This text is part of the special Higher Education notebook
From the fall of 2024, graduates of the bachelor’s degree in psychology will be able to reorient themselves in psychoeducation thanks to a new training program offered at the University of Sherbrooke (UdeS) and recognized by the Order of Psychoeducators and Psychoeducators of Quebec. The objective: to increase opportunities for the many psychology graduates who do not have access to a doctorate, while alleviating the glaring labor shortage in the field.
After three years of study, The first cohort of 25 to 30 students in the new program will add to the current 60 to 70 graduates in psychoeducation in the province, increasing the number of graduates in a field that is sorely lacking in manpower. They will work within the Youth Protection Department, in the health sector or in school and community settings.
“Being a psychoeducator is a profession that is still little-known,” notes Isabelle Thibault, professor in the Department of Psychoeducation and responsible for the creation and application of the new training profile. “There is a real need in practice environments. We are looking for directors of youth protection, we are having difficulty recruiting. In the health network, waiting lists are created and community needs are not met. The program is a way to respond to this situation. »
In 2022, the UdeS psychoeducation team becomes aware of the lack of job opportunities for psychology baccalaureate graduates thanks to reports on the subject. “Universities admit hundreds of students to the baccalaureate, but accept a minority of them to the doctorate,” notes Marie-Josée Letarte, full professor and director of the Department of Psychoeducation at the university. Thus, the majority of psychology baccalaureate graduates can never work as psychologists, and they thus find themselves with a limited choice of career opportunities, such as technicians or human relations agents. »
It clicks. Would it be possible to offer a program allowing a portion of these students to specialize in psychoeducation? A project quickly got underway at UdeS. “These graduates have a baccalaureate in psychology. Several of them studied psychology because they want to be in a helping relationship, says Mme The pie. Psychoeducation is another way to help young people in difficulty. I think many people go to psychotherapy without knowing psychoeducation. »
Students registered for this training will have to follow, in the first year, additional courses to upgrade with the baccalaureate in psychoeducation. Then, in their journey, they will have the opportunity to complete internships in the workplace, under the supervision of experienced psychoeducators. They will also be encouraged to complete a research dissertation on a theme of interest — an approach which does not aim to make them researchers, but to develop certain skills, specifies M.me The pie.
Full steam ahead
Launched on track in December 2022, the new program is developing rapidly. The UdeS Department of Psychoeducation covers development costs, including the hiring of a person working full-time on the design of the program, explains Isabelle Thibault. The team focused on the profile of psychology baccalaureate graduates to find out the missing elements for the development of refresher courses and prepare them for the master’s degree. She also conducted focus groups with students from these programs. According to her, the small size and collaborative climate of the UdeS make it possible to quickly develop this type of project.
“It’s a project that has the support of the rectorate, the Faculty of Education, the Longueuil campus. We consulted with the Order [des psychoéducateurs et psychoéducatrices du Québec] since the start of the project, says Mme Thibault. Everyone is excited and believes in the project. There is great enthusiasm! »
The small UdeS team has already carried out several information sessions with psychology bachelors. Interest is high among students, says M enthusiasticallyme The pie. The new program, with a quota, will be offered at the Longueuil campus of the UdeS during the next fall session.
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