PSYC600 Clinical Assessment

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit deals with principles and methods of behavioural, psychometric and clinical assessment. The unit will focus specifically on the assessment of infants, children and adolescents and the importance of developmental-systems models in child, adolescent and family assessment. The course is designed to familiarise students with the major methods of evaluating cognitive functioning and behavioural/emotional adjustment of children and adolescents. The course is also designed to assist students in gaining skills in the evaluation, administration, interpretation and integration of the diverse information involved in the psychological assessment of children, adolescents and the family.

 

PSYC601 Psychopathology

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures and seminars and workshops. Audiovisual and case materials will be used in diagnostic and formulation issues.

This unit will provide an introduction to models and concepts of psychopathology, current classification systems and relevant research methodology. It will review the major psychiatric disorders and cover aetiology, symptoms, differential diagnosis, course of disorders and co-morbidity. Placing of diagnoses within the context of clinical, other formulations and intervention will allow exploration of the causes, manifestations and the maintenance of disorders.

 

PSYC602 Research Methods in Psychology

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, seminars and colloquia, including student workshops and presentations.

This unit aims to provide students with the methodological skills to undertake independent research. In addition, the unit will develop skills consistent with the scientist practitioner ‘model’ of a psychologist. The focus will be on reviewing advanced research methods, building on earlier studies in psychology. This unit will assist students to understand and produce psychological research in the specified areas relevant to the course. It takes a critical approach to major methodological, measurement, design and ethical issues underlying scientific research and its applications. It will develop skills in entering, analysing and interpreting data.

 

PSYC604 Approaches to Counselling and Therapy

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on-campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit introduces students to the principles and practices of counselling via critical examination of major theories and techniques and via skills practice. Major approaches such as cognitive, behavioural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and systemic will be covered, and a multi-cultural perspective will be encouraged. Both scientist-practitioner and reflective-practitioner models will be addressed and ethical principles and practices will be examined.

 

PSYC605 Intervention for Children, Youth and Families 1

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC600 Clinical Assessment, PSYC601 Psychopathology, PSYC604 Approaches to Counselling and Therapy
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit undertakes a critical examination of the principles and methods of psychology applicable to the personal, family and community problems of children and youth. The unit covers the steps from recognition of problems in children and adolescents to evaluation, treatment and relapse prevention. Using a developmental/contextual approach, a representative range of treatment approaches, including psychopharmacological interventions, will be considered and evaluated in light of empirical research.

 

PSYC607 Current Issues in Lifespan Development

10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, workshops and student seminars.

This unit will focus on current theoretical issues in some of the more salient areas in developmental psychology. Tutorial content and discussion will be based around topics covered in the previous whole–year volumes of selected developmental journals, such as Human Development (founded 1958; Basel: Karger), and Child Development (Society for Research in Child Development). Lectures and seminars will be designed to add to the theoretical debate on these issues, as well as covering specialised topics in developmental psychology that may not have been strongly featured in the selected recent journal issues. The implication of these theories and the ways in which theory can inform practice will be addressed.

 

PSYC609 Intervention for Children, Youth and Families 2

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC605 Intervention for Children, Youth and Families 1
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit continues the critical examination of the principles and methods of psychology applicable to problems of children, youth and families. The focus of the unit will be on social, developmental and educational problems and their assessment. Treatment approaches including psychopharmacological, applicable to educational and developmental and family settings will be evaluated in the light of empirical research.

 

PSYC610 Adult Clinical Assessment

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC600 Clinical Assessment, PSYC601 Psychopathology
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

The unit deals with principles and methods of behavioural, psychometric and clinical assessment and builds on post-graduate preparation in psychological assessment. Content includes the administration evaluation, interpretation and integration of the diverse information involved in the psychological assessment of adults and the elderly.

 

PSYC611 Clinical Intervention

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC600 Clinical Assessment; PSYC601 Psychopathology, PSYC604 Approaches to Counselling and Therapy
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit will provide a detailed study of assessment, diagnosis, treatments and therapeutic outcome in specific adult disorders. An important focus will be a study of contemporary research on the efficacy of specific interventions with particular disorders. An emphasis will be placed on the sequential components of treatment and specific methods employed within the interventions. Evaluation of treatments will include therapist, client and within-treatment factors.

 

PSYC613/614/615 Practicum A, B and C

40 cp

Prerequisites For PSYC613: completion of PSYC600 Clinical Assessment and PSYC604 Approaches to Counselling and Therapy, a Police record check and registration as a probationary psychologist. For PSYC614: completion of PSYC613 and for PSYC615: completion of PSYC614

Teaching Organisation Case Conference.
A weekly 2-hour case conference is held for all probationary psychologists (PP) enrolled in this unit. Across the semester each PP will be expected to share information about their placement, raise issues and participate in the group discussions. Each case conference will begin with follow up on the prior case conference allowing reflection during the previous week to be shared and any outstanding discussion to be completed. PPs will be provided with feedback on their case conference presentations by their supervisor or the clinic co-ordinator.

Practicum
Each placement can be blocked or extended, or a combination of both, as arranged with placement agencies and the university. Supervision of all placements will involve on average one hour of direct contact for each full day of placement. To evaluate progress and discuss issues relevant to the placement, there will be two workplace meetings, one mid placement and one at the end, with the intern, Field Supervisor, University Field Placement Officer, and/or the Unit Coordinator.
A field placement handbook along with a log of hours will be kept for each placement. The log will include a summary of hours spent in face to face client contact, formal and informal supervision, and other placement activities such as report writing and case preparation.

