Students

PSYC8950 – Supervised Practical Placement I

2021 – Session 1, Special circumstances, North Ryde

Notice

As part of Phase 3 of our return to campus plan, most units will now run tutorials, seminars and other small group activities on campus, and most will keep an online version available to those students unable to return or those who choose to continue their studies online.

To check the availability of face-to-face and online activities for your unit, please go to timetable viewer. To check detailed information on unit assessments visit your unit's iLearn space or consult your unit convenor.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Carolyn Schniering
Michelle Player
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MClinPsych and PSY904 and (PSY962 or PSY978 or PSYC986 or PSYC8986) and (PSY965 or PSY977)
Corequisites Corequisites
(PSY961 or PSYC987 or PSYC8987) and (PSY979 or (PSY927 and PSY928))
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This practical placement unit of approximately 350 hours workload is conducted in the Macquarie University Psychology Clinic on campus. Students are required to complete at least a thousand hours across all placements in the program to meet accreditation requirements. As such the placement provides the opportunity to put the theory and techniques gained in coursework units into practice and develop the student's identity as a clinical psychologist. It provides students with experience in most aspects of clinical work within an outpatient setting. Students gain experience assessing clients, applying various therapeutic interventions, as well as developing the necessary professional skills, all under intensive supervision to ensure the safety of both the public and student.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: Apply depth and breadth of knowledge and scholarly understanding required of clinical psychologists in determining client needs and designing and implementing evidence-based interventions.
  • ULO2: Demonstrate higher level critical thinking skills by generating and evaluating current professional knowledge.
  • ULO3: Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats to function empathically within and across cultures and life stages.
  • ULO4: Apply knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical psychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • ULO5: Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical psychologists, along with the professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Mid-placement review (MPR) 33% Yes 50-80 client contact hours
End of placement review (EPR) 34% Yes 120-130 client contact hours
Weekly Supervision (WIL) 33% Yes Throughout the placement

Mid-placement review (MPR)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 1 hours
Due: 50-80 client contact hours
Weighting: 33%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is a mid-placement assessment of competency, conducted In the placement setting with the supervisor using a standardised, validated competency assessment (CYPRS) tool. Feedback is on developing competency to a PASS ; level on each of eleven domains, with PASS ; specified as a score of 2.5 out of 5 on each domain.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply depth and breadth of knowledge and scholarly understanding required of clinical psychologists in determining client needs and designing and implementing evidence-based interventions.
  • Demonstrate higher level critical thinking skills by generating and evaluating current professional knowledge.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats to function empathically within and across cultures and life stages.
  • Apply knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical psychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical psychologists, along with the professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

End of placement review (EPR)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 2 hours
Due: 120-130 client contact hours
Weighting: 34%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

This is an end of placement assessment of competency, conducted In the placement setting with the supervisor using a standardised, validated competency assessment (CYPRS) tool. Feedback is on developing competency to a PASS ; level on each of eleven domains, with PASS ; specified as a score of 3 out of 5 on each domain.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply depth and breadth of knowledge and scholarly understanding required of clinical psychologists in determining client needs and designing and implementing evidence-based interventions.
  • Demonstrate higher level critical thinking skills by generating and evaluating current professional knowledge.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats to function empathically within and across cultures and life stages.
  • Apply knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical psychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical psychologists, along with the professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

Weekly Supervision (WIL)

Assessment Type 1: Work-integrated task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 90 hours
Due: Throughout the placement
Weighting: 33%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

Students participate in case management and intervention under close supervision of supervisors in the Macquarie University Psychology Clinic. Students will be assessed on formative assessment and treatment skills; professional conduct; self-reflection via log book; ethics and communication skills including professional report writing.


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Apply depth and breadth of knowledge and scholarly understanding required of clinical psychologists in determining client needs and designing and implementing evidence-based interventions.
  • Demonstrate higher level critical thinking skills by generating and evaluating current professional knowledge.
  • Communicate effectively across a wide range of client groups, colleagues and other professionals, using a variety of formats to function empathically within and across cultures and life stages.
  • Apply knowledge of the legislative frameworks relevant to clinical psychologists and undertake practice according to professional standards and the Psychology Board of Australia's code of ethics.
  • Demonstrate the entry level capabilities required of practising clinical psychologists, along with the professional and personal skills for assessing continuous development needs.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Delivery is in the placement setting with a range of resources including supervision, readings, and other assessment and treatment tools. 

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.


Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook