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Department of Psychology

Overview

Contents

What is the Social Health and Counselling program?

The program aims to provide theoretical and skills training for front line workers in the broad area of Social Health. It is a multidisciplinary program that provides a socio-cultural analysis on physical and psychological health, including prevention, health promotion, identification/diagnosis, crisis intervention, counselling, community interventions and relapse prevention. Many of the teaching staff are frontline workers from the field who have current expertise in the subject. Students can choose from four specialist strands:

  • Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD)
  • Child and Family
  • Narrative approaches ( only recommended for experienced counselors/workers)

Graduates from the Social Health and Counselling Program will have a solid grounding in prevention and intervention theory from individual, systems and community perspectives. In addition, graduates will achieve core competencies in assessment and intervention as required by employers in the area(s) they elect to study. These will include the core skills for front-line workers of assessment, referral, case management and brief interventions.
Students are encouraged to be working in the field during their studies so they can put into practice the knowledge and skills they are gaining in the course.

What qualifications are available through the Social Health and Counselling Program?

Three qualifications are available: PG Certificate, PG Diploma and Master of Social Health. Each qualification provides the opportunity to specialise in Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), Child and Family or Narrative approaches.

1. POSTGRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN SOCIAL HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
Requirements: 4 units (total 16 credit points)
Duration: Part Time: One year - 2 units per semester)

2. POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN SOCIAL HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
Requirements: 8 units (total 32 credit points)
Duration: Full time: One year - 4 units per semester) Part time: Two years - 2 units per semester)

3. MASTER OF SOCIAL HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
Requirements: 14 units (total 64 credit points)
Duration: Full time: Two years: 1st yr: 4 units per semester
2nd yr: 2 units + thesis per semester
Part time: Four years - half full time load each year)

Selected one day workshops or units from the above programs are available for professional development and may be undertaken, subject to availability of places after Certificate, Diploma and Masters students have been accommodated, for a Statement of Attendance or Statement of Attainment.

What is the time commitment for doing this course?

The program has been designed to accommodate both full-time and part-time workers:

  • Each unit comprises 4 or 5 one-day workshops
  • Workshops are only on Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays – 9am – 5pm.
  • Workshops are generally scheduled in two day blocks (generally Friday and Saturday)

You will need to allow at least 4 to 8 hours of preparation for each workshop you attend to read the articles and prepare and write your workshop task
In addition you will need to allow at least 12 hours per written assignment and at least 4 hours for preparation and practice for skills assignments.

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How many days can I work while doing this course?

Part-time students (in both certificate and diploma courses) complete 2 units each semester (ie. 10 days of workshops, generally in 5 two day blocks). This schedule can be managed with most full-time jobs if the job allows time to be taken for study or allows flex days.
Full-time students complete 4 units each semester (ie. 20 days of workshops, generally in 10 two day blocks). This schedule can be managed with many part-time jobs of 2 days (or 3 days if you are willing to do your uni work in the evenings and on weekends).

What sorts of jobs could I get with a qualification in Social Health?

Graduates from the Social Health Program have secured employment in a wide variety of settings. These include:

  • AOD work
  • Child abuse
  • Youth work
  • Family support work
  • Early intervention programs
  • Domestic Violence support
  • Telephone Counselling
  • Rehabilitation programs
  • Community Health Centres
  • Project work
  • Indigenous Health work
  • Child and Family Intervention
  • Private practice/shared practice Refugees
  • Disability services
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Prisons and parole
  • Supported accommodation

 Am I able to become a member of any professional counselling organisations if I do this course?

The profession of counselling is not regulated by law and therefore there is not one course or qualification you need in order to be recognised as a professional in this field. However, membership with a professional association promotes professional standards and provides links with other professionals that are beneficial for practitioners and clients. There are many associations that are providing these services to students and trained professionals in the field of counselling and membership is usually assessed on an individual basis. For further information please visit the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia website (PACFA) and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) for more information on training requirements and eligibility.

In general, students wishing to gain membership to these professional associations will need additional hours of clinical supervision to meet requirements. This level of supervision is not provided in the Social Health program for a number of reasons. The cost of the course would need to be increased substantially to cover these costs (individual supervision costs approximately $80 - $100 per hour). Some students will not be working in the field at the time of study, so clinical supervision will not be relevant. Other students may be having supervision in their jobs and would not need the additional clinical supervision hours.

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Does a qualification from the Social Health Program articulate to other post graduate study programs?

The Social Health Program courses are not designed to be a direct entry qualification to any other post-graduate programs, although the Master of  Social Health might assist entry into some professional programs.

What competencies will I gain from these courses?

The program is highly skills-based. A solid grounding in relevant theoretical knowledge is provided through readings and assignments plus didactic sessions within each of the workshops. The primary focus of the workshops is on developing skills and applying the new knowledge and skills to addressing clients’ needs. Graduates will also have gained a range of generic competencies.

