Outline

Overview

This unit of study will foster the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to understand, evaluate and apply a wide range of evidence-based psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions, including integrated service delivery systems, for individuals with mental health disorders and their families. This unit will build on the psychosocial foundations and concepts of integrated formulation and care established in the first year courses to support trainees to understand the role of the major modalities of psychotherapy and psychosocial interventions which have been shown to significantly contribute to recovery and improved outcomes in mental health. The unit offers an overview of assessment and the historical context of the development of theories and evidence, moving to frameworks of human development across the life span, expanding applied knowledge of attachment and exploring theories of learning and personality. Participants will then examine a range of specific psychological interventions aimed at different aspects of individual and systemic functioning including psychodynamic approaches, DBT, structured brief therapies, more advanced applications of CBT and group, couples, family and systems of care interventions. Teaching methods will focus on research-enhanced and case-based learning with an integrative approach, supplemented by e-learning and audiovisual resources.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	BMRI5054
Academic unit	Brain and Mind Science
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	BMRI5003 and BMRI5050 Knowledge and skills at the level of completion of Stage 1 Psychiatry training
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Loyola McLean, loyola.mclean@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Small continuous assessment	Discussion Board Discussion Board	10%	Multiple weeks	5 x 2 paragraphs
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Case: Assessment, Formulation, and Management Plan Case study assignment	20%	Week 05	2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Pre-recorded Presentation Pre-recorded presentation submitted assignment	30%	Week 09	10 minutes
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Case Study with Reflective Discussion Case study assignment	40%	Week 13	3000 words
Outcomes assessed:

Assessment summary

Discussion Board: Students are required to complete a minimum of 5 discussion boards

Case: Assessment, Formulation, and Management Plan: Students are required to write an initial case report of a patient they have seen in clinical practice.

Pre-recorded Presentation: Students are required to prepare a brief didactic audio-visual presentation that provides psychoeducation on a therapeutic approach taken for Assessment 2 and 4.

Case Study with Reflective Discussion: Students are required to refine and extend the written case report from Assessment 2

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Students should refer to the Canvas site for actual due dates and times. Late assignments that have not been granted extensions and are of a standard to receive a pass or higher mark will attract a penalty of 5% of the maximum mark per day (or part thereof) late including weekend days (e.g. if the assignment is worth 40 marks, the penalty is 2 marks per day late) until the mark reaches 50% of the maximum mark (e.g. 20 marks if the maximum is 40 marks). Assignments that are not of a pass standard will not have marks deducted and will fail regardless. Assignments submitted more than 5 days late without prior approval will not be accepted and will be given a zero (0) mark.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	An overview of contemporary psychotherapy practice, evidence and process	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 02	(i) Psychology theories: History and overview (ii) Assessment: Principles and Overview	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 03	CBT advanced skills and applications	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 04	Structured brief therapies	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 05	That was then, this is now: Psychodynamics I	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 06	Psychodynamic approaches II	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 07	DBT overview	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 08	Open Dialogue	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 09	Group Theory, dynamics and therapy	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 10	Couples therapy	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 11	Family Therapy	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 12	Journal Club Session	Lecture (2 hr)
Week 13	Integrating care across time and systems: staged and multimodal approaches and cultural awareness	Lecture (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance. Students are expected to attend 80% of classes either on campus or via Zoom. Due interruptions caused by Covid 19 for Semester 1 2021 attendance records will not be kept.
Passing the course. Students must earn an average mark of at least 50% for the unit as a whole by passing their assessments.
Academic honesty. Academic honesty must be demonstrated in all forms of assessment. Similarity detection software (i.e. Turnitin) will be used for all submitted written work.

Please refer to our Course Rules and Policies: https://canvas.sydney.edu.au/courses/12062/pages/course-rules-and-policies?module_item_id=666352

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand, evaluate and apply a wide range of evidence-based psychotherapeutic and psychosocial interventions to individuals and systems
LO2. understand the historical context of the development of theories, basic principles and evidence in psychotherapy and psychosocial care
LO3. conduct comprehensive biopsychosociocultural assessments and develop related formulations and tailored management plans including relevant psychosocial interventions for individuals and systems
LO4. apply a nuanced, self-reflective understanding of the personal contribution to the therapeutic relationship and consider personal and professional development and self-care
LO5. develop deeper understanding of frameworks of human development across the life span and apply this to biopsychosocial formulation, management and reflective practice
LO6. understand and apply theories of learning and personality to psychiatric assessment and treatment
LO7. understand and participate in integrated service delivery systems with an awareness of concepts of prevention, early and assertive intervention, recovery, and trauma-informed care

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Additional information

Help and Resources - Brain and Mind Centre Postgrad Program

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

BMRI5054: Psychotherapy and Psychosocial Care

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect