Master of Mental Health Science - 2018

This course is offered by the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health. This course seeks to develop professional knowledge and skills for clinicians delivering mental health care. Depending upon your undergraduate studies you select from community mental health, child psychotherapy, psychiatrist in training or mental health nursing. These specialisations aim to meet the specific needs of these disciplines within mental health services. The course can be completed by coursework, or for those professionals seeking to build their research capacity, incorporation of a research project or minor thesis is available to address that need.

Specialisations

Child psychotherapy

The child psychotherapy specialisation gives you a deep understanding of psychoanalytic and developmental theory and how it can help children and adolescents with emotional and behavioural problems. Completing all units in this pathway fulfils part of the criteria for professionals to be eligible for membership of the Victorian Child Psychotherapy Association.

Community mental health

The community mental health specialisation provides a thorough understanding of community mental health practice in Australia, from population-based to individual clinical and rehabilitation interventions to family and community support to policy and planning. It is relevant not just to case management, disability support and non-clinical mental health workers but also to clinical psychologists, trainee psychiatrists, general practitioners, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and social workers.

Mental health nursing

The mental health nursing specialisation provides a deep understanding of the philosophy and theory underpinning mental health nursing, its values and the requisite skills to maintain clinical relationships and assist in person-centred mental health care that aids recovery. Through completion of elective units that include psychoanalytic and developmental theory, mental health of the elderly, psychopharmacology and physical treatments, transcultural mental health, forensic mental health and family violence, the mental health nurse will be equipped to provide competent clinical care in a range of mental health settings.

Psychiatrist in training

The psychiatrist in training specialisation corresponds to the curriculum required by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists' (RANZCP) Formal Education Course (FEC) as described in the college regulations for trainee psychiatrist in a clinical training program for psychiatrists. This specialisation will correspond with the FEC curriculum that covers the first three years of psychiatry training, providing the knowledge, values and skills covered by that curriculum and complementing the entrustable clinical activities undertaken through the RANZCP supervised clinical training for psychiatrists.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Upon successful completion of this course it is expected that you will be able to:

1. critically evaluate mental health literature and identify gaps for research
2. evaluate the effectiveness of mental health care interventions using appropriate research tools
3. integrate a high level of discipline specific knowledge, research informed skills, critical analysis and evidence-based practice principles into advanced mental health practice
4. initiate new or innovative approaches to the delivery of mental health interventions that empower clients and patients to become knowing and willing partners in the mental health intervention
5. develop, apply and champion evidence-based best practice principles in your designated area of practice (community mental health/child psychotherapy/mental health nursing/psychiatry)
6. provide leadership in mental health care policy and practice reforms
7. exhibit cross-cultural competence and ethical values in the application of specialised, expert skills in the delivery of mental health interventions.

Child psychotherapy

Successful completion of the Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Science or the Master of Child Psychotherapy including CPS5001, CPS5002, CPS5003, CPS5004, CPS5005, CPS5006, CPS5007, CPS5008 fulfils one of the criteria for professionals to be eligible for membership of the Victorian Child Psychotherapists' Association.

Mental health nursing

Completion of a specialist postgraduate mental health nursing qualification is one criterion to be met for the Australian College of Mental Health Nursing Credential for Practice Program (ACMHN-CPP). Whereas the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) does not currently provide a mechanism to recognise mental health nurses, the ACMHN credential is the standard accepted by the ACMHN to recognise specialist mental health nurses.

Psychiatrists in training

Completion of a formal education course is one requirement of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists across stages 1 and 2 of training and complements supervised clinical training in accredited clinical roles. An application for accreditation of the Master of Psychiatry award is before the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

The course is structured in three parts: Part A. Expanding core discipline skills, Part B. Foundations for mental health science specialist studies and Part C. Advanced specialist study.

Part A. Expanding core discipline skills

In this part, you will have the opportunity to complete scholarly practical studies that develop and expand your expertise within your area of specialist practice - child psychotherapy, community mental health, mental health nursing or psychiatry.

These studies will provide you with the foundations to lead the management, design and delivery of high quality evidence-based patient/consumer-centred care and/or develop health care programs in a clinical context that impact on patient outcomes. It is inter-professional, reflecting and modelling the collaboration required in practice to deliver health care of the highest quality and ensures a heightened awareness of legal, ethical, inter-professional, cultural, managerial and safety issues in health care practice.

Part B. Foundations for mental health science specialist studies

In this part you will have the opportunity to be orientated to research through an exploration of the nature of health professional research. You complete two course core units. The first unit will assist you to interpret published research and enhance your capacity to resolve ethical issues that health researchers face.

The second unit is aimed at teaching practical research skills. You will be taught how to translate thoughts and interests into a sound research project by undertaking a critical review of the literature, developing a research proposal and preparing an ethics application.

Part C. Advanced specialist study

The focus of these studies is professional or scholarly work that can contribute to a portfolio of professional development. You have two options:

• a research focus where you have a choice between completing a research project or a minor thesis
• a program of coursework study involving a capstone unit and electives where you select units to suit your own interests.

