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Clinical Placement 1 (PSYC90012)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Year Long
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Year Long |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Students are required to complete 40 days of placement in the University of Melbourne Psychology Clinic at Blackwood Street, North Melbourne. Students will have the opportunity to observe a range of clinical presentation in adult patients and to begin functioning as a clinical psychologist, under the supervision of a supervisor. Students will receive experience in history taking, conducting a mental state examination, arriving at a case formulation and making treatment plans. Under supervision, students will be given the opportunity to develop competence in the provision of psychological treatments to individuals and (where appropriate) groups. In addition, the subject aims to give the student experience of professional psychology practice, including professional presentation, report writing and record keeping, managing a clinical caseload, and liaison with other professional practitioners.
Over the 40 days, students are required to complete at least 15 hours of psychological assessments and to accrue a further 85 hours of face-to-face contact with patients (assessment and ongoing treatment of adults). Students are required to participate in regular weekly supervision. Supervisors for the Clinic placement will be registered as both psychologists and supervisors with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA). Students undertaking this placement must be provisionally registered with the PBA and hold current Police and Working with Children's checks.
Students will also be required to attend 10 workshops that address specific clinical skills and are practical in nature.
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge
On completion of this placement subject, students should:
- Become familiar with the clinical features of many mental health disorders experienced by adults, problem-oriented interviewing and communication, formal clinical examination, diagnostic formulation, and case presentation;
- Developing an understanding of the theory underlying practical skills in counselling, interviewing, conducting mental state examinations and history taking and diagnostic interviewing, and including mindfulness in treatment.
Skills
On completion of this subject, students should demonstrate skills in:
- Conducting professional interviews, and assessments (including standardised psychological testing to assess and interpret aspects of functioning as well as formal diagnostic assessments) and synthesise information from multiple sources, including assessment of risk, to formulate a conceptualisation of the presenting issues to determine the most appropriate interventions, including management of risk;
- Competent administration and scoring of a wide range of standardized neuropsychological tests and abilities measures, and demonstrate understanding of their psychometric underpinnings and underlying cognitive and behavioural processes.
- Interpreting and communicating assessment findings in oral and written formats, including formal psychological reports, using culturally appropriate language;
- Implementing appropriate, empirically supported, culturally appropriate interventions, and monitor clients’ progress and intervention outcomes.
Application of Knowledge and Skills
On completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Rigorously apply professional practice policies and procedures, including as they relate to referral management and record-keeping, across a range of workplace settings and with recognition of different organisational and cultural practices;
- Work effectively with a range of professionals and support staff in the workplace and communicate and collaborate effectively, within the bounds of ethical and legal requirements, demonstrating respect for the skills and contribution of other professionals;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of their professional practice (in conjunction with clinical supervisors), identifying areas for improvement and implementing changes where needed.
Generic skills
This placement subject is designed to promote an in-depth understanding of specialist practice, to expand the range of ways in which learning occurs; to develop a capacity to work collaboratively, to confront and manage unfamiliar problems, to value different cultures, and to develop a high regard for human rights, ethics and equity.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Enrolment in one of the following Psychology professional training programs, 527CL, 527CN, 080CL, 080CN or MC-PSYCHCS
Corequisites
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
PSYC90008 | Ethics and Professional Issues | March (On Campus - Parkville) |
6.25 |
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Completion of APAC approved psychology studies to fourth-year (Honours) level.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Hurdle requirement: Attendance at placement for 100 hours face to face clinical work (assessment and treatment) | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Hurdle requirement: At least 80% attendance at the following workshops ; Interviewing and Counselling 1 and 2 (held during the summer intensive period); Mental state examination (held during the January Intensive period), History taking and diagnostic interviewing and, 4 X 1.5 hour workshops on Wechsler test administration, scoring and interpretation, Mindfulness and Self-Care | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Hurdle requirement: Students must provide evidence that log books are checked and endorsed by their primary placement supervisor AT LEAST every fortnight. | Throughout the teaching period | N/A |
Placement goals: see below | Throughout the teaching period | 100% |
Additional details
Completion of placement goals assessed on a pass/fail basis throughout year.
The assessment is undertaken by the Placement Coordinator, in consultation with the supervisor, on the basis of satisfactory attainment of placement goals following APAC accreditation placement standards. Placement goals are as follows: Experience in the administration and interpretation of a range of psychological assessment strategies and the writing of psychological reports; understanding of typical courses and prognoses of disorders, and capacity to develop appropriate treatment and management plans; experience with a variety of intervention strategies, which may include case management, individual therapy, family therapy and/or group interventions, and to be capable of evaluating those interventions; experience in functioning as an independent clinical psychologist within the facility, although closely supervised by placement supervisors
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Year Long
Principal coordinator Litza Kiropoulos Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Equivalent of 80 hours face to face client work over approximately 26 weeks. Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 31 May 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 2 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 Year Long contact information
Additional delivery details
This subject is delivered either partially or fully in-person in Second Half Year 2020. Please ensure you are able to attend any essential in-person requirements or speak to Stop 1 about alternative subject options.
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
None
Recommended texts and other resources
None
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
Last updated: 3 November 2022