Take your Mental Health Technician Certificate Program online today and join the ranks of mental health technicians nation wide!
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Canyon College
COURSE SYLLABUS: Mental Health Technician Certificate Program
Instructor:
Leah M. Klein, BSN, MSCI, MSSW, RN, LMSW, LCSW - Vita | E-mail
Mental Health Technician Certification Course
This forty-hour course will prepare you to understand basic psychiatric terminology, psychopathology, social skills training, and mental health laws and ethics. Certified Mental Heath Technicians will be able to assist patients in the recovery process. You will work with, and be supervised by, registered nurses and/or licensed social workers/psychologists. Your communication skills and professional interaction with patients will be valuable assets.
This course does not prepare you to be a mental health therapist, or for the private practice of mental health counseling.
Where might I find employment?
Mental Health Technicians may work in psychiatric hospitals or community mental health clinics. Please check with your state or providence’s mental health board for information regarding any legal requirements for working as a mental health technician.
What Will I Learn?
Unfortunately, discrimination and stigmatization of those with mental illness still exists through fear and ignorance. Education and advocacy for the mentally ill are necessary to bring quality to their lives. You will learn about national associations such as NAMI that advocate for better care and promote independence and quality of life. You will be able to access Internet sites to gain information on various mental health topics.
In addition, you will develop observational skills and learn to describe behaviors accurately. The recovery process involves team effort. You will learn the roles of psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, registered nurse, licensed vocational nurse and chaplain. You will learn how your role as an MHT is an integral part of the whole, and how it benefits the patient.
Modules
I. Overview of psychiatric hospitalization
- Psychiatric terms
- Psychopathology
- Management of Aggressive Behavior
II. Team members roles
- Professional Disciplines
- Communication with medical professionals and therapists
III. Mental Health Laws
- Voluntary admission
- Involuntary admission
- Patients Rights and Responsibilities
IV. Advocacy
- Mental health organizations
- Ethics
Where can I purchase textbooks?
You have freedom of choice. Canyon College has an online bookstore. Amazon.com is also a resource. It is possible to buy very good used copies of texts from Amazon.com. Borders and Hastings bookstores are another possibility. You are expected to purchase books on your own. Eight books are recommended. Most are under ten dollars.
Required Reading:
Module 1:
Abnormal Psychology, Alan Carr, Psychology Press, 2001.
ISBN: 1841692425
Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers,
E. Fuller Torrey, HarperCollins Pub, 2001.
ISBN: 0060959193
Module 2:
How to Win Friends and Influence People,
by Dale Carnegie, Dorothy Carnegie, & Arthur R. Pell,
Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group, Revised Editions,
1998 ISBN: 0671027034 or the smaller 1982 ISBN: 0671723650
( Used 1981 hardback, ISBN: 067142517X )
A Bright Red Scream: Self-Mutilation and the Language of Pain. Marilee Strong. Penguin USA. 1999.
ISBN 0140280537
Module 3:
A Brilliant Madness: Living with Manic-Depressive Illness.
Patty Duke and Gloria Hochman. Bantam Books, 1993.
ISBN: 0553560727
Module 4:
I Hate You, Don't Leave Me: Understanding the Borderline Personality.
Jerold J. Krieman and Hal Straus. Mass Market Paperback. 1991.
ISBN: 0380713055
Suggested Reading:
Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing. The Experience and Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Judith L. Rapoport. The Penguin Group. 1991.
ISBN: 0451172027
Paranoia. David Bell. Icon Books. Ltd. UK. 2003.
ISBN: 1840463775
Suggested Reading After Completion of the Class -
For those seeking to broaden their understanding of the topics:
Sybil. Flora Rhea Schreiber. Mass Market Paperback. 1974.
ISBN: 0446359408
The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression. Andrew Solomon. Simon & Schuster. 2002.
ISBN: 0684854678
Tormenting Thoughts and Secret Rituals: The Hidden Epidemic of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Ian Osborn. Random House, Incorporated. 1999.
ISBN: 0440508479
When Rabbit Howls. Truddi Chase. Mass Market Paperback. 1990.
ISBN: 0515103292
Objectives:
As a result of taking this course the student will:
- Differentiate between normal and abnormal behavior.
- Identify the symptoms of schizophrenia.
- Identify the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder.
- Identify the symptoms of major depression.
- List five areas of social skills training.
- Understand the roles of social worker, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, and occupational therapist in the treatment of mental illness.
- Develop listening skills and communication skills.
- Describe the use of an antipsychotic medication and antidepressive medications.
- Describe adverse reactions to antipsychotics and antidepressives.
- Develop observational skills based upon knowledge of behavior.
- Understand confidentiality and it’s legal implications.
What is the time frame for completion of this course?
You have 6 months to complete this comprehensive course. Since it is self-paced, you may progress through the program faster should you wish to do that. After finishing a module and examination, you may progress to the next exam.
When may I start?
Once admitted, you may start anytime after receiving your texts for the module.
What type of exam will I take?
The exams are constructed of multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks questions. You will pass the course if you achieve at least 70% correct answers on the exams. Exams are taken online at the Canyon College website. You will find the answers in your text.
There will be a midterm exam, and you will have a final exam at the end of the course.
About the Instructor
My name is Leah Meredith Klein. I graduated with a BSN from Alderson-Broaddus College in Philippi, West Virginia. I later graduated with a Master of Curriculum and Instruction (in the field of nursing education) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison at Madison, Wisconsin. Later, I returned to UW-Madison to complete a Master of Science of Social Work. I have blended the two fields in case management and rehabilitation during my thirty-year experience in the fields. My experience has included teaching, research, case management, and private practice psychotherapy. I am also an avid kayaker and when I’m not at my computer, I’m on the water.
Current Licenses and Certifications:
- Registered Nurse—Texas
- Licensed Master Social Worker—Texas
- Qualified Mental Health Professional—Rehabilitation Specialist
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker—Wisconsin
- Disaster Mental Health Specialist: American Red Cross
- (See vitae)
How can I communicate with other students?
Canyon College has provided an Online Message Board for posting news, events, and matters of professional interest from/to students.
After registering, you will have access to the virtual classroom. You can also access the Chat Room via the classroom at the Canyon College web site. Chats may be scheduled depending on time zone requirements, and you will be notified by email so that you can participate in group discussions, Q & A and networking. More information on these communication tools will be given after you register.
How Can I Contact the Instructor?
Leah M. Klein, BSN, MSCI, MSSW, RN, LMSW, LCSW
lklein@canyoncollege.edu
A conference call can be arranged.