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PSY5110 Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues

Block 1, 2023 External
Units : 1
School or Department : School of Psychology and Wellbeing
Grading basis : Graded
Course fee schedule : /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules

Staffing

Course Coordinator:

Requisites

Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following Programs: MPPS or MCPS

Overview

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.

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 or online in the External mode 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.

Course learning outcomes

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 TR 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

American Psychiatric Association 2022, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Text Revision (DSM 5-TR), 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 2019, Ethical Guidelines, 15th edn, The Australian Psychological Society Ltd, Carlton South, Victoria.

Student workload expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.

Assessment details

Approach Type Description Group
Assessment
Weighting (%) Course learning outcomes
Assignments Written Problem Solving No 50 1,5,7
Assignments Practical Practical No 50 2,3,4,5,7
Date printed 9 February 2024