It's not just staff and students of the University of Technology Sydney who are benefiting from the spectacular upgrade of the university's Ultimo campus – Sydney's newest purpose-built training clinic is bringing quality and affordable psychology services to the community.
Based in UTS's state-of-the-art Science and Graduate School of Health Building, the UTS Psychology Clinic is public facing – designed specifically for providing services to clients across the age ranges, both in assessment and treatment.
The facility is a key training tool in the clinical psychology discipline within the Graduate School of Health (GSH) and gives postgraduate students undertaking the Master of Clinical Psychology the opportunity to further develop their skills by working with clients in a purpose-built clinic.
The trainees, who are provisional psychologists and have already completed at least four years of psychology, are supervised by qualified clinical psychologists.
Psychology Clinic Director Alice Shires said, "Patients are able to self-refer or be referred by a treating GP or psychiatrist. The subsidised fees are intended to encourage anyone needing help or support to make an appointment."
She said that the set-up of the clinic and the expertise on offer made it suitable for people suffering from anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders, phobias, depression and other mood disorders.
"A child and family sub-clinic is now offering services for a range of problems experienced by children and their families, such as behaviour, anxiety and parenting.
"We are also planning a pain management service and to offer more innovative therapies such as MiCBT – mindfulness-integrated cognitive behaviour therapy. Employers want to see graduates with experience in a range of therapeutic skills, including more innovative therapeutic methods."
Shires said the fact that trainees worked closely with their supervisors meant that client problems received very thorough consideration, with each case reviewed and evaluated by the supervising psychologist, resulting in a higher quality of service.
"The trainees' work is closely monitored and they get a great deal of very detailed feedback," she said. "They are able to take on work in a graded, systematic way that keeps them feeling confident and competent in terms of their skills development.
"We've adopted a science/practitioner training model, with all of the academic staff involved in the clinic. That produces graduates who are ready for the workforce but maintain capability in scientific practice."
The UTS clinic's central location makes it easily accessible for patients and, with 29 trainees participating; waiting lists can be kept to a minimum. Patients will also reap the benefits of continuous service.
"The clinic is open throughout the year with some short breaks built in, so essentially it's a year-long service," Shires said.
The UTS Psychology clinic is located in Building 7, level 2 and is offering free assessment and treatment to UTS staff and students until 18 December. To make an appointment or enquire about referrals, please contact the clinic on (02) 9514 7339.
- Sydney's newest purpose-built training clinic is bringing quality and affordable psychology services to the community
- The facility is a key training tool in the clinical psychology discipline within the UTS Graduate School of Health and gives postgraduate students the opportunity to further develop their skills by working with clients