PY3EAA1: Engagement and Assessment of Common Mental Health Problems

Module code: PY3EAA1

Module provider: Psychology; School of Psych and Clin Lang Sci

Credits: 20

Level: Level 3 (Honours)

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Miss Nakita Oldacre, email: n.m.oldacre@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s): IN THE SAME YEAR AS TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST TAKE PY3TRT1 AND TAKE PY3VEC1 AND TAKE PY30PL (Compulsory)

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: Micro placement

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 29 August 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

As detailed in the Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) national curriculum (2022):  

This module will equip students training as PWPs with a good understanding of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems and evidence-based treatment choices. Skills teaching will develop PWPs’ core ‘common factors’ competencies of active listening, engagement, alliance building, client-centred information gathering, information giving and shared decision making.  

The student will learn how to support people with common mental health problems in the self-management of their recovery. The module provides students with the opportunity to develop their skills and knowledge of undertaking client-centred assessments across a range of different assessment formats, settings and delivery methods. These different assessment types include screening/triage assessment within an IAPT service; risk assessment; provisional diagnostic (problem descriptor) assessment; psychometric assessment (using the IAPT standardised symptom measures); problem focused assessment; and intervention planning assessment. In all these components of assessment, students need to be able to engage clients and establish an appropriate relationship whilst gathering information in a collaborative manner. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in applying the principles, purposes and different types of assessment undertaken with people with common mental health disorders (across in-person, telephone and video-based modes of delivery). 
2. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in using ‘common factors’ to engage clients; gather information; build a therapeutic alliance with people with common mental health problems; manage the emotional content of sessions and the impact of this on both themselves and the client and hold boundaries. 
3. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in recognising patterns of symptoms consistent with diagnostic categories of mental disorders (according to ICD-11) from a client-centred interview, and by doing so correctly identify the correct primary problem descriptor. 
4. Demonstrate knowledge of, and competence in accurate risk assessment to clients or others to ensure practitioners can be upskilled to confidently manage this effectively. 

Further details can be found within the national curriculum (July 2022): https://www.hee.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/documents/PWP%20Curriculum%204th%20Edition%202022%20.pdf  

Module content

• Concepts and categories of mental health
• A range of assessment strategies; including triage, risk and symptom assessment
• Common factor skills and engaging the client
• Client-centred information gathering
• Use of standardised assessment tools
• Developing skills in behaviour change models to identify goals and intervention
• Assessing attitudes to treatment including medication and psychological interventions
• Accurate recording of information

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

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 clients in the workplace. Knowledge will be learnt through a combination of lectures, seminars, discussion groups, guided reading and independent study.  

The self-directed study will include a review of video library and web-based resources with examples of assessment sessions and clinical demonstrations of specific techniques. 

The following structure for this module is a minimum of 15 days in total:  

• At least ten days of theoretical teaching, skills practice in intensive workshops and clinical simulations, in which trainees must be signed off by the course as competent to start work with clients.  
• Five days undertaking directed practice-based learning.  
• Approximately forty hours of clinical contact time dedicated to assessment (including in person, via video and via telephone).  

Over the course of the programme, in line with the national curriculum, at least 15 days (approximately 86.25 hours) of teaching will be delivered in person on campus with the remainder delivered online or on campus.  The ratio of on campus to online delivery varies across the three modules; you will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module. 

Lectures across the programme all encompass a degree of clinical skills rehearsal as part of teaching pedagogy; lectures comprise varying degrees of class discussion, small group rehearsal, and supervision and clinical skills practice. 

For the purposes of the module descriptor form, practical classes detailed below comprise directed practice-based learning in the workplace (5 days (approximately 28.75 hours) per module recommended by national curriculum). 

Study hours

At least 86.5 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Students undertaking the MSci Applied Psychology (Clinical) must also achieve: 

1. A mark of 40% for the Short Essay assignment
2. A mark of at least 50% and no autofails in the practical skills assessment

A minimum of 80% live attendance is required.

For clinical assessments (e.g., video-recording submissions); there are autofail sections within each of these marking criteria. This means that if any of these autofail sections have not been met to a passing standard, it will lead to a failure in the relevant areas and therefore an autofail in the overall assessment. The autofails will apply even if assessments have been awarded an overall percentage within the passing range.

Completion of studies is dependent on placement within a UoR partnering service and access to an appropriate clinical caseload. Students must successfully pass all modules of the training programme. A student’s studies may be terminated if they are no longer working in a partnering service, no longer have access to an appropriate caseload, or fail coursework at second attempt without exceptional circumstances.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

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

Assessments with numerical marks

• 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 three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/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.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

First Screening Assessment (FSA) is a simulated ‘triage’ (initial clinical assessment) to determine whether a person is eligible for the service and/or to determine urgency of allocation. This assessment will be peer-observed, and peer-feedback will be provided (written) with guidance from Educator staff. 

Clinical Record simulation. Following the roleplay, students are expected to write up notes from the session ‘as if’ writing clinical records for this client. The notes should include the date and type of session, and then key information from the assessment. The aim of this assessment is to support students to develop the skills involved in record-keeping. 

Problem-based learning (PBL) scenarios are to be considered within the assigned study day and feedback is provided through an example answer that is shared after the students have considered their answer. 

Reassessment

Additional costs