MHS5100 · Contemporary issues and controversies in mental health science

Overview

The capstone unit draws together the theoretical and clinical underpinnings of mental health care practice. The structure of the Unit will follow 4 strands: • exploring the efficacy and evidence base for practice, • contributions of contemporary theory, • professional practice and specialist topics such as ethical dilemmas and • controversial issues. The content will be specific to the specialisation stream. Teaching activities using a work-based model will be the focus for enhancing and enriching these learnings as they apply to their professional practice. Examples include case discussion and reflection and peer discussion in forums or virtual classrooms. The unit will allow you to consolidate and apply the diverse skills and knowledge gained in your degree to become independent and critical learners and professionals in their own discipline.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Critically evaluate key research findings in relation to the evidence base of mental health care frameworks
2. Critically analyse key issues relating to contemporary theory and practice of mental health care
3. Identify, describe and synthesise complex issues involved in the professional practice of a mental health care professional
4. Develop reflective practitioner skills through applying, integrating and consolidating changes into practice
5. Formulate creative responses relevant to the practice of working with people with mental illnesses, their family and support network, other professionals and the wider community
6. Critically evaluate key research findings in relation to child psychotherapy's efficacy and evidence base
7. Critically analyse key issues relating to contemporary theory and practice
8. Describe and integrate complex issues observed in professional practice with children and families
9. Develop reflective practitioner skills through applying, integrating and consolidating changes into practice
10. Analyse contemporary issues and formulate creative responses relevant to the psychoanalytic theory and practice of working with children and families
11. Critically evaluate key research findings in relation to evidence based practice in general and subspecialty areas of psychiatric practice
12. Critically analyse key issues relating to contemporary theory and practice of psychiatry
13. Integrate and apply knowledge of the contemporary context in which the psychiatric profession operates including the regulatory, ethical and sociocultural aspects of the discipline and the role of the consultant psychiatrist
14. Develop reflective practitioner skills through applying, integrating and consolidating changes into practice
15. Cultivate deeper and reflective insights into complex ethical and practice dilemmas impacting particular subspecialty areas of psychiatric practice such as telepsychiatry, rural psychiatry, perinatal psychiatry, mental health in the indigenous community and psychiatry of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Work collaboratively with others within and outside of the psychiatric discipline
16. Critically evaluate key research findings in relation to the evidence base of mental health care frameworks.
17. Critically analyse key issues relating to contemporary theory and practice in community mental health.
18. Describe and integrate complex issues observed in the professional practice of community mental health care.
19. Develop reflective practitioner skills through applying, integrating and consolidating changes into practice.
20. Formulate creative responses relevant to the practice of working with people with mental illnesses, their family and support network, other professionals and the wider community.

Workload

In this unit there will be 12 hours of teaching and learning activities per week comprising a mix of teacher-directed and self-directed learning, including readings, video resources, online discussions, interactive tutorials, a reflective journal, and written assessments. In addition, students in this Unit will attend and participate in the half day weekend workshop.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.