| CODE | PSY5633 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Core Placement 1: Forensic Psychology | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 10 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Psychology | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This is the first core placement for trainees to develop the competencies required of a forensic psychologist It consists of a placement equivalent to one and a half days per week throughout the first year. Trainees will have the opportunity to observe psychologists and other professionals working with offenders in various settings and then engage in closely supervised practice themselves .The students will be carrying out their placement with the Department of Probation and Parole, Corradino Correctional Facility. Students will be offered the opportunity to gain initial experience in both a community-based setting and a secure setting. The placement will provide students with an overview of the various aspects of the Criminal Justice including the Restorative Justice system. Through these structures, students will be able to gain a holistic understanding of the diverse roles of the forensic psychologist. The placement is also expected to compliment the theoretical framework provided in the classroom. A good part of this placement will involve observation and familiarisation with the setting, its structure and the system as well as learning about the role and contribution of psychologists within each setting. Students will be informed about and also have the opportunity to observe the various systems operating within each setting including matters pertaining to organisational issues, security, regulations, the Restorative Justice Act and the Prison Leave system. Other issues such as the various sections in each setting and their purposes, daily structure, education, drug rehabilitation, projects and the role of other professionals / workers and how forensic psychologists work together with these will also be covered. Following a period of job shadowing, during this placement, students will commence work in the area of risk assessment of offenders. Following a period of familiarisation and observation, they will be provided with the opportunity to carry out assessments and report writing under the supervision of a registered forensic psychologist. This will span a variety of assessments such as Intake Assessments, Drug Rehabilitation Applications Assessments, Parole Assessments, Court Reports and Prison Leave Assessments. Students will be supervised and guided towards the practice of adequate report writing and reporting findings. Students shall also gain experience in the formulation of recommendations and the contribution of psychologists towards the development of sentence plans for offenders. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit is aimed at enabling participants to develop an initial understanding of and to begin to practice the relevant competencies expected of a forensic psychologist. The aim of the placement is to: 1. provide students with an insight into the practical implications of working within a probation, parole, addiction prison setting; 2. to develop the necessary interpersonal skills for dealing with offenders and other forensic professionals; 3. to begin to develop the skills of assessment and report writing. They will become aware of the various roles that psychologists are involved in and develop and practice relevant interpersonal, assessment skills and skills involved in resolving the ethical dilemmas that present themselves in forensic settings. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Recognise the professional competencies of the forensic psychologist; 鈥� Critically evaluate the role of risk assessment within a forensic setting; 鈥� Document the importance of reporting and presenting findings related to assessment and management of offenders in different settings; 鈥� Describe and evaluate the various intervention approaches when working with different types of offenders; 鈥� Critically engage with the role of psychologist within a forensic setting. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: 鈥� Create a link between the evaluation and treatment of offenders; 鈥� Integrate and report the findings of a risk assessment regarding offenders; 鈥� Demonstrate adequate skills pertaining to report writing; 鈥� Demonstrate competence in presenting findings to other psychologists and to a wider audience; 鈥� Demonstrate adequate organisational skills such as record keeping and time-management; 鈥� Demonstrate use of ethical and professional skills to work with other psychologists and other professionals; 鈥� Demonstrate a reflective approach in working with clients and colleagues; 鈥� Evaluate the challenges and potential of working within an organisational context. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text - Needs, A. & Towl, G. J. (2008). Applying psychology to forensic practice. Oxford: BPS Blackwell. Supplementary texts - Clarke, J and Wilson, P. (eds) (2012) Forensic Psychology in Practice : A practitiners Handbook. USA: Palgrave. - Howitt, D. (2012). Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology. Prentice-Hall. ISBN 13: 9780273736219 ISBN 10: 0273736213. - Stephenson, G.M (2001). The Psychology of Criminal Justice. Oxford: Blackwell. - Towl, G. J. & Crighton, D. A. (2010). Forensic psychology. London: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Wiley & Sons. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Placement | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Roberta Attard Daniel Mercieca |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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