PYN037 Supervised Clinical Externship: Practicum 3

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This core unit of the Master of Psychology (Clinical) program provides you with the opportunity to further develop clinical assessment, diagnostic, intervention and professional skills learnt in the coursework and interships. This external placement allows you to apply your skills in a 'real world' professional environment under the supervision of qualified psychologists. The unit is designed to meet the relevant supervised practicum requirements of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency Psychology Board of Australia (AHPRA PsyBA), Australian Psychology Acceditation Council (APAC) and the Australian Psychological Society's College of Clinical Psychologists (APS CCLIN).  Enrolment in this unit requires liaison with Course Coordinator and Unit Coordinator based on the requirement that relevant prerequisites have been achieved.

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. Articulate and demonstrate an advanced level of competence in clinical psychological assessment, formulation, intervention strategies and treatment planning;
2. Demonstrate an integration of ethical, legal and professional understanding in practice including advanced knowledge of and adherence to the APS Code of Ethics, Psychological procedures specific to the placement site and legal requirements and reporting procedures involved in clinical psychological practice;
3. Possess a high level of professionalism including in relation to communication and professional conduct, in meeting placement requirements, punctuality and organisational skill; managing professional activities; maintaining effective communication with clients, health professionals and other agencies;; critically appraising psychological research and communicate information to wider audiences, where applicable in the during the externship;
4. An ability to utilise the supervision process, deliver case presentations within a multidisciplinary or other professional team, where appropriate, discuss relevant theoretical and clinical issues, follow supervisor's directive, give and receive constructive feedback in peer review, and to comply with the supervision contract;
5. Use clinical evaluation relevant to your externship, including the use of feedback systems to effectively evaluate outcomes.

Content

Learning Approaches

PYN037 is a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) unit. You will be expected to engage in clinical activities, participate in various learning opportunities specific to the externship, and participate in case presentations. You may also be required to partake in specific professional development activities provided by the placement site.

Throughout the externship you will regularly engage in clinical supervision with a PsyBA approved supervisor who will provide you with individualised feedback on your clinical work. Clinical supervision is not a passive process. You are expected to plan your supervision sessions and consult the literature to inform your decision making process, both within and outside the supervision session.

The objectives of the unit are focused on the development of advanced clinical skills relevant to effective practice within a 'real world', professional environment, with a view to preparing you for entry into the workforce as a professional psychologist. Your learning within the externship environment will be facilitated by various types of opportunities, including reflective practice in supervision, observation of other professionals' practice, supervisory instruction and process, supervisor feedback via direct observation of your work, attendance at professional development opportunities, liaison with other health professionals (e.g. medical, allied health), all of which are designed to broaden and deepen your clinical knowledge. You are expected to take some responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to consult evidence-based literature and types of clinical information to inform your learning and development of professional skills.

PY18 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.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

As psychologists in the Supervised Clinical Externship, you will be provided with feedback through supervision sessions and summative assessment. You will be required to meet with your supervisor for a mid- placement review and an end-placement review of your work to discuss your progress and areas that may require further development. You are encouraged to be an active participant in your learning and seek feedback from your supervisor when you identify areas for further development. If a an area for development is identified then a remediation plan will be designed to help you reach competency in this area.  You will be provided opportunities for self and peer feedback through reflective components of the folio and facilitated group discussions of practicum experiences.

Assessment

Overview

Formative assessment is ongoing and is provided through regular sessions with your supervisor.
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 externship. Supervision sessions are an opportunity to gain valuable feedback across these areas. You will be asked to provide and be prepared to discuss a number of aspects of you practicum in these sessions, including:
1. Hours of general psychological practice
2. Hours of direct client contact
3. Supervision
4. Clinical work
5. Case Summary
6. Psychometric Testing, where applicable
7. Case Study
8. Case Files
9. Logbooks
10. Case presentations

Satisfactory performance on each of these activities is required to achieve a satisfactory grade in the unit.  You must pass this unit to be able to enrol in PYN038.

Unit Grading Scheme

S (Satisfactory) / U (Unsatisfactory)

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Portfolio

Portfolio: At the end of your externship, you are required to submit a bound externship portfolio to the Externship Coordinator. The folio should first be submitted to your externship supervisor, who is to mark the folio to ensure all content is present and to ensure all contents are consistent with the standard required of the placement. All information in the portfolio must be de-identified and this must be checked by the supervisor. Once both the student and supervisor have signed the coversheet of the portfolio, it is to be submitted to the Externship Coordinator for marking. The portfolio should comprise the following:

1.Copy of signed Placement Agreement;
2.Signed Mid- and End-placement reviews signed by you and your supervisor;
3.Student Evaluation of Placement signed by you and your supervisor;
4.Case Study, including brief literature review, discussing a case you treated during the externship. This Case Study should contain background information, case formulation, diagnosis, treatment plan, outcome and evidence of outcome evaluations, prognosis and recommendations;
5. Two psychometric reports. In the case of externships that do not conduct psychometric tests, other forms of documentation are acceptable substitutes. Please see the externship handbook for further details;
6.Logbooks of hours of professional practice, including direct client contact hours, client-related hours, supervision hours. These must be signed by you and your supervisor;
7.Records of individual supervision sessions signed by you and your supervisor;
8. Reflective essay on your experience at the externship;

The portfolio is assessed on a Pass/Fail basis. Please note that the grade is determined by the Externship Coordinator and not the externship supervisor. Even though the Supervisor may consider the portfolio satisfactory, the Externship Coordinator may required changes to comply with QUT standards.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Threshold Assessment:

This task requires students to provide evidence of their capacity to undertake the core competencies required of a registered psychologist and as such is both authentic and threshold. 

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

AHPRA Registration

Resources

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.

Please note: students must make themselves aware of and abide by the occupational health and safety requirements of the workplace, and are expected to undergo any induction or other training provided for employees or visitors to the workplace, as appropriate. You will also be responsible for obtaining any relevant vaccinations, if applicable to your site.

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, Portfolio
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, 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: ULO5
4. Promote and practice effective written, oral and digital communication to analyse and convey complex information and build productive professional relationships.
   Relates to: ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Portfolio
5. Deliver Clinical Psychology services with a high degree of professionalism and reflective practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO3, ULO4, ULO5, Portfolio