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HE Unit Template
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Professional Practice: Stage 1
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PSYCM7011 - Professional Practice: Stage 1
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20270200
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Course
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3.1
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2026-09-10
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2026-09-10
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Psychology
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Institute of Health and Wellbeing
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Psychology
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Postgraduate - Coursework
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15
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.125
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090701
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Psychology
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090701 - Psychology
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<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/psycm7011">View unit fees</a>
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Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
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<p>This unit introduces students to the foundational professional and clinical skills required for safe, ethical and culturally responsive psychological practice. Students develop counselling, clinical interviewing, mental status examination, risk assessment, diagnosis, case formulation and treatment-planning skills. The unit also addresses ethical and legal decision-making, the responsible use of digital technologies, culturally safe service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and reflective self-care practices that support safe and sustainable professional functioning.</p>
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<p>Topics may include:</p><ul><li>The Code of Conduct for Psychologists.</li><li>Ethical and legal responsibilities in clinical practice </li><li>Ethical decision-making processes</li><li>Culturally responsive counselling and clinical interviewing skills</li><li>Mental status examinations & risk assessment</li><li>Reflective practice and self-care</li></ul>
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Semester
Semester
0200
Year
Year
2027
Current Year
2026
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PSYCM7011 - Professional Practice: Stage 1
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PSYCM7011 - Professional Practice: Stage 1
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Semester 1
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Year
2027
2026
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Overview
Key information
Requisites
Learning outcomes
Assessment
FedTASK
Parent Region
Overview
Unit description
<p>This unit introduces students to the foundational professional and clinical skills required for safe, ethical and culturally responsive psychological practice. Students develop counselling, clinical interviewing, mental status examination, risk assessment, diagnosis, case formulation and treatment-planning skills. The unit also addresses ethical and legal decision-making, the responsible use of digital technologies, culturally safe service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and reflective self-care practices that support safe and sustainable professional functioning.</p>
Unit content
<p>Topics may include:</p><ul><li>The Code of Conduct for Psychologists.</li><li>Ethical and legal responsibilities in clinical practice </li><li>Ethical decision-making processes</li><li>Culturally responsive counselling and clinical interviewing skills</li><li>Mental status examinations & risk assessment</li><li>Reflective practice and self-care</li></ul>
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Psychology
Study level:
Postgraduate - Coursework
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090701 - Psychology
Offering:
<p><strong>Semester 1</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Blended Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p></p> <p><strong>Semester 2</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Blended Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/psycm7011">View unit fees</a>
Requisites
Prerequisite
None
Corequisite
None
Exclusion
<p>must not have completed "<a href="/ords/r/curriculum/catalogue/course?p6_code=PSYCP7004" target="_blank">PSYCP7004</a>"</p>
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes
<p>On successful completion of this unit, students are expected to gain the following [K]nowledge, [S]kills and [A]pplication of knowledge & skills</p>
Learning Outcomes
Ref
Outcome
1
<p>Apply ethical, legal and professional principles to psychological practice, using critical evaluation and systematic decision-making, including the ethical and secure record keeping and competent use of digital technologies.</p>
2
<p>Demonstrate culturally responsive and culturally safe counselling and clinical interviewing skills that establish and maintain respectful therapeutic relationships and promote client wellbeing.</p>
3
<p>Conduct and document a mental status examination and assess risk of harm to self or others, applying appropriate ethical, legal and professional procedures.</p>
4
<p>Obtain and integrate relevant assessment information through skilled clinical interviewing to inform diagnosis, theory-driven case formulation and evidence-based treatment planning.</p>
5
<p>Demonstrate foundational knowledge and application of culturally safe psychological services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, including recognition of the influence of history, culture, community, identity and systems of care.</p>
6
<p>Critically reflect on how personal background, lived experience, culture, values and stress, together with the demands of psychological practice, may influence professional functioning, and develop appropriate self-care and stress-management strategies to support safe, culturally responsive and sustainable practice.</p>
Assessment
Learning Tasks and Assessment
Ref
Learning task
Assessment type
Weighting
Learning outcomes assessed
1
<p>Quiz - culturally safe, professional and ethical issues in psychological practice</p>
<p>Test</p>
<p>10-20%</p>
1, 2, 5
2
<p>A clinical interview and case note</p>
<p>Practical and written task</p>
<p>50-80%</p>
2, 3, 4, 5
3
<p>Self Care Plan</p>
<p>Written task</p>
<p>10-30%</p>
1, 5, 6
Supplementary assessment available:
No
FedTASK
FedTASK
<p>Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FedTASKs (<strong>T</strong>ransferable <strong>A</strong>ttributes <strong>S</strong>kills and <strong>K</strong>nowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key, transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and co-operative learning opportunities.</p>
FedTASK
Description of FedTASK outcome
FedTASK 1: Interpersonal
Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams
FedTASK 2: Leadership
Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations
FedTASK 3: Critical Thinking and Creativity
Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning
FedTASK4: Digital Literacy
Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities
FedTASK 5: Sustainable and Ethical Mindset
Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life
Key information
Institute / school:
Institute of Health and Wellbeing
Discipline:
Psychology
Study level:
Postgraduate - Coursework
Credit points:
15
EFTSL:
0.125
Field of education:
090701 - Psychology
Offering:
<p><strong>Semester 1</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Blended Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p></p> <p><strong>Semester 2</strong><p>Ballarat - Mt Helen (On Campus)</p><p>Blended Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p><p>Flexible Delivery - Berwick (Blended)</p></p>
Grade scheme:
Graded (e.g. HD, D, C, etc)
Placement component:
No
Fee information:
<a href="http://www.federation.edu.au/locate/unit/psycm7011">View unit fees</a>
Additional information
Add Info Static Text
Internal reference: PSYCM7011 - U3.1