Crisis Interventions in Mental Health (Level 6) / Mental Health Crisis Interventions (Level 7)

Non-pharmacological interventions are possibly the simplest therapeutic acts that may yield the most complex results. This module aims to equip the learner with the essential knowledge and skills that are needed to become a more holistic practitioner. The focus of this module therefore, is equipping the learner with skills to pass onto a service user with the aim of allowing the user to treat themselves and not need further professional intervention.

What's covered in the course?

This module recognises and acknowledges that medication used to ‘treat’ mental illness is actually targeted more on symptom suppression rather than illness eradication. Moreover, medications frequently cause effects that are subjectively worse than the symptom it was meant to treat and so is frequently cited as the main reason for not adhering to medication regimes. This non-adherence is frequently termed non-compliance yet this phrase projects a negative, rebellious meaning that suggests that the service user is to blame in some way – perhaps a more accurate interpretation however, is that health professionals may have neglected to take the service users opinion/preferences into account. This results in an inappropriate or unwanted pharmacological intervention being used.

Perhaps a goal of all health professionals should be to equip the service user, wherever possible, with the skills so that they have no need to see the health professional any more. These skills would focus on achievable symptom management rather than on unrealistic symptom eradication. To this