Clinical Placement B2
Unit code: HAYC559
| Credit points | 12.5 Credit Points |
| Duration | 1 semester / teaching period |
| Contact hours | See "Teaching Method" |
| Campus | Hawthorn |
| Prerequisites | |
| Corequisites | Nil |
Related course(s)
A unit of study in the Master of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) and Doctor of Philosophy (Clinical Psychology) programs..
Aims and objectives
The placement units in this degree are integrated into a placement program that runs across the years of the course. Clinical training at Swinburne is based on the problem formulation and hypothesis testing approach. The emphasis of this approach is on developing an optimal individualized formulation of each client or clinical challenge. Intervention choices and monitoring strategies flow directly from this formulation, which in turn will explicitly develop as treatment progresses. Accordingly, graduates of the program will be able to:
• Reach a detailed program formulation on the basis of both standardized and unstandardised assessments, and
• Reach a detailed program formulation on the basis of both standardized and unstandardised assessments, and
• Design and conduct appropriate individual, group and family treatment intervention programs, with ongoing monitoring, and revision of problem formulation and interventions where necessary.
This placement is undertaken in external field setting and can only commence after external placement HAYC558 Clinical Placement B1 and internal placements A1 and A2 are successfully completed. This final external placement in the program requires a greater degree of independence/autonomy from the trainee than was expected in HAYC558 Clinical Placement B1. Trainees will typically be under the direct daily supervision of an on-site psychologist who is eligible for membership of the APS College of Clinical Psychologists, and the internal university placement coordinator will act as an additional supervisor to provide support for the placement experience.
Clinical Placement B2 can occur at a variety of settings, depending upon the trainee's experience, skill and interests and depending on the availability of appropriate supervision on-site and a useful training role in the organisation. As this is the final placement of the course, it is ideally used as an opportunity for the trainee to function at a high professional level in a field of personal interest.
Teaching methods
The primary teaching method in this unit is direct supervision of the trainee's clinical activities by an experienced clinician in an appropriate external mental health setting. Supervision will be conducted in both individual and group formats, and the supervision process will be informed by regular observation of the trainee's work with clients, as well as review of clinical documents written by the trainee.
Assessment
Placement subjects are graded as PASS/FAIL. The specific tasks that must be adequately completed in HAYC559, Clinical Placement B2 are:
• Pre-placement contract
• Placement Activities Logbook
• Placement Activities Logbook
• Professional journal
• 1,500 word Trainee Placement report
• 2 x 2,000 word psychological assessment report
• Supervisor’s Report
• Final clinical competencies exam
Skill development targets Clinical Placement B2:
• To demonstrate sophisticated skills in history taking, conducting a mental status examination, and arriving at a case formulation.
• To demonstrate sophisticated skills in history taking, conducting a mental status examination, and arriving at a case formulation.
• To have refined skills in administration and interpretation of a range of psychological assessments and writing comprehensive psychological reports.
• To be knowledgeable about typical courses and prognoses of disorders, and to be confident in developing appropriate treatment and management plans.
• To build on basic skills over 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.
• To be capable of functioning as an independent clinical psychologist within the facility, although supervised by field supervisors.
Generic skills outcomes
Graduates are capable in their chosen professional area:
• Competence with the management of clients in a professional manner within specialist settings.
• Advanced skills in customer service.
• Competence in therapeutic interventions.
• Ability to conduct psychological assessments concerning personality, intelligence and vocational questions.
• Therapy skills in working with individual clients.
• Competence in directing and evaluating group programs.
Graduates are adaptable and work effectively and ethically:
• Applying the APS Code of Ethics and Guidelines.
• Competence with the management of clients in a professional manner within specialist settings.
• Advanced skills in customer service.
• Competence in therapeutic interventions.
• Ability to conduct psychological assessments concerning personality, intelligence and vocational questions.
• Therapy skills in working with individual clients.
• Competence in directing and evaluating group programs.
Graduates are adaptable and work effectively and ethically:
• Applying the APS Code of Ethics and Guidelines.
Graduates are aware of environments:
• Respect clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Understand the impact of culture on therapy.
Content
Each placement is measured in both total days (40 days = 320 total hours) and in hours of direct client contact (130).
Placement hours include client contact hours, group contact hours, supervision hours, plus workshop attendance, time spent reading relevant background literature, writing up client case notes, report writing, assessing individuals for inclusion in group programs, developing group programs and evaluating their effectiveness, administrative duties, and professional development activities.
Reading materials
American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders - text revision (DSM-IV-TR), 4th edn, Washington , DC
O'Donohue, W & Ferguson, K (eds), Handbook of professional ethics for psychologists, Sage Publications,Thousand Oaks
Other specified readings as set by the supervisor.
O'Donohue, W & Ferguson, K (eds), Handbook of professional ethics for psychologists, Sage Publications,
Other specified readings as set by the supervisor.
