PYN035 Supervised Psychology Practicum: Internship 1

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This core unit of the Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental) courses provides you with the opportunity to develop foundational skills in assessment, diagnosis, formulation, treatment planning and process issues in psychological practice. The unit involves Work Integrated Learning (WIL) that includes undertaking supervised client contact in the QUT Psychology Clinic, and the completion of simulation-based learning activities (SIM learning). The unit is designed to partially meet the relevant supervised practicum requirements for full registration with the PsyBA and AHPRA.

As a designated unit in the Master of Clinical Psychology and Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental), it is a requirement that you pass this unit in order to successfully complete the course.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

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

1. Attain developed skills in administration of assessment, diagnosis, formulation, treatment planning, and therapeutic communication in psychological practice, with an emphasis on evaluating the outcomes of psychological services.
2. Apply ethical and legal frameworks to practice as a culturally-aware psychologist, complying with the professional code of ethics, the Psychology Clinic procedures and policies, and other legal obligations associated with psychological practice.
3. Demonstrate professional, effective written and oral communication with clients, Clinic staff, supervisors, external agencies and wider audiences.
4. Practice effectively in a multidisciplinary, interprofessional context, demonstrating professional conduct as a psychologist, undertaking appropriate professional activities, following supervisors’ directives, ensuring punctuality and well-developed organisational skills, maintaining accurate records of practice, and promoting the Clinic’s psychological services to the public and other professions.

Content

Learning Approaches

PYN035 is a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) unit. Self-directed learning will be encouraged by giving you access to online resources and SIM learning activities on the unit Canvas site. You will be expected to actively engage with and take responsibility for self-directed learning.  All of these learning experiences support your direct practice with clients in either face to face sessions or through the delivery of telehealth appointments.  In the latter case you will receive comprehensive training in the use of technology to deliver psychological services.

Your supervision will be provided either individually, in pairs, or in small groups with experienced and qualified supervisors. These supervisory experiences will provide you with tailored learning opportunities to develop the foundational competencies required to work as a psychologist.

PY18 and PY19 course design is intentionally blended to purposefully integrate active face-to-face learning experiences with blended/online learning experiences across the course consistent with the course learning outcomes, cohort needs and discipline professional practices. Canvas is used within this unit to inform and enhance your learning. All unit material required for learning and completing assessment is included online through Canvas. Additional readings and resources such as web links and video material is also posted where appropriate to expand your ability to advance your knowledge in the unit's subject matter.

A key aim of the unit and course is to support (provisional) psychologists in developing their knowledge, skills and competencies so they are able to provide the best quality care for their clients. Underlying this aim, and in line with registration guidelines, is a focus on ensuring the public's safety and encouraging your own self-care practices to contribute to a healthy workforce.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Ongoing feedback is provided by your supervisor through your regular supervision meetings with them. Remediation may be planned to help you improve your skills and professional competencies as required. If a need is identified for you to receive mediation to improve one or more skills or professional competencies (e.g., in your client work, folio, or in your performance on the OSCE), a remediation plan may be developed for you.

Assessment

Overview

Formative assessment in the unit is ongoing. Whilst individual strengths and weaknesses, theoretical orientation, particular skills and interests and previous experience may vary, you are expected to demonstrate, and will be assessed on, certain generic skills throughout the course of your placement, consistent with the competencies expected at Level 3 of the APAC Standards.

You will receive a S/U grade for each assessment item in PYN035. Feedback will be provided according to the criteria and standards provided. You must receive an 'S' on all assessment pieces to successfully complete the unit.

Note that prior to release of grades, the unit coordinator undertakes a moderation process to ensure that criteria and standards have been applied consistently and fairly. Final grades are not confirmed until reviewed by the relevant Faculty Assessment Committee and approved by the Executive Dean at the completion of each teaching period.

Unit Grading Scheme

S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Professional Practice Portfolio

You are required to submit a portfolio of documentation relevant to your practicum work as a provisional psychologist. Specific details of what is to be included in your portfolio will be communicated in Week 1 and on the unit's Canvas page.

Your portfolio will be assessed on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Threshold Assessment:

In order to satisfactorily complete this unit, in addition to obtaining the requisite hours of practice you are required to submit all necessary supporting documentation, therefore this assessment is a threshold task.

