PAR2032 · Paramedic management of mental health

Overview

In this unit, you will develop your skills as a paramedic to assess and care for patients with mental health problems in the community. You will explore the epidemiology, history, and current state of mental health in Australia, with a focus on community-based care. You will examine acute and chronic mental health concerns across diverse populations. Through case-based learning, you will integrate biomedical, social, and clinical sciences, and engage in practical scenarios to strengthen your communication, assessment, and clinical decision-making skills.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment in this unit includes hurdle assessment tasks. Failure of any hurdle assessment task may result in failure of the unit.

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

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. In this unit, you will develop your skills as a paramedic to assess and care for patients with mental health problems in the community. You will explore the epidemiology, history, and current state of mental health in Australia, with a focus on community-based care. You will examine acute and chronic mental health concerns across diverse populations. Through case-based learning, you will integrate biomedical, social, and clinical sciences, and engage in practical scenarios to strengthen your communication, assessment, and clinical decision-making skills.
2. Apply the requirements of local legislation when caring for those with acute behavioural disturbances.
3. Apply structured mental health assessment frameworks to identify risk, needs and priorities for care within the scope of paramedic practice
4. Evaluate and adapt communication strategies to support people experiencing disturbances of thoughts, mood, or behaviour in diverse clinical and cultural contexts.
5. Implement safe, evidence-based therapeutic interventions in the assessment and management of mental health emergencies in community settings
6. Justify evidence-based strategies to safely and ethically manage mental health crises, with consideration to the needs and wellbeing of patient, family/caregivers and self.

Workload

6 hours per week involving online lectures, online learning activities, tutorials, practicals, small group exercises and 6 hours of self directed study per week

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