This assessment item consists of all placement-related documents. All documents must be fully signed by the supervisor that provided supervision as indicated on the respective forms.

• Placement Agreement
• Mid and End-placement Review. The End of Placement Review form must indicate that you have achieved 'Level 4 Competencies' to pass the placement
• Weekly Practice Logs
• Weekly Supervision Forms

1. Placement 

The purpose of this assessment task is to provide you with an opportunity to develop skills in performing psychological assessments, interventions, and associated activities, under the supervision of Clinical Psychologists/Psychology Board-Approved Supervisors. By the end of this unit, you will demonstrate Level 4 competence in nine core competencies that represent critical capabilities and attributes for effective psychological practice. 

Competencies 1 - 8 are specified by AHPRA and Competency 9 is a requirement of the Master of Clinical Psychology Course. Level 4 competence represents the competency expected to practice independently as a psychologist. Both your Clinical Psychologist/Board-Approved Supervisor (Primary Supervisor) and the Placement Coordinator must sign off on your competencies at Level 4 to pass. Your Placement Agreement, Mid-Placement Review, and End-of-Placement Review must be signed by yourself, your Primary Supervisor, and the Placement Coordinator and uploaded to Moodle. 

If you have not met all required competencies (including all nine core competencies and the APAC assessment requirements) by your End-of-Placement Review you may be provided with a further opportunity to meet these competencies with a Support Plan. However, this is up to the discretion of the Unit Coordinator in consultation with the Head of Course. It can be useful to discuss competencies with your Primary Supervisor before your Mid-Placement and End-of-Placement Reviews, to identify any areas where you are not demonstrating the expected level of competency and develop a Support Plan to address areas where you are 'not on track' before your End-of-Placement Review. 

To pass the unit all Level 4 competencies must be met.

2. Weekly Practice Logs and Supervision Forms 

You must submit your signed practice hours (weekly logs/logbooks) for all placement units (PSYC21007, 21008, 22007, 22008) that have been signed weekly by your Primary Supervisor at the end of Clinical Practice 4 in chronological order. The Weekly Log must include the following; detailed total number of direct client activity hours, individual supervision hours, group supervision hours, and associated placement/practice activities. Your complete logbook must include your 1000 hours of placement activity over the four Clinical Practice units of the Master of Clinical Psychology course.

You are also required to complete supervision forms from individual and group supervision. All supervision entries in your Weekly Logs must have a corresponding supervision form signed by yourself and the supervisor who provided the supervision. Supervision forms must also be signed by your Primary Supervisor/supervisor that provided supervision and uploaded to Moodle in chronological order at the end of Clinical Practice 4.

The criteria are set out on the Placement Review forms and cover the core competency areas which define the critical capabilities and attributes deemed necessary to ensure that graduates are equipped to practice psychology safely and effectively subsequent to graduation. It is expected that at the end of Clinical Practice 4 and the completion of the Master of Clinical Psychology course students will demonstrate 'Level 4' competency and achieved the level 4 competencies on the End of Placement Review form. 

To pass this assessment task, all signed documents and logbooks must be submitted.

Weekly Practice Logs and Supervision Forms (Pass/Fail)

Weekly Practice Logs must be signed weekly by your Primary Supervisor and uploaded to Moodle in chronological order at the end of Clinical Practice 4. Weekly Practice Logs should detail your total number of direct client activity hours, individual supervision hours, group supervision hours, and associated placement activities. Entries related to direct client activity hours must include the client's initials, age, gender, and description of the service provided in sufficient detail.

You are also required to submit all of your signed supervision forms from individual and group supervision, in chronological order to Moodle at the end of Clinical Practice 4. All supervision entries in your Weekly Practice Logs must have a corresponding supervision form signed by yourself and the supervisor who provided the supervision.

Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

You are to write a reflective journal of no more than one page on average (250 - 300 words) for Weeks 1, 6 and 12. Each reflection should demonstrate the nexus of learning between placement activities, supervision, lectures, and professional reading. The reflections should be used to reflect on experiences and conversations that have stimulated your thinking and self-reflection about your practice and development as a psychologist.

Students are to  provide a copy of each journal to their Primary Supervisor and submit each reflection to Moodle by Monday at 9am in Weeks 2, 7 and 13 (Exam Week).

Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

Each reflection should demonstrate the nexus of learning between placement activities, supervision, lectures, and professional reading. The reflections should be used to reflect on experiences and conversations that have stimulated your thinking and self-reflection about your practice and development as a psychologist. If any journal submission is lacking in self-reflection on your practice, you may be required to resubmit to demonstrate self-reflection before the journal submission is passed.

Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

Each student will complete a presentation in class. The presentation should be about a client that you have seen in the current placement. It must include intake information and may include further information from subsequent sessions with the client. You should guide the class in doing a 5P formulation as part of your presentation, then present a differential diagnosis and a plan or report of further assessment and/or intervention after the intake process. You should plan for around 30 minutes for the presentation, group 5Ps, and discussion. You should upload a link to one or two relevant academic journal articles prior to your presentation, and clearly explain in the presentation how your chosen article(s) relate to the case being presented.

The Case Presentation is (Pass/Fail). Your case presentation will be assessed according to the following criteria, and each criteria needs to be passed to pass this assessment

• A link to a relevant research article must be added to the Moodle discussion board before the presentation day.
• The presentation must be of a client that you have seen in the current placement.
• It must include intake information and may include further information from subsequent sessions with the client.
• It should consider ethical issues including risk assessment if required.
• The presentation should include evidence of the relevance of the chosen research article.
• The in-class presentation must include guiding the class in doing a 5P formulation, and then present a differential diagnosis.
• It must include a plan or report of further assessment and/or intervention after the intake process.
• It should engage the class in discussion.
• It should take around 30 minutes for the presentation, group 5Ps, and discussion.

Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

This case report is the final of a series of four case studies you will write over the entire Master of Clinical Psychology course. You will write a report on one of the clients you have seen at your placement. The report should be de-identified by removing names, date of birth (but retain year/age) and any other identifying information such as place of work.

The case report should be no more than 2000 words.  

The report must be submitted with a cover page template and follow the described format, provided in Moodle. The placement supervisor needs to sign the cover sheet to acknowledge that the report has been de-identified to meet the privacy requirements of
the agency. The report will follow the format specified in APHRA form SCAC-76 (for assessment case reports) or SCIC-76 (for intervention case reports), and demonstrate all the required criteria including A) Background, B) Assessment, C) Analysis and Diagnosis, D) Recommendations, E) Evaluation and Reflections and F) Reference List.

A minimum of one assessment case report is required over the course of the Master of Clinical Psychology program and a maximum of two assessment case reports. A minimum of one intervention case report is required over the course of the Master of Clinical Psychology program and a maximum of three intervention case reports. 

Level of GenAI use allowed: Level 1: You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

• Written Case Study (Pass/Fail). The report will follow the format specified in APHRA form SCAC-76 (for assessment case reports) or SCIC-76 (for intervention case reports) including the following criteria: A) Background, B) Assessment, C) Analysis and Diagnosis, D) Recommendations, E) Evaluation and Reflections and F) Reference List.
• To pass this assessment, the student must identify that all criteria, including under the headings A - F on AHPRA Form SCAC-76 or SCIC-76 have been completed to the professional standard required for a provisional psychologist. The report must be submitted with a cover page template, available on Moodle, signed by the Placement Supervisor.
• The assessment is completed entirely without Al assistance in a controlled environment, ensuring that students rely solely on their existing knowledge, understanding, and skills. You must not use Al at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge. The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.

The Viva clinical assessment is held individually in weeks 7 and 8. It involves reviewing a written case study which you can access one week before your Viva. You will be assessed by a panel of two, face-to-face (in person or on Zoom) and will be assessed on your responses to questions designed to assess AHPRA competency areas that are relevant to the case. The Viva will include 20 minutes of answering questions from the panel. The panel will confer for 10 minutes (without the student present) and then meet with the student for 10 minutes to provide feedback and the outcome: Pass or Fail.  The student will have one opportunity to resit the Viva at a later date, if they do not pass on the first attempt. 

The student must be able to answer questions posed by the Viva assessment panel that are designed to assess AHPRA competency areas relevant to the case.  Questions from the panel may cover any of the following competencies:

1. Knowledge of the discipline, relevant to the case, including relevant research and evidence-based practice guidance.
2. Ethical, legal and professional matters,  including appropriate awareness and actions to ethical issues and safety considerations.  
3. Psychological assessment and measurement, including how to assess and interpret relevant information, observations and formal assessments.
4. Intervention strategies, including case conceptualisation and treatment planning.
5. Research and evaluation, including how to provide evidence-based assessments and valid assessment of intervention efficacy.
6. Communication and interpersonal skills, including demonstration of clear, concise and professional communication in the Viva.
7. Working with people from diverse groups, including awareness of cultural sensitivity and safety.
8. Practice across the lifespan, with a focus on age appropriate assessment or interventions for the client. 

To pass the student must demonstrate competence across all the questions posed by the panel.