Unit rationale, description and aim

Best practice in mental health service delivery must reflect a team approach that is holistic, culturally safe and recovery-oriented to assessment, recovery planning, implementation and evaluation. This is inclusive of the individual, their family / group and their community. This approach to practice delivery supports the individual in their recovery journey and assists them in achieving a fulfilling life as determined by the person themselves, within their already existent relationships and social networks.

The focus of the unit is on assessment of individual strengths and challenges, recovery planning and implementation using a person-centred approach. Students will explore how the therapeutic relationship forms the basis of a collaborative approach to assessment and recovery planning with individuals. This learning will be applied to their practice in working with the individual, their carers, families and other members of the multidisciplinary team.

The aim of this unit is to prepare students to provide culturally safe, holistic recovery-oriented services for people with a lived experience a mental illness.

2025 10

Campus offering

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  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 1Online Unscheduled
  • ACU Term 3Online Unscheduled

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Analyse how a holistic person-centered approach to...

Learning Outcome 01

Analyse how a holistic person-centered approach to practice is integrated in a coordinated recovery model that promotes the individual’s rights, respects diversity and promotes recovery.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Critically evaluate the centrality of the therapeu...

Learning Outcome 02

Critically evaluate the centrality of the therapeutic relationship to providing services that are respectful of the individual’s experience and circumstances and that are based on collaboration with the individual which promotes choice and self-determination.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Utilise a range of communication skills to establi...

Learning Outcome 03

Utilise a range of communication skills to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships in order to undertake appropriate holistic assessments and to deliver holistic, suitable, evidence-based therapeutic interventions for individuals requiring mental health services and support to their families/carers, significant others, and/or key people involved in their lives.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9

Critically reflect on the impact of implementing a...

Learning Outcome 04

Critically reflect on the impact of implementing a holistic person-centered approach to practice toward that supports an individual’s personal recovery.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Content

Topics will include:

 Holistic Practice

  • Theoretical Concepts
  • Paradigms of holistic practice

Holistic assessment and management

  • Biopsychosocial assessment, intervention and evaluation
  • Applying the principles of recovery to wellness planning
  • Plan services that take account of the unique preferences, choices and expectations of the individual, their family/carers and significant others
  • Apply a person-centered approach to practice that acknowledges diversity
  • Life span approaches to holistic assessment and management 

 Advanced therapeutic communication

  • Principles of therapeutic communication
  • Engagement
  • Counselling

 Communication skills for identifying and facilitating change in health behaviour

  • Motivational interviewing
  • Self-awareness
  • Brief Individual and Family therapy
  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Solution Focused Therapy

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment strategy used allows for the progressive development of knowledge and skills necessary for the student to be able to utilise a holistic person-centered and recovery-oriented approach in mental health practice in a variety of settings.

The assessment tasks have been designed to enable students to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes and an understanding and application of theories of holism, biopsychosocial assessments and therapeutic interventions as well as concepts of collaboration and partnership. The critical reflection will allow students to bring together their learning across the semester of study and show how they have developed their understanding through reflecting on pivotal learning experiences.

In order to pass this unit students must:

  • Demonstrate achievement of every learning outcome, and
  • Obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit, and
  • Achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 1 which is a graded hurdle.
  • Achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 2 which is a graded hurdle.


Where students achieve a cumulative mark of 50% or more for the unit, overall, but do not achieve a mark of 50% or greater in either Assessment 1 or Assessment 2 they will be offered one further attempt of the assessment which they failed. If students pass this further assessment, they will pass the unit and their original mark will be the final unit mark. If students fail the further assessment, they will fail the unit.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Written Assessment   Stu...

Assessment Task 1: Written Assessment  

Students will demonstrate knowledge of the theories of holistic individual mental health practice and therapeutic communication strategies.

Weighting

50% (graded hurdle)

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection   St...

Assessment Task 2: Critical Reflection  

Students will critically reflect on biopsychosocial assessments and a range of therapeutic interventions utilised in mental health practice as well as concepts of collaboration and partnership.

Weighting

50% (graded hurdle)

Learning Outcomes LO4
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to recovery oriented mental health practice. Students are expected to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions to learn from others experiences and perspectives. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in their work settings. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding and application, and to engage constructively with their peers.

Students will have the opportunity to reflect on the complexity of applying recovery-oriented principles in their practice, explore and consider different types of appropriate holistic assessments and therapeutic interventions, theories of recovery and holism in mental health practice, concepts of collaboration and partnership that is inclusive of the individual, their family group and their community. In constructing knowledge about individual recovery needs, recovery planning and recovery implementation, students will evaluate different strategies that are both safe and conducive to quality recovery-oriented mental health practice.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

American Psychiatric Association (2022). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5, Text Revision. American Psychiatric Association: Washington DC.

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (2022). Person-centred care. Retrieved from https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/our-work/partnering-consumers/person-centred-care

Australian Institute of Health & Welfare (2022). Physical health of people with mental illness. Retrieved from https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/mental-health/physical-health-of-people-with-mental-illness

Hercelinskjy, G. & Alexander, L. (2022). Mental health nursing: applying theory to practice, revised ed. Cengage: Singapore. 

Meadows, G., Farhall, J., Fossey, E., Happell, B., McDermot, F. & Rosenberg, S. (2020). Mental health and collaborative community practice: An Australian perspective (4th ed). Oxford University Press. 

Morup Langberg, E., Dyhr, L. & Davidsen, A.S. (2019). Development of the concept of patient-centredness – A systematic review. Patient Education and Counselling, 102(7); 1228-1236. Doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.02.023.

National Disability Practitioners (2022). What is a person centred approach? Retrieved from https://www.ndp.org.au/images/factsheets/346/2016-10-person-centred-approach.pdf

Parliament of Australia (2022). Person centred practice approach. Life Without Borders. Retrieved from https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=b51d7969-a89d-4cce-9646-0d33ea1c39f3&subId=303589

Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (2023). Physical health and mental illness. Retrieved from https://www.ranzcp.org/practice-education/guidelines-and-resources-for-practice/physical-health/physical-health-and-mental-illness

Stein-Parbury, J. (2021). Patient & person: Interpersonal skills in nursing 7th ed. Elsevier.

 

*Search for your jurisdictions Mental Health Act to explore how person-centred approaches are incorporated into legislation

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