Field placement handout - St. Lawrence College

Bachelor’s Degree In Behavioural PsychologyWhat Our Students Can Offer on Placement…and BeyondThis new program in Kingston is the first undergraduate degree of its kind in Canada Over 4 years, students take 19 half-courses in Applied Behavioural Analysis, Social Learning Theory &Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy & 9 in related areas of Psychology. They also complete 3 supervised field placements, totalling over 1100 hours. Graduates in the new degree program have the best of both worlds-- a traditional university degree plushands-on focus of a college and can pursue additional post-secondary education.What Behaviourists Do:They use a structured and research-based approach toteach: children to complete assignments in a classroom,improve their social skills on the playground; children with autism to communicate and playwith others; people with developmental handicaps to takecare of themselves, use recreation facilities in thecommunity;young offenders to improve their social skills,manage their anger;persons with mental disorders to reduce theirstress, structure their day;persons with acquired brain injuries to utilizeday planners, regain use of life skills;adult offenders to manage their substance abuse,improve their problem-solving skills.Vocational Outcomes:Graduates reliably demonstrate the ability to:1. Design, write, implement and evaluateadvanced, empirically based MultidimensionalBehavioural Assessments across a variety ofsettings and populations.2. Design, write, implement and evaluateadvanced, empirically based programs inApplied Behaviour Analysis across a variety ofsettings and populations.3. Conduct, with appropriate behaviouralsupervision, empirically based individualBehavioural Counselling sessions in one or moreof educational, applied and clinical settings.4. Co-facilitate Group Behavioural Counsellingsessions in one or more of educational, appliedand clinical settings.5. Incorporate a multilevel systems perspective onprogram integrity and implementation—at theclient, program, organization & societal levels ofanalyses.6. Integrate behavioural concepts andpsychological knowledge across domains in allareas of practice.7. Apply his/her social, professional and clinicalskills in the context of an interdisciplinarysetting with a variety of clients, their supportnetworks, professionals and the community.8. Effectively communicate a behaviouralperspective, both orally and in writing, as aninformed stakeholder in educational, applied andclinical settings9. Conduct themselves in a professional and ethicalmanner in educational, applied and clinicalsettings.10. Display with individuals and in teams, theclinical, professional and interpersonal skillsneeded for effective behavioural practice andprofessional development.

Field Placement Settings:Field Placements are available in most urban centres in Ontario and other locales. A sample of populations reflectedin placement settings is listed below. Acquired Brain Injury Education (Regular, Behavioural GeriatricAutismChildren's and Adult Mental HealthDevelopmentally Handicapped& School-to-Community classes)Forensic (Adult & YoungOffender)Job TrainingPsychiatricSubstance AbuseTiming and Duration of Placements:3 full-time placements: 7 weeks in 2 nd year [not available for hospital settings]. 8 weeks in 3 rd year. 14 weeks in 4 th year.Activities:Students complete one of the following in 2 nd , 3 rd , and 4 thyear:1. Design and implement applied behaviour analysis orbehavioural counselling programs for an individualclient, as an adjunct to the work of Psychologists andother clinicians.2. Co-facilitate behavioural group therapy.In 3 rd and 4 th year they may do one of the followingprojects instead of the above:1. Contribute to assessments by Psychologists and otherclinicians, by administering and scoring assessmentmeasures and/or writing social histories.2. Complete a comprehensive behavioural assessment orseveral assessments.3. ‘Job shadowing’ clinical staff involved in complexassessments and treatment.4. Complete a special project approved by faculty [e.g.literature review and/or data collection for research;adaptation of an existing behavioural program to meetthe special needs of clients; development of newcurriculum for clinical intervention, etc.].Students are Prepared for Placement by: Completing extensive coursework in behaviouralpsychology, including Mental Health and EvidenceBased Practice. Participating in required courses dealing with variousprofessional and ethical issues. Utilizing a detailed 100+ page Field PlacementManual. Receiving ongoing supervision by college faculty,who collaborate with agency staff. Being supervised by those competent in behaviouraltechniques and being placed in programs that have abehavioural focus. This will ensure that they receivethe training they need and can make a valuablecontribution to your agency.Field Placement Selection Process: Each winter, agencies are asked if they are willing toaccept a 3 rd year student for the next winter and eachspring agencies are asked if they are willing to accepta 4 th year fall placement student If so, agencies are asked if you require a phone or inperson interview with the student prior to acceptingthem on placement. If students do not meet agency expectations, agenciesalways have the ‘final right of refusal’. The agreement to accept a student when we call only‘gets the student in the front door’-—the rest is up tothem! We understand the need for flexibility, if an agency’scircumstances change & a student can no longer beaccommodated.For More Information on the Behavioural Psychology Degree Program:At www.stlawrencecollege.ca , first go to ‘full-time studies’, then ’degree programs’ and select our program.Note the detailed, colour 4 page pdf [with list of courses, etc.] at the bottom of this site.To inquire about becoming a Field Placement site for Behavioural Psychology Degree students:Contact: Marie-Line Jobin, Placement Coordinator, at 613-544-5400, ext. 1112, or MJobin@sl.on.ca.