolution, ethical decision making, and professional comportment
Site develop and maintain training sites
Collect student and site performance data
Provide consultation to program directors and faculty about the training process
Participate in academic program review of student progress to ensure continuity of training
Each year, Chicago School students engage in more than 500,000 hours of community service at over 500 partner institutions.
Information about OPT sites can be found on the OPT Professional Training Database, a password protected resource for current Chicago School students. This database contains descriptions of available opportunities, idea applicants, organization of the site, positions available, and populations treated. It also includes a description of treatment modalities and other activities that one can expect to participate in at a particular site. The OPT Professional Training Database also offers information about supervision and application materials.