Approved Mental Health Professional PG Cert

Core modules

• Mental Health Law

  This module provides students with the opportunity to develop competence in the legal aspects of undertaking statutory responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983, and to be approved in accordance with Mental Health Legislation. The module aims to give students a thorough knowledge of, and ability to apply, mental health policy and legislation related to people with mental health needs and their carers with a specific focus on assessments under the Mental Health Act 1983. It examines mental health law and policy in relation to treatments and interventions of mental disorder. It explores the tension between promoting safety and positive risk taking, including the assessment and management of risk in the context of current legislative framework. This module explores legal aspects of mental health practice, including, the perspectives of different stakeholders. It gives particular emphasis to the perspectives of patients and carers, their experience of mental health issues and their contact with mental health services within the mental health legal and policy framework. In order to pass this module, students are required to write an academic case study assignment (3000 words), which is specifically linked to the application of mental health legislation, the roles and functions of the Approved Mental Health Professional and effects of power and authority in Specialist Mental Health Work. Students are further required to undertake an unseen multiple choice question (MCQ) exam paper, of 60 minutes duration, explicitly focused on the student's knowledge of the law. Students will undertake an open-book exercise of 90 minutes duration, linked to knowledge, understanding and application of mental health law. This will be a formative assessment, and developmental feedback will be given.

• Statutory Mental Health Practice

  This module provides students with the opportunity to develop and demonstrate competence in carrying out statutory responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 1983 (as amended by the Mental Health Act 2007).The module aims to give students a thorough knowledge and application of mental health policy and legislation related to people with mental health needs and their carers with a specific focus on assessments under the Mental Health Act 1983. On taught days, service users and carers, psychiatrists, and experts in the law deliver specialist training.Students will be required to critically reflect on the relationship between different types of professional knowledge and theory and the ability to apply this effectively through practice. The module examines in depth a range of theories, models and the treatments and interventions of mental disorder and gives an overview of psychiatric diagnosis, causes, symptoms and treatments. It explores the tension between promoting safety and positive risk taking, including the assessment and management of risk in the context of current legislative framework. This module explores the perspectives of different stakeholders with particular emphasis to the perspectives of service users and carers, their experience of mental health issues and their contact with mental health services. It also considers the role and impact on carers supporting someone with a mental health problem and addresses issues of conflicting needs and confidentiality. There is a focus on skilled decision-making and reflective analysis. Assessment is an integration of theory and practice experience. The assessment comprises of a portfolio (6,000 words). This includes: a case study; a summary of a tribunal report; written evidence of 2 Mental Health Act Assessments; a reflective analysis of the AMHP role; and a statements of evidence for the HCPC key competencies. In addition to this, a report from the Practice Assessor is required to provide evidence that all the required standards and competencies have been met. The individual components of the practice portfolio will have to be passed in order to pass the module assessment.

Please note that you will need to complete all of the above core modules. This course does not have any optional modules. Modules are subject to change.