Practicum A (10 cp)
This is the first in a series of units designed to provide students with experience in the delivery of a range of psychological services. Within this unit students are probationary psychologists (PP) under the direct supervision of a registered psychologist. PPs in the Masters program are required to gain experience by placement for 1000 hours across at least 3 different clinical settings. Doctorate interns are required to complete an additional 500 hours. Students also take part in a weekly group case conference. Professional ethics and behaviours are an integral part of learning in this unit.

Practicum B (10 cp)
This is the second of the series of units in which students as probationary psychologists gain experience in the delivery of psychological services.

Practicum C (20 cp)
This double-weighted unit is the final in the series of units for the masters program in which students as probationary psychologists gain supervised experience in the delivery of psychological services.

 

PSYC616 Thesis – Part 1

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC602 Research Methods in Psychology
Teaching Organisation During the first year of candidature the student will explore possible topic areas with School of Psychology staff, select a topic, and produce a written research proposal for approval. Students are expected to work relatively independently (under supervision) on their research projects and to work over three semesters to complete the project. Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week).

This is the first of three units over three semesters, in which the student undertakes under supervision a substantial research investigation into an aspect of psychology, congruent with the specialisation stream in which the student is enrolled. Students are expected to complete their research in their second year of the course.

 

PSYC617 Thesis – Part 2

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC616 Thesis - Part 1
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week), until the thesis has been submitted.

This unit, the second unit of Thesis enrolment, continues the student’s research into an aspect of psychology, congruent with the specialisation stream in which the student is enrolled.

 

PSYC618 Thesis – Part 3

20 cp
Prerequisites PSYC617 Thesis - Part 2
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week), until the thesis has been submitted.

This is a double-weighted unit in which the student completes his/her research into an aspect of psychology. Under supervision, the student will write a 15,000 word thesis using APA guidelines, and submit it for examination. Students will also normally be required to present their research in a School of Psychology colloquium.

 

PSYC619 Clinical Health Psychology

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC600 Clinical Assessment
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit will provide a detailed study of health psychology and its applications in the field of clinical psychology. Emphasis will be on psychosocial processes associated with health, illness and health promoting behaviours. The unit will also encompass a study of the applications of cognitive and behavioural interventions in medicine. Current research employing both quantitative and qualitative methodologies will be studied. Issues related to working in a team with other health practitioners will be addressed.

 

PSYC620 Advanced Assessment and Intervention

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC613 Practicum A, PSYC607 Current Issues in Lifespan Development
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit explores at an advanced level the theoretical foundations and practical issues involved in the assessment and intervention for people with educational and developmental needs throughout the lifespan. The role of the psychologist in the broader contexts of the school and health systems will be examined along with the relevant State and Federal Legislation. This unit is designed to further familiarise students with planning, implementing and evaluating educational and developmental interventions.

 

PSYC702 Practicum D

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC615 Practicum C
Teaching Organisation See PSYC613/614/615.

This is the fourth of the series of units for the doctoral program in which students as probationary psychologists gain experience in the delivery of psychological services.

 

PSYC703 Practicum E

20 cp
Prerequisites PSYC702 Practicum D
Teaching Organisation See PSYC613/614/615.

This double-weighted unit is the final in the series of units in which doctoral students as probationary psychologists gain supervised experience in the delivery of psychological services. Students are expected to deal with more demanding and complex cases and placements.

 

PSYC704 Thesis – Part 4

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC616 Thesis – Part 1
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week), until the thesis has been submitted.

This unit continues the student’s research into an aspect of child and/or family psychology, congruent with the specialisation stream in which the student is enrolled.

 

PSYC705 Thesis – Part 5

20 cp
Prerequisites PSYC704 Thesis – Part 4
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week).

This double weighted unit continues the student’s research into an aspect of child psychology, congruent with the specialisation stream in which the student is enrolled.

 

PSYC706 Thesis – Part 6

20 cp
Prerequisites PSYC705 Thesis – Part 5
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week).

This is a double weighted unit in which the student continues his/her research into an aspect of child and/or family psychology. Under supervision, the student will draft thesis of no more than 50,000 words using APA guidelines.

 

PSYC707 Thesis – Part 7

20 cp
Prerequisites PSYC706 Thesis – Part 6
Teaching Organisation Students are expected to meet regularly with their supervisor (approximately 1 hour per week).

This is a double unit in which the student completes his/her research into an aspect of psychology. Under supervision, the student will write a thesis of no more than 50,000 words using APA guidelines, and submit it for examination. Students will also normally be required to present their research in a School of Psychology colloquium.

 

PSYC708 Practicum F

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC614 Practicum B
Teaching Organisation See PSYC613/614/615.

This is the third of the series of units in which students as probationary psychologists gain experience in the delivery of psychological services.

 

PSYC709 Practicum G

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC708 Practicum F
Teaching Organisation See PSYC613/614/615.

This is the final unit in which students as probationary psychologists gain supervised experience in the delivery of psychological services. Students are expected to deal with more demanding and complex cases and placements.

 

PSYC710 Applied Professional Skills

10 cp
Prerequisites PSYC614 Practicum B and the specialised units PSYC607/609/620 or PSYC610/611/619
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for twelve weeks or equivalent of on campus lectures, seminars and workshops.

This unit will focus on models of service delivery. The first half of the unit will prepare students to plan and conduct groups in organisational management, educational, community and clinical treatment settings. The unit aims to develop skills and knowledge in group process, groupwork, leadership, teamwork and staff management. It is designed to familiarise students with the types of organisational, therapeutic and psychoeducational groups. This unit will extend basic concepts of psychology to focus on the dynamics of small group behaviour. The unit’s underlying theme is how an individual’s behaviour is influenced by small group interaction and how the individual influences the group, one aspect of ‘being’ in the social context. The second half of the unit will give students an opportunity to prepare and deliver a professional development workshop.