CNS Clinical Required 1000 Hours

Hoping the following will help when deciding the next steps for CNS required 1000 hours...

I had to break it down into two groups CNS Exam (working on a post about this but currently still working on the process to take the exam so not ready to share since I do not have everything compiled yet) and the CNS Required 1000 hours (almost done), so it won't overwhelm me because it can... once the two were separated into their own groups then I split CNS Required 1000 Hours into subgroups:

• Supervision (BCNS approved is a must!)
• Clients (build a private practice or work for someone else or both??)

FYI--  If you graduate from MUIH, you will likely have 300 plus hours already from your clinical experience and case studies. Next, you have to decide the best way to get your remaining hours. ... I recommend to start thinking and looking for supervision during Track C of clinics so you can have something set to start at the beginning of Track D...but remember everyone is different and at different points so this isn't always the most feasible route for everyone...

The following are the types of internships and supervision programs that are available out there. There is not a one fits all or one that will hit all your needs and/or wants, it's a matter of finding one that you can afford and hits most of your needs and/or wants... Some food for thought on what you are looking for--

1. Practicing professional who can give you both supervision and client hours.
   1. Pros: You have a direct supervisor to help you with each individual case. You don’t have to find your own clients. You can see how others practice and learn by example.
   2. Cons: If you only have one internship, you might not get varied experiences nor will you see clients in your possible niche or other areas beyond that person's niche. You won't be building your private practice either.
2. Practicing professional who can give you client hours, while having to find a separate supervisor or supervision program to sign off on those hours.
   1. Pros: You don’t have to find your own clients. You can see how others practice and learn by example. You will have a separate supervisor to help you and sign off your hours.
   2. Cons: If you only have one practicing professional for client hours, you might not get varied experiences. Again you will only see clients in their possible niche  and nothing for your niche or beyond.  Can also be costly because you may have to pay for the experience and pay for the supervision separately. You won't be building your private practice either.
3. Find your own clients and find a supervisor or supervision program to sign off on those hours
   1. Pros: You are thrown into building your own practice right away and you’re forced to really do it yourself-- marketing, figuring out a lot of the business aspects by yourself etc.
   2. Cons: You might not have as much hand-holding as you might like, and you have limited time to interact with your supervisor.

You can also do some combination of the above to fit all your needs and wants. It's a matter of figuring out what you need and want??

**Couple other questions to ask yourself about what you want out of your mentorship- help with CNS Exam?? Community?? Business Building?? Cost?? Do I even need to obtain the CNS or not in my state?? Do I want a program or an individual experience?? This is on top of deciding if you want someone to provide the clients or not. There are a lot of questions, concerns etc... Definitely a lot...

Actual CNS Supervision Programs

1) MUIH Experiential Supervision Program: There are two options and I don't believe financial aid will pay for this... and I believe this is just for MUIH graduates only and can only be started after graduation....

• Self-paced supervision (find your own clients, MUIH supervisor)

or

• Placement plus supervision (placed in an internship, slightly pricier, clients are provided in this location, MUIH supervisor)
  • Types of Internships: partnerships with clinics, hospitals, senior living centers, and integrative centers for placement. Graduates will interview at the placement site(s) of their choice and the site will determine which candidate is the best fit for the position. Placement sites will provide approximately 10-20 hours a week..

https://uih.edu/academics/ce/nutrition-practice-experience/

2) The Nutrition & Herbal Collective Mentorship Program with Rebecca Snow & Sunny Brigham (Formerly Rebecca Snow Mentorship) Rebecca has been running this program for a long time and offers a wonderful community for life-- I chose this one for myself because I wanted a somewhat hands on approach and a community for the mentorship and beyond; plus she is growing and offering so much more even since I started the program-- She is currently rebranding the mentorship program along with her website and a few other things-- the addition of Sunny Brigham, MBA, MS, CNS,  is just one of many things changing because Sunny adds not only nutrition knowledge but also business coaching-- so it's growing fast!! Lastly, they just started a CNS prep course that should be just as wonderful...

http://rebeccasnow.com

3) Supervision with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald- She’s both an ND and a CNS, so there’s a LOT to learn here. It’s a bit expensive, but looks like an amazingly detailed program. It appears to be a very hands-on clinical program, much like hospital residency for doctors, but in a virtual clinic. The program is 12 months long and is completely remote.

https://www.drkfeducation.com/cns-hours/ 

4) Supervision with IFNS – Integrative and Functional Nutrition Supervision- They offer education, support, mentorship, and even business coaching tips. 

https://www.nutritionsupervision.com/program-details

5) Supervision with The Clinician’s Incubator- This one also comes highly recommended, especially if you want to work with body image, eating disorders, and Health At Every Size (HAES). I believe they offer regular case reviews for all participants, but you don’t get the chance to shadow others.  They have modules to help with your internship education and to help with preparing for the CNS exam. If you’re doing your internship before taking the CNS exam, this might be the best choice for you.

https://www.cliniciansincubator.com/supervisors

6) Supervision with Jan Kielmann- This is a new program, but they offer both online or onsite supervision options as well as biweekly case reviews. If you’re in the East LA area, this might be a good option for you, especially since it is a bit more affordable than most others. You can get 100 CNS hours for $100. 

https://functionalresidencies.com/prices/

7) Supervision with The Nutrition Collaborative- This program is new.. believe it started in 2019 with Dr Dina Filatova, so I don't have much information on this one as much as the others because when I was looking for a supervision program or supervisor they didn't have a website yet, so I didn't really research it much...

https://thenutritioncollaborative.teachable.com/

Actual CNS 1:1 Supervisors

And if you’ve already got access to clients, or you’ve got a job that will provide you with hours or you want to build a private practice a bit more on your own but you still need a supervisor, here are some options: 

• Heidi Lyndaker: http://heidilyndaker.com/
• Sarah Bingham: https://www.fastfoodhealing.com/
• Marcy Kirshenbaum: https://www.nutritionsupervisionexperts.com/
• Camille Freeman: https://www.camillefreeman.com/work-camille/mentoring/
• MUIH / Elizabeth Owens: The self-paced supervision program is usually cheaper than other programs

This may be another option - MUIH’s Find a Practitioner Database: https://www.muih.edu/health-resources/find-practitioner or talk to fellow MUIH alumni via the MUIH Nutrition Students on Facebook etc...

There are so many options and wonderful programs out there.. just have to figure out what you need and want...

Best of luck... you got this far... you got this too!