EDF5567 · Contemporary psychological practice

Overview

The aim of this unit is to prepare you for professional psychological practice through orientation to contemporary practice issues, critical appraisal of professional challenges, and self-reflection. The unit is designed to complement and extend the learnings from Professional Experience in Psychology. You will be supported to complete the required number of hours for your fifth year of psychology training and invited to self-reflect on your professional functioning in a range of practice scenarios. Professional experience hours will be completed through various activities including skills training in class, professional development seminars, and approved professional experience activities through the university's clinic. Although some field professional experience activities may be undertaken, the emphasis in the fifth year of training is preparation for practice. Challenges and complexities relating to contemporary psychological practice will be explored, including record keeping, note taking, report writing, operating under funded schemes (e.g., Medicare), diverse clients, and practicing in different settings. You will be equipped with best-practice industry knowledge relating to practice resources, professional standards and employment opportunities. Skills to critically analyse competing approaches to practice, reflect on developing professional capacity, and integrate new understandings into professional work will be developed. Professional readiness includes demonstrated competence in interviewing and assessment skills, capacity for accurate self-assessment of current level of professional development against the eight core competencies outlined by the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA), awareness of the nature of psychological practice, and ability to work under supervision. In this unit, your development will be supported by professional experience staff and/or supervisors.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

This unit is graded pass grade only (PGO).

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. undertake self-reflections and accurate self-assessment of your developing professional competencies
2. demonstrate satisfactory progress towards the Level 3 professional competencies outlined by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council, as determined by university professional experience staff and/or supervisors
3. critique contrasting contemporary psychological practices, including their advantages and disadvantages for a range of clients and settings
4. apply best-practice industry knowledge relating to developing and accessing resources, applying for and maximising vocational opportunities, and maintaining professional standards
5. integrate and critically reflect on new understandings, including those related to emerging and digital health technologies, to inform practice and identify priorities for ongoing professional development.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per teaching period comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Usually, you can expect to engage with: A. On campus enrolment • 24 hours of scheduled learning delivered on campus via weekly/regular directed learning activities; and • the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study and placement activities B. Online enrolment • 24 hours of scheduled learning delivered online via a combination of synchronous and asynchronous directed learning activities; and • the remaining hours to be allocated towards self-directed/independent study and placement activities Scheduled learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.