Handbook : Unit informationEdith Cowan University

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

• Unit Title

  Field Placement 1

• Unit Code

  COU6424

• Year

  2025

• Enrolment Period

  1

• Version

  5

• Credit Points

  15

• Full Year Unit

  N

• Mode of Delivery

  On Campus
  

• Unit Coordinator

  Dr Sonam PELDEN

Description

This unit prepares students to work within the frame of individual therapies, families and couples work, and group psychotherapy. The aim is for students to develop their experience in both in-depth and more intensive short-term modalities. Clinical emphasis on the person of the therapist in relationship with the world of the client/s is a key part of all the units. This course is psychologically and culturally relevant to populations across the lifespan and encompasses classical and modern understandings of contemporary mental health issues, with the goal of aiding in early interventions and symptom relief. Students seeking placement are in their final year of the course. This unit provides an opportunity for the student to receive supervised practice in an agency setting. Students will spend a minimum of one to -two days per week (as required by the agencies-nonnegotiable) in an agency setting and will carry a client load allocated by the agency. This unit aims to develop the full identity and competence of the counselling and psychotherapy students and will include conducting counselling sessions, participating in a team, receiving supervision for work and participation in following agency policy and procedures. This unit has a compulsory attendance requirement. In keeping with the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) stipulations, students need to have practised necessary skills/competencies in the classroom to a satisfactory level before going out into the field. Additionally, students will need to have passed all prerequisites and deemed placement ready by the university panel led by the placement coordinator. Students must comply with the clinical and professional field Placement requirements which include providing clearances and/or risk management protocols required. Risk management protocols include, but are not restricted to: Certificate of National Police Clearance Department of Health (WA) Criminal Screening Working with Children Check (more information at www.checkwwc.wa.gov.au) Due to the nature of this unit, students must be enrolled before the second week of the teaching period and not later. They must be enrolled before commencing field Placement and must have submitted the required checks to the University.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Placement in an approved counselling agency/clinic. Students must attend all the mandatory placement seminars.

Prerequisite Rule

Must have passed COU6113, COU6121, COU5303, COU6305, COU6114, COU5210, COU6324, COU6403

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Professionally and appropriately apply counselling and psychotherapy models into practice in the field.
2. Adhere to the PACFA professional codes of ethics and demonstrate a high standard of honesty, integrity and social responsibility as counsellor trainees in the field.
3. Use professional skills to manage the learning environment, including anticipating challenges and developing solutions in the placement context with support from the assigned supervisors and placement coordinator.
4. Demonstrate University professional placement standards of conduct, in line with expectations within the placement context including respect for global cultural diversity and indigenous culture in the field.
5. Recognise personal limitations and developmental needs and establish supervision contract.
6. Independently develop learning plans to meet one’s needs and needs of the placement host by considering agency and University policy, procedures and requirements.

Unit Content

1. Learning through the placement is achieved in relation to a learning plan established between the student and the agency supervisor early in the placement. This plan will be set out in accordance with guidelines set out in the Field Placement manual.
2. Students will carry their own case load of agency clients, under the supervision of an agency staff member.
3. The learning plan will set out the goals and processes to be used to achieve the placement objectives and will describe placement tasks and expectations, skills to be practiced, individual learning goals, theory integration processes and supervision arrangements.
4. The unit is conducted as a field placement in a community agency or counselling service setting.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

For more information see the Semester Timetable

WIL - Internship, Clinical or Professional placement (off-campus)

Work done in an actual workplace in which the student applies discipline-specific knowledge and skills, supervised by an industry professional separate from an ECU campus or location.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Eligible placement students are interviewed by the university panel/Field Placement Coordinator to assess the suitability of the students to progress on Placement. Thereafter, CVs of selected students will be emailed to available agencies for further selection. See the COU6424 placement manual to understand the process and requirements. Students must be accepted for Placement at the agency before proceeding. Students must complete a minimum of 120 hours in the field out of the 280-field placement in this unit and additionally complete the two placement seminars led by the placement coordinator.

Assessment

GS2 GRADING SCHEMA 2 Used for Undifferentiated Pass/Fail units inc. practical units or work-integrated learning

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Due to the professional competency skill development associated with this Unit, student attendance/participation within listed in-class activities and/or online activities including discussion boards is compulsory. Students failing to meet participation standards as outlined in the unit information may be awarded an I Grade (Fail - incomplete). Students who are unable to meet this requirement for medical or other reasons must seek the approval of the unit coordinator.

^ Mandatory to Pass