About the course
About the course
Our mental health course is the exciting next step in your professional growth, and will deepen the mental health skills and knowledge you’ve attained so far. This course has been specifically designed to build your expertise in mental health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) treatment, and provides in depth skill development to be able to work in both domains.
This course also supports students with industry experience to look at moving into senior worker, supervisory and managerial positions by building crucial leadership knowledge. We will build your skills in working with client complexity, community health program development, and conducting industry research.
This course is an excellent stepping stone to Bachelor's degrees and University education as well. You will practice academic writing, research, and critical thinking skills to build confidence for the next step in your education and career. As such, it is highly recommended you have completed the Certificate IV in Mental Health prior to engaging this course.
Course Details
- Intake Dates & Course Length
- Career Outcomes
- Entry Requirements
- Pathways & Accreditation
- Fees & Finance Options
- Course Structure
Last updated:
Thu, 16 May 2024 19:00:36 GMT
Box Hill Institute reserves the right to alter or delete details of a course offering, fees or other information provided
Intake Dates & Course Length
Full time: 18 months
Blended delivery: remote teaching and independent learning, with on campus skills assessment days. On campus days will be advised with advance notice.
This is a blended delivery course which will include a combination of online, remote and face to face delivery. Blended learning can involve a range of online programs and resources including StudentWeb, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, Skype, specific industry platforms, pre-recorded sessions, assigned reading, tutorials, discussion boards, and online activities. Blended learning also involves face-to-face attendance at classes or practical placements.
Career Outcomes
- Mental Health Team Leader
- NDIS Program Manager
- Senior Mental Health Support Worker
- AOD Support Worker / Team Leader
Entry Requirements
You must:
- be at least 18 years old
- have a Working with Children Check (or be willing to obtain one for practical placement purposes) and/or a current (within 1 year) National Police Clearance certificate (or be willing to obtain one for practical placement purposes). Note: disclosable outcomes do not automatically exclude a student from participation in the course. Disclosable outcomes will be reviewed on a case by case basis by Box Hill Institute and the service, in which the student is undertaking their practical placement.
- have an NDIS screening check (or be willing to obtain one for practical placement purposes), as some placement opportunities are with NDIS providers
- complete a pre-training review, including meeting minimum LLN requirements for the course. The language literacy and numeracy requirements are listed in the LLN table.
Please be advised that mental health course content can at times be of a confronting or distressing nature. Stable management of mental health or other health issues prior to enrolment is important for success in this course.
Desirable (but not essential) skills include:
- good interpersonal skills
- an understanding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) (you may be interested in enrolling in this course Course in Introduction to the National Disability Insurance Scheme)
- the ability to communicate across various culturally diverse groups and faiths
- trustworthiness and ability to use empathy
- the ability to reflect upon on and understand your own emotional responses to studying and working in the mental health environment
- excellent organisation skills
PRE-TRAINING REVIEW - to assist prospective students to determine whether a course is suitable and appropriate for the individual needs, Box Hill Institute will assess all students’ language, literacy and numeracy and digital literacy by asking you to undertake a self-assessment review prior to the enrolment. A course advisor will discuss the outcomes of the review and make recommendations about whether the course is suitable for you, and identify additional support where required.
Pathways & Accreditation
If you have completed a Certificate IV in Mental Health, or Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work, you may be eligible for unit credits towards the Diploma of Mental Health.
Completion of the Diploma of Mental Health grants direct entry into our Bachelor of Community Services (with some unit credits).
This course is government accredited and has national recognition
The qualification is aligned with the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level 5
Fees & Finance Options
This training is provided with funds made available by the Commonwealth and Victorian Governments.
| Government Subsidised Standard | Full Fee | |
| Tuition Fee | $6,699 | $16,940 |
| Service & Amenity Fee | $268 | $268 |
| Material Fee | $300 | $300 |
| Retain Course Items | $0 | $0 |
| Total Course Estimate | $7,267 | $17,508 |
| Payable Estimate (at commencement) | $5,331 | $12,613 |
Service & Amenity Fee may vary depending on course commencement and enrolment duration. Retain Course Items are purchased once by the student prior to commencing. Those items then become the property of the student. Fees listed are at 2024 rates and may increase annually over the duration of delivery. The student tuition fees listed are subject to change given individual circumstances at enrolment. For more information please contact our Course Advisors on 1300 BOX HILL.
Course Structure
You will complete a total of 20 units.
- HLTWHS004Manage Work Health And Safety40.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish, maintain and evaluate work health and safety (WHS) policies, procedures and programs in the relevant work area, according to WHS legislative requirements.
This unit applies to workers who have responsibility for WHS as part of their role, including workers with obligations under WHS legislation, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs), or their officers (as defined by relevant legislation).
- CHCMHS005Provide Services To People With Co-Existing Mental Health And Alcohol And Other Drugs Issues90.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess capacity to support people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues and to work collaboratively to provide support and facilitate links to other services.
This unit applies to work with people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs (AOD) assessments in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCDIV002Promote Aboriginal And/Or Torres Strait Islander Cultural Safety25.0 hours
The unit describes the skills and knowledge required to identify Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety issues in the workplace, model cultural safety in own work practice, and develop strategies to enhance cultural safety.
