H SER 108 - Community Mental Health

5 Credits

This course provides an overview of mental health, the historical treatment and stigma surrounding mental illness and the corresponding shift towards community care systems, wellness and empowerment, with an emphasis on managed care, service delivery, referrals and rehabilitation.

Fees

Quarters Typically Offered
Spring Day

Designed to Serve Professional technical students in Substance Use Disorder or Human Services. Transfer students as an area of emphasis. Individuals employed in services or Substance Use Disorder counseling or human services.
Active Date 20200401T13:21:30

Grading System Decimal Grade
Class Limit 36
Contact Hours: Lecture 55
Total Contact Hours 55
Degree Distributions:
ProfTech Course Yes
Restricted Elective Yes
Course Outline

Historical context, changing approaches to treatment, undefined/hidden burden and impact of mental illness
Brief history of mental health policy in the United States, shift to community care, addressing current challenges
Cultural perspectives and definition of mental health
Causes of mental illness (environment, genes, psycho-social development, medication, social-stress)
Methods of intervention
Community care system (institutional versus community environments, approaches to integrating services, referrals to appropriate services, role of families
Dilemmas of professional practice, ethical issues
Managed mental health care (basic mechanisms, types, opportunities and problems)
Mental illness, community and the law (relationship between mental illness and violence, outpatient commitment and mental health courts, right to treatment, right to refuse treatment)

Student Learning Outcomes
Discuss the role of Human Services Professionals in Community Mental Health

Explain the historical context of mental health and the shift in assessment, treatment and access to care

Explain the intersectionality of race, gender, culture, socioeconomic status and common mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression

Describe the impact of mental health disorder on individuals, caregivers, families and communities, such as quality of life, educational difficulties, lowered productivity, poverty, social problems, vulnerability to abuse and additional health problems

Discuss the prevalence of substance abuse, environmental factors, violence and its impact on co-occurring disorders