PUB HLTH 6019 - Overview of Mental Health

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2020

Overview of Mental Health seeks to introduce counsellors to current understanding about lived experience and the effects of stigma and discrimination for people experiencing mental illness and their significant others. There is opportunity to develop knowledge about the types of disorders as they are currently understood and outlined in the DSM-V or ICD-10. Students will also develop assessment skills to recognize the range of signs and symptoms and facilitate effective communication with other mental health professionals. Emphasis will be placed on the lived experience and recovery model, and a person-centred approach.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PUB HLTH 6019
    Course Overview of Mental Health
    Coordinating Unit Public Health
    Term Semester 2
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
    Prerequisites PUB HLTH 5005, PUB HLTH 5007, PUB HLTH 7003
    Restrictions Available to MCounsPsych, GDipCounsPsych and GCertCounsPsych students only with approval of Program Coordinator
    Course Description Overview of Mental Health seeks to introduce counsellors to current understanding about lived experience and the effects of stigma and discrimination for people experiencing mental illness and their significant others. There is opportunity to develop knowledge about the types of disorders as they are currently understood and outlined in the DSM-V or ICD-10. Students will also develop assessment skills to recognize the range of signs and symptoms and facilitate effective communication with other mental health professionals. Emphasis will be placed on the lived experience and recovery model, and a person-centred approach.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Alexandra Bloch-Atefi

    Course Coordinator: Alexandra Bloch-Atefi
    Phone: +61 8313 6228
    Email: alexandra.bloch-atefi@adelaide.edu.au
    Location: Level 9, AHMS Building 
    North Terrace

    Student & Program Support Services Hub
    Email: askhealthsc@adelaide.edu.au
    Phone: +61 8313 0273

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

    Timetable details are located on MyUni.
  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    1

    summarize the contexts in which people are living with mental illness and the effects of stigma and discrimination on the overall health and wellbeing of the community;

    2

    describe the mental health needs of special populations within the society.

    3

    describe the range and groupings of mental health issues and the categories commonly assigned through the DSMV or ICD10

    4

    recognise and appropriately respond to the signs and symptoms associated with mental health issues in the counselling context

    5

    utilise appropriate terminology to enable communication with other mental health professionals.

    6

    use a basic understanding of the Mental State Examination and Risk Assessment;

    7

    evaluate the need for, and complete where indicated, referral to a specialised mental health service.

    8

    describe key features and the relevance of the Recovery Model in a counselling setting.

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1-8
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1-8
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    4, 5, 6
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1-8
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1-4
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1-3, 8
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There is no required textbook for this course but a number of background readings will be provided.

    Recommended Resources
    Etherington, K. (2002). Rehabilitation counselling in physical and mental health. London, Philadelphia: J. Kingsley. (On-line ebook via U of A Library).

    Meadows, G., Singh, B., & Grigg, M. (Eds.). (2007). Mental health in Australia: collaborative community practice. South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press. (Hardcopy via U of A Library).

    All other required reading will be provided via MyUni.

    Online Learning
    N/A
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Overview of Mental Health will be delivered with a range of teaching methods. The structure of the weekly /workshops will include lectures, interactive groupwork and small-group discussions.

    The teaching methods in this course will employ a range of techniques to allow the integration and understanding of the content presented. Group-work and workshop activities will be employed in addition to the traditional methods of communicating  information.

    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    A minimum of 10 hours of private study time outside of formal contact time per week and a level of commitment and participation  in class is expected.

    Learning Activities Summary

    Topic

    • Introduction and Overview of the Course and key concepts
    • Lived experience, stigma and discrimination
    • Indigenous and cultural considerations
    • Eating Disorders
    • Mood, anxiety, and personality disorders
    • Classification and assessment
    • Substance use and abuse
    • Case formulation
    • Core counselling skills in mental health
    Specific Course Requirements
    None
    Small Group Discovery Experience
    N/A
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Summative

    Assessment Task

    Task Type

    Weighting

    Learning Outcome

    Class Participation

    Summative

    10%

    Online Quiz

    Summative

    10%

    1-3

    Written Assignment

    Summative

    35%

    3, 4, 6

    Case Study

    Summative

    45%

    2,3-9

    Assessment Related Requirements
    N/A
    Assessment Detail
    Participation: 10%
    Assessment of class participation is based on consideration of the student’s attendance record, their engagement in developing  and fostering group norms for the class, their willingness to offer questions in class, engagement in small-group discussions and learning tasks, their respectful and professional engagement with peers and staff, evidence of their tolerance with peers and clients, and their ability to modify behaviour in response to feedback from peers or staff. 

    Online quiz: 10%                                                         
    Students will complete an online quiz, including Multiple Choice, T/F, Matching formats, to confirm understanding of mental health concepts.

    Reflective Essay:  35%    Word limit: 2,000                                                            
    Demonstrating wide reading and critical reflection on the concept of stigma related to mental health. More details will be provided on MyUni.

    Case Study Essay:  45%    Word limit: 2,500                                                            
    Developing and writing a case conceptualisation and treatment plan for a client according to case descriptions which will be available in MyUni and distributed in class.


    Submission
    Written assignments should be a single document and submitted via MyUni with a signed and dated Assignment Cover Sheet. Further instructions will be provided on MyUni.

    Extensions
    All extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission.  Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds. Supporting documentation must be  provided at the time a student requests an extension. Without documentation, extensions will not be granted. Late requests for extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

    Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions.

    Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a  medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a  letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of  compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the student’s situation. The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact  on the student. Extensions of more than 10 days will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.
     
    Late submission
    Marks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late.

    All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits. In the case of late assignments where no extension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted. If an assignment that is 2 days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%. If that same assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

    The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late.

    Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

    Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual
    University deadlines.

    Resubmission
    If a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process
    <https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/grievance/process/>. Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment result should raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance. This must be done within 10 business days of the  date of notification of the result. Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s) and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.