PSY8010 Issues and Skills in Professional Practice

PSY	8010	74312	1, 2008	ONC	Issues and Skills in Professional Practice	1.00	Toowoomba
Subject	Cat-nbr	Class	Term	Mode	Description	Units	Campus

Academic group:	FOSCI
Academic org:	FOS005
Student contribution band:	1
ASCED code:	090701

Staffing
Requisites
Rationale
Synopsis
Objectives
Topics
Texts
Reference materials
Student workload
Assessment details
Important assessment information
Assessment notes
Other requirements
Production date
PDF version

STAFFING

Examiner: Grace Pretty
Moderator: Paul Bramston

REQUISITES

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: DOHP or DPCL or MPCL or MPSH or MSBH

RATIONALE

There are competencies that students are required to have mastered adequately before commencing supervised practice. This course will allow students to integrate previously learnt skills and knowledge into a developing professional level of competence. Students will also begin to explore the assumptions, values and social/interpersonal skills that affect professional practice. This course provides the foundation for more advanced topics covered in the courses PSY8040 and PSY8050.

SYNOPSIS

This course focuses on discipline knowledge and basic professional and interpersonal competencies required of students before commencing supervised practice in both health-specific and more general settings. Students will examine the assumptions, values and social/interpersonal skills that they bring into their professional practice. Building on these, students will develop their professional knowledge and interpersonal/professional competencies, including interviewing, report writing and with focus on cross-cultural sensitivity and professional ethics. This course will be offered via three compulsory workshops on-campus, each of two days' duration, and by readings, assignments and web-based discussion groups.

OBJECTIVES

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate competencies as identified in the APS (Australian Psychological Society) Competencies for Psychologists (1996) and the APS Colleges of Health Psychologists and Clinical Psychologists (1998). They will be able to:

demonstrate an ability to conduct interviews effectively to obtain information essential to conceptualise and to formulate clinical problems and establish client rapport to motivate and sustain a therapeutic alliance where appropriate (Assessments 1 - 3);
demonstrate an understanding of and sensitivity toward cross-cultural issues in working with diverse populations (Assessments 1 & 4);
demonstrate an ability to use appropriate and effective interviewing skills (Assessments 1, 2 & 4);
demonstrate a sound knowledge of service provision boundaries and ethical and legal regulations within the APS Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines and Queensland Psychologists Regulations and the Mental Health Act (Assessments 1, 2, & 4);
demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively with clients and professionals in both verbal and written reports (Assessments 1 - 4).

TOPICS

	Description	Weighting (%)
1.	Developing competencies in a range of interview approaches	40.00
2.	Exploring personal values and assumptions affecting professional practice; impact of: culture (special emphasis on working with Indigenous Australians) - gender - disability - sexual orientation - minority group identification - age	20.00
3.	Professional skills: - establishing informed consent and client contracts; and report writing	20.00
4.	Ethics, professional regulations and mental health legislation: - APS Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines - rights and responsibilities - confidentiality - managing boundaries and multiple relationships - record keeping - Mental Health Act; Queensland Registration Act and Regulations	20.00

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

Sommers-Flanagan, J & Sommers-Flanagan, R 2003, Clinical Interviewing, 3rd edn, Wiley, New York.

The Australian Psychological Society Ltd Code of Ethics, The Australian Psychological Society Ltd, Carlton South, Victoria.

The Australian Psychological Society Ltd Ethical Guidelines, The Australian Psychological Society Ltd, Carlton South, Victoria.

REFERENCE MATERIALS

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

www.kspope.com

Dudgeon, P 2000, Working with Indigenous Australians: A Handbook for Psychologists, Gunada Press, Perth.
((ABN 99 143 842 569 Contact to order: l.thomas@gunada.curtin.edu.au))

Ivey, AE & Ivey, MB 2007, Intentional interviewing and counseling: Facilitating client development in a multicultural society, 6th edn, Brooks/Cole - Thomson, Pacific Grove, CA.

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS

ACTIVITY	HOURS
Assessment	68.00
Private Study	59.00
Workshops	48.00

ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Description	Marks out of	Wtg(%)	Due date	Notes
ATTENDANCE AT 3 WORKSHOPS	1.00	1.00	06 Mar 2008	(see note 1)
VIDEOTAPES 1 TO 4	1.00	1.00	06 Mar 2008	(see note 2)
PSYCHOLOGICAL REPORTS 1 AND 2	40.00	40.00	06 Mar 2008	(see note 3)
2 HOUR CLOSED ETHICS TEST	60.00	60.00	06 Mar 2008	(see note 4)

NOTES

1.: Attendance at three on-campus workshops is required according to the 'Postgraduate Workshop Schedule' which will be posted on the Psychology Department website.
2.: A minimum of four videotaped interview sessions must be submitted over the course of the semester, with sessions 1 and 2 due by Workshop 2 and sessions 3 and 4 due by Workshop 3.
3.: Two written psychological reports must be submitted with Psychological Report 1 due on 7/04/08 (Weighted 15%) and Psychological Report 2 due on 12/05/08 (Weighted 25%).
4.: The ethics test will be given on Day 2 of Workshop 3.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Attendance requirements:
It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in the three, two-day compulsory workshops held on-campus, where the skills components of this course will be taught. During these workshops, students will engage in the practice of techniques for a variety of situations. It is also the students' responsibility to participate weekly in the online discussion groups. Further, it is the students' responsibility to study all assigned material. If circumstances prevent a student from attending any portion of a workshop, the student must contact the examiner IN ADVANCE, if at all possible. The student must also contact the examiner in order to arrange an alternative activity. This could be a written assignment based on the material covered in the missed workshop. Attendance at and participation in the three workshops and/or completion of one or more alternative activities at a standard judged to be appropriate by the examiner is required before the one mark for the workshops can be awarded.
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 60% of the marks available.
Penalties for late submission of required work:
There are no late penalties
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
Examination information:
The two hour, closed ethics test will be given in-class on Day 2 of Workshop 3. The test will consist of a number of case studies/examples with short answer questions based on the APS Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines, The Psychologists Registration Act and the Mental Health Act. Students may bring only writing materials into the closed test.
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any deferred tests for this course will be held at a date and time determined by the examiner after consultation with the students involved. There will be no supplementary tests in this course.
University Regulations:
Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES

9.	Students must submit a minimum of four 30-minute videotaped initial interviews with new "clients" (volunteers). All videotaped sessions will be reviewed by the examiner and feedback on students' interview skills will be offered. Ideally, students will attend optional weekly viewing session on-campus where both the examiner and the other students can contribute to the feedback process and students may learn from one another's experience. Students should try to complete the sessions in a consistent stepwise manner over time. Videotaped sessions will also be viewed and discussed during workshops. Successful completion of this assessment item requires the examiner's judgment that a minimum level of competency has been achieved. Note that this may require the completion of more than four videotaped interviews, if the examiner deems that this is necessary in order to achieve/demonstrate competency.
10.	Students must submit two written psychological reports based on fictional client descriptions and data provided by the examiner. The format will be provided during Workshop 1.
11.	The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch an assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the examiner; STUDENTS MUST RETAIN A DATED RECEIPT FROM THE POST OFFICE WHEN POSTING ASSIGNMENTS.
12.	Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to the USQ within 24 hours of receipt of a request to do so.
13.	In accordance with the University Policy, the examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances. STUDENTS MUST CONTACT THE EXAMINER DIRECTLY, IN ADVANCE, IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AN EXTENSION.
14.	The Faculty of Sciences will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Students will require regular access to e-mail and internet access to USQConnect for this course.

This version produced 7 Jul 2008.