Course specification for PSY5110

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Course specification
The current and official versions of the course specifications are available on the web at .
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PSY5110 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues

Semester 1, 2020 On-campus Toowoomba
Short Description: Ethical, Legal & Profes Issues
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Psychology and Counselling
Student contribution band : Band 1
ASCED code : 090701 - Psychology
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: MPPS or MCPS or be undertaking the course as professional development

Rationale

Psychologists are required to have strong knowledge of ethical and legal principles that apply to their work with clients. In addition, psychologists must possess the skills required to recognise and manage ethical issues and follow legal procedures throughout their psychological practice. Other key foundational competencies required in successful psychological practice include knowledge and skills in self-reflection and deliberate practice, theoretical application to practice, case formulation, classification and diagnosis, microcounselling skills, rapport-building skills, cultural sensitivity when working with diverse clients, and knowledge and skills in inter-professional practice.

Synopsis

This course covers key foundational competencies in the ethical, legal and professional domains. Students will gain working knowledge of the APS Code of Ethics, with a particular focus on Confidentiality, Managing Boundaries, Dual Relationships, and managing high-risk clients. Key legislation is covered including the Mental Health Act and Health Practitioner Regulation law. Finally, the course covers key professional competencies including: theory application in clinical practice, reflective and deliberate practice, case formulation, mental status examination, interview skills, microcounselling skills, therapeutic relationship skills, working with diverse clients, knowledge and skills for interprofessional practice, and classification and diagnosis in psychological practice. Attendance at the five on-campus workshops is mandatory. Dates of the five workshops will be according to the 'Workshop Schedule' which will be emailed to students at the outset of the program.

Objectives

On completion of this course, students should be able to

  1. implement knowledge and application of ethical and legal regulations, including the APS Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines, Mental Health Act and Health Practitioners Regulation legislation;
  2. conduct interviews effectively to obtain information essential to formulate clinical problems, and classification of presenting concerns using DSM-5 diagnosis;
  3. integrate client information and psychological theory into clinical case formulation to inform treatment;
  4. integrate knowledge and skills to establish and maintain therapeutic alliance;
  5. apply cultural sensitivity, knowledge and skills to work competently with diverse populations;
  6. apply their understanding of interprofessional practice to work effectively within clinical settings;
  7. utilise high level verbal and written communication skills;
  8. employ reflective and deliberate practice in their work with clients.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Ethics and Law in Psychological Practice: The APS Code of Ethics and Ethical Guidelines; Mental Health Act and Health Practitioner Regulation Law 20.00
2. Microcounselling, Interview and Rapport-Building Skills 20.00
3. Reflective and Deliberate Practice, including the key role of case formulation 20.00
4. Classification and DSM-5 Diagnosis 10.00
5. Inter-Professional Practice 10.00
6. Theory Application in Psychological Practice 10.00
7. Working with diverse client populations 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=01&subject1=PSY5110)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

American Psychiatric Association 2013, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edn, American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC.
The Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2007, Code of Ethics, The Australian Psychological Society Ltd, Carlton South, Victoria.
The Australian Psychological Society Ltd 2017, Ethical Guidelines, 14th edn, 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.
Dudgeon, P 2000, Working with Indigenous Australians: A Handbook for Psychologists, Gunada Press, Perth.
Norcross, J 2011, Psychotherapy Relationships that Work: Evidence-based Therapist Responsiveness, 3rd edn, Oxford ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Press, New York, NY.
O'Donovan, A, Casey, L, van der Veen, M & Boschen, M 2013, Psychotherapy, An Australian Perspective, IP Communications, East Hawthorn.
Ranzijn, R, McConnochie, K & Nolan, W 2009, Psychology and Indigenous Australians: Foundations of Cultural Competence, Palgrave McMillan, South Yarra.
Sommers-Flanagan, J & Sommers-Flanagan, R 2017, Clinical Interviewing, 6th edn, Wiley, New York.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Private ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 125.00
Workshops 40.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Notes
TAKE HOME PROF PRAC TEST 30 30 12 Mar 2020
RECORDED INTERVIEW 30 30 21 Mar 2020
REFLECTIVE ESSAY 40 40 02 Apr 2020

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    It is the students' responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in the compulsory workshops held on-campus, where the skills components of this course will be taught. During these workshops, students will engage in the development and practice of skills. 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, although it is important to note that it will be at the examiner’s discretion as to whether an alternative activity will be made available. Attendance at, and participation in, the five workshops and/or completion of one or more alternative activities at a standard judged to be appropriate by the examiner is required to pass the course. Attendance at the five on-campus workshops is mandatory. Dates of the five workshops will be according to the 'Workshop Schedule' which will be emailed to students at the outset of the program.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks available for each assessment item. See also point 4 below

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade, a student must submit each assessment item, and achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for each assessment item, and attendance at all workshops. All courses in the MPPS and MCPS are approved by the Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC), which requires that students pass all assessment items in all courses. Where a student fails any assignment, the student will be allowed one opportunity to re-submit their work following feedback from the course examiner. If a student fails any assignment a second time, he or she will be deemed to have failed the course and will be required to undertake the course again at its next offering. This rule applies regardless of whether or not the aggregated marks for remaining assessment in a course are higher than 50% overall. Where illness, bereavement, or circumstances of similar gravity affect a student’s ability to meet the high standards expected in the course, the student should meet with the course examiner and Director of Postgraduate Psychology to negotiate suitable management of the person’s individual needs in accordance to ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and procedures.

  5. 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, with a passing grade only awarded where all workshops were attended and all assessment items were passed.

  6. Examination information:
    There will be no Deferred or Supplementary examinations in this course.

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    As there are no examinations in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. Students must submit a 30 minute recording of their clinical interviews with "clients" (volunteers). Successful completion of this skill assessment item will be determined from the Examiner's assessment of the clinical interviewing skills recording to determine that minimum competency has been demonstrated.

  2. Students must also submit a Self Assessment of Clinical Skills from which the Examiner will determine whether the student meets the level of self-awareness suitable for the Psychology Board of Australia's core capability related to ethics and professional issues.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. In accordance with the ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 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.

  6. The Faculty of Health, Engineering & Sciences will NOT accept submission of assignments by facsimile.

  7. APA style is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use APA style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The APA style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.

Other requirements

  1. Students will require regular access to e-mail and internet access to UConnect for this course.
    Reliable access to the internet is a requirement of this course as the course contains elements that are managed electronically via USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk. In order to avoid internet issues, on-campus students should access the student computer laboratories to complete assignment work. External students who knowingly do not have reliable access to the internet should actively seek alternative internet access (e.g., Internet cafes, local libraries, or work places) for assessment submission and electronic assessment attempts. External students are able to use the on-campus student computer laboratories once access has been enabled. To be granted access, external students need to contact ICT and ask to have a student account enabled so that they can work on-campus.

Date printed 19 June 2020