PY3LIC1-Evidence-Based Low Intensity Interventions for Children and Young People

Module Provider: Psychology
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2019/0

Email: h.l.whitney@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Children and Young People’s Wellbeing Practitioners (WP for CYPs) and Education Mental Health Practitioners (EMHPs) aid clinical improvement through the provision of information and support for evidence-based low-intensity psychological treatments for common mental health problems experienced by students. Low-intensity psychological treatments are designed to be less burdensome than traditional psychological treatments.

Aims:

This module provides training in the overall delivery of these interventions informed by behaviour change models and strategies. Examples of interventions include providing support for a range of low-intensity self-help interventions (often with the use of written self-help materials) informed by cognitive-behavioural principles, such as behavioural activation, exposure, cognitive restructuring, panic management, problem solving, CBT-informed sleep management, and computerised cognitive behavioural therapy (cCBT) packages as well as supporting physical exercise and medication adherence where appropriate. Support is specifically designed to enable students to optimise their use of self-management recovery information and may be delivered through face-to-face, telephone, email or other contact methods. Students must also be able to manage any change in risk status.

This module will, therefore, equip students with a good understanding of the process of therapeutic support of CYPs, their families, friends and carers. Skills teaching will develop students’ general and disorder-defined ‘specific factor’ competencies in the delivery of low-intensity treatments informed by cognitive-behavioural principles.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Students must demonstrate:

1. Ability to critically evaluate a range of evidence-based interventions and strategies to assist CYPs manage their emotional distress and disturbance.


2. Knowledge of, and competence in developing and maintaining a therapeutic alliance with CYPs (and parents) during their treatment programme, including dealing with issues and events that threaten the alliance.


3. Competence in planning a collaborative low-intensity psychological treatment programme for common mental health problems, including managing the ending of contact.


4. In-depth understanding of, and competence in the use of, a range of low-intensity, evidence-based psychological interventions for common mental health problems.


5. Knowledge and understanding of, and competence in using behaviour change models and strategies in the delivery of low-intensity interventions.


6. Ability to critically evaluate the role of case management and stepped care approaches to managing common mental health problems including ongoing risk management appropriate to service protocols.


7. Knowledge of, and competence in supporting CYP with medication, to help them optimise their use of pharmacological treatment and minimise any adverse effects.


8. Competency in delivering low-intensity interventions using a range of methods including face-to-face, telephone and electronic communication.

Additional outcomes:

Outline content:

The module will comprise of in-class teaching, clinical skills practice/supervised clinical practice, supervision in-service and independent study.

Clinical Supervision

• Each student will have clinical supervision weekly in a group of no more than 6.


• Recorded material from training cases should be included at some point during a significant majority of supervision sessions.

At the end of the course when clinical work has been completed the supervisor will be asked to complete a pro-forma assessment form and indicate whether or not a student has reached a satisfactory level of clinical practice.

The teaching will be supplemented by an equivalent number of hours of clinical practice in the workplace under supervision of an experienced practitioner and supervisor.

Global context:

The content follows a national curriculum.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

The aims of this module will be achieved through a series of  lectures, seminars, discussion groups, guided reading, self-practice/self-reflection activities, problem-based learning tasks, and independent study. Skills based competencies will be learnt through a combination of clinical simulation in small groups working intensively under close supervision with peer and tutor feedback. In addition, they will be supplemented by e-learning material and experience of assessment and treatment of clients within the workplace (under close supervision in the workplace). Teaching will be provided by course tutors, with some national and international experts where appropriate.

Contact hours:

• To include approximately 17 days in total to be split between in class teaching in theoretical teaching and clinical simulation, and the other days to be spent in the workplace undertaking practice-based learning and supervision. These will last from 9.30 to 4.30 p.m. Unless otherwise stated, all teaching days comprise of 50% clinical skills practice.

Teaching contact hours:

• The total minimum teaching contact hours (including clinical skills workshops) across all modules for the WP course is 172.5 hours (30 University days; including workplace-based learning days).


• The total minimum teaching contact hours (including clinical skills workshops) for the EMHP course is 368 hours (64 University days; including workplace-based learning days).

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

There are three parts to this assessment.

1. Practical skills assessment of a low-intensity treatment session with a child or young person treated by the student, in which the trainee is required to demonstrate skills in planning and implementing a low-intensity treatment programme. This recording will be assessed using a standardised assessment measure. The client must be a different presentation to the recording submitted in PY3EAC (e.g. if a parenting client was submitted for PY3EAC, a behavioural treatment of anxiety or depression must be submitted for PY3LIC).

2. Written assignment including essay related to Practical skills assessment (assessment 1) in which students are also required to demonstrate knowledge and competence in using case management and clinical skills supervision. This task includes a reflective commentary on the recording and a reflection on how supervision was used to support working with this young person.

These two assessments are equally weighted.

3. Successful completion of the following practice outcomes, to be assessed by means of a practice outcomes portfolio and signed off as satisfactory (PO 7, PO 8 and PO 9).

Formative assessment methods:

Penalties for late submission:

Penalties for late submission on this module are in accordance with the University policy. Please refer to page 5 of the Postgraduate Guide to Assessment for further information: http://www.reading.ac.uk/internal/exams/student/exa-guidePG.aspx

Assessment requirements for a pass:

A mark of at least 50% (and no auto fails) in the skills based assessment (assessment number 1). 



A mark of at least 40% for academic based assessments (assessment number 2). 



A mark of ‘Pass’ on the practice outcomes (assessment number 3).



For WP for CYPs (graduate and postgraduate certificates), a minimum of 100% attendance is required. For EMHPs (graduate and postgraduate diploma), a minimum of 80% attendance is required.

Note that certain teaching is mandatory (highlighted on timetable) for all students. Any student that misses a mandatory teaching session must attend a termly top-up meeting as scheduled in the timetable.

If, for any reason, a student does not complete the required attendance for their programme or requires further study in a particular area then they will be expected to attend the relevant top-up days.  The exact nature of the top-up days will be flexible in response to the needs of the individual students whereby they catch up on missed teaching, or assessments.  The top-up days require attendance in person.  Additional learning and self-study will take place remotely.  Students must ensure they are available to attend the University in person for all the top-up days, and not make any other arrangements during that time (e.g. book annual leave).  In practice, full attendance for all the top-up days may not be required.  If attendance falls below 80% for any module it will not be possible to use top-up days to compensate for missed sessions; this will need to be attended with another cohort.

Reassessment arrangements:

Students who do not obtain the required pass mark in the assessed work will be given the opportunity to resubmit, on one further occasion, any individual assessment that has been failed. The resit grade cannot exceed 40% for the academic assessment and 50% for the skills-based assessment.

Completion of studies is dependent on employment within a CAMHS partnership of the Central and South CYP IAPT Collaborative and ongoing access to a CYP IAPT appropriate clinical caseload. Students must successfully pass all modules of the training programme. Therefore a student’s studies may be terminated if they are no longer working in a partnership service, no longer have access to an ongoing CYP IAPT appropriate caseload, or fail coursework at second attempt.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

Last updated: 15 October 2019