This unit applies to people working in a broad range of roles including those involved in direct client service, program planning, development and evaluation contexts.
- CHCDIV001Work With Diverse People40.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work respectfully with people from diverse social and cultural groups and situations, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.
This unit applies to all workers.
- CHCPOL003Research And Apply Evidence To Practice65.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish the information need, gather information and critically analyse the information for relevance to own work.
This unit applies to health and community service workers who need to research existing information to support and improve their work practice. It does not cover primary research.
- CHCPRP003Reflect On And Improve Own Professional Practice120.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to evaluate and enhance own practice through a process of reflection and ongoing professional development.
This unit applies to workers in all industry sectors who take pro-active responsibility for their own professional development.
- CHCMHS013Implement Trauma Informed Care80.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to promote trauma informed care, and to develop strategies to address people’s specific trauma needs. Trauma informed care involves providing services that are informed by the knowledge and understanding of the impact of trauma, in particular interpersonal violence and varying service practice to reduce the likelihood of re-traumatisation.
This unit applies to work with people with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS002Establish Self-Directed Recovery Relationships60.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to promote the principles of recovery oriented practice, and to establish and confirm self-directed recovery relationships with people with mental illness.
This unit applies to work with people living with a mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS003Provide Recovery Oriented Mental Health Services60.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work collaboratively in providing services to implement a range of strategies as part of recovery oriented service provision for people with mental illness.
This unit applies to work with people living with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS004Work Collaboratively With The Care Network And Other Services75.0 hours
This unit describes the skills knowledge required to work collaboratively with the care network and other potential services for a person with mental illness. This work provides a recovery oriented practice approach, involving a variety of health and community service professionals working collaboratively with the person and their care network.
This unit applies to work with people living with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS011Assess And Promote Social, Emotional And Physical Wellbeing80.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work collaboratively with individuals to assess, promote and review all aspects of wellbeing.
This unit applies to work with people living with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCADV005Provide Systems Advocacy Services90.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to advocate and ensure that government, community and organisational systems broadly support and uphold human rights.
This unit applies to workers in a health, community services or advocacy settings who undertake a leadership role in influencing social and system changes. Workers at this level will also advocate for change and continuous improvement at the organisational level to improve client outcomes and service quality.
- CHCMHS009Provide Early Intervention, Health Prevention And Promotion Programs75.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to develop and conduct early intervention, health prevention and promotion programs focussing on mental health and wellbeing.
This unit applies to work with people with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS010Implement Recovery Oriented Approaches To Complexity80.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to identify and respond to issues of complexity when supporting people living with mental illness and their care networks. The unit is based on a strengths-based approach and acknowledges that complexity is not a characteristic of an individual. Complexity may be impacted by a range of interactions between the worker, the organisation and the environmental context.
This unit applies to work with people living with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
- CHCMHS012Provide Support To Develop Wellness Plans And Advanced Directives80.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to support a person living with mental illness to develop recovery wellness plans and advanced directives. These plans outline the person’s preferences and plans to maintain wellness and to direct actions and support strategies should they become unwell.
This unit applies to work with people with mental illness in a range of community services work contexts.
Use of the term ‘advanced directive’ may vary between states and territories.
- CHCAOD001Work In An Alcohol And Other Drugs Context80.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to establish and work within the current context, philosophy and values of the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector.
This unit applies to workers who come into contact with clients affected by alcohol and other drugs.
- CHCAOD004Assess Needs Of Clients With Alcohol And Other Drugs Issues135.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to prepare for and conduct assessments of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) clients to determine eligibility, service requirements and referral needs. This includes knowledge of factors affecting assessment for a range of different client groups including different genders, youth, older people, mandated and voluntary clients, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This unit applies to people involved in the assessment of clients with AOD issues using established organisation or jurisdictional AOD assessment tools.
- CHCAOD006Provide Interventions For People With Alcohol And Other Drugs Issues70.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to confirm, conduct and monitor intervention strategies to address alcohol and other drugs (AOD) issues.
This unit applies to workers who provide support to people with AOD issues within the scope of an established individual treatment plan. Interventions would be ongoing and be conducted under the guidance of a supervisor.
- CHCAOD009Develop And Review Individual Alcohol And Other Drugs Treatment Plans75.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to work collaboratively with clients to establish treatment goals, and to develop and evaluate individual treatment plans to meet those goals.
This unit applies to workers who develop treatment plans with, and for, clients with alcohol and other drugs (AOD) issues on the basis of an existing assessment and within established organisation guidelines. Depending on the context, development of the plan may be autonomous or collaborative. Workers may or may not be the person conducting the assessment.
- CHCCCS003Increase The Safety Of Individuals At Risk Of Suicide110.0 hours
This unit describes the skills and knowledge to identify and manage immediate suicide risk and work with the individual to achieve safe outcomes. It includes the requirements for developing a clear safety plan for addressing any immediate danger to the person at risk or others, mobilising access to emergency medical help when needed and facilitating links with further support.
This unit applies to people in formal helping roles in any community service context. Suicide safety may involve face-to-face, telephone or remote contact with the person involved.
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