Before placement

To ensure that you and our students get on to a great start, we have outlined some key steps to help guide you before the commencement of placement:

  1. Check for eligibility

    All students must have Provisional or Full Registration as a Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia (PBA), a Working with Children’s Check (and be in possession of card) and a current Police Check (renewed at the commencement of every year enrolled in course and on placement) to be eligible for placement.

  2. Familiarise with University policies

    There are also University policies relating to Health and Safety and Immunisation status which students should be aware of at https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/study/current-students/placements/students.

  3. Keep note of Information hubs

    Information about issues can be obtained from the Health Hub, who are situated at Level 1, Brownless Biomedical Library and can be contacted on 03 8344 5807 or online at https://mdhs.unimelb.edu.au/about/contact/student/student-enquiry.

  4. Get acquainted with SONIA

    SONIA enables students and supervisors to gain information about your placement (e.g. who your supervisor is, what days of the week you will be there, location etc…), you can also look at your compliance (police checks, immunisations, working with children checks) and what aspects have been completed or remain incomplete. And finally, you can also complete your log books via SONIA and fill out your placement contract.

  5. Operationalise placement documents

    Students are required to complete the relevant documentation for each placement, including: the agreed goals of the placement which should be operationalised in a written placement contract at the start of the placement.

  6. Familiarise with health and safety responsibilities

    The University requires that each student on placement and each placement supervisor understands their responsibilities with respect to health and safety. When commencing each placement, it is the responsibility of your supervisor to orient you to the placement location and they must provide ongoing and adequate supervision whilst on placement to ensure that your physical or psychological health is not placed at risk during the placement (the Contract in Appendix 2 outlines their responsibilities).

Additional information

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Need Help?

Catharine McNab
External Placement Coordinator
t: 03 8344 1211
e: clinical-placements-psych@unimelb.edu.au		 Christina Bryant
Director of the Clinical Program
t: 03 8344 2627
e: cbryant@unimelb.edu.au