What sort of professional development activities can the supervising psychologist provide?
Supervising psychologists are encouraged to provide professional development activities that address the particular areas of need of the AOD service and also use the specific skills, knowledge and experience of the psychologist. Topics of professional development that have been undertaken have included sessions on how to manage difficult and aggressive clients and specific issues in the assessment and treatment of people with comorbid substance use and mental illness. Other topics could include motivational interviewing techniques for working with people with co-morbid mental illness and substance use problems, group supervision for staff examining complex clients and working with people with personality disorders and substance use problems. Approval for a professional development activity must be sought from the APS and will be considered on a case by case basis. The Scheme has funding for professional activities to be run for a maximum of five placements so it is recommended that if
