Mental Health

Mental health is arguably one of the most critical and dynamic areas of public health across the world. It is an integral and essential component of health.  With more than one in five people suffering a mental health illness at some point in their lives, well trained Mental Health professionals are essential for a healthy community.

The Diploma of Mental Health equips graduates with the skills to support their client’s holistic health and an overall state of well-being in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

This course includes a minimum of 160 hours of industry placement, typically performed on a part-time basis during the program.

• Successful completion of Year 12 in an Australian secondary school system or equivalent
• minimum IELTS 5.5

Mental Health professionals are typically employed in a range of settings including schools, medical centres, outreach services. hospitals, shelters, community service providers, educational institutions, prisons and long term residential facilities.

The Diploma of Mental Health offers graduates a variety of employment opportunities within the health, human and community services sectors. These may include Welfare Support Workers and Mental Health Outreach Support Workers, Community Engagement Workers and other Rehabilitation Workers within the sector.

Core Units

• Provide systems advocacy services
• Work with diverse people
• Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
• Establish self-directed recovery relationships
• Provide recovery oriented mental health services
• Work collaboratively with the care network and other services
• Provide services to people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues
• Provide early intervention, health prevention and promotion programs
• Implement recovery oriented approaches to complexity
• Assess and promote social, emotional and physical wellbeing
• Provide support to develop wellness plans and advanced directives
• Implement trauma informed care
• Research and apply evidence to practice
• Reflect on and improve own professional practice
• Manage work health and safety

Elective Units

• Manage personal stressors in the work environment
• Assess needs of clients with alcohol and other drugs issues
• Develop strategies for alcohol and other drugs relapse prevention and management
• Develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans
• Facilitate the recovery process with the person, family and carers