MDCS42560 CAP Clinical Placement 1

Academic Year 2023/2024

This module is part of the Professional Masters in Child Art Psychotherapy. The Clinical Placement in a multidisciplinary CAMHS clinic may be arranged by the Course Co-ordinator, Course Director or the Clinical Placement supervisor, subject to appropriate student references being received prior to clinical placement, and subject to appropriate Garda/Police Clearance. The placements are situated within a variety of child and adolescent mental health services throughout Ireland, with the student on clinical placement with the multidisciplinary team for one full day per week. The clinical placement typically commences before the end of Autumn trimester Year 1 and continues through to the end of the course in Summer Year 2. The Clinical Placement provides
the opportunity for the trainee to acquire clinical skills in the application of Child Art Psychotherapy within a
multidisciplinary team setting. The trainee learns to develop skills in observation, assessment, engaging in,
maintaining and terminating the therapeutic process. Careful planning takes place with the placement supervisor in
choosing suitable clients for the trainee. Prior to starting his/her own clinical work, the trainee observes clinical
sessions of the team members to become familiar with the variety of approaches practised in child and adolescent
mental health services. The clinical placement also provides an understanding of the importance of organisational
issues and professional responsibilities such as boundaries, confidentiality, appropriate ways of clinical note taking,
report writing and sharing relevant information about the progress of the therapeutic process with the placement
team and communication with the child's parents. It is a course requirement that each trainee should work under
supervision with at least 3 long cases during the period of the placement. Trainees take on further cases for Child
Art Psychotherapy assessment and shorter treatment periods. The student has an opportunity to co-work with
multidisciplinary team members and to contribute to the team process. Transparency is required in all
communications regarding trainee status. While on placement the student has method-specific supervision
provided by the UCD course and also has a placement supervisor provided by the CAMHS team.
100% attendance is expected, but 80% attendance is the minimum attendance required to achieve credit for the
module. Absences must be discussed with the module coordinator or course lecturers, who will require supporting
documentation (e.g. medical certificates). Students who miss part of the module may be asked to do a further piece
of work in remediation.