THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
POST-GRADUATE TRAINING PROGRAM
IN
CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Guide to Clinical Placements
December 2004
CLINICAL/PROFESSIONAL SUPERVISION & PRACTICE
Aim:
To provide trainees the highest standards of professional and clinical supervision and training that fosters development of skills and knowledge required of an autonomous professional Clinical Psychologist.
Clinical Placements:
All trainees will undertake the first, or in some instances second, placement in the university clinic to prepare them for clinical field placements. Interns that have considerable experience as a Psychologist, prior to undertaking placements, may with the agreement of the clinical placement coordinator take their first clinical placement in the field in an area of their experience. Their second placement will then be in the university clinic.
Clinical placements will provide trainees opportunities to be actively involved in the assessment and treatment of a range of client problems and across age groups, settings and use of a variety of clinical skills.
Pre-requisite for Clinical Placement:
Trainees:
All trainees undertaking clinical placements need to be either full or conditionally registered with the Psychologist Board of the ACT. Trainees undertaking clinical placements in NSW need to be registered with the NSW Psychologists Registration Board. In accordance with statutory requirements trainees are also required to undertake a criminal record checks prior to clinical placement. Professional registration and criminal record check will be organized with you soon after your enrolment in the program. Trainees during their course work need to have acquired and demonstrated proficiency in clinical & professional core knowledge and skills required of them prior to clinical placement. Trainees need also to have participated in a workshop on supervision and completed preparatory work prior to placement as outlined by the clinical supervisor (e.g. background research, reading, familiarization with tests and testing material etc.)
Supervisor(s):
Clinical field supervisors must be clinical psychologists who have had at least two years clinical experience following post-graduate training in Clinical Psychology or a designated individual of equivalent clinical expertise and experience. Other psychologists may be involved in supplementing this supervision in defined areas at the discretion of the primary supervisor. Where a secondary supervisor is utilized the primary supervisor needs to meet with the secondary supervisor and trainee regularly and directly observe some of the trainee’s work.
Clinical field supervisors are offered academic status of Clinical Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology. Clinical Psychologists who are eligible and are interested in clinical field placement supervision are asked to forward to the placement coordinator a current resume and a letter of interest in clinical placement supervision.
Clinical placement component of students training involves the following:
Clinical & Professional Practice I:
Core components of Clinical and Professional Practice I include trainees undertaking an initial clinical practicum in the university clinic, attending professional practice and group supervision meetings.
Trainees’ first clinical practicum commences in the second term of first semester. Trainees are required to attend 4 half days on placement in the university clinic under the supervision of clinical program staff. The practicum will include an orientation program to clinical and professional practice in the university clinic, workshop on supervision and clinical field placements as well as various learning tasks or activities. Trainees will have opportunities to observe either live or video recordings of clinical and professional activities of staff and senior trainees including clinical interviews, assessment, and therapy and individual/group supervision. Trainees through small group activities will have opportunities to explore, discuss and practice various professional issues and clinical skills to facilitate integration of learned material into their work in the university clinic.
Trainees are encouraged to attend group supervision meetings in the university clinic throughout the first semester. Group supervision meetings in the university clinic involve senior trainees and clinical staff reviewing and discussing relevant clinical and professional issues related to the care of clients of the university clinic
Assessment and Submission Requirements I:
· Trainees participate in professional practice meetings
· Trainees participate in clinical practicum and complete related activities
· Trainees complete relevant professional and supervision logbooks.
· Trainees submit professional practice folio including professional and supervision log books.
Clinical & Professional Practice II:
Core components of clinical and professional practice II include trainees undertaking an extended clinical practicum in the university clinic and attending weekly professional practice meetings.
