Youth psychiatry assessments and requirements

The assessments and requirements to complete the Certificate of Advanced Training in Youth Psychiatry are:

• eight Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs), two per 6-month rotation  
• one Observed Clinical Activity WBA per 6-month rotation 
• mid-rotation and end-of rotation In-Training Assessments (ITAs) 
• psychotherapy with at least four young patients 
• 20 vignettes 
• certificate of completion of approved formal education course

You will complete learning and development plans each year. At the end of your Certificate you will need to complete a checklist and sign off.

Learning and development plan

At the beginning of each year of training, you must submit a written proposal outlining your plans for learning and development.

Learning and development plan [Word; 328KB]

Entrustable Professional Activities

You must attain eight Stage 3 youth psychiatry EPAs; two per 6-month FTE rotation.

A minimum of three WBAs are required to contribute to the evidence base for each required EPA.

Fellows in Training are not required to attain EPAs following the completion of 24 months FTE training time towards one certificate.

Four mandatory EPAs

ST3-YP-AOP-EPA1 - Commencing psychopharmacological treatment for a young person (12–25) who has not previously been treated with psychopharmacology
ST3-YP-AOP-EPA2 - Independently conducts an initial family interview involving a young person aged 12–25
ST3-YP-AOP-EPA5 - First presentation of a young person (12–25) with a complex mental disorder
ST3-YP-AOP-EPA10 - Conduct an assessment of a young person aged 12–25 with an Ultra-High Risk (UHR) for psychosis presentation using a structured, validated clinical instrument

Four elective EPAs

Four elective EPAs can be chosen from the list below. Relevant EPAs from other areas of practice may be used to satisfy the remaining EPA requirements of the Certificate; prospective approval from the Director of Advanced Training is required.

Youth Psychiatry EPA list

Observed Clinical Activity

You must complete at least one Observed Clinical Activity (OCA) with a child, adolescent or family during each 6-month FTE rotation.

In-training assessments

You must complete mid-rotation and end-of-rotation ITAs. You must submit an end-of-rotation ITA form via inTrain within 60 days of the completion of a rotation.

Psychotherapy experience

You must provide psychotherapy to four young people with a mental disorder, aged 12–15 years, for at least six sessions each. At least one must be under 16 years.

Treatment modalities

One case must use a structured or manualised treatment modality (e.g. CBT, IPT) and at least one must be family in any model (e.g. family, network).

Sign off and approval

If the supervisor is satisfied with the psychotherapy provided to each young person, they may sign off the Advance Training Psychotherapy form after the sixth session. Therapeutic contact may continue after the sign off date.

For pre-Fellowship trainees, successfully completing three cases will fulfil the Stage 3 Fellowship psychotherapy requirement.

Vignettes

A de-identified, typed vignette of 50–100 words in length is required for 20 cases.

Each vignette should include the following:

• young person’s age
• gender
• brief details of the presenting context and symptoms
• a formulation based on the discussion with supervisor. 

The vignettes must include:

• at least six people under 16 years of age
• at least six people aged 16–25 years

The vignettes must include at least one, but not more than two from each of the following diagnostic areas: 

• psychosis 
• mood / anxiety disorder 
• intellectual disability or significant cognitive impairment 
• deliberate self-harm 
• attention deficit hyperactivity 
• autism spectrum 
• substance use 
• eating disorder

Vignettes must be signed off by the trainee’s principal supervisor and submitted to the DOAT for feedback. The number of completed vignettes per rotation will be noted on the end-of-rotation ITA form.

Certificate checklist and sign off

You must submit a checklist of all activities for the certificate via inTrain.

Checklist and sign off [PDF; 179 KB]