Course description
Course description
Please note: This course is a pathway within the MSc 'Advanced Practice Interventions for Mental Health' (APIMH). The information on this webpage therefore relates to the Primary Mental health Care pathway within the MSc APIMH, but is listed under the pathway specific title. The first year of the programme replaces the previous PGCert in Primary Mental Health Care for newly appointed Primary Care Graduate Mental Health Workers. The PGCert will be available as an exit qualification only. Other pathways are available in Dementia Care and Psychosocial Interventions for Psychosis (COPE).
The School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work has a local and national reputation as a leader in the field of mental health education, research, training and consultancy. The School has been highly successful in developing and delivering a range of practice-focused, multi-professional programmes in mental health for a number of years. These programmes build on the research activities and expertise within the School, demonstrating a synergy between research activity and expertise and the translation of research into high-quality, evidence-based, multi-professional programmes of study.
The MSc/PG Dip Advanced Practice Interventions for Mental Health combines previously existing postgraduate mental health programmes into a single programme that retains the three previous specialties as fixed pathways through the programme. Each student selects a relevant pathway and undertakes appropriate course units and practice requirements for it.
Students employed as primary care graduate mental health workers who have already completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Primary Mental Health Care and have their employer's support are able to enter the Primary Mental Health Care pathway of the programme at year 2 and complete course units to top up to the PG Dip and potentially progress to the MSc.
The programme and pathways have been designed to respond and contribute to the modernisation of mental health care delivery and service design. The overall intention of the programme is to enhance access to, and effectiveness of, mental health and social care services that are evidence-based, multidisciplinary and focused on the needs of patients/service users and carers. The programme will equip students with advanced knowledge and skills necessary to enhance their own practice, the practice of others and contribute to innovations and developments in mental health care and services.
The programme involves attendance at the University for one day per week during term-time and the equivalent of one day per week in practice to achieve the practical-skills outcomes associated with some course units in the programme. Students are required to identify a suitable practice supervisor/mentor to oversee and assess the clinical and/or practice work required for the programme and specific pathways.
Module details
The programme consists of pathway-specific and core/compulsory course units. These are:
-Core Knowledge and Skills for Primary Mental Health Care
-Culture and Processes in Primary Mental Health Care
-Evidence-based Psychological Interventions for Primary Mental Health Care
-Social Inclusion and Community Engagement in Primary Mental Health Care
-Working with Complexity in Primary Mental Health Care
Core units (all pathways)
-Research Methods Core
-Research Methods options
-Developing Practice, Managing Change
On completion of these taught units of the programme (PG Dip) students progress to their research dissertation (MSc).
