Course Description
This course will focus on educating healthcare workers in caring for people with mental health issues. The course includes an overview of the current mental healthcare system in the United States, ethical, legal, and sociocultural issues, and various psychotherapies. Skills and principles of mental healthcare will be explored with a focus on therapeutic communication, therapeutic relationships, and therapeutic environment. Mental health problems throughout the life cycle will be examined with an emphasis on the elderly population. Care of clients with various types of psychological and psychosocial disorders will also be discussed.
Prerequisite
- None
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Explain the history of mental healthcare and the current system of care.
- Identify the areas of potential legal liability, ethical and sociocultural considerations for mental healthcare providers.
- Examine the skills and principles of mental healthcare.
- Discuss therapeutic communication, environment, and relationships.
- Compare and contrast mental health problems of children, adolescence, adults, and the elderly.
- Discuss the care of clients with psychological disorders such as anxiety, loss/grief, depression and dissociative disorders.
- Discuss the care of clients with psychosocial problems such as anger/aggression, suicide, substance-related disorders, personality disorders, and schizophrenia and other psychoses.
- Explain chronic mental health disorders and identify therapeutic interventions utilized in a variety of settings.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Points | Weight |
|---|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 320 | 20% |
Quizzes (Weeks 1-7) | 140 | 20% |
Case Study (Week 4) | 100 | 20% |
Research Paper (Week 7) | 100 | 20% |
Final Exam (Week 8) | 100 | 20% |
Total | 760 | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore
Morrison-Valfre, M. (2021). Foundations of Mental Health Care. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN-13: 978-0-323-66182-9
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 1 | Topic: History of Mental Health Care and Systems
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2 | 2 | Topics: Legal, Ethical and Sociocultural Issues
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3 | 3,4 | Topics: Skills and Principles of Mental Health Care
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4 | 5 | Topic: Mental Health Care Across the Lifespan
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5 | 6 | Topic:Caring for Clients with Psychological Disorders
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6 | 7 | Topic: Caring for Clients with Psychosocial Disorders Part 1( Anger/Depression, Suicide, Substance-Abuse)
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7 | 7 | Topic: Caring for Clients with Psychosocial Disorders Part 2 (Personality Disorders and Psychoses)
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8 | 8 | Topic: Chronic Mental Health Disorders
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Final Exam | |||
COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.