Mental Health Issues

Mental Health Issues Course Outlines

Module Purpose:
This module provides a foundational introduction o abnormal psychology and to contemporary issues in mental health care. The student develops an understanding of psychological assessment and learns how to identify and appropriately refer people who present with a mental health issue. Te broad spectrum of health issues are treated ranging from anxiety, mood and personality disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders, substance misuse and legal and community issues in the treatment of mental health problems. The ethical, legal and social rights and obligations of people with mental health issues are explored and discussed.

Module Content:
This module presents the student with a comprehensive introduction to mental health and provides the knowledge and skills for identifying mental health issues. Students explore the meaning and nature of mental health, develop competency to assess the incidence f mental health problems in any given community, discuss current issues in mental health and identify the key features and behaviour of those with common types of mental health problems. Emphasis within this module is to develop understanding and sensitivity to mental health issues and confidently and appropriately refer a client with a mental health problem.

• Definitions, concepts and terminology: mental health, normal and abnormal behaviour, common mental health problems and their incidence across cultures, social deviance and mental illness, socio-cultural norms and values, prognosis and socio-cultural factors in recovery, gender issues and mental health illness
• Current mental health issues: Review of the Mental Health Act and Disabilities and Guardianship Act, implications for workers in the community of de-institutionalisation of community-based treatment facilities, rights of patients as consumers of health care services, complaints mechanisms, support services for families, roles of medical and non-medical personnel in treatment, common medications and their effect
• Common types of mental health problems: psychosis, personality disorders, Schizophrenia, bipolar (manic depression) disorders, depressive illness, obsessive compulsive disorders, anxiety and phobias, suicide risk assessment, approaches to classification (DSM IV), key features and behaviours of common types of mental health problems, basic assessment procedures for referral purposes

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will be able to:

1. Use the terminology and core concepts of mental health issues
2. Identify current issues in mental health
3. Identify possible abnormal behaviour and common types of mental health problems

Supervision and Personal Ethics

Supervision and Personal Ethics

Module Purpose:
Supervision 1 is a comprehensive introduction to the theory and practice of supervision within a generic perspective, making this module relevant to counsellors and human resource practitioners alike. The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the purpose and practice of supervisors to suite their professional needs and how to use supervision to maximise their personal learning. The module provides a solid theoretical and practical understanding of the process of supervision in the light of different models, methods and rationales.

Students are guided to reflect on the setting and context in which they work, to consider ethical and legal concerns, and to analyse their experience and practice of working with people. Opportunities are provided to write a supervision contract, plan for evaluation and review, present client cases, receive and give feedback and gain self awareness on practice. Please note: Students will need to have completed or be in the process of completing their fieldwork before enrolling for this module.

Learning Outcomes:
The learner will be able to:

• Understand the importance of supervision in practice.
• Demonstrate preparation for supervision sessions.
• Explore the role of the counsellor and practice in supervision.
• Understand the importance of contracts and boundaries.
• Identify the process of acquiring and working with clients.
• Explore and identify the skills required to maintain a counselling relationship.
• Establish and explore the stages of the counselling relationship.
• Awareness of personal issues relating to the counselling relationship.
• Identify when and how to refer clients to other practitioners.

Coaching Skills 2

Coaching Skills 2 Course Outlines

Pre-requisites: Coaching Skills 1

Module Purpose:
This module supports students in developing an advanced understanding of coaching practice by supporting each student through the development of a unique model and framework of practice. Students deepen their awareness and understanding of the coaching process and examine different paradigms to activate flow in a coaching relationship. Students explore how to position coaching interventions effectively within systemic and organisational contexts. Skills for the development of leadership in a postmodern world are introduced.
Students can expect to develop a more integrated coaching skill-set in which they artfully facilitate the assessing of potential through a clearly defined model of practice, an advanced understanding of process and an appreciation of systemic and contextual factors bearing on a coaching intervention.

