PSY5421 · Clinical placement 1

Overview

This placement unit consolidates your development in clinical practice in your role as a clinical psychologist in training. You will provide direct service to individuals and/or groups in placement settings. Placements are arranged via a network of providers with due regard given to the professional interests and competencies required of you in your final placement unit. You will be supervised in accordance with regulatory guidelines. During Case Analysis, you will participate in the discussion with your peers as well as by presenting at least one de-identified case. Throughout the Unit you will demonstrate your enhanced ability to integrate diverse and evidence-informed approaches to complex clinical, professional practice and evaluation issues.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

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

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Knowledge of the discipline: Differentiate and discuss the multifaceted aspects of being a provisional psychologist within a range of clinical placement settings.
2. Legal, ethical and professional matters: Manage ethical issues and adhere to professional practice standards (for example including confidentiality, risk and effective documentation) in increasingly complex circumstances.
3. Psychological assessment and measurement: Use thorough assessment methodology and hypothesis testing approach to develop holistic clinical formulations for a wide range of complex mental health presentations (within a Diagnostic Framework).
4. Intervention strategies: Apply a breadth of evidence-informed, culturally responsive intervention strategies to diverse individuals and/or groups with complex mental health presentations.
5. Research and evaluation: Apply the scientist-practitioner approach in the development, application and evaluation of evidence-informed treatment plans/interventions for people with complex mental health presentations and disorders.
6. Communication and interpersonal relationships: Develop effective professional relationships and communication (oral and written) with a wide range of colleagues, stakeholders, and clients with complex mental health presentations and disorders.
7. Reflective practice: Use reflexive processes to enable adaptive practice, learning and behaviour change in clinical practice.

Workload

You are expected to complete approximately 300 hours in this placement towards your total of 1200 hours of placement (Work Integrated Learning) over the course of your degree. Contact hours for on-campus students: • 270 hours of clinical placement experience including a minimum of approximately 120 direct client activity hours and 150 indirect hours including professional development activities, report writing, and administrative work • Permission may be sought to transfer some days and hours between the three placements • Minimum of 30 hours of supervision • Group supervision sessions no more than 50% of total supervision There will be a one hour weekly applied session (Case Analysis) in which you are also expected to participate. This is included in the 300 hours of clinical placement experience. You are required to attend all scheduled applied sessions unless documentary evidence (such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration) is provided. Minimum attendance to pass the unit is 80%.

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