Trainees on successful completion of their first clinical practicum will commence an extended clinical placement in the university clinic under the supervision of program staff. Trainees will attend the placement 2 days a week for 20 weeks and undertake professional, clinical and administrative duties related to the provision of care of clients of the university clinic. Trainees’ main responsibilities include such things as undertaking clinical interviews, assessment, case formulation, treatment planning and individual and/or group therapy with adults and children. Trainees are encouraged to maintain a caseload of between 4-6 clients through out placement. Trainees will attend individual and group/peer supervision as well as other clinic meetings as part of the process of clinical review and professional development.
Assessment and Submission Requirements II:
· Trainees need to participate in professional practice meetings
· Trainees attend individual/group supervision in the university clinic
· Trainees undertake a range of clinical/professional activities (assessment, case formulation, treatment planning, implementation of individual/group interventions for adults and/or children, and clinical case reviews) consistent with his/her competencies as negotiated with the supervisor.
· Trainees make a positive contribution to the administrative operation of the clinic.
· Trainees demonstrate an active involvement in their own learning and professional development.
· Trainees need to complete relevant professional and supervision logbooks.
· Trainees need to meet the goals and expectations set out in the placement contract to a satisfactory level.
· Trainees need to complete a detailed initial assessment report for all clients seen in the clinic including such things as the nature and assessment of the presenting problem, background and history, previous and current treatment, mental status examination, case formulation, diagnosis and recommendations for management. Trainees need to ensure they keep appropriate clinic file records of client care. Trainees are to prepare a brief report or letter of their assessment with the express purpose of providing feedback to a general practitioner, medical specialist or other health professional involved in the client’s care. The brief report should include an outline of the trainee’s assessment and formulation as well as their recommendations and plans for management. Trainees need to complete a discharge or handover summary for all clients seen for therapy. These reports are to be forwarded, where appropriate, to relevant health professionals involved in the client’s care. Trainees should seek supervision and feedback on preparing these reports.
· Trainees need to complete their first case report.
· Trainees need to submit a professional practice folio including professional and supervision logbooks, a case report, an example of their work such as an assessment report as well as the Supervisor’s Placement Report and Clinical Placement Evaluation-Intern Rating Form.
Clinical & Professional Practice III:
Core components of clinical and professional practice III include trainees continuing their extended clinical placement in the university clinic, undertaking their first external clinical placement and attending weekly professional practice meetings.
Trainees will continue their extended clinical placement in the university clinic one day a week until the Christmas break (mid December). At the end of the break (mid January) trainees will resume clinical placement until the end of first term in the second year of their program. During this period students will continue their clinical and professional work in the clinic maintaining an active caseload at all times. Trainees will be required to attend group/peer supervision as well as other clinic meetings as part of the process of clinical review and professional development.
Trainees will commence their first external clinical placement in mid January or early February in the second year of their program. The placement will be in a community or hospital based health care service at two days a week for no less than 12 weeks.
Assessment and Submission Requirements III:
External Placement I:
· Trainees need to attend reliably for the duration of their clinical placement.
· Trainees need to abide by professional codes of conduct and the Agency policy and procedures.
· Trainees need to undertake a range of clinical, professional and administrative activities expected of a clinical psychologist in the agency. Activities need to be negotiated with the supervisor and be consistent with the Trainee’s competency.
· Trainees need to demonstrates an active involvement in their own learning and professional development.
· Trainees need to participate in at least one hour of formal individual supervision for every two days on placement.
· Trainees need to keep a professional practice and a supervision logbook.
· Trainees need to meet the goals and expectations set out in the placement contract to a satisfactory standard.
General:
· Trainees need to participate in professional practice meetings
· Trainees need to complete a second case report outlining their clinical work with a client seen on the external placement.
· Trainees need to submit a professional practice folio including professional and supervision logbooks, a case report from their external placement, an example of their work from their external placement such as an assessment report. Supervisor’s Placement Report and Clinical Placement Evaluation-Intern Rating Form for both the extended placement in the university clinic and the external placement needed to be submitted.
