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.

"Supervision is a designated interaction between two or more practitioners, within a safe and supportive environment, which enables a process of reflective, critical analysis of care, to ensure quality consumer services." (Clinical Supervision Guidelines for Mental Health Services, 2009).

This two-day workshop will prepare you for your supervisor role. It is designed for staff from all disciplines including non-clinical areas such as the peer workforce. During this workshop you will explore ways to enhance your supervisor skills using a variety of strategies and tools. Several high-quality skills demonstration videos are shown that model the core elements of good supervision practice. As you deepen your understanding of these elements you will have opportunities to practise delivering supervision that is culturally sensitive.

To be able to progress and enrol in this training you must pass a pre-enrolment screen that requires you to:

• meet the minimum requirements to be a Supervisor as set out in the Clinical Supervision Guidelines for Mental Health Services 2009
• achieve a minimum of 90% correct for twenty multiple choice knowledge questions.

There are resources provided to help you answer the questions.

This screen ensures that everyone who attends our QC4 Supervisor training comes with a similar understanding of the key concepts, regardless of previous experience and/or training in supervision.

Note: this course is a pre-requisite for those wishing to complete QC12 Supervising Supervisors.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC4 Supervisor - Course handout

This one day workshop aims to promote evidence-based clinical risk assessment and management practices that improve consistency in the assessment and management of consumer risks. The workshop provides participants with skills to gather and identify risk factors relevant to an individual, and complete an analysis of risks weighed against mitigating factors. Designed for mental health practitioners of all levels of experience, professionals from other services may also find this workshop highly relevant when working with people experiencing mental health problems.

More information about this course is available in the handout: QC9 Critical Components of 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.

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 or planning to deliver QC61 SRAM-ED workshops in local HHS services. Participants of the Train-the-trainer course must be committed to delivering a prescribed number of sessions determined by local staffing needs and provide documented evidence of these in reports to the primary stakeholder.

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

More information about the course content, including the full list of learning outcomes, are available in the handout: QC25 Suicide Risk Assessment and Management in an Emergency Department Setting (SRAM-ED) - Train-the-trainer - Course handout

Expression of Interest

You will be notified when your submission is approved. At that time, access to the course will be made available to you.

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.

Clinicians who have been identified as senior clinicians (with respect to violence risk) by their service should attend this training. Typically, senior clinicians have several years’ experience working in mental health, and have a good understanding of local policy and 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.

A police and ambulance intervention plan (PAIP) is a plan developed by mental health clinicians that provides specific information and strategies regarding a consumer to inform and assist the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) to mediate a mental health event involving a consumer in the community.

This course is designed to support mental health clinicians working with children and young people to understand what the ‘less restrictive way’ means within the context of the Mental Health Act 2016. It strengthens the ability of clinicians to assess a child or young person’s capacity to consent to mental health treatment to determine ‘Gillick competence’. A variety of tools and strategies are also showcased to facilitate a child or young person’s ability to engage meaningfully in the process of decision-making. These include communication approaches (e.g., visual prompts and tools) and sensory approaches.

This eLearning course provides a comprehensive and interactive overview of the founding principles of formulation and intervention planning. Throughout the course the learner receives information which is then applied to a case study. The clinician’s thinking process is made explicit throughout the module, in order to support the learner’s own development.

In the Formulation section of the course, the 5P approach to formulation is described and then applied. A focus on understanding and describing links between various factors of the formulation is demonstrated in order to improve clinical understanding.

In the Intervention Planning section, the process of utilising a person’s individual recovery goals within a shared formulation, to co-create clinical goals and intervention strategies, is explained and examples provided. Foundational principles of intervention planning (e.g. SMARTER strategies) are also described and applied.

This course complements the face-to-face course QC14 Fundamentals of Assessment, Formulation and Planning, however is not a compulsory part of that course.

This eLearning course is designed to provide information to support clinicians working with consumers at risk of becoming violent or aggressive; and is based on Queensland Health policy, including the Violence risk assessment and management framework – mental health services (the Framework). It is useful to any clinician working with individuals who may be at risk for exhibiting violence or aggression.

Specifically, this course will furnish you with knowledge regarding practical elements of working with violence risk in a Queensland Health context including understanding how to apply the Framework, and how to use the Violence Risk Assessment and Management (V-RAM) tool. Key concepts related to the assessment of violence risk are covered, including the principles and components of information gathering (evidence based risk factors), collection of collateral information, information sharing, and strategies to overcome common barriers. Strategies for conceptualising assessment information are demonstrated, in order to write a useful risk summary. A suggested template is provided to help guide your thought process in the workplace. Risk management planning is covered next, discussing how to ensure risk management plans are linked to risk summaries, suggested intervention strategies for common violence risk factors, how to distinguish between long-term and short-term risk management strategies, consideration of referrals to specialist forensic services, and reassessment of risk. Throughout the eLearning course, vignettes are provided to illustrate the application of content.

Note: This eLearning is a component of the QC30 Violence Risk Assessment and Management training. Completion of this eLearning alone does not meet the recommended training for individuals taking on the responsibilities of a Senior Clinician (as defined by the Framework). The full training to support Senior Clinicians involves the subsequent completion of the face-to-face component of QC30, as well as in-service support. Go to QC30 Violence Risk Assessment and Management for more information.

The QC60 Introduction to Supervision eLearning introduces the role of supervision in supporting ongoing professional well-being, skill development and enhanced outcomes for the people who receive our services. 

The training has been developed using a universal and inter-disciplinary approach and is relevant for new and experienced supervisees, those transitioning into a supervisor role and those who want to update to contemporary practice. Importantly it is designed to be inclusive of all front-line and support roles, including administrative staff and peer workers.

Introduction to Supervision is underpinned by the Queensland Health Supervision Guidelines for Mental Health Alcohol and Other Drugs Services 2023 (pending publication) and forms a base which will complement specialist training and educational resources in supervision, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reflective Yarning, the Lived Experience Peer Practice Supervision Framework.

While QC60 Introduction to Supervision eLearning may be completed as a stand-alone course for those who only require introductory training, this eLearning provides the critical underpinning required for the full suite of Learning Centre supervision training. After completing the eLearning you are invited to enrol in the Learning Centre's QC8 Supervisee workshop, to further consolidate skills and your practice as a supervisee.

Note: Completion of QC60 Introduction to Supervision and QC8 Supervisee are pre-requisites to those wishing to progress to the role of supervisor. See QC4 Supervisor for more information.

Note: this course is a pre-requisite for those wishing to complete QC8 Supervisee.

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 resource provides an overview of CYMHS philosophy and frameworks and addresses the first phase of Core Competency development in CYMHS in the areas of assessment, formulation and treatment planning. Each unit provides introductory theory via DVD presentations with accompanying PowerPoint notes and additional learning materials, including reflective exercises/clinical activities to consolidate learning.

This online awareness package communicates the key issues addressed in the 2016 Sexual Health and Safety Guidelines for mental health, alcohol and other drug services. It is designed as a tool for Hospital and Health Services to use in the orientation of new staff as well as local training programs, especially those focusing on risk assessment, care planning and physical health.

This program is made up of a series of webinars and two eLearning modules on topics such as assessment, formulation, diagnosis, care planning and care review.  The information contained in these recordings has been provided by Clinical Excellence Queensland, Insight, Dovetail and the Learning Centre.  Some of the recordings are informational while others demonstrate how to complete documentation, apply the principles of comprehensive care in multidisciplinary teams and provide comprehensive care in your practice. 

This course is no longer being delivered in this format. A new version of this course is now available under the QC61 course code.

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.