Mental Health Specialty Program - Currently Not Available

This Mental Health Specialty Program from the Thompson Rivers University School of Nursing is designed to prepare nurses, social workers and other health care professionals for work in a variety of mental health settings.

Those who complete this post-basic specialty program will earn a Mental Health Specialty Program Certificate and up to 15 credits toward a baccalaureate degree in nursing at Thompson Rivers University.

MENT 451: Therapeutic Modalities I
MENT 452: Therapeutic Modalities II
MENT 453: Group and Counselling Skills
MENT 454: Mental Health Perspectives
NURS 455: Mental Health Practice

Course Descriptions

MENT 451: Therapeutic Modalities I
This interdisciplinary course will provide an overview of foundational concepts that shape mental health practice. Learners will examine historical influences in mental health, theoretical perspectives, and classification systems of mental disorders. The course will also focus on the biological basis of mental illness, and various therapeutic modalities including psychological, social, and pharmacological approaches. The foundational concepts are integrated into an examination of the assessment and care of clients experiencing psychotic and cognitive disorders (including schizophrenia, dementia, and delirium).

MENT 452: Therapeutic Modalities II
This interdisciplinary course integrates knowledge from MENT 451 and applies it to specific mental health challenges. The focus is on the assessment and care of clients experiencing personality, mood and anxiety disorders. The care of clients with dual diagnosis and chemical dependency issues is also explored. MENT 452 is available by distance education.

MENT 453: Group and Counselling Skills
The focus of this course is to develop competent skills in both group and counselling processes for practical application in the mental health field. Several counselling approaches such as cognitive, behavioural, existential and brief therapy models are presented. Students will be encouraged to examine their values and life experiences influencing their practice with clients and families. The use of groups, development phases, group process and techniques are presented as well as family facilitation/therapy skills. A variety of other related concepts are discussed, such as case management models, implications in therapeutic counselling influence of the counsellor, stress in the mental health profession, and ethical issues related to suicide.

MENT 454: Mental Health Perspectives
This course will address an interesting array of mental health perspectives, including research, policy and ethics. The research section will review various research approaches, data analysis and the skill of putting evidence into practice. The second section will address legal acts which guide care, such as the Mental Health Act, care models in psychiatry, and policies/standards that influence care. The third section will discuss ethical and sociological influences related to mental health concerns, such as the influence of gender, poverty, the use of alternative health care, and spiritual/cultural influences. The course will also address First Nations' mental health perspectives. 

MENT 455: Mental Health Practice
In this three-week full-time practice course, opportunity is provided to consolidate mental health concepts in three distinct practice settings: tertiary care psychiatric setting, community based mental health settings, and agencies focussing on alternate mental health practices. Students will be preceptored with a clinician, with support and guidance from a TRU instructor. (Practice components relevant to the previous four courses are integrated throughout the program.) 

Admission

Courses are open to registered nurses, social workers and other health professionals. Selected students who are enrolled in third and fourth year of the BSN program may also be admitted.

You will be required to submit the following to the Admissions Department, The Thompson Rivers University, 900 McGill Road, Kamloops, V2C 0C8, fax (250) 371- 5960:

1. Completed application with $25.00 application fee if new admission to TRU. If you have never attended TRU, you must complete an Application for Admission to TRU. This form is available from the Admissions office     or apply on-line. (https://applybc.ca)

2. Proof of credential and/or membership in a health profession. (Registered Nurses must provide proof of current membership in CRNBC or equivalent provincial organization. Bachelor of Social Work graduates must provide photocopy of degree. All others must provide copy of transcript(s) and/or photocopy of degree.)

Course delivery is subject to sufficient enrolment.

More Information

Email Student Services for more information.