Course Description
This course provides opportunities for students to practice skills in selected sites under supervision. These sites may include current/past employment in which case the practicum will focus on specific roles not similar to current/past employment. Students will integrate and reflect upon their educational, personal and professional experience in the practicum and associated seminar.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Learning from experience is a characteristic of exceptional practitioners.
- Practicum settings, specifically developed for working with co-occurring clients, create opportunities for students to refine their skills of reflection and adaptation in response to their practice experience.
- Field settings provide opportunities to synthesize personal and classroom experiences and create openings for new learning. Learners gain both insight and practice knowledge from field experiences.
- Observing, participating with, and receiving guidance from experienced practitioners are crucial for effective practice.
- Practitioners who regularly and accurately assess their performance and who set goals for their ongoing professional development are more likely to be effective in their work.
- A well-developed personal philosophy of practice is a cornerstone of competent human service practice.
- Experience in the field settings allows learners to demonstrate and enhance their abilities to problem solve, be flexible, think creatively and take responsibility for their actions.
- Reflecting on and evaluating practicum experiences with clients, colleagues and mentors maximize field based learning experiences.
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Practice reports
- Self-evaluation
- Field assessment
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a range of professional skills (e.g., ethical behaviour, use of supervision, self-awareness, self-evaluation, working as a member of a team).
- Demonstrate work habits/accountability (e.g., completing work assignments in a timely manner, managing stress, maintaining energy and enthusiasm, demonstrating initiative and responsibility).
- Demonstrate administrative skills (e.g., reports, letters, use of computer, agency policy)
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of the agency, client population and community resources
- demonstrate knowledge of specific issues affecting co-occurring clients of the agency (e.g., abuse, poverty, unemployment, etc.)
- identify lifespan issues when working with clients and evidence age appropriate planning for treatment and support
- understand and identify best practice approaches to treatment and support for individual clients and to facilitate access to these services
- Demonstrate interviewing and counselling skills
- demonstrate ability to understand and utilize assessment tools
- demonstrate versatility by changing personal style and language to meet the unique needs of individual clients and cultures
- demonstrate advanced skills such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and work with families and in a group setting.
- demonstrate skill and competency in engaging multiple-barrier clients in a treatment/support process