Psy 495: Field Placement in Psychology – Spring 2014 Syllabus
Instructor:
Email:
Office Hours:
Julie Sadja, M.S.
jlsadja@gmail.com
By appointment
TA:
E-Mail:
Office Hours:
Jeremy Kang
Jeremy.m.kang@gmail.com
By appointment
Supervising Instructor: Emilio Ulloa
Email: emilio.c.ulloa@gmail.com
Office: LS 105
Office Hours: By appointment
Course meeting time: Mondays from 5:30-6:20pm
Location: GMCS (Geology Mathematics Computer Science) - 327
Prerequisites: COMPLETED Psychology 350 (Abnormal) AND at least three units from Psychology 230
(Developmental), 340 (Social), or 351 (Personality).
COURSE OVERVIEW:
Psychology 495 is a service-learning course that places students with selected community-based
agencies, where they volunteer as an intern to earn part of their course credit. Students are supervised
by both the Course Instructor and an agency Site Supervisor. For students interested in becoming clinical
psychologists, social workers, therapists, counselors, special education teachers, or other helping
professionals, this course provides a unique opportunity to gain valuable field experience while helping
others. Each week students are required to attend class for 50 minutes, and work at their field
placement as an intern for 4 hours. Students will serve as an assistant, working with an individual or
individuals at a community agency throughout the semester, facilitating the achievement of client and
agency goals. They will observe and learn about the agency and the people it serves, and submit course
deliverables based on the course content, class discussions, presentations, observations, and field
experience.
Academic and Civic Learning Outcomes:
• Enhance ability to distinguish among various types of mental disorders and the possible
causes of certain behaviors
• Gain exposure to appropriate treatment strategies through course content and work
experience in the field
• Apply academic knowledge in real-world situations
• Synthesize reflections with course instructors, peers, and site personnel, through
participation in ongoing dialogues
• Fine-tune career goals based on experiencing first-hand the challenges and rewards of
working as a health professional
• Understand the importance of the ethics and responsibilities related to helping professions
• Contribute to the off-campus community by providing service in areas of need
• Develop a commitment to long-term social change through active participation
COURSE CONTENT:
Fieldwork Hours Verification:
Students must complete a minimum of 40 hours of volunteer fieldwork by the end of the term to
receive credit for the course. Hours Verification forms, signed by the agency supervisor, MUST BE
submitted to the course TA on the due date. Hours missed due to illness, weather, etc., must be made
up in time to meet these deadlines. Please note – it is the student’s responsibility to make a copy of this
form for your records prior to turning it in.
Attendance and Participation:
Since this is a special study class, it requires 50 minutes of class instruction each week. Class attendance
(at your section) and participation in class discussions are very important. Please note that you will NOT
receive full credit for attendance and participation simply for showing up to class. Participation in group
discussions during class is required to obtain full credit.
Readings:
Reading assignments begin the first week of class and are noted by week below in this syllabus. The
content for this course comes from the text book titled “Helping you help others: A guide to field
placement work in psychological services” edited by Kristen Cole, the Surgeon General’s Report on
Mental Health (available on Blackboard), topic handouts, and videos. The textbook can be
purchased directly from the publisher. To order, go to
https://students.universityreaders.com/store/ . (There will also be a few copies available at the
SDSU Bookstore.) All other materials can be accessed from the course Blackboard site.
After completing the readings and viewing the video(s) list for each week, students should come to class
prepared to talk about:
•
The take-away points, key issues you think are important to remember
•
What was most interesting and why
•
What was puzzling or unclear
•
How the content relates to situations experienced in the field
Group Presentations:
Students will be assigned to groups based on agency assignments and the characteristics of the
populations served by our agencies. Each group will create and deliver a multi-media presentation about
the agency and populations with which they work. Please note that students must present the week
they are assigned unless special arrangements are made in advance.
Journals and Final Project/paper:
Students are required to write three journal essays and produce a final project/paper. These
assignments are to be submitted by via Blackboard and are due by the start of class, as noted in the
schedule below. Formatting guidelines are located in the Journal and Final Paper Guideline documents,
which are posted on the course Blackboard site in the "Course Documents" folder. Spelling and grammar
are important. Grading will be based on quality of writing as well as quality of thinking and expression of
thought. NOTE: FOR CONFIDENTIALITY REASONS, PLEASE DO NOT IDENTIFY CLIENTS/COMPANIONS BY
NAME.
Note: Unless special arrangements are made with the TA in advance, late assignments are penalized.
Late journal entries will be docked five points for each day they are late (unless special arrangements
have been made with the instructor, in advance of the due date.) Assignments will not be accepted if
they are more than one week late.
GRADING SYSTEM:
In addition to completing at least 40 hours of documented volunteer work in the field, 300 course
points must be earned to receive credit for this course.
Grade Breakdown:
•
Class Attendance and Participation
140 points
•
Three Journals (30 points each)
90 points
•
Group Project/Presentation
100 points
•
Final Project/Paper
100 points
___________________________________________________________________
Grand Total:
430 points
Note: Turning your Service Learning Plan and Hours Verification forms ON TIME is required to receive
a passing grade
PROFESSIONALISM:
A key component of the course is professionalism. In the context of this class, students have
responsibilities to their agency, their agency’s clients, SDSU, their classmates, and themselves. One of
the goals of the class is to instill in students a sense of the importance of the ethics and responsibilities
of a helping professional. Students must keep all client information confidential at all times. Another key
aspect of professionalism is following through with all commitments (to the agency, the client(s), and
to the class.) The agency and agency clients depend on student interns/companions to be prepared and
arrive on time for their volunteer times. It is the responsibility of each student to determine who should
be notified at the agency in regards to schedule changes and how best to contact them.
Students should turn the ringer off on their phones while at the agency site, and not be making or
answering personal phone calls, texting, or engaging in other personal activities during volunteer
hours. Professionalism and the necessity of following through with commitments are so important
that students who behave in an unprofessional manner may be dropped from the course.
Lastly, although many of the agencies allow somewhat casual dress, it is important to appear neat,
clean, and professional at all times. Clothing that is tight or revealing and footwear such as flip-flops
should never be worn while volunteering in the field. Students who are unsure about how to dress
appropriately should ask their Site Supervisor. When in doubt, dress in business-casual attire
(http://humanresources.about.com/od/workrelationships/a/dress_code.htm).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
•
It is the students’ responsibility to review the contents of this syllabus and the course
Blackboard site and seek clarification as needed. The instructors reserve the right to make
changes to the course content, schedule, and/or requirements.
•
Check email and the course Blackboard site regularly for announcements; make sure SDSU has
your correct email address.
•
To receive credit for this course, students need to complete a minimum of 40 hours of
fieldwork. Fieldwork hours missed (due to illness, weather, etc.) must be made up. It is not
uncommon for changes to arise in working with the agencies and companions, so flexibility is
key. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure (before the drop deadline) that they have the
time and flexibility to complete all of the course requirements.
•
It is important to get paperwork (signed Service Learning Plan) and administrative tasks
(fingerprinting, TB testing, and drug screens, if required) taken care of as quickly as possible so
that fieldwork can begin on schedule.
Notice for Students with Disabilities: Students who need accommodations for disabilities should
contact Student Disability Services at 619-594-6473 (http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/index.html), prior to
the beginning of classes to make arrangements for accommodations, and contact their instructor
privately at the start of the semester to discuss specific accommodations for which they have received
authorization.
Academic Honesty: All student work should be free of plagiarism and the original work of the student.
Students who are found to plagiarize will receive a score of zero on the assignment in question and will
be referred to the department for disciplinary action.
CALENDAR:
Week
#/Date
Week #1
1/27
Class Topics and Activities
Orientation to the course, syllabus, and
agencies
- Explain Service Learning Plan forms &
Hours Verification sheets
Readings and Videos, Assignments Due
Read:
1. Welcome Email
2. Agency Info
Turn in top 3 agency preferences by Tuesday
Week #2
2/3
Professional Issues and Conduct
- Group discussion: What do you hope to
gain from doing a field placement? What
steps can you take to meet those goals?
Read:
1. Cole textbook

