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Course Outline

COU362 Counselling Development and Supervision 2

Course Coordinator:Kelly Thomson (kthomson1@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society

2023Semester 1

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

This course extends on the personal exploration of counselling values, theories, knowledge and skills and their integration into further practice in a safe, supportive and supervised setting, which will include clinical practice supervision.  In preparation for practice, you will identify and develop further skills appropriate to core theoretical approaches in counselling and supervision to enable you to describe, analyse and utilise these skills on placement. Counselling methods continue to be experienced, knowledge and theories continue to be applied, and further skills developed. This course has a focus on assuring your skills as a reflective practitioner, and peer mentor.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Learning materials embedded online in the LMS, designed to introduce the learning objectives each week via diverse activities, including journal readings, videos, class collaboration discussions. 1hr Week 1 13 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – On campus tutorial, aimed at putting knowledge and skills into practice in a safe space; group supervision; peer mentorship opportunities 2hrs Week 1 13 times

Course Topics

  • 5 stage interview structure
  • Cultural competence
  • Window of tolerance
  • Getting the most out of clinical supervision
  • Case conceptualisation
  • Mental Status Examinations
  • Window of tolerance
  • e-therapy
  • Presenting client issues
  • Suicide and Self Harm risk assesssment
  • Self care

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Extend on beginning skills in developing a critically reflective practice by reflecting on skills learnt as a result of the 2 x practicums that were outside of the curriculum Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
2 Recognise principles and competencies required in supervision practices. Assess and identify ways of building a strong supervisee/supervisor relationship in a second setting, as well as building strong relationships with existing and new colleagues in the second agency as well as on campus. Empowered
Sustainability-focussed
3 Describe the professional, ethical and legal issues in practice and of your own ethical behaviour, within the setting of your second agency, including the continuing importance of self care Ethical
4 Continue to apply the values and ethical principles of counselling according to USC Student Code of Conduct, Student Placement Agreement and ACA and PACFA Codes of Ethics, always acting in a professional manner. Ethical
5 Demonstrate respect and valuing others with an advanced understanding of and sensitivity towards the issue of cultural diversity, gender and disability. Ethical
Sustainability-focussed
6 Demonstrate graduate level academic reflective skills in oral and written format, and compliance with accepted APA 7th ed. conventions Creative and critical thinker

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

(COU261 or COU361) or SWK201 and enrolled in AR375, AR302 or AR303.

Co-requisites

COU264 or COU364

Anti-requisites

COU262

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

Not applicable

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Timely and detailed feedback is provided for each assessment. Feedback is provided both within text and general comments to build scholarly skills. Students are able to seek feedback through face-to-face discussion with the course coordinator. Tutorials will include extended discussion and review of the assessment task requirements and scope.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Oral Individual or Group 40% 
15 minute (individual) or 20 min (group) presentation, plus 5 minutes questions in Workshop
 Refer to Format In Class
All 2 Written Piece Individual 20% 
100 words each
 Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Essay Individual 40% 
1800 words
 Exam Period Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Placement Presentation
Goal: 
Delivery of an oral presentation of your placement agency highlighting your continued reflection on counselling theories, methods, skills and ACA and PACFA Codes of Ethics and how these have developed since completing COU361
Product: Oral
Format: 
Submit: Weeks 7,8, 9 10 & 11.

The presentation will be 20 minutes including: for individuals including 15 minute presentation and 5 minutes of questions. 25 minutes for groups including 20 minute presentation and 5 minutes of questions.

a)	A brief overview of the program you are placed with, the agency in which it sits, and links to community;
b)	Legislation underpinning the agency and their theoretical frameworks;
c)	Your role in the agency;
d)	Referral processes into and out of your organisation;
e)	A critical incident or ethical challenge you have experienced, your responses, reflections and learnings about yourself and the agency using theory to support your discussion; how your response is partly informed from your experience of EDM in COU361
f)	The supervision process on placement and in the workshops and how you use this time to deepen your learning; how has your supervision experience developed/matured since COU361.
g)	Your perception of how your expectations of your second placement were influenced by your experience within your first placement. 
h)	Strengths & weaknesses of the agency and gaps in service provision.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Extend on your developing critical self-reflection skills
 1 2 5
2 
Extend on your developing awareness of the relationship of ethics and theories to a practice setting;
 3 4
3 
Demonstrate graduate level oral presentation skills, emphasising the graduates assured level critical reflective practice.
 6
All - Assessment Task 2:Online Discussion Participation
Goal: 
Weekly critically reflective contributions to online discussion topics informed from supervision workshop content.
Product: Written Piece
Format: 
Following each on campus tutorial, the course coordinator will include a related question in the online LMS, inviting the student to reflect on their response, informed from both their experience and the literature.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Develop critical self-reflection within workshops, supported by evidence:
 1
2 
Develop clarity of the relationship of ethics and theories to a practice setting
 3
3 
Develop critical reflection skills relating to working with minority populations and diverse cultures
 5
All - Assessment Task 3:Reflective journal essay
Goal: 
To critically reflect on your professional and ethical counselling practice.
Product: Essay
Format: 
You will be required to keep a reflective journal recording and reflecting on your experiences in the field on placement.
Areas to reflect on may include;
a) Your observations of the organisation including aims of the agency, legislation and theory underpinning the agency;
b) The client or consumer services provided by the agency;
c) Staffing profile and the program you are placed with;
d) your tasks
The essay must include;
1) Yourself as student practitioner within the agency, providing a discussion on how your theoretical frameworks inform your practice framework
2) Critical reflection on your significant learning experiences in relation to your knowledge, skills and values, discussing
a) interaction with staff/clients
b) the supervisee/supervisor relationship, with colleagues on placement and on campus how you have strengthened these relationships
c) How your values and beliefs impinge on your evaluation of supervision
3) Examples of professional, ethical and legal issues you experienced and congruence with your ethical values, beliefs and behaviour
4) Self Care and management of personal and professional stress and stress caused by diversity
5) Your future goals
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Demonstrate an understanding of the organisational context of practice and the application
 2 3
2 
Reflection of counselling theory and frameworks within the context of your work in the agency
 1 4 5
3 
Provide evidence your reflection on your skills and knowledge development throughout your placement
 1
4 
Clearly presented essay, which will be organised and logically ordered. Correct use of grammar, punctuation, spelling and clear quality of expression
 6
5 
Reference and document evidence through correct use of citations, quotations and reference list (Refer to APA referencing guide)
 6

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below. Resources may be required or recommended.

Required? Author Year Title Edition Publisher
Recommended H. Frederick Sweitzer,Mary A. King 2013 The Successful Internship n/a Cengage Learning
Recommended David Geldard,Kathryn Geldard,Rebecca Yin Foo 2017 Basic Personal Counselling: A Training Manual for Counsellors n/a Cengage AU

Specific requirements

Please note that all placements require a Blue Card and some placements require criminal history checks. It is important to discuss this with the field education coordinator at the pre-placement Interview.

How are risks managed in this course?

Risk assessments have been performed for all field activities and low to moderate levels of health and safety risk exists. Moderate risks may include working in an Australian bush setting, working with people, working outside normal office hours for example. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: 
- 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Administration of Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Academic Misconduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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