Survey Responses

The attached document summarises the feedback from managers about the Postgraduate Certificate in Health Sciences (Child & Adolescent Mental Health) offered by the University of Auckland.

As a service manger, you may have been contacted last year regarding your views of the Certificate. The survey we conducted forms part of our efforts to make the PG Certificate as clinically useful as possible. We also gather regular feedback from students in the various courses that make up the Certificate.

We thank those of you who took part in the survey and hope that all managers find the attached summary interesting – it is certainly helpful to us and the survey will be an ongoing exercise.

If there is any further information you need, or alternatively, wish to pass on to us, please be in touch.

Download Survey Responses

The Certificate continues to grow in popularity. You or members of your staff are welcome to read about the PG Certificate in CAMH.
To find out more about the PG Certificate in CAMH, click here.

E noho ra,
Dr Leah Andrews & the Certificate Teaching Team

Three courses form the Certificate in Child & Adolescent Mental Health (Coordinator: Dr Leah Andrews):

• Psychiat 740 - Psychopathology
  This course is designed for distance learning and is delivered entirely extramurally. It covers:
  • Classification of Psychopathology
  • The history, presentation and diagnosis of important and common disorders that present in childhood and adolescent, and
  • Maori and Pacific cultural issues
  Click here for further information.
  
• Psychiat 747 - Child and Adolescent Development
  Evaluation of research support for major conceptual and theoretical frameworks for understanding development. A focus on specific aspects of development in relation to mental health in childhood and adolescence. Theories of attachment, cognitive development and social and emotional development in the context of the family, and identity and self-concept issues in adolescence.
  Click here for further information.
  
• Psychiat 768 - Clinical Skills in Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Assessment 
  The clinical skills of assessment, formulation and case recording of children and adolescents and their families within a mental health setting. This course is an amalgam of theory and practice including methods of assessment, assessment of specific psychiatric disorders, assessment interviewing skills, processing and synthesis of clinical assessment information in written work. 
  Click here for further information.

Click here to find out more about Distance Learning for the theoretcially based courses in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Certificate

To make up the 120 points required for a Diploma, students also need to complete a research methodology course, delivered by other University departments, such as:

• POPLHLTH 702
• POPLHLTH 709

Other courses (e.g. Nursing, Youth Health) may be considered - discuss with the course coordinator.

• POPLPRAC 702 - Mental Health - Primary Mental Health 1:MENTAL HEALTH: PRIMARY MENTAL HEALTH 1: This course looks at the most common mental illnesses that present in Primary Care. The first of four teaching days looks at the “big picture” of Mental Health in Primary Care, the second provides an overview of assessment, screening and management of all of the common conditions (with a focus on depression and anxiety), and the third and fourth days cover insomnia, alcohol and drugs, communication skills, motivational interviewing and post-natal depression, as well as some CBT techniques which can be used in Primary Care. Click here for further information.
  Course organiser: Fiona Moir
  
  
  
• POPLPRAC 703 - Mental Health - Primary Mental Health 2: This course looks at the mental illnesses that present in Primary Care, specifically in children and adolescents and in the elderly, with a focus on assessment, screening and management in Primary Care. It also looks across the age spectrum at long term mental health, and at the relationship between mental and physical health. Click here for further information.
  Course organiser: Fiona Moir
  
  
  
• POPLHLTH 735 - Mental Health - Theories and Principles: The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the type of concepts underlying the term Mental Health Development (MHD), and then to explore how these concepts can be applied in the mental health sectors of treatment, recovery and rehabilitation. MHD is a “positive” approach to mental health, as distinct from one which is primarily concerned with illness and deficits. It is concerned with wellbeing, resilience, capacity and good quality of life. The underlying philosophy is one of empowerment, self-determination and strength-building and of honouring people in their diversity, with a strong community and cultural focus. Click here for further information.
  Course organisers: Samson Tse/Janet Farnslow
  
  
  
• POPLPRAC 706 A & B - Interventions for Mental Health: This is a practice-focused course designed to build the student’s capacity to design interventions from a mental health development perspective. The course is applicable to all professionals who deal with mental health issues in their daily work, and who want to move from a deficit-focused approach to a strength-building approach. Throughout the year, students will design capacity-building interventions of their own choice supported by the experienced teachers and practitioners and their fellow students in the class. Click here for further information.
  Course organisers: Samson Tse/Janet Farnslow
  
  
  
• Special Topic - Early Environments and Nurturing Relationships: Over the past 30 years an increased understanding of child development has occurred through the convergence of information in a broad range of scientific disciplines that include neurobiology, genetics, developmental psychology and psychopathology, education, epidemiology, anthropology and sociology. Through the integration of research in these areas we have come to have a deeper appreciation of: (1) the importance of early life experiences, and how they interact with genes to affect the development of the brain and human behaviour; (2) the importance of the development of complex emotions and social skills during the first few years of life; (3) the pivotal role that early relationships play in developmental adaptation or dysfunction; (4) the importance of considering ethnicity and family culture in the assessment of developmental competencies; (4) and perhaps most importantly the ability to increase the odds of favourable health and development through planned interventions during infancy and early childhood. Because these findings are compelling and far-reaching, there has been an increased interest and concern about the availability and quality of services that will support the child’s earliest experiences; and the observed benefits of these services to good infant mental and physical well-being. Click here for further information.
  Course organisers: Trecia Wouldes, PhD
  
  
  
• 713 Special Topic - Indepth Training in Child and Adolescent CBT: This course would suit those child and adolescent practitioners who have a degree and interest in CBT but want more in - depth NZ training for children and adolescents. Click here for further information.
  Course organisers: Tania Cargo and Nikki Coleman
  
  

Interested in Post Graduate study in child & adolescent mental health?

Please contact us by going to http://www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz/faculty/postgrad, click on “Child and Adolescent Mental Health” in the list of subjects, and submit an Expression of Interest.

Note that applications for admission to this programme for March 2008 may be made now – closing date: December 8, 2007.

For Information on Applied Behaviour Analysis Post Graduate Study please click on the link below.

http://www.psych.auckland.ac.nz/postgraduate-programme/ABA.htm