Lecture: 60 hours
and
Lab: 15 hours
In this course, students engage in a variety of learning activities such as lecture, group work, case studies, and team-based exercises.
• Self-awareness concepts:
o Values clarification
o Johari window
o Therapeutic use of self to promote client’s growth
o Boundaries and limit-setting
• Therapeutic relationships:
o Types, phases, and strategies
o Rogerian approach to develop caring therapeutic relationships based on the development of trust with individuals experiencing mental health challenges
• Trauma informed practices
• Therapeutic communication skills:
o Listening and attending skills
o Nonverbal communication and proxemics
o S.O.L.E.R.
o Empathy, warmth, respect, and genuineness
o Caring confrontation and immediacy
• Client focused problem-solving, interventions, and development of action plans
• Conflict resolution:
o Identifying resistance
o Cycle of violence, and how/when to intervene on the continuum of violence
o Strategies to manage difficult situations
• Stress management techniques
• Risk assessment and interventions
• Assessment and communication skills for various categories of mental health and substance use disorders
• Empowerment and misuse of power
o Strategies to manage difficult situations: Diffusing, De-escalating, Debriefing
• Concepts of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)
• Motivational interviewing skills
• Application of interviewing and communication skills through structured lab interactions with “clients”
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand the importance of the therapeutic use of self during interactions with individuals experiencing mental health challenges;
- Understand the types, phases, and implementation strategies for developing therapeutic relationships;
- Demonstrate trauma informed approach in client interactions;
- Demonstrate client-centered communication skills of active listening, attending, empathy, warmth, respect, genuineness, and beginning skills of caring confrontation and immediacy;
- Understand the problem-solving process in working with a client and/or multidisciplinary team;
- Understand the concepts and skills of conflict resolution;
- Demonstrate an understanding of stress management;
- Demonstrate the theory and application of conducting a risk assessment;
- Demonstrate the various communication skills associated with the various categories of mental health and substance use disorders;
- Understand the concepts of power and empowerment and their effects on therapeutic relationships;
- Identify escalating behaviours and strategies to diffuse, de-escalate, and debrief;
- Demonstrate basic motivational interviewing skills.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course.
This course is a graded course, not a mastery course.
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials will be provided for students at the beginning of the semester.
Students in the MHSU program are required to maintain a passing grade of 65% (C+) in all courses to progress in the program.