This course is for practitioners working in mental health, or alcohol and other drugs services. The course consists of seven hours of formal learning, five hours of recommended self-learning and an online assessment which is estimated to take two hours to complete.

As a nationally accredited course, it is monitored to ensure it meets current industry expectations for observing and documenting the MSE. This means that the course reflects the latest evidence-based practice methods and knowledge as well as industry best practice standards for competent performance. Unlike a ‘workshop’ style course where learners take away from the experience what is relevant to them and their practice, competency-based training specifies what competent performance is. This means that learners will receive training in all essential knowledge and skills to satisfactorily achieve competency.

More information about this course is available in the handout: 10881NAT Course in Observing and Documenting the Mental State Examination - Course handout

Unique Student identifier (USI)
Provision of a USI is a Federal Government requirement since 1 January 2015, for all participants of accredited training within Australia. To obtain a USI register as a student via www.usi.gov.au

The Learning Centre is pleased to host Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training, with deliveries on offer by an accredited MHFA facilitator in 2018.

This two day course teaches people how to offer initial support to adults who are developing a mental health problem, experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis, until appropriate professional help is received or the crisis resolves.

Note: Unlike other Learning Centre courses, this course is recommended specifically for non-clinical staff. Clinicians and other health practitioners should refer to other Learning Centre courses for their training needs.

More information about this course is available on the MHFA Australia website - Standard MHFA

The Learning Centre currently offers Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training with deliveries being scheduled by request only. Deliveries will attract a fee so please contact the Learning Centre for a quote or to discuss availability.

The two day Youth Mental Health First Aid course is for adults working or living with adolescents (those aged approximately 12 and 18 years). However, the course can be relevant for those helping people who are a little younger or older. This course is particularly suitable for parents, school staff, sports coaches, and youth workers.

Note: unlike other Learning Centre courses, this course in recommended specifically for non-clinical staff. Clinicians and other health practitioners should refer to other Learning Centre courses for their training needs.

More information about this course is available on the MHFA Australia website - Youth Mental Health First Aid

This one day workshop explores the fundamentals of best practice models of supervision, addressing the expectations and processes involved in effective clinical supervision. The training is aligned to Queensland Health guidelines for clinical supervision in Mental Health Services, to assist in the delivery of quality, effective and accountable clinical supervision. Designed for all mental health practitioners providing and receiving clinical supervision, the experiential-didactic delivery model enables active engagement and personal reflection on practice.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC8 Best Practice Models of Supervision - Course handout

This two day workshop builds upon the learning from QC4 Supervisor, providing a safe environment for participants to develop advanced skills in providing supervision to those who are clinical supervisors. Outlining the components and stages of supervisory processes will guide the supervising supervisor to establish, negotiate, maintain and end a supervisory relationship, thus decreasing ambiguity and providing clarity for roles and outcomes. Supporting and strengthening consumer centred mental health services is the underpinning focus of clinical supervision practices.

Note: QC4 Supervisor is a pre-requisite for those wishing to complete this course.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC12 Supervising Supervisors - Course handout

This one-day course aims to provide clinicians with the core knowledge and skills required to undertake a comprehensive assessment with a person accessing mental health and related specialised services. Utilising a case-based approach, the course steps participants through identifying and gathering relevant information for each component of the assessment. Based on their clinical assessment of the case study, participants will then be guided through the development and documentation of a clinical formulation and management plan. This course focusses on the foundations of comprehensive assessment, formulation and planning for mental health, alcohol and other drugs service clinicians and is most suitable for clinicians in the early years of clinical practice or those wishing to refresh their practice.

Note: the course includes a formal online assessment which is completed by the participants after attending the one day course. Participants have two weeks to complete the assessment.

It is highly recommended that participants also complete an optional, complimentary eLearning course QC55 which focusses on clinical formulation and planning.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC14 Fundamentals of Assessment, Formulation and Planning - Course handout

This one day course provides invaluable practical training for clinicians and professionals across all disciplines and experience levels, by enhancing interpersonal skills in creating a collaborative relationship with their client. The course explores the use of a person-centred approach in the development of the therapeutic alliance and provides opportunities to learn and practice skills based on contemporary empirically supported evidence. This course is ideal for anyone wanting to build strengths in communication practices and enhance clinical practice.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC23 Forming the Therapeutic Alliance - Course handout

This course is designed for Educators delivering SRAM-ED workshops in local HHS services. Participants must be committed to delivering a prescribed number of sessions as determined by local staffing needs and provide documented evidence of these in reports to the primary stakeholder.

An Expression of Interest must be submitted, addressing selection criteria, in order to be considered for this course. Contact sramed@health.qld.gov.au for more information.

Note: if you are interested in attending a local SRAM-ED Foundational or Advanced workshop please contact your local educator. Local workshop sessions are not managed by the Learning Centre.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC25 Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in an Emergency Department Setting (SRAM-ED) - Train-the-trainer - Course handout

The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning (Learning Centre) has for many years been a key source for suicide risk assessment training across Queensland, more recently being invited by a number of stakeholder groups to tailor the program with a focus on working with Youth. Thus when the major redevelopment of our core QC2 Suicide Risk Assessment course was being scoped, the parameters of the project were widened to allow for the development of QC28 Youth: Engage, Assess, Respond to, and Support Suicidal People (YEARS).

