Overview

This unit facilitates the development of initial psychological practice skills required to work effectively and safely with clients, while also ensuring student progression is consistent with professional standards and professional competencies.

Building on the theoretical and simulated learning that takes place in the coursework units, this placement unit provides opportunity for skill development in a supervised and structured environment, with opportunity to approach applied problems and skill-based learning from a hypothesis-based assessment perspective in line with a scientist-practitioner model.

Students will have many professional development opportunities, including online supervision sessions with students studying in postgraduate educational and developmental psychology programs nationally and internationally.

Requisites

Prerequisites
PSY80122 Ethical Psychological Practice and Leadership
PSY80129 Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychopathology
PSY80130 Assessment Across the Lifespan
PSY80126 Therapy Across the Lifespan

Rules

Admission to MA-EDPSY Master of Psychology (Educational and Developmental Psychology),

and

PSY80122 Ethical Psychological Practice and Leadership, and

PSY80129 Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychopathology, and

PSY80130 Assessment Across the Lifespan, and

PSY80126 Therapy Across the Lifespan

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-March-2027
30-May-2027
Last self-enrolment date
14-March-2027
Census date
30-March-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
20-April-2027
Results released date
06-July-2027

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Integrate evidence-based psychological theory and practice in an appropriate professional environment
  2. Engage in ethical and professional psychological practice, consistent with current relevant legal frameworks, mental health practice standards and the occupational setting
  3. Provide culturally safe, responsive, and high-quality psychological services that are responsive to the needs of clients and that consider broader socio-ecological systems

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week
Placement Placement 400 12 weeks 33.33
Total Hours: 400 Total Hours (per week): 33.33

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
Placement Portfolio Individual 100% 1,2,3

Content

  • No fewer than 400 hours of psychological practice in Swinburne School Psychology Clinic and/or the National E-Therapy Clinic.  
  • Regular supervision (individual and group)
  • Regular professional development workshops 
  • Placement administration
  • Engaging in self-awareness building and reflexive practice 
  • Developing trauma-informed and culturally competent clinical practice skills 
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.