Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice

The Graduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice provides students with an opportunity to develop advanced level knowledge about mental health assessment skills and evidence-based practice.

The course is designed to equip graduates from a variety of backgrounds with an ethically sound knowledge and understanding of the theory, principles and practice of mental health practice.

The course is underpinned by the bio-psychosocial model of mental health and is designed to prepare competent, self-reflexive, multi-disciplinary health and human service professionals to support people experiencing mental health problems and their families.

Course Aims

The Graduate Diploma of Mental Health Practice aims to provide students, from a range of health and social care backgrounds, with the opportunity to systematically develop knowledge and attitudes for contemporary mental health practice; and meet the National Practice Standards for the mental health workforce.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to: critically analyse the theoretical knowledge of mental health practice (including substance related and behavioural addictions) and apply evidence-based principles to meet the needs of mental health consumers, carers and families, and communities in a range of contexts; critically apply advanced knowledge of evidence-based focused psychological strategies used for diverse client groups in a range of settings; critically reflect on the application of mental health theory, team dynamics and effective communication in practice and the role of ongoing supervision and self-reflection for practice development; critically apply advanced knowledge about how to conduct mental health assessment sessions in a competent, adaptable and professional manner in order to best meet the needs of the consumer; demonstrate application of legal and ethical principles to practice in ways that demonstrate respect for the differing needs of people from diverse cultural backgrounds across the lifespan and communicate reasoning underpinning decision making:, and demonstrate awareness of the need for person-centred, consumer-focused relationship building to evidence based mental health practice in a range of health and social care settings.

Graduate Attributes

Knowledge of a Discipline Graduates will have knowledge of their discipline including a global perspective for application in the field of mental health.Graduates will possess the capacity to acquire and apply a wide range of policy, practices and scholarship in a real-world mental health practice context. Communication Skills Graduates will have sound oral and written skills and the capacity to communicate ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences, including mental health consumers, their families/significant others and communities. Problem Solving Graduates will apply logical, critical, self-reflexive and creative thinking to solve a range of problems in mental health contexts. Information Literacy Graduates will recognise when information is needed, and identify, evaluate and effectively use information as required. Ethical Conduct and Social Responsibility Graduates will understand how to reason and behave ethically within their discipline, within interprofessional teams and in the broader contexts of mental health practice. They will be able to account for and engage with cultural, ethical, economic, legal and social dimensions encountered in practice. Lifelong Learning Graduates will be prepared for lifelong learning in pursuit of personal and professional development including the need for supervision for mental health practice development. Independence and Collaboration Graduates will be able to work independently and collaboratively to achieve individual and common goals to improve health and wellbeing for mental health consumers, their families/significant others and communities.