Students
PSYP8906 – Working with Children and Families
2022 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-intensive, North Ryde
General Information
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| Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Julie Boulis
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|---|---|
| Credit points |
Credit points
10
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| Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
Admission to MProfPsych
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| Corequisites |
Corequisites
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| Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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| Unit description |
Unit description
The focus of this unit is on the emotional, social, cognitive and behavioural development of children, the range of problems that children present with and the impact of these problems on children and their families. The Unit teaches students different therapeutic approaches to family problems, including strengths based practice and creative therapeutic approaches for working with children. Skills for the assessment and intervention in a range of childhood problems, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, are developed. Skills training in parent management interventions and skills in working with families to improve parenting capacity is provided. Issues relating to the "over-diagnosis" of and overuse of medication in children and adolescents and the transition from childhood to adolescence and early adulthood are also considered.
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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: Identify the characteristics of common psychological disorders during childhood and adolescence.
- ULO2: Apply knowledge inherent to the practice of professional psychology to evaluate relevant theory and evidence-based research for the purposes of designing and implementing assessments and interventions appropriate for children and families.
- ULO3: Apply professional practice principles concerning the psychotherapeutic relationship and interventions with children and families.
- ULO4: Apply decision-making strategies consistent with the regulation of the profession to resolve ethical questions when working with children and families
- ULO5: Demonstrate knowledge of professional, legal and other obstacles to working with children and youth, across a variety of contexts.
- ULO6: Implement communication skills effectively in writing and through verbal communication.
General Assessment Information
Please see iLearn for detailed descriptions of assessment requirements and the rubrics used to provide feedback.
All assessments for this unit are compulsory in order to be eligible to pass the unit. Any student who does not attempt an assessment in this unit will be granted a Fail Absent grade.
All extensions need to be formally requested via ask.mq.edu.au in line with the special consideration policy.
Late submissions, without an approved extension, will receive a 5% per day penalty including weekends and public holidays. No late submissions will be accepted more than 5 days after the submission deadline, unless special consideration has been granted.
In line with policy for the majority of units in the MPP program, letter grades, not numeric marks, will be released for assessment tasks in this unit.
Any requests for remark need to follow the Psychology process and must be applied within 2 weeks of the assessment task being returned.
Assessment Tasks
| Name | Weighting | Hurdle | Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taped interview of interaction with a child | 40% | No | Sunday 29th May 2022 by 23:00 |
| Assessment and Intervention Plan | 60% | No | Sunday 12th June 2022 by 23:00 |
Taped interview of interaction with a child
Assessment Type 1: Simulation/role play
Indicative Time on Task 2: 44 hours
Due: Sunday 29th May 2022 by 23:00
Weighting: 40%
Students are required to record a 25 minute simulated child interview with a peer.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of common psychological disorders during childhood and adolescence.
- Apply knowledge inherent to the practice of professional psychology to evaluate relevant theory and evidence-based research for the purposes of designing and implementing assessments and interventions appropriate for children and families.
- Apply professional practice principles concerning the psychotherapeutic relationship and interventions with children and families.
- Apply decision-making strategies consistent with the regulation of the profession to resolve ethical questions when working with children and families
- Demonstrate knowledge of professional, legal and other obstacles to working with children and youth, across a variety of contexts.
- Implement communication skills effectively in writing and through verbal communication.
Assessment and Intervention Plan
Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 68 hours
Due: Sunday 12th June 2022 by 23:00
Weighting: 60%
Students will be provided with a referral letter from a School Counsellor for an adolescent in need of external psychological support and counselling. In 2,000 words students are required to:
- Present their initial case impressions and working formulation, based on the referral information provided, research theory and evidence.
- Drawing on the case information, their initial impressions, what they have learnt in class and additional research, provide a detailed 10 session assessment and intervention plan, outlining what they would do, with whom and why.
- Chose one potential treatment goal for this adolescent based on the case information and their initial impressions, and design an age appropriate activity to help the adolescent learn a new skill to help meet that treatment goal, in line with their proposed intervention plan.
On successful completion you will be able to:
- Identify the characteristics of common psychological disorders during childhood and adolescence.
- Apply knowledge inherent to the practice of professional psychology to evaluate relevant theory and evidence-based research for the purposes of designing and implementing assessments and interventions appropriate for children and families.
- Apply professional practice principles concerning the psychotherapeutic relationship and interventions with children and families.
- Apply decision-making strategies consistent with the regulation of the profession to resolve ethical questions when working with children and families
- Demonstrate knowledge of professional, legal and other obstacles to working with children and youth, across a variety of contexts.
- Implement communication skills effectively in writing and through verbal communication.
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
This course consists of four workshops from 9am to 4pm. Each workshop will have a lecture component and hands-on skills practice component. Please see iLearn for instructions, slides, additional resources and reading materials relevant for each workshop. These can be found in the allocated section on iLearn for each individual workshop.
Unit Schedule
- Workshop 1 (Wednesday 18th May 2022) Foundations of Working with Children and Families
- Workshop 2 (Wednesday 25th May 2022) Anxiety and Low Mood During Childhood
- Workshop 3 (Wednesday 1st June 2022) Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Workshop 4 (Wednesday 8th June 2022) Disruptive Behaviour and Trauma During Childhood
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:
- Academic Appeals Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Academic Progression Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Fitness to Practice Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Complaints Resolution Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
- Special Consideration Policy
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
Academic Integrity
At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.
Student Support
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
The Writing Centre
The Writing Centre provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.
- Workshops
- Chat with a WriteWISE peer writing leader
- Access StudyWISE
- Upload an assignment to Studiosity
- Complete the Academic Integrity Module
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Student Services and Support
Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:
- IT Support
- Accessibility and disability support with study
- Mental health support
- Safety support to respond to bullying, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual assault
- Social support including information about finances, tenancy and legal issues
Student Enquiries
Got a question? Ask us via AskMQ, or contact Service Connect.
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 2022.03 of the Handbook