The course will address youth specific developmental and systemic issues.

The blended learning course comprises of two components - beginning with eLearning modules (part 1), followed by a full day face-to-face workshop (part 2).

QC28 YEARS will be suitable for both new clinicians commencing clinical practice and experienced practitioners seeking to update and consolidate their practice framework with contemporary understanding of supporting suicidal people.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC28 Youth: Engage, Assess, Respond to, and Support Suicidal People - Course handout

QC30 Violence Risk Assessment and Management is a blended training product. QC30 focuses on supporting clinicians’ working knowledge and application of the Tier 2 component of the Violence risk assessment and management framework – mental health services (the Framework). The three-tiered approach to violence risk assessment and management within the Framework is based on a formalised governance structure which supports clinician assessment and management of violence risk with their consumers.

QC30 has been designed to provide learners with the content and process knowledge they will need to complete Tier 2 violence risk assessment and management planning within the Violence risk assessment and management framework – mental health services.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC30 Violence Risk Assessment and Management - Course handout

Violence Risk Assessment and Management Framework - Induction Video

This video introduces and describes the Queensland Health Violence risk assessment and management framework – mental health services (the Framework). The video presents information about the three-tiered approach to violence risk assessment and response within the Framework, the purpose and principles of the Framework, how the Framework will be implemented, and clinical roles and responsibilities.

The video runs for approximately 20 minutes.

A transcript of the video can be downloaded here.

(Adapted from QC2 Engage, Assess, Respond to, and Support Suicidal People)

Contemporary suicide prevention models will be presented to enhance understanding and responses to suicidal behaviours of individuals across the lifespan.

Session One (4 hours) develop a greater understanding of working with suicidal people and assessing risk and protective factors and implications for care planning.

Session Two (4 hours) develop skills in assessing suicidal intent and prevention-orientated risk summary and managing acute risk.

This course is aimed at both new clinicians and experienced practitioners seeking to update, refresh or consolidate their practice framework with suicidal people.

More information about the course content including anticipated learning outcomes, can be found in the QC2 course handout: QC2 Engage, Assess, Respond to, and Support Suicidal People - Course handout

(adapted from QC14 Fundamentals of Assessment, Formulation and Planning)

Delivered via online classroom, this interactive course takes place over 2 two, four-hour sessions (session one and session two) making it accessible for clinicians across Queensland. Learners will connect via a computer/laptop or other device to join the workshop – no travel necessary.

The course aims to provide clinicians with the core knowledge and skills required to undertake a comprehensive assessment with a person accessing mental health and related specialised services. Focusing on the foundations of comprehensive assessment, formulation and planning for mental health, alcohol and other drugs service clinicians, the course is most suitable for clinicians in the early years of clinical practice or those wishing to refresh their skills.

Session one (four hours) utilises a case-based approach which steps participants through identifying and gathering relevant information for each component of the assessment.

Session two (four hours) utilises the case introduced in session one and draws upon learners’ clinical assessment of the case study. Learners are guided through the development and documentation of a clinical formulation and management plan.

More information about the course content including anticipated learning outcomes, can be found in the QC14 course handout: QC14 Fundamentals of Assessment, Formulation and Planning - Course handout

This 3 hour course draws together elements from the former QC13 Capacity Assessment face-to-face workshop and QC40 Capacity Assessment Training and Advance Health Directives.

As well as incorporating recent updates, this course has been developed to provide a short and interactive skills workshop for assessing capacity in adults in mental health. The course will help you to understand:

• capacity and consent, and the factors that impact on this;
• how to document capacity; the ‘less restrictive way’ for providing consent to treatment (including use of Advance Health Directives);
• and legislative frameworks to support capacity decisions and upholding the person’s human rights, particularly the Mental Health Act 2016 and Guardianship and Administration Act 2000.

Video scenarios are used to help you to apply the skills taught.

The Mental Health Act 2016 (MHA2016) Capacity Assessment and Advance Health Directives training package provides opportunities for clinicians to apply knowledge and skills to clinical scenarios, related to these components of the legislation. The modules build on the knowledge covered in the MHA2016 online learning package (available on iLearn). The package is aimed at mental health clinicians and students, and may be particularly useful for Authorised Doctors, Psychiatric Registrars, and Authorised Mental Health Practitioners. A toolkit of resources is also included to be used in face-to-face deliveries.

As a clinician working in mental health it is important to know about cognitive functioning and how it can impact on day to day functioning. Cognitive deficits can significantly impact a person's ability to perform day to day tasks which can affect longer term recovery in areas such as work and relationships. This training course is designed to provide mental health clinicians with an introduction to the cognitive difficulties that people with a mental illness may face and identify some strategies and therapies that can support the person. This course covers three core topics, Cognition, Assessment and Intervention. The eLearning course is self-paced and is targeted to nurses, social workers, occupational therapists, psychologists and medical staff working in mental health settings. The course is suitable for both experienced clinicians and those new to practice and takes approximately two (2) hours to complete.

Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in Emergency Department Settings (SRAM-ED) Foundational training is a blended learning course comprising of two eLearning modules and a face-to-face workshop. This course is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of clinicians’ working in emergency department settings with patients who are at risk of suicide. The two eLearning modules are prerequisites to attending the face-to-face foundational workshop.

If you have not yet enrolled in the face-to-face workshop you will need to register your interest with your local trainer.

The Cultural Capability for Mental Health eLearning module aims to provide mental health clinicians with a better understanding of the cultural needs and social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The program embeds a recovery-focused, trauma-informed approach; identifies needs across the continuum of care, from emergency departments to community; and introduces participants to methods for applying a cultural lens in clinical practice, with an emphasis on culturally capable mental health assessment. This module gives you the basis to work on your life-long cultural learning journey.

The QC54 Foundations of Risk Assessment and Management eLearning course supports clinician understanding of the principles of risk assessment and management planning in mental health, alcohol and other drug services. This eLearning course steps learners through foundations of risk assessment and management and includes topics such as defining and identifying risk across six domains; communication, collaboration, and documentation; risk prevention orientation and planning care for risk mitigation. Learning is supported by interactive multimedia stimulus materials. The resource hub provides extensive information and tip sheets, research reviews, and links to guidelines, policies and support service websites. All materials are designed to assist learners upskilling in prevention-oriented risk assessment and response, and in developing and documenting management plans in line with current and emerging Queensland Health mental health, alcohol and other drug practice and standards. This course is suitable as complementary learning for the face to face course Critical Components of Risk Assessment and Management (QC9), however, is not a compulsory component of that course.

This eLearning is the pre-requisite course for both QC2: EARS and its youth specific counterpart (QC28: YEARS). In response to COVID-19 management plans which has temporarily shut down face-to-face training, the Learning Centre is currently making this online training available separate to the full courses. QC56 serves as an introductory course to orient learners to core clinical competencies and practices that align with the ‘train’ element of the Zero Suicide framework. It may be useful to any Mental Health, Alcohol of other Drug service providers.

Designed in collaboration with the Gold Coast Hospital and Health service, QC2 EARS and QC28 YEARS courses represent a philosophical shift in the treatment of suicidality within Mental Health Alcohol and Other drugs services. This includes a shift away from a focus on prediction, towards a framework for prevention, and a shift away from clinician orientated treatment of illness, towards a collaborative process of engagement and care planning that conceptualises suicide as a behaviour that requires specific targeted intervention.

NOTE: if you have previously completed QC2 or QC28 blended training, you have already completed this eLearning. However, you might find it useful to complete this eLearning as a refresher if it has been 12 months or more since last participating.

Gold Coast Suicide Prevention Pathway Training is a blended learning course comprising of four eLearning modules and a full day face-to-face workshop. This course is designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of clinicians working in a Gold Coast Mental Health Service to support their work with patients at risk of suicide. This training also supports the implementation of the “Suicide Prevention Pathway”. The four eLearning modules take approximately 30 minutes each to complete and are pre-requisites to attending the face-to-face workshop. This training is a modification of the Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in Emergency Department Settings (SRAM-ED) training. The training in the first 3 modules will make reference to Emergency Departments, however the skills are transferable to all settings. Module 4 specifically addresses the Gold Coast Suicide Prevention Pathway.

This course is designed for individuals who wish to be appointed as an authorised doctor under the Mental Health Act 2016 and for authorised doctors who wish to refresh their knowledge of the Act. The course can also be used by other staff of authorised mental health services or anyone in the community who wishes to gain a detailed understanding of the Act. It should be noted, however, that the course focuses on the knowledge required to be an authorised doctor and does not cover all aspects of the Act.

The purpose of the refresher course is to provide authorised doctors and authorised mental health practitioners with a refresher of their responsibilities under the Mental Health Act 2016 (the Act). This course is shorter in nature than the full eLearning course and has an assessment component at the end of all seven modules. The course is designed to refresh your competence in understanding and complying with the Act. All modules are mandatory for everyone completing the course.

The Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning has been involved in the development of this video Real Lives, Real People, Real Journeys. It showcases consumers, carers and mental health staff sharing their personal stories to promote an understanding of recovery.

The handbook was developed in 2007, in consultation with consumers, service providers and carers through a partnership with the Mental Health Clinical Collaborative and the Queensland Centre for Mental Health Learning.

The intention in compiling this resource was to provide an educational and personalised document for consumers and clinicians in adult inpatient mental health settings. It takes a recovery approach and contains a range of resource materials, good practice approaches, and worksheets that can be adapted to meet the individual needs of consumers.

This handbook was been designed for consumers to use independently or in collaboration with a health care professional to promote a shared understanding of the consumer's experience. The modular approach of the booklet is designed to allow the individual to move through the information at a pace suited to their own needs as well as provide a resource that extends beyond the inpatient facility.