Although PSYC521 is listed as a year-long course, it is run concurrently with PSYC522 across both semesters. It involves classes, run by Dennis de Jong and occasional guests, as well as program activities organised by Dennis de Jong. Note also that PSYC521 is connected with PSYC522, insofar as they share the same exams. In other words the mid-year and final exams will cover material from both courses.

The purpose of the 521 course is to introduce you to the science and practice of clinical psychology. It is designed to provide an entry into the profession and to understand the history and nature of our field. Some have called this process the "socialization" into the profession. Professional issues such as ethics, registration, mental health policy, and the various Acts of Parliament relevant to clinical practice will be covered in some detail. You will be introduced to a sample of practical settings in which clinical psychologists work and gain an understanding of the network of services and the political forces that impact these services and their clients. Please note that this is a 20 point paper.

This class will involve a blend of lecture, discussion, practice sessions, agency visits, and exercises and projects. You will be required to participate in class discussion and to this end you will at times need to read material prior to the class so that you are able to make a useful contribution.

Other components
Hauora Waikato and Ngaa Ringa Awhina observation placement
Dennis will provide details of the observation placement and the written work required (one case study). The CDC case study will be reviewed by clinical staff who will provide feedback on your professional writing style, use of terms, and correct use of psychological language. You will be required to present your case study based on your placement experience to the class at case conference.

Clinical and community agency site visits
There will be a number of site visits during the year which will give you the opportunity to see the different settings that clinical psychologists work in. Further information is provided below in the assessment section. On the first day of class you will receive a hand-out which provides you with all the relevant information, including the addresses of various sites.

Case Conference
It is expected that first year clinical students will attend these sessions (along with year 2 and 3 clinical students), which are held each Monday at the University from 11.15am to 12.30pm. As mentioned above you will be required to present a case study based on your placement experience to the class. First year presentations are scheduled later in the year, so you will have the opportunity to observe the 2nd and 3rd year clinical students present first. More details (e.g. re length of presentation will be provided later).

We consider your attendance and contribution to these sessions as an important part of your professional development. This is also the main opportunity for all those on the clinical programme to meet and exchange ideas and support each other’s progress. Dennis will provide details of the schedule.

Clinical Skills Workshop
This three-hour weekly workshop is held on Friday. It is focused on developing and practicing some of the basic skills required to begin clinical practice, such as administration, scoring and interpretation of standardized tests, interviewing, planning and implementing interventions, and clinical writing skills. The first semester’s classes will focus on developing skills in assessment, and the second semester in basic CBT and related intervention skills. The class will include lecture, discussion, watching video examples, role playing, and practice with tests and techniques both inside and outside of class. You will be expected to become competent at administering the WISC-IV during the year, and there will be a check-out process to ensure that you are able to administer this test properly before using it clinically.

Availability of lecture notes
Lecture notes will be made available on Moodle.

PSYC Café
A communication space for students studying psychology, available via Moodle

Graduate Virtual Common Room
http://www.waikato.ac.nz/wfass/subjects/psychology/psycgrads/

The Graduate Virtual Common Room has been designed to help you locate the resources you are likely to need as a graduate student, to find out what is happening in the School and to network with other graduate students.