PY3EAAB-Engagement and Assessment of Common Mental Health Problems

Module Provider: Psychology
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:6
Terms in which taught: Summer term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites:
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Mrs Emma-Jayne Conway
Email: emma-jayne.conway@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) assess and support people with common mental health problems in the self-management of their recovery. To do so they must be able to undertake a range of patient-centred assessments and be able to identify the main areas of concern relevant to the assessment undertaken. They need to have knowledge and competence to be able to apply these in a range of different assessment formats and settings. These different elements or types of assessment include screening/triage assessment; risk assessment; provisional diagnostic assessment; mental health clustering assessment; psychometric assessment (using the IAPT standardised symptoms measures); problem focused assessment; and intervention planning assessment. In all these assessments they need to be able to engage patients and establish an appropriate relationship whilst gathering information in a collaborative manner.

 

Aims:

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners (PWPs) assess and support people with common mental health problems in the self-management of their recovery. To do so they must be able to undertake a range of patient-centred assessments and be able to identify the main areas of concern relevant to the assessment undertaken. They need to have knowledge and competence to be able to apply these in a range of different assessment formats and settings. These different elements or types of assessment include screening/triage assessment; risk assessment; provisional diagnostic assessment; mental health clustering assessment; psychometric assessment (using the IAPT standardised symptoms measures); problem focused assessment; and intervention planning assessment. In all these assessments they need to be able to engage patients and establish an appropriate relationship whilst gathering information in a collaborative manner.

 

They must have knowledge of mental health disorders and the evidence-based therapeutic options available and be able to communicate this knowledge in a clear and unambiguous way so that people can make informed treatment choices. In addition, they must have knowledge of behaviour change models and how these can inform choice of goals and interventions. This module will, therefore, equip PWPs with a good understanding of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems and evidenced-based treatment choices. Skills teaching will develop PWPs’ core ‘common factors’ competencies of active listening, engagement, alliance building, patient-centred information gathering, information giving and shared decision making.

Assessable learning outcomes:

Students must demonstrate

1. knowledge, understanding and critical awareness of concepts of mental health and mental illness, diagnostic category systems in mental health and a range of social, medical and psychological explanatory models.


2. knowledge of, and competence in applying the principles, purposes and different types of assessment undertaken with people with common mental health problems.


3. knowledge of, and competence in using ‘common factors’ to engage patients, gather information, build a therapeutic alliance with people with common mental health problems, manage the emotional content of sessions and grasp the client’s perspective or “world view”.


4. knowledge of, and competence in ‘patient-centred’ information gathering to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the person’s main mental health difficulties and the impact this has on their daily living.


5. knowledge of, and competence in recognising patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorder from a patient-centred interview and able to assess and recognise any risks to self and others posed by patients.


6. knowledge of, and competence in accurate risk assessment to patient or others.


7. knowledge of, and competence in the use of standardised assessment tools including symptom and other psychometric instruments to aid problem recognition and definition and subsequent decision making.


8. knowledge, understanding and competence in using behaviour change models in identifying intervention goals and choice of appropriate interventions.


9. knowledge of, and competence in giving evidence-based information about treatment choices and in making shared decisions with patients.


10. competence in understanding the patient’s attitude to a range of mental health treatments including prescribed medication and evidence-based psychological treatments.


11. competence in accurate recording of interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic record keeping systems.

Additional outcomes:

Outline content:

1. mental health and mental illness, diagnostic category systems in mental health and a range of social, medical and psychological explanatory models.


2. 'common factors’ to engage patients, gather information, build a therapeutic alliance with people with common mental health problems, manage the emotional content of sessions and grasp the client’s perspective or “world view”.


3. ‘patient-centred’ information gathering to arrive at a succinct and collaborative definition of the person’s main mental health difficulties and the impact this has on their daily living.


4. Recognising patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorder from a patient-centred interview; recognition of any risks to self and others posed by patients.


5. Use of standardized assessment tools including symptom and other psychometric instruments to aid problem recognition and definition and subsequent decision making.


6. Evidence-based information about treatment choices and in making shared decisions with patients.


7. Understanding the patient’s attitude to a range of mental health treatments including prescribed medication and evidence-based psychological treatments.


8. Accurate recording of interviews and questionnaire assessments using paper and electronic record keeping systems. 

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Knowledge will be learnt through a combination of lectures, seminars, discussion groups, guided reading, self-practice/self-reflection activities, problem-based learning tasks, and independent study. Skills based competencies will be learnt through a combination of clinical simulation in small groups working intensively under close supervision with peer and tutor feedback and supervised practice through supervised direct contact with patients in the workplace.

Cont act hours:

• Over a period of 10 weeks: 16 days in total.
  
  Initially, two weeks intensive teaching and skills practice undertaken, followed by one day/week.


• 16 days split:
  
  
  
  • in class theoretical teaching and clinical simulation (11 days)
  
  
  • and in directed/self-directed study days (5 days) undertaking consolidation of learning (including preparation for teaching) and role-play.
  
  
  
  

Days split in class theoretical teaching and clinical simulation, and in the workplace undertaking practice-based learning and supervision.

 

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures			70
Practicals classes and workshops			30
Guided independent study:			100
Total hours by term	0	0
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	50
Oral assessment and presentation	50

Summative assessment- Examinations:

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

1.    A standardised role-play scenario where trainees are required to demonstrate skills in engagement, information gathering, information giving and shared decision making in a problem-focused assessment. This will be video recorded and assessed by teaching staff using a standardised assessment measure.



2.    An essay to in which trainees are required to demonstrate knowledge and competence in common mental health disorders, assessment of patients and issues relevant to assessment of patients at low intensity working.



These 2 assessments are equally weighted.

 

3.    Successful completion of a practice portfolio (marked as pass/fail) evidencing 100% course attendance and sign off as competent for the following practice outcomes:



PO 1. Demonstrates competency in undertaking and recording a range of assessment formats. This should include both triage and problem focused assessments.



PO 2. Demonstrates experience and competence in the assessment of presenting problems across a range of indicative diagnoses including depression and two or more anxiety disorders.



PO 3. Demonstrates the common factor competencies necessary to engage patients across the range of assessment formats.

Formative assessment methods:

A standardised role-play scenario of a triage assessment. This assessment will be peer-observed and peer-feedback will be provided (written) with guidance from Educator staff.

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:

A mark of at least 50% in the skills-based assessment (Assessment number 1).



A mark of at least 40% in the academic based assessment (Assessment number 2). 

A mark of pass on the practice portfolio (Assessment number 3).

A minimum of 100% attendance is required.

Reassessment arrangements:

Students who do not obtain the required pass mark in the assessed work will be given the opportunity to resubmit, on one further occasion, any individual assessment that has been failed. The re-sit grade cannot exceed 40% for the academic assessment and 50% for the skills-based assessment. A Top-up session will be held after the end of the course, giving students the opportunity to complete some teaching sessions or assessments that were missed.



Completion of studies is dependent on employment within an IAPT service and access to an IAPT clinical caseload. Students must successfully pass all modules of the PWP training programme. Therefore, a student’s studies may be terminated if they are no longer working in an IAPT service, no longer have access to an IAPT caseload or fail coursework at second attempt.

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: None

2) Specialist equipment or materials: None

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear: None

4) Printing and binding: None

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification: None

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: None

Last updated: 30 March 2023