The unit coordinator may contact you if components of the portfolio are missing or do not meet the required professional standards, and request a resubmission of the identified components. No resubmission/reevaluation is available for the supervisor evaluation. 

Assessment: Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

As a part of this OSCE, you will be provided information about a case. Subsequently, you will then be asked questions about the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of this case. You will be assessed on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis.

If your performance is deemed unsatisfactory, feedback will be provided and you will be able to re-sit the exam once more. Your early supervision sessions will provide you with opportunities to practice and see the necessary skills modelled by your supervisor. You will be given feedback through the supervisory process to help you prepare for this task.

Threshold Assessment:

In order to satisfactorily complete this unit, in addition to obtaining the requisite hours of practice you and submit all necessary supporting documentation, you must also demonstrate your skills, therefore this assessment is a threshold task.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Inherent Requirements: In this unit, students will need to interact with clients of and stakeholders in the QUT Psychology Clinic and Caroline Chisholm Centre, and may need to participate in role-plays that simulate interactions between a psychologist and client during their supervision session or in their own time. They will also need to present and discuss their ideas to supervisors and peers. These activities support the development and assessment of core professional competencies. Developing these competencies requires students to be able to:

• Communicate effectively in English, including understanding and conveying nuance and adapting their communication style to suit the preferences and needs of others.
• Use cues other than the literal meaning of spoken words to interpret the thoughts, emotions and motivations of others.
• Reflect on how their verbal and non-verbal communication is interpreted by others and use these insights to develop positive professional relationships.
• Monitor, reflect on and take responsibility for their own mental wellbeing, assumptions, beliefs and reactions to ensure they have the capacity to provide effective psychology services to clients.
• Work professionally with staff and fellow students and learn effectively from supervisor feedback.

In addition, students must:

• Hold provisional or general registration with the Psychology Board of Australia / AHPRA, including meeting standards for criminal history and English language skills.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Teyber, E. & Teyber, F. (2016). Interpersonal Process in Therapy: An Integrative Model (7th ed.). USA: Brooks Cole.

Risk Assessment Statement

There may be out of the ordinary risks associated with placements, eg. exposure to forensic populations, those with impaired judgment due to psychological disorders or intoxication. You will be provided with printed notes relating to safety issues at the beginning of the semester, and you will be reminded of safety guidelines and your related responsibilities at the beginning of each placement. Your supervision sessions will also be an opportunity to discuss your professional self-care practices. The QUT Student Counselling service is also available and free of charge to all QUT students.

Course Learning Outcomes

PY18 Master of Clinical Psychology

1. Apply advanced and specialised knowledge of Clinical Psychology to plan, assess, treat and manage clients with mental disorders and conditions, across the lifespan and from a range of backgrounds, including accessing, evaluating and utilising digital health information.
   Relates to: ULO1, Professional Practice Portfolio, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
2. Engage in the development and evaluation of evidence-based interventions, using advanced critical thinking and decision making skills, applying professional values and reflective practice to inform culturally safe and effective intra- and inter-professional collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders.
   Relates to: ULO1, Professional Practice Portfolio
3. Plan, undertake and disseminate research in complex real world situations from diverse perspectives, demonstrating a high level of personal autonomy and accountability relevant to professional practice.
   Relates to: Professional Practice Portfolio
4. Promote and practice effective written, oral and digital communication to analyse and convey complex information and build productive professional relationships.
   Relates to: ULO3, Professional Practice Portfolio, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
5. Deliver Clinical Psychology services with a high degree of professionalism and reflective practice.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO4, Professional Practice Portfolio

PY19 Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental)

1. Critically evaluate and apply theories of psychology and evidence-based knowledge and skills applicable to the professional practice of educational and developmental psychology, adhering to contemporary professional practice standards.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, Professional Practice Portfolio, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
2. Formulate approaches for engaging in critical thinking. decision making and reflective practice, drawing on cognitive, technical and creative skills, to identify and implement contemporary evidence-based intervention and assessment strategies in varied contexts that reflect culturally safe and responsive practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO4, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
3. Access, evaluate, and utilise relevant psychological information that informs and assists in intra- and inter-professional collaboration with a range of audiences and contexts that demonstrates creativity and initiative as an educational and developmental psychologist.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, Professional Practice Portfolio
4. Promote and practise effective written, oral and digital communication to analyse and convey complex information and build productive professional relationships across diverse stakeholders.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Professional Practice Portfolio, Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)