Mental Health

This course introduces skills and techniques to detect, assess and review patients with mental health issues. Included are guides and examples for conducting effective mental health interviews and developing General Practice Mental Health Treatment Plans. It provides an overview of Australia’s mental health care system including mental health illnesses/disorders within the Better Access initiative. Strategies to detect mental health illnesses including recognition of differential factors and management of associated complexities are covered. Guides for reassessment and review of patients are provided. Shared understanding of mental illness is discussed together with using screening and treatment evaluation tools and how to detect early warning signs and relapse prevention. Self-help including when to use pharmacotherapy, evidence based psychological therapies, and optimum patient care through shared care, multidisciplinary communication and teamwork are discussed. Risk assessment, resources, frameworks, local services and referral pathways are listed. Case studies are used throughout the course to reinforce learning.

Highlights:

• Mental health interviews
• Developing GP mental health treatment plans
• Providing ongoing mental health care
• Identifying services & resources to safeguard patient safety
• Using appropriate MBS item numbers relating to provision of mental health care within the context of general practice

This Mental Health Skills Training: Core Module is for medical practitioners who wish to manage mental health to improve patient outcomes, specifically to be able to identify and treat mental health issues and to work collaboratively with other professionals in the field, where appropriate.

This course is for physicians only. There are no prerequisites. Participants do not have to pass an IELTS test but, as the courses are delivered in English, proficiency in listening, reading and writing English is assumed.

Participants will require access to a computer/laptop, an internet connection and a basic level of technology proficiency to access and navigate the online learning portal.

Professionally recognised qualifications and prior studies may be recognised for entry into this course if the learning outcomes match exactly. Please ask a HealthCert Education Advisor for an individual assessment of your prior qualifications and experience.

Upon successful completion of the exam, course participants will receive a certificate in Mental Health Skills Training: Core Module, and CPD hours.

This Core Module:

• Is reviewed by Griffith University in compliance with RACGP/ACRRM standards.
  
• Is accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC).
  
• Qualifies for CPD hours from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP).
  
• Qualifies for CPD hours from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM).
  
• Meets World Federation of Medical Education standards.
  
• Is recognised by Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP). The RNZCGP recognises all courses endorsed by the RACGP. Peer review and audit are compulsory.
  
• Is a self-submitted activity in Dubai. The number of CPD hours must be stated on the certificate. Please contact PLD@dhcr.gov.ae for more information.
  
• Is a self-submitted activity in the UK. CPD events overseas, applicable to a doctor’s scope of practice, may be submitted for revalidation. Please confirm with your Responsible Officer.
  
• Is a self-submitted activity in Canada through the College of Family Physicians of Canada. Please contact mainprocredits@cfpc.ca for more information.
• Has been independently developed with subject experts and does not receive education grants from any pharmaceutical company.

Professional Diploma Pathway

HealthCert offers a Professional Diploma pathway in Mental Health. The pathway is: Professional Certificate of Mental Health, Advanced Certificate of Mental Health (coming soon), Professional Diploma of Mental Health (coming soon).

This Core Module provides RPL into the HealthCert Professional Certificate of Mental Health, thereby reducing the time and cost to complete the next qualification.

Other courses in Mental Health

This course is recognised by GPMHSC as a Core Module of the modular Mental Health Skills Training. Once this Core Module and a GPMHST-approved Clinical Enhancement module are completed, Australian physicians will be eligible for Medicare billing rebates for mental health skills training. For practitioners who are working towards qualifying for the MBS rebates for mental health, HealthCert offers the Clinical Enhancement Module: PTSD – Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders to qualify for Medicare rebates. Completing this Core Module + the Clinical Enhancement module qualifies doctors for MBS items 2715 and 2717 (or equivalent item numbers for non-VR GPs).

Postgraduate pathway for Mental Health

Graduates of the HealthCert Professional Diploma of Mental Health (coming soon) qualify for a scholarship into the Masters of Applied Clinical Psychiatry. These are online course from the UK designed for medical practitioners. Please contact our UK partner directly regarding this scholarship: https://www.diploma-msc.com/s/healthcert 

Fees will vary based on the program and study option selected (fully online vs online + optional practical workshop). Payments can be made upfront or in monthly instalments. Special rates and various payment options are available. GP registrars and doctors in training enjoy a scholarship of up to $500. Talk to us to learn more.

Completion of any HealthCert course or attendance at an event will enable you to access the HealthCert Alumni Program which includes:

• Access to special alumni rates for new courses when they are released.
• Special alumni price for HealthCert Conferences.
• Exclusive advanced access to HealthCert events.
• Regular Alumni Webinars pertaining to the course(s) you have attended. These will provide content review of the course and an opportunity to discuss case studies.
• Access to the video lectures as seen during the course(s) that you have attended.

HealthCert Education is pleased to issue digital credentials for alumni. Digital credentials are a permanent online record of your successful completion of a HealthCert course and are issued to all course participants in addition to PDF certificates. If you are based in Australia, you also have the option to order a hard copy of your digital certificate for a small additional fee.

The recommended study duration of this certificate course is 12.5 hours, which includes study of the pre-course activities and readings, online lectures, live tutorials, and online assessment. This self-paced course offers the flexibility of 100% online study in your own time, at your own pace, in your own home or office, with no mandatory face-to-face requirements. You are not required to be online at specific times but can view and replay video lectures at your convenience.

All HealthCert courses meet World Federation of Medical Education standards. This certificate course qualifies for CPD hours from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) and is accredited by the General Practice Mental Health Standards Collaboration (GPMHSC) in Australia. It is recognised by the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) in New Zealand. It is recognised by the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians (HKCFP) in China. It is a self-submitted activity in Dubai and the United Kingdom. It is a self-submitted activity through the College of Family Physicians in Canada. If you live or work outside one of the above-mentioned countries, please contact us on admin@healthcert.com to discuss whether this course can be recognised in your country.