Note: If you wish to use this master's course as a pathway to a higher degree by research you should take the first option.

The course comprises 72 points structured into three parts: Part A. Expanding core discipline skills (24 points), Part B. Foundations for mental health science specialist studies (12 points), and Part C. Advanced specialist study (36 points).

Units are 6 credit points unless otherwise stated.

Part A. Expanding core discipline skills (24 points)

You must complete:

Child psychotherapy

• CPS5001 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 1
• CPS5002 Normal developmental observation
• CPS5003 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 2
• CPS5004 Psychodynamic assessment of children and adolescents

Community mental health

• CMH5001 Mental health practice essentials
• CMH5002 The context for mental health practice
• CMH5003 Concepts in mental health illness
• CMH5004 Recovery oriented mental health practice

Mental health nursing

• CMH5001 Mental health practice essentials
• CMH5003 Concepts in mental health illness
• CMH5004 Recovery oriented mental health practice
• NUR5228 Theories and philosophies of mental health nursing

Psychiatrists in training

• CMH5001 Mental health practice essentials
• CMH5002 The context for mental health practice
• CMH5003 Concepts in mental health illness
• CMH5012 Psychopharmocology and physical treatments in mental health care

Part B. Foundations for mental health science specialist studies (12 points)

You must complete in your second or third year:

• SRH5001 Research methods for health
• SRH5032 Applied research for health practitioners

Part C. Advanced specialist study (36 points)

You must complete either a. or b. below.

a. Research pathway

You complete either a research project or a minor thesis as detailed below.

Research project students complete:

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice (12 points)
• MAP5010 Advanced health practice research project (12 points)
• 12 points from the list of elective units below from your chosen specialisation

Minor thesis students complete:

• MAP5000 Research in advanced health professional practice (12 points)
• MAP5001 Preparatory minor thesis (12 points)
• MAP5002 Minor thesis (12 points)

Note: Completing a minor thesis provides a pathway to a higher degree by research.

b. Coursework pathway

You must complete the requirements for your specialisation as detailed below.

Child psychotherapy

The following capstone unit:

• CPS5009 Contemporary issues and controversies in child psychotherapy

and 30 points from the list of child psychotherapy elective units below:

• CMH5005 Mental health of the elderly
• CMH5006 Transcultural mental health
• CMH5011 Contemporary research and practice in family violence
• CPS5005 Principles of child psychotherapy
• CPS5006 Principles of adolescent psychotherapy
• CPS5007 Principles of short term therapy
• CPS5008 Principles of working with parents
• FBS5001 Fundamentals of forensic behavioural science
• FBS5002 The role of mental health in criminal offending

Community mental health

The following capstone unit:

• CMH5013 Contemporary issues and controversies in community mental health

and 30 points from the list of community mental health elective units below:

• CMH5005 Mental health of the elderly
• CMH5006 Transcultural mental health
• CMH5011 Contemporary research and practice in family violence
• CMH5012 Psychopharmacology and physical treatments in mental health care
• CPS5001 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 1
• CPS5002 Normal development observation
• CPS5003 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 2
• FBS5001 Fundamentals of forensic behavioural science
• FBS5002 The role of mental health in criminal offending

Mental health nursing

The following capstone unit:

• NUR5229 Challenges and controversies in mental health nursing practice

and 30 points from the list of mental health nursing elective units below:

• CMH5002 The context for mental health practice
• CMH5005 Mental health of the elderly
• CMH5006 Transcultural mental health
• CMH5011 Contemporary research and practice in family violence
• CMH5012 Psychopharmacology and physical treatments in mental health care
• CPS5001 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 1
• CPS5002 Normal development observation
• CPS5003 Psychoanalytic and developmental theories 2
• FBS5001 Fundamentals of forensic behavioural science
• FBS5002 The role of mental health in criminal offending

Psychiatrists in training

The following capstone unit:

• CMH5013 Contemporary issues and controversies in community mental health

and 30 points of psychiatrists in training elective units from the list below:

• ASC5004 Addiction assessment and treatment: practice and innovation
• CMH5005 Mental health of the elderly
• CMH5006 Transcultural mental health
• FBS5001 Fundamentals of forensic behavioural science
• PIT5001 Psychiatry of the medically ill
• PIT5002 Child and adolescent psychiatry
• PIT5003 Ethics of mental health care

You may exit this course early and apply to graduate with one of the following awards, provided you have satisfied the requirements for that award during your enrolment in this master's course:

• Graduate Certificate of Mental Health Science after successful completion of 24 points of study including all the requirements for Part A
• Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Science after successful completion of 48 points of study including all the requirements for Part A plus an additional 24 points from Part B or Part C.

You can choose to complete a research stream that will provide a pathway to a higher degree by research. To be eligible for doctoral studies such as the Doctor of Philosophy award, you need to undertake the minor thesis pathway (36 points in Part C).