Module Content:

• Accessing potential through scenario planning.
• Developing a practitioner model and framework of coaching.
• Systems thinking in coaching.
• Understanding the organisational context when coaching.
• Developing diversity awareness.
• Coaching for leadership development.
• Advanced skills for the process-oriented coach.
• Professional and peer --supervision.
• Behavioural assessment principles.
• Effective communication of coaching model.
• Building a coaching practice

Learning Outcomes:

1. Develop a unique practitioner coaching model and framework.
2. Demonstrate an advanced ability to understand and work with human process.
3. Understand key ways to access potential through a coaching relationship.
4. Develop a systemic awareness in interpreting and working with a client system.
5. Understand the influence of organisational dynamics and structures on a coaching intervention.
6. Develop an ability to participate effectively in professional and peer-supervision.
7. Demonstrate an ethical understanding of the practice of coaching
8. Develop an understanding of effective ways of developing a coaching practice

Coaching Skills 1

Coaching Skills 1 Course Oultines

Module Purpose:
This module equips students with a foundational understanding of the knowledge and skills required for effective life, career and transformational coaching.

Students develop an awareness of the distinctive role of this emergent field, and build a framework on which to develop integrative coaching practice. Different theoretical perspectives and skills are practically applied to different coaching contexts.

Module Content:

• Historical perspective and development of coaching
• Integrative Coaching Framework
• Models of Coaching
• Contracting
• Assessment and Intervention Strategies
• Coaching as a Learning Conversation
• Counselling Skills in Coaching
• Process Orientated Coaching Skills
• Performance based approaches to Coaching
• Assessment: Double and Triple Feedback Loops
• Ethical Guidelines and Professional Standing
• Develop Self Awareness and Practise
• Ongoing Learning and Development

Learning Outcomes

The learner will be able to

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the differences and similarities between coaching, counselling, mentoring and consulting.
2. Identify the main a theoretical perspective out of which coaching has emerged.
3. Develop an integrative coaching framework, demonstrate its application in different contexts, and apply different theoretical models.
4. Evolve a unique integration of the learnt models into personal coaching practice.
5. Assess the effectiveness of a coaching relationship.
6. Understand the scope, and ethical use of coaching.

Family and Relationship Counselling

Family and Relationship Counselling Course Outlines

Pre-requisite: Counselling Skills

Module Purpose:
The purpose of this module is to provide a conceptual framework together with the application of specific counselling skills and competencies for working with couples and families in a counselling role. The module builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired in previous counselling modules and isolate the knowledge, skills and competencies for counselling couples and families. Students are expected to integrate skills already acquired with the particular demands of working with couples and families within the counselling role.

Module Content:
The content of this module equips students with a foundational understanding of the knowledge and skills required for effective family and relationship counselling. Students develop an awareness of the similarities and differences between individual, relationship and family counselling; they learn to identify the different theoretical approaches associated with this form of counselling and to apply, assess and evaluate the effectiveness of family and relationship counselling.

• Comparisons between individual, relationship and family counselling: key features of: individual counselling, couple counselling, family counselling similarities and differences between approaches, gender, social and cultural issues
• Approaches to family and relationship counselling: structural system approach, strategic/communication systems approach, Bowenian approach, existential/humanistic approach, behavioural approach, psychodynamic approach, differences between counselling and mediation
• Using the Structural/Strategic Systems approach: genograms, presenting problems and family structure, lifecycle development and family problems tracking circularity and repetitive patterns of interaction
• Recognising common presenting issues for relationship and family counselling: mis-communication, hierarchy imbalances, family lifecycle transition difficulties, gender issues, boundary issues in the system and sub-systems
• Conducting a couples interview: engaging with individual and their relationship, identifying problem areas, formulating counselling hypothesis, remaining impartial, reaching agreement on problem/issue, selecting counselling strategies, assessing outcomes
• Conducting a family counselling interview: engaging the individuals and the system, identifying the problem in terms of individuals, system and sub-system, identifying underlying problems, formulating hypotheses, determining the sub-systems needing to be addressed, selecting strategies/interventions, strategies for assessing outcomes
• Common problems for couples and families: work-related stress, retrenchment/unemployment/re-training, serious accidents and illness, change of family structure, family dissolution – separations and divorce, re-focussing couples and families, substance abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse
• Assessing effectiveness of counselling: assessing client(s) satisfaction, assessing changes in patterns of behaving and interacting, monitoring changes, making appropriate referrals, terminating the counselling relationship.

