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Unit of Study MHNS5001 - Contemporary Mental Health (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    PG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    N/A

Unit description

Exposes learners to a critical exploration and practical application of the core contexts of mental health within the Australian health care systems. Contemporary policy issues, core professional values, the self within therapeutic relationships, foundational skills within mental health professional clinical practice that build toward collaborative recovery and evidence-based mental health practice will be covered.

Unit content

  • The history of mental health services, social movements and psychiatric critique
  • The politicisation of mental health and the development of policy
  • An examination of the medical model in contrast with other non orthodox approaches to care such as open dialogue
  • The concept mental health recovery
  • Emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion as foundations for effective helping
  • The therapeutic relationship or alliance 
  • Emotional intelligence, empathy and compassion
  • Formulation as a means of explaining mental health problems
  • Bio-psycho-social-spiritual assessment and formulation 
  • Clinical supervision and reflective practice

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
SCU Online
Summer Term
Term4
Summer Term
Term4

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

analyse and critique the dominant discourses and models of mental health and illness and how these and other formative influences have shaped mental health policy, legislation, professional standards, influenced mental health practice and the experience of care

critically review the concept of the therapeutic alliance or relationship, its essential elements, how it can be developed and maintained, and argue its importance in contributing to collaboratively negotiated outcomes with service users

critically explore the concepts of empathy, compassion and emotional intelligence in the provision of mental health care and how these can be sustained and developed through reflective practice and clinical supervision in order to improve mental health outcomes

construct a clinical / case formulation drawing on psychotherapeutic theory, extant research and clinical reasoning which effectively addresses the holistic needs of the individual and families

Prescribed learning resources

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Prescribed Texts
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Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.