Clinical & Professional Practice IV:
Core components of clinical and professional practice IV include trainees undertaking their second and third external clinical placements and attending weekly professional practice meetings.
Trainees will undertake their second and third external clinical placements in a community or hospital based health care service at three days a week for 12 weeks to ensure trainees are able to complete requirements for the program.
Assessment and Submission Requirements IV:
· As for external Placement I
· Trainees need to participate in professional practice meetings
· Trainees need to complete a third and fourth case report outlining their clinical work with a client seen on each of their external placements.
· Trainees need to submit a professional practice folio including professional and supervision logbooks, case reports, an example of their work from each of their external placements such as an assessment report as well as the Supervisor’s Placement Report and Clinical Placement Evaluation-Intern Rating Form for both external placements.
Clinical & Professional Practice V-VI:
Trainees completing a Doctor of Psychology program are required to undertake a further 500 hours of clinical practice. This may be a single specialist placement of 500 hours or two clinical placements each of 250 hours duration of which one may be in the university clinic. Doctor of Psychology students undertaking a further 250 hours of placement in the university clinic will be responsible for providing assessment and therapy for a wide range of clients of the university clinic in particular more complex and demanding clinical presentations under the supervision of a senior clinical psychologist. They will be provided guidance and training in professional supervision and will be asked to contribute to the supervision of new trainees by providing peer support, review and supervision.
Assessment and Submission Requirements V-VI:
· As for Clinical and Professional Practice IV
· Trainees need to complete a fifth and sixth case report outlining their clinical work with a client seen on placement(s).
· Trainees need to submit a professional practice folio including professional and supervision logbooks, case reports, examples of their work from the placement(s) such as an assessment report as well as the Supervisor’s Placement Report and Clinical Placement Evaluation-Intern Rating Form for the placement(s).
Paid placements:
Relevant paid employment can be credited as a placement providing it is concurrent with enrolment in the placement and there is an approved Clinical Psychologist available to provide supervision. In such a placement, the intern needs to demonstrate that they are gaining knowledge and experience, which is beyond their usual duties.
Block Placements:
Relevant block placements may be considered. It is important that the placement provides interns with meaningful clinical and professional experience and is consistent with supervision requirements.
Professional Conduct:
Interns must conduct themselves at all times in a professional manner and in accordance with professional and ethical codes of conduct. Interns must at all times respect client’s rights to privacy and confidentiality and obtain client consent where undertaking intervention, consulting other health professionals, sending reports or using information for teaching/supervision/training reasons. Please see guidelines set in the ANU Psychology Clinic Policy & Procedure Manual and consult supervisor regarding agency requirements.
Standard of care:
The intern is responsible for attempting to achieve high professional standards and they are fully accountable to their supervisor for their professional activities under supervision. The ultimate responsibility for a high standard of client care rests with the clinical supervisor who is accountable to their agency for the intern’s professional activities under supervision.
Agency Policy & Procedures:
Interns need to make themselves familiar with and abide by Agency policy and procedures relevant to their work in the agency.
Dress Code:
Interns while on placement are expected to dress professionally (i.e. not casually- any jeans, or jeans-styled pants, sandals, t-shirts or shorts etc…) unless otherwise instructed as being appropriate by their supervisor.
Personal and Professional Insurance:
Interns while undertaking authorized clinical, training and research activities associated with the training program are covered by insurance taken out by the ANU including professional indemnity, public liability and personal accident and travel.
SUPERVISION:
Philosophy:
Supervision is an ongoing relationship (usually with a contract on the length of time), in which the supervisor’s role is to facilitate the development of an autonomous, professional counselor (clinician). It is needs based, goal oriented and has the potential to facilitate the attainment of diverse needs (trainee, professional, service and client needs). The process needs to be non-threatening and consistent with adult learning principles, that is, adults should have the opportunity to participate actively in designing and implementing learning programs and that their previous life and subjective experience should be acknowledged and given a valued place in the program.