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Unit of Study BHS83002 - Advanced Topics in Professional Psychology (2020)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Enrolment information

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Unit description

Introduce students to advanced concepts and skills related to professional roles in psychology in both the clinical and research domains, as well as those that may apply in a wide range of employment settings. The content will foster critical thinking, ethical interpersonal behaviour, personal reflection and interviewing skills. This unit employs a combination of problem based learning and teacher-directed activities. Professionals from a range of clinical and research settings present information about their professional practice and engage students in discussions. Students are provided training in pre-professional skills and receive feedback on their performance and their ability to critique their own work. Workshops will provide introductory training in motivational interviewing, cultural responsiveness and exposure to Indigenous Knowledge regarding psychosocial factors affecting wellness.

Unit content

  • Motivational interviewing (all-day workshop)
  • Australian Psychological Society (APS) Code of Ethics
  • Ethical Principles and Practice Guidelines from the APS and AHPRA.
  • Personal reflection on career goals and fit with available careers
  • Clinical practice and case presentations by clinical and mental healthcare professionals  including ethical challenges and solutions.
  • Discussion of interdisciplinary approaches to mental healthcare provision.
  • Presentations on applied psychological research design, methods and findings
  • Cultural awareness and cultural responsiveness
  • Indigenous knowledge regarding causes of psychopathology, wellness, and mental health treatment in Australia (all-day Red Dust Healing workshop).

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Coffs Harbour
Session2
Session2
Gold Coast
Session2
Session2

Learning outcomes and graduate attributes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
Learning outcome count Learning outcome description GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 demonstrate the application of pre-professional interviewing skills
2 evidence a coherent grasp of advanced ethical principles, APS code of ethics and critical reasoning in relation to addressing ethical dilemmas, both in writing and orally.
3 evidence an understanding of and critical reasoning about cultural responsiveness and Australian Indigenous Knowledge regarding some causes for psychopathology and pathways to wellness.
4 critically reason about clinical case and workplace scenarios while applying research and ethical guidelines regarding best practice.
5 consolidate understanding of the implementation and application of widely used standardised psychological test instruments.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. demonstrate the application of pre-professional interviewing skills
    • GA3:
    • GA6:
  2. evidence a coherent grasp of advanced ethical principles, APS code of ethics and critical reasoning in relation to addressing ethical dilemmas, both in writing and orally.
    • GA3:
  3. evidence an understanding of and critical reasoning about cultural responsiveness and Australian Indigenous Knowledge regarding some causes for psychopathology and pathways to wellness.
    • GA7:
  4. critically reason about clinical case and workplace scenarios while applying research and ethical guidelines regarding best practice.
    • GA4:
  5. consolidate understanding of the implementation and application of widely used standardised psychological test instruments.
    • GA4:
    • GA5:

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • No prescribed texts.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.