p. 5-11: Getting 'Real World' Psychology-Related Experience

p. 29-30: How to Act Professionally

p. 31-35: Quintessential Careers
Week #3
2/10
Ethics in Mental Health
- Group discussion: Ethics case examples
- Address any placement issues (TB testing &
fingerprinting)
Read:
1. SGR pgs. 437-440
2. Cole textbook

p. 37-41: The Ethics of Helping

p. 43-45: Ethics in Helping

p. 47-49: HIPAA Overview
Week #4
2/17
Mental Health Care System
Mental Health Professions
Read:
1. Wang et al. (2005).Twelve-Month Use of Mental Health Services
in the United States
2. Cole textbook

p. 69-73: Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care
Due: Service Learning Plan
Week #5
2/24
Multicultural Issues
- Group discussion: What are some of the
biases that you might bring to interactions
with patients/clients?
Read:
1. Surgeon General’s supplement Ch.2 (p. 25-42)
2. Cole Textbook

p. 63-64: Barriers to Mental Health Treatment by People of Color

p. 65-67: Cultural Competence
Guest lecturer
Due: Journal #1 – Expectations
Week #6
3/3
Biopsychosocial Model
Stigma and Mental Illness
Read:
1. Cole Textbook

p. 13-17: Approaching Abnormality

p. 19-23: The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health: The
Roots of Stigma

p. 25-26: Stigma and Mental Illness
Video: Annenberg – Discovering Psych # 21 (Psychopathology)
http://www.learner.org/series/discoveringpsychology/21/e21expand.html
Week #7
3/10
Self Care
Read:
1. Cole textbook: 29-30, 199-236

p. 205-215: Secondary Trauma: How Working with Trauma Survivors
Affects Therapists

p. 217-229: 7 Salutary Suggestions for Counselor Stamina

p. 231-235: Stress Management
2. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/in-therapy/200811/therapistburnout
Week #8
3/17
Helping Skills
- Group activity – using nonverbal
communication, active and reflective
listening, assertiveness
Read:
1. Cole textbook

p. 53-58: Counseling Skills for the Paraprofessional

p. 59-62: Self-Disclosure: Concepts and Applications
Due: Hours check
Due: Journal #2 – Intro to your agency
Week #9
3/24
Setting Client Goals
Problem solving skills
- Group activity – using goal setting and
problem solving
Read:
1. Topic handout
2. Problem solving worksheet
Week #10
3/31
SPRING BREAK
SPRING BREAK
Week #11
4/7
The CBT Model and Empirically supported
treatments for Axis I disorders
Video: Psychotherapy
1. Dr. Clark on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSO6iAFekPw
2. Example of CBT applied to OCD:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds3wHkwiuCo
3. Dr. Miller on Motivational interviewing (MI):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj1BDPBE6Wk
4. Example of MI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URiKA7CKtfc&feature=related
Guest Speaker
Due: Journal #3 – Intro to agency client(s)
Week #12
4/14
Group Project Presentations
Readings TBD
Week #13
4/21
Week #14
4/28
Group Project Presentations
Readings TBD
Group Project Presentations
Readings TBD
Week #15
5/5
Week #16
5/12
Group Project Presentations
Readings TBD
Due: Final Project/Paper
Due: Final Hours Verification Sheet
Finals week – class will not meet