The PG Certificate in Social Health and Counselling is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in counselling theory and skills and the application of these skills with particular groups of clients (Alcohol and Other Drugs, Child and Family, Indigenous Health). Graduates of the PG Certificate in Social Health will have achieved the basic competencies to start developing a career in their area of focus.

The PG Diploma in Social Health and Counselling further develops these skills with training in the intervention approaches of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Narrative and the application of these skills across a range of areas including grief and loss, mediation, trauma and mental health problems. Graduates of the PG Diploma in Social Health will have achieved the basic competencies of the PG Certificate program, plus basic competence in applying CBT and Narrative in their area of focus and for a range of presenting issues.

The Master of Social Health and Counselling extends PG Diploma competencies by developing skills in group work, community work and applied research. Graduates will have achieved broad general competence ready to work in the field.
When you graduate from the PG Certificate, PG Diploma or Masters you will know the relevant theory and "how to" provide effective interventions, but you will not have gained mastery of the skills. To gain mastery and be a fully competent counsellor you need supervised practice and years of experience in applying the competencies that you learn at university. It is recommended that you gain field experience during your studies by having a placement or employment in your area of interest, preferably with supervision.

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Generic Professional and Communication Skills


Development and communication of workplace goals
  • Working in a way supportive of workplace goals and strategic directions
  • Connecting individual work to an overall workplace strategic direction

Motivational support to others in the workplace

  • Recognising and rewarding others for their workplace achievements
  • Acknowledging other’s work within the workplace

Teamwork

  • As an individual, working together with common goals and outcomes
  • As a team leader, encouraging members to work cooperatively towards a common goal

Empowerment of self and others

  • Encouraging decision making and initiative in self and others in the workplace

Managing change

  • Developing self and others
  • Supporting development of colleagues to enhance individual and workplace growth

Performance management

  • Setting clear goals and manage performance of self and others in the workplace

Attention to communication

  • Ensuring communication is shared with all others in workplace to ensure information reaches appropriate colleagues

Written and oral communication skills

  • Express oneself clearly in all communications with others
  • Use informative and persuasive communication to inform others

Interpersonal awareness

  • Notice, interpret and anticipate others feelings, and communicate empathically

Influence others

  • Gain others’ support for ideas, proposals, projects and solutions

Work collaboratively

  • Build collaborative relationship within and outside the workplace/organisation

Client orientation

  • Demonstrate concern for satisfying internal and external clients

Information skills

  • Diagnostic information gathering
  • Seek information from sources
  • Use appropriate questioning
  • Use technical expertise to demonstrate depth of knowledge and skills
  • Use effective information technology skills
  • Perform industry related literature searches

Critical thinking and problem solving skills

  • Identify information needed to clarify a situation
  • Use a logical, systematic and sequential approach
  • Use forward thinking to anticipate implications and consequences
  • Develop solutions through using holistic, abstract or theoretical perspectives

Ethics

  • Working in a professional and ethical manner

Professional practice

  • Use strategic thinking to identify workplace goals and implications for internal and external clients
  • Demonstrate workplace and personal initiative
  • Look for and work towards achieving workplace goals and opportunities
  • Foster innovation in methods, workplace practices, skills and technology
  • Focus on desired results and set goals to achieve them
  • Work in a decisive and thorough manner
  • Maintain self-awareness
  • Develop strategies to continue to work to a high standard, even when under pressure

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Social Health and Psychology

Can I become a Psychologist if I do these courses?

No. The Social Health Program does not lead to registration. To use the title "Psychologist" you need to gain registration with the NSW Psychologists Registration Board. The registration requirement is:

  • An approved 4 year degree in Psychology (ie. 3 year undergraduate degree with Psychology sequence plus either Psychology Honours or an alternate Psychology 4th year such as PG Diploma in Psychology at Macquarie University) plus
  • Two years of supervised psychology work. The two years supervised psychology work can be through an approved 5th/6th year degree (such as Master of Clinical Psychology, Master of Organisational Psychology, Master of Clinical Neuropsychology) or through "supervised work plus workshop attendance".

If you have a Board approved 4 year degree in Psychology, then you are eligible to enrol in the Professional Psychology Registration program. Details on that program are available in the Professional Psychology Registration Program website.

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I've done a 3 year degree in Psychology but I don't have the grades to get into 4th year Psychology at Macquarie University. Is there any other way to become a Psychologist?

Unless you have completed a Board approved 4 year degree in Psychology, you cannot become a Psychologist. There are no alternatives to the starting requirement of a 4 year degree in Psychology. With a 3 year psychology degree your options are:

  • Complete further undergraduate units to increase your grade point average to meet 4th year entry requirements
  • Try another University – some might have a lower 4th year entry requirement
  • Change your career direction and become a Counsellor rather than a Psychologist. The Social Health program provides the theoretical and skills training necessary to become a Counsellor.

Does the PG Diploma in Social Health or the Master of Social Health and Counsellingcount as an approved 4th year in Psychology for registration?

No. For information on approved 4th years of study please read the Registration Guidelines on the NSW Psychology Registration Board’s website (click on Supervision Guidelines).

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