Learning Outcomes:

On completion the learner will be able to:

1. Describe and explain the similarities and differences between individual, relationship and family counselling
2. Identify the primary theoretical approaches to family and relationship counselling
3. Apply Structural and Strategy Systems Theory to family and relationship counselling
4. Recognise the common issues presented in relationship and family counselling as distinct from individual counselling
5. Conduct an interview with a family
6. Identify common problems for couples and families
7. Assess the effectiveness of relationship and family counselling

Crisis Intervention

Crisis Intervention Course Outlines

Prerequisites: Counselling Skills 1

Module Purpose:
This module provides the student with the knowledge and skills for the effective intervention and management of crisis. Students learn to identify types of crisis and how to apply appropriate intervention strategies and techniques for counselling people in crisis. The theory and practice of crisis intervention is experientially presented and students learn how to assess, counsel and refer clients through simulated learning experiences. Students are expected to acquire self-knowledge in understanding their own limits for dealing with crises and appropriate the role of decision-making and creative options for helping others in crisis.

Module Content:


This module provides the student with the knowledge and skills for the effective intervention and management of crisis. Students learn to identify types of crisis and to apply appropriate intervention strategies and techniques for counselling people in crisis. The theory and practice of crisis intervention is experientially presented and students learn how to assess, counsel and refer clients. The following content areas are covered in this module:

• Identifying people in crisis: definitions, identifying behaviours, distinguishing between a “crisis” and other types of presenting problems, catalysts of crises
• The counselling role in dealing with crisis: contexts requiring crises counselling skills, parameters for the counselling role, skills and attributes for managing crises
• Crisis intervention strategies and techniques: agency policies and procedures, utilising supports, intervention strategies, the needs of clients in crisis, assessing ability to respond to client needs, recognising strengths and weaknesses and support needs of worker, determining an appropriate course of action
• Selecting and using crisis intervention techniques in the workplace: range of possible intervention techniques, communication techniques – verbal and non-verbal, methods for evaluating intervention techniques
• Crisis intervention and management skills: remaining calm under pressure, determining own limits and capacity to cope, providing creative options, setting realistic short-term goals, managing difficult clients in crisis, managing own stress and the use of debriefing, demonstrating techniques and skills

Outcomes:

On completion the learner will be able to:

1. Identify people in crisis
2. Describe the role of counselling in dealing with a crisis
3. Identify intervention strategies and techniques for dealing with crises
4. Identify intervention techniques for dealing with crises in the workplace
5. Demonstrate the key skills for effective crisis intervention and management
   
   

Interpersonal Skills and Communication

Interpersonal Skills and Communication Course Outlines

Module Purpose:
This Module provides foundational knowledge, skills and capabilities for effective interpersonal communication, one-to-one and in groups. Through the study of this module students gain a broad understanding of contemporary interpersonal theory and practice and a comprehensive skills-base to work effectively and efficiently with people in a variety of contexts. Students are guided in their understanding of the factors and influences that directly and indirectly affect the interpersonal communication process. They are assessed in their application of knowledge, skills and capabilities to simulated and real-life situations throughout the duration of the module. Emphasis within the Module is placed on students acquiring and applying interpersonal skills to address complex interpersonal situations and to work within a variety of contexts as an effective, conscious and confident interpersonal communicator.

Module Content:
In this module students learn to understand and apply the skills of effective communication in a wide variety of contexts and situations. The curriculum covers self-awareness, personal and interpersonal power, attitude, values and perception of emotional and intellectual intelligence, dealing with difference and the skills of working together in teams. This module provides a solid foundation for counselling, together with indispensable skills for dynamic interpersonal relationships.

• Interpersonal skills and effective communication: elements in the communication process, types of interpersonal communication, and barriers to effective communication
  Attitudes, values and perception in communication: communication barriers as a result of attitudes, values and perceptions, self-awareness of communication skills, strategies for overcoming barriers
• Effects of behaviour on interpersonal communication: self-esteem, defensive/passive-aggressive/assertive types of behaviour, dynamics of interpersonal behaviour
• Communication skills: power and empowerment, distinguishing between assertiveness and aggressiveness, the contexts for assertiveness skills, and strategies for using assertiveness skills
• Interpersonal skills in workplace teams: team goals and problem solving, negotiation Skills, and the application of guidance and feedback
• Helping relationships: defining and maintaining a helping relationship, client evaluation of the helping relationship, responding to client feedback, valuing clients, dealing with difficult clients/customers, handling complaints

Learning Outcomes:

The learner will be able to:

1. Explain and demonstrate effective Interpersonal Skills as part of a communication process
2. Identify and analyse the significance of attitudes, values and perceptions in Interpersonal Communication
3. Demonstrate and evaluate a range of Interpersonal Communication skill
4. Participate in, guide and facilitate work groups