School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Mental Health Counselling
  • Unit Code

    COU6506
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Susana Parraga DE OLIVEIRA

Description

This unit focuses on the incidence of mental health issues and their effects on the individual, family and community. It provides an understanding of common mental health problems and practical strategies to support individuals experiencing issues relating to depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, trauma, grief, loss and psychosis. Students will be introduced to interventions and tools relevant for mental health assessment, in accordance with their legal and ethical limits. Students will be provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify mental health problems, implement effective evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and make appropriate referrals to support individuals experiencing mental health concerns in their recovery journey.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Students undertake this unit in an accelerated delivery mode over 6 weeks.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse common mental health issues and appropriate evidence-based interventions for delivery across a range of modalities (face-to-face, phone and digital).
  2. Critique mental health assessment tools and the relevant policies, procedures and codes of practice for use in different counselling contexts.
  3. Examine the need for sensitivity and understanding of cultural diversity and cultural contexts of mental health and emotional wellbeing.
  4. Engage in self-evaluation and reflective practice in relation to mental health, to monitor professional functioning and implement strategies for ongoing personal development.

Unit Content

  1. Signs and symptoms of common mental health issues including; depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and psychosis.
  2. The impact of mental illness on individuals, families and Australian society.
  3. Intervention techniques for mental health presentations including; cognitive-behavioural therapy; psychodynamic therapy; interpersonal therapy; group, couple and family therapy.
  4. Mental health assessment tools.
  5. Ethical and legal responsibilities of counsellors in mental health service provision.
  6. Responding appropriately to a mental health crisis.
  7. Self-care, supervision and reflective practice for counsellors in mental health service provision.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseSelf Reflection20%
EssayCritical Analysis40%
ProjectScreening & brief intervention treatment plan40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

COU6506|1|1

School: Arts and Humanities

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Mental Health Counselling
  • Unit Code

    COU6506
  • Year

    2021
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    Online
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Susana Parraga DE OLIVEIRA

Description

This unit focuses on the incidence of mental health issues and their effects on the individual, family and community. It provides an understanding of common mental health problems and practical strategies to support individuals experiencing issues relating to depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, trauma, grief, loss and psychosis. Students will be introduced to interventions and tools relevant for mental health assessment, in accordance with their legal and ethical limits. Students will be provided with the knowledge and skills necessary to identify mental health problems, implement effective evidence-based therapeutic interventions, and make appropriate referrals to support individuals experiencing mental health concerns in their recovery journey.

Non Standard Timetable Requirements

Students undertake this unit in an accelerated delivery mode over 6 weeks.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Critically analyse common mental health issues and appropriate evidence-based interventions for delivery across a range of modalities (face-to-face, phone and digital).
  2. Critique mental health assessment tools and the relevant policies, procedures and codes of practice for use in different counselling contexts.
  3. Examine the need for sensitivity and understanding of cultural diversity and cultural contexts of mental health and emotional wellbeing.
  4. Engage in self-evaluation and reflective practice in relation to mental health, to monitor professional functioning and implement strategies for ongoing personal development.

Unit Content

  1. Signs and symptoms of common mental health issues including; depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and psychosis.
  2. The impact of mental illness on individuals, families and Australian society.
  3. Intervention techniques for mental health presentations including; cognitive-behavioural therapy; psychodynamic therapy; interpersonal therapy; group, couple and family therapy.
  4. Mental health assessment tools.
  5. Ethical and legal responsibilities of counsellors in mental health service provision.
  6. Responding appropriately to a mental health crisis.
  7. Self-care, supervision and reflective practice for counsellors in mental health service provision.

Learning Experience

Students will engage in learning experiences through ECUs LMS as well as additional ECU l

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExerciseSelf Reflection20%
EssayCritical Analysis40%
ProjectScreening & brief intervention treatment plan40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

COU6506|1|2