Practicum Program - Psychology QEII

General Information

The QEII HSC Psychology discipline offers practicum placements to graduate students in Clinical Psychology programs (M.A., Ph.D., or Psy.D.) who are interested in Health Psychology, Geriatric Psychology, or Neuropsychology with an adult population.

A typical placement is 1-2 days/week for a four-month period, although a more intensive placement is sometimes possible depending on resources and the particular service. Details of the arrangement are left to the discretion of the supervisor and the student.

Prerequisites

We believe that specific skills and knowledge are necessary to benefit from the practicum experiences offered within our Psychology discipline. We recommend completion of the following courses (or equivalent background experience) prior to commencement of a placement, although the specific requirements depend on the nature of the service and therefore are left to the discretion of the supervisor.

  •  Ethics (mandatory)
  •  Clinical (or Psychological) Assessment
  •  Clinical Interviewing
  •  Clinical Intervention
  •  Clinical Neuropsychology (if applying for a Neuropsychology placement) 

Identification of a Service and a Supervisor

Students should identify a potential supervisor by consulting the QEII HSC Psychology website (Psychology Staff - QEII), which outlines the clinical work, research interests, and contact information for each psychologist. In accordance with standards of practice, only registered psychologists (i.e., not those on the Candidate Register) may supervise practicum students. A student may apply to work with one or two supervisors at any given time. A qualified psychology predoctoral resident may supervise practicum students to a limited degree, under the supervision of a psychologist. Please note that factors such as space limitations, staff leaves/shortages, or prior commitments by particular supervisors may preclude a practicum from being offered to an otherwise qualified student.  

Required Documentation

Students should contact potential supervisors directly, preferably by email, and send along their curriculum viate and Statement of Training Interests. These documents must be submitted at least eight weeks before the anticipated start date of the placement (to allow time for all of the necessary paperwork to be completed). If the potential supervisor agrees to work with you, you must also send him/her the QEII HSC Practicum Placement Form, completed by the University Practicum Coordinator. In summary, then, the following documents must be sent to the supervising psychologist:

Please note that a Criminal Records Check (at the student’s expense) is required prior to the start date of any practicum placement at Capital Health, unless the student previously completed a placement within Capital Health. A placement is contingent on the results of the Criminal Records Check (although a placement may not necessarily be precluded). The Check should be completed as soon as a placement has been confirmed by Affiliate Placement Service to avoid any delays in commencing a placement.

Please note that a separate arrangment has been made with Dalhousie University regarding the Criminal Record Check. Dalhousie Psychology students are encouraged to check with their Field Placement Coordinator about this arrangement.

Capital Health’s immunization requirements must also be met prior to commencement of a placement based on written medical confirmation. For further information about this, please refer to the Student Placement Service page and associated links located on the CH website. Any questions regarding the Criminal Records Check and the Pre-Placement Immunization Requirements should be directed to the Student Placement Service office 902-473-8434. 

Notification of Applicants

After the supervisor has confirmed placement details with the Coordinator of Interprofessional Student Placements, the Coordinator will notify all concerned parties in writing of the upcoming placement (e.g., University Practicum Coordinator, student, Student/Learner Placement Service and QEII Psychology Director of Training and Psychology staff).

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