Course Title: Assessment and Intervention 2

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Assessment and Intervention 2

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

BESC1460

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2007,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 2 2009,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012,
Sem 2 2013,
Sem 2 2015

BESC1460

Bundoora Campus

Postgraduate

173H School of Health and Biomed

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2018,
Sem 2 2019

BESC1472

Bundoora Campus

Research

150H Health Sciences

Face-to-Face

Sem 2 2007,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 2 2010,
Sem 2 2011,
Sem 2 2012

Course Coordinator: Prof Gerard Kennedy

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 7457

Course Coordinator Email: gerard.kennedy@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 202.04.39


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required prior study (Pre-requisites)


Course Description

Psychological Assessment and Intervention 2 is designed to extend your theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in clinical intervention and in research design and evaluation. More specifically, the course aims to develop your generalist skills and knowledge in both psychopharmacological and psychological interventions for psychological disorders as well as extend your knowledge and skills in understanding research design and evaluation. This course will focus on the following aspects of Psychological Assessment and Intervention:

  • Adult Clinical Intervention
  • Advanced Research Methods


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes for MC002 Master of Clinical Psychology

  • PLO 1:  Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the theories, models and scientific underpinning of professional psychological practice and its application across behavioural and organisational systems.
  • PLO 2:  Develop a comprehensive and critical understanding of the legislative frameworks and ethical codes and guidelines that guide professional psychological practice at a personal and professional level.
  • PLO 3:  Design, analyse, synthesise and communicate information from a wide variety of psychological assessments and techniques appropriate to the developmental stage, cognitive level and cultural background of the client, and appropriate to the purpose of the assessment.
  • PLO 4:  Demonstrate the ability to design, apply, and evaluate appropriate evidence-based empirically-validated interventions individualised to the client’s diagnosis, case formulation, and personal or organisational characteristics.
  • PLO 6:  Demonstrate the ability to undertake effective communication across a range of individual and organisational contexts to engage clients and to convey, appraise, and interpret information relevant to professional practice and the client population.


On successful completion of this course you should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the standard nomenclature and classification systems of drugs and basic principles of drug action including the effects and side-effects of psychotropic drugs used commonly in the treatment of psychopathology.
  2. Undertake effective communication to potential clients as it relates to their clinical condition and treatment modalities.
  3. Critically evaluate the empirical research literature pertaining to clinical interventions used in the treatment of high prevalence adult psychological disorders and interpret and justify the implementation of empirically validated treatment interventions for high prevalence psychological disorders.
  4. Evaluate, in the context of day-to-day clinical practice, the effectiveness of interventions used in the treatment of high prevalence adult psychological disorders.
  5. Conceptualise important methodological and design issues underlying applied human research and undertake independent research using a range of research designs and methods.
  6. Describe the essential features of a range of advanced statistical and methodological techniques and interpret the results of data using SPSS for Windows.


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning activities will include a combination of lectures/seminars, tutorials and skill development activities. Lectures will build on knowledge gained in the program and provide a solid theoretical and practice-driven basis to help you to achieve professional practice competence. Tutorials will be used to explore critical analysis and clinical thinking. The skill development activities will support entry into Professional Psychological practice. You will be expected to read widely across the academic literature related to this area of study.

Teacher Guided Hours: 48

Learner Directed Hours: 72


Overview of Learning Resources

The learning resources associated with this course will include targeted readings taken from a range of both primary and secondary sources. Material chosen may be digitally available to you. Lecture material may utilise a variety of available technologies including Canvas sites. Skill development activities will be provided in a variety of ways, including simulated learning activities. RMIT will provide resources and tools for learning in this course through its online systems.


Overview of Assessment

This course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Advanced research methods examination

Weighting 20%

This assessment task supports CLOs 3, 4, 5 & 6

Assessment Task 2: Research design and analysis report

Weighting 30%

This assessment task supports CLOs 3, 4, 5 & 6

Assessment Task 3: Pharmacology & Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Examination 

Weighting 50%

This assessment task supports CLOs 1, 2, 3 4, & 5