Certificate in Child & Adolescent Mental Health

This foundation introductory course is designed with the aim to help you understand childhood depression, anxiety and eating problems, and other common mental health disorders. You will discover how infants and children develop (socially, cognitively, sexually, morally), how they acquire language, and different types of learning. In addition, you will also learn about developmental disorders including pervasive developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (which now includes Asperger’s syndrome), as well as Rett’s disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder and the implications they can have later in life.

Course Outline

Students will undertake 4 Key Modules, made up of 40 subjects each.

Module 1: Child and Adolescent Mental Health (100 hours)

In this module, you will learn about mental health problems in childhood, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, tic disorders and problems associated with brain disease or injury, environmental factors, abuse and neglect. As an introductory module, it provides a solid foundation to the scope of common child and adolescent mental health disorders and how to identify them.

Module 2: Child Psychology (100 hours)

This module aims to deliver an introduction into child psychology, where you will discover how infants and children develop (socially, cognitively, sexually, morally), how they acquire language, and different types of learning. You will hone your critical thinking skills, learn how to make observations of behaviour seen in children, and ways to analyse information to encourage you to approach scenarios from a different perspective.

This module will cover a range of topics; from discovering how parenting styles can influence childhood behaviour, to what age you can expect children to start speaking, to learning how much of a child’s behaviour is due to genetics and understanding how children learn in different ways.

Module 3: Anger Management (100 hours)

This module is designed with the aim to help you understand the nature and scope of anger in children and techniques (including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), to help manage and provide support when required.

You will discover that anger management is not about removing all anger, but instead learn how to help children channel their anger into positive aspects and away from the negative aspects, so it can be productive rather than destructive.

Module 4: Developmental, Learning and Behavioural Disorders in Children and Adolescents (100 hours)

In this foundation introductory module, you will learn about developmental disorders, including pervasive developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (which now includes Asperger’s syndrome) as well as Rett’s disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder. The module aims to help you identify the different signs and symptoms, treatments and possible causes of each, the implications of a developmental disorder later in life and how important it is to respond to the signs and symptoms as early as possible.

You will also learn about behavioural disorders, such as different types of attention and hyperactivity disorders, along with conduct disorders like oppositional defiant disorder. The module also explores learning disorders, which are specific developmental disorders, such as reading disorder.

For the full subject list and course guide, fill out our Enquiry Form and our course advisors will be in touch.

Assessment

Assessments are a critical step in the learning process. They help ensure you stay on track and meet the learning objectives of each lesson before moving onto the next. They also help your tutor identify where any further support may be required, so that you get the most out of your course.

You will learn via various methods; a combination of reading, interacting with tutors, undertaking research and watching videos. Each lesson will conclude with an assignment which is marked by your assigned tutor and returned to you with feedback, and if necessary, some recommended additional reading. Assessments may come in the form of – case studies, quizzes and written assessments.