Postgraduate - UnitCPS5004 - Psychodynamic assessment of children and adolescents

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 3, 0.125 EFTSL

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Postgraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit	School of Psychological Sciences
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Off-campus)
Coordinator(s)	Ms Toni Heron

Synopsis

This unit is designed to present an introduction to the conceptual framework and guidelines for the methodology of the psycho-dynamic assessment of psychological disturbance in children and adolescents. It will introduce students to disturbances in normal psychological development and the clinical concepts of assessment that are based on psychodynamic and developmental principles.
It will consider interviewing and observational methods with children and adolescents that enable psychological data to be collected and understood. It will also demonstrate the complex task of integrating information from several different sources to provide a diagnostic assessment of the individual nature and degree of disturbance presented, and the extent to which that interferes with the child's normal development and functioning.

Outcomes

This unit is designed to present an introduction to the conceptual framework and guidelines for the methodology of the psychodynamic assessment of psychological disturbance in children and adolescents. On completion of this unit the student is expected to:

Understand theoretical and clinical concepts relevant to psychodynamic and developmental assessment of children and adolescents;
Have an understanding of the possible meaning of the child's/adolescent's behaviour;
Recognise the process occurring between child and worker and the data this provides;
Recognise that assessment is a process that will provide a psychodynamic and developmental diagnostic formulation; and
Explore optimal case management where treatment options and timing are presented in light of the diagnostic formulation, the available professional and clinical resources, and the child/adolescent's context. This will include the indications or contra-indications for child psychotherapy and other treatment options.

Assessment

Report A (10%)
Report B (10%)
Report C (20%)
Essay (40%)
On-Campus Workshop/Alternative Assessment (20%)
All assessments must be passed to pass the unit

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Toni Heron

Off-campus attendance requirements

Two day on-campus workshop

Prerequisites

CPS5001 (DCP0001) and CPS5002 (DCP0002)