Course Coordinator:Kelly Thomson (kthomson1@usc.edu.au) School:School of Law and Society
UniSC Sunshine Coast |
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.
This course provides you the second opportunity to apply a holistic integrated approach to counselling within an organisational counselling context. You will continue your integration and development of advanced counselling skills, theories and knowledge, applying them under supervision in an ethical and professional manner. You will engage in experiential learning, that is, first-hand experience about what it means to practice in the field of Counselling.
Activity | Hours | Beginning Week | Frequency |
Blended learning | |||
Placement – Mandatory placement orientation workshop prior to week 1 of semester; Industry Internship: minimum 2 days per week. You must complete 200 hours of internship in a human services organisation, with a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact. Plus, attendance at individual and small group clinical supervision sessions face to face on campus. | 200hrs | Week 1 | Once Only |
Industry placement: Students will complete 200 hours of placement within a host organisation. This is generally completed on a 2 days per week basis for a minimum of 12 weeks throughout the semester.
Students will additionally attend individual and small group clinical supervision sessions face to face on campus throughout the course of internship.
700 Level (Specialised)
12 units
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 | Develop, articulate, assess and evaluate learning goals in a professional practice setting using counselling theory, skills, knowledge and values. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker |
2 | Continue to demonstrate critical and creative self-reflection on your own practice, values and beliefs and evaluation of clinical counselling practice and your understanding of ethical responsibilities |
Knowledgeable Ethical |
3 | Understand the relevance and importance of ongoing supervision and professional development within counselling practice. |
Creative and critical thinker Empowered Ethical |
4 | Demonstrate relevant skills of assessment and intervention with a particular client group and apply creativity and initiative in in the application of this knowledge to other client groups. Be familiar with the organization, daily functioning, ethical concerns and demands and cultural diversity of a counselling practice. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Empowered Engaged |
5 | Articulate advanced understanding and integration of counselling theory and skills in an agency setting, positive, respectful working relationships with clients, colleagues and community members, valuing of others with an understanding of and sensitivity towards cultural diversity, gender and disability, in a group supervision setting. |
Knowledgeable Creative and critical thinker Empowered Ethical Engaged |
Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.
COU702 and COU703
COU705
Not applicable
Not applicable
Limited Grading (PNP)
Students will receive feedback on their Learning Agreements in weeks 6-8 of internship via the liaison officer visit. Timely and detailed feedback is provided for each assessment. 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.
Delivery mode | Task No. | Assessment Product | Individual or Group | What is the duration / length? | When should I submit? | Where should I submit it? |
All | 1a | Placement performance | Individual | See SONIA for your discipline specific Code of Conduct. See CANVAS for ACA and PACFA Codes of Conduct and Codes of Ethics. |
Throughout teaching period (refer to Format) | SONIA |
All | 1b | Written Piece | Individual | Submit your MID (week 6-8) Learning Agreement via SONIA. Submit your FINAL (week 12-16) Learning Agreement via SONIA. |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
All | 2 | Oral and Written Piece | Individual | 15 minutes. |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
All | 3 | Written Piece | Individual | Internship Hours documented on SONIA plus 1 x 500 word essay and 1 x 1000 word reflective essay. |
Refer to Format | Online Submission |
All | 4 | Report | Individual | As per Manual template |
Week 13 | Online Submission |
All - Assessment Task 1a:Code of Conduct | ||||||||||||||||
Goal: | This task enables you to become familiar with the Counselling WIL Code of Conduct and the counselling discipline Governing bodies ACA and PACFA Codes of Practice and Ethics. |
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Product: | Placement performance | |||||||||||||||
Format: | During your WIL internship you are required to complete 200 hours of work experience. To be eligible to pass, you are required to complete the internship satisfactorily according to the Code of Ethics set out by ACA and PACFA and WIL Code of Conduct. These codes must be upheld throughout the duration of internship. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation |
All - Assessment Task 1b:Learning Agreement | ||||||||||||||||
Goal: | You will develop, articulate, assess and evaluate learning goals in a professional practice setting using counselling theory, skills, knowledge and values. |
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Product: | Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
Format: | Mid Placement Learning Agreement (submission week 6-8): Identify all options for learning in consultation with your agency supervisor and clinical supervisor. The learning agreement will clearly outline your learning goals and tasks. Final Placement Learning Agreement (submission week 12-16): Review and articulate examples of how learning goals and outcomes have been achieved in the proposed outcomes sections in the Learning Agreement. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation |
All - Assessment Task 2:Oral Case Presentation & Written Case Summary | ||||||||||||||||
Goal: | Demonstration of competency in the use of advanced counselling skills and theory integration, through oral presentation of a case. |
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Product: | Oral and Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
Format: | You will present a 15 minute case presentation and a 500-word case summary. This will occur within your scheduled clinical supervision sessions, as agreed with your supervisor. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
All - Assessment Task 3:Internship Placement hour logs plus 2 x essay | ||||||||||||||||
Goal: | You will complete and document a minimum of 200 hours of internship, including a minimum of 40 hours of direct client contact, and clinical supervision hours. Submission of 2 x written essays. |
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Product: | Written Piece | |||||||||||||||
Format: | Activity logs detailing completed agency, direct client and supervision hours will be entered via SONIA for approval by agency contact and allocated clinical supervisor. You will also complete: 1 x 500 word essay (Submission week 8) -How you further developed your personal and professional counselling framework during placement and how implementation fit within the client and agency context. 1 x 1000 word reflective essay (Submission week 12)-Your personal experience of internship, highlighting an ethical dilemma you experienced and how you responded using an Ethical Decision Making Model and other legislation, policies and considerations you drew on. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation, Applying technologies, Information literacy |
All - Assessment Task 4:Internship Assessment Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Goal: | To successfully complete the Internship by demonstrating a professional understanding and application of counselling theories, skills, knowledge, and values. |
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Product: | Report | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Format: | The Internship Assessment Report is to be completed by the Agency Supervisor in collaboration with the student for each respective internship site and respective semester period. The student and Agency Supervisor will complete a C = Competent; NYC=Not Yet Competent scale. |
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Criteria: |
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Generic Skills: | Communication, Collaboration, Problem solving, Organisation |
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.
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.
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 | 4th Edition | Cengage Learning |
Mandatory checks include possession of a Blue card. Some agencies require students to have a current police check, NDIS worker screening and Covid vaccination status. Please liaise directly with your Course coordinator at the preplacement interview.
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.
This course will be graded as Pass in a Limited Grade Course (PU) or Fail in a Limited Grade Course (UF) as per clause 4.1.3 and 4.1.4 of the Grades and Grade Point Average (GPA) - Institutional Operating Policy of the USC. In a course eligible to use Limited Grades, all assessment items in that course are marked on a Pass/Fail basis and all assessment tasks are required to be passed for a student to successfully complete the course. Supplementary assessment is not available in courses using Limited Grades.
You must contact your Course Coordinator and provide the required documentation if you require an extension or alternate assessment.
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 SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.
The SafeUniSC 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.
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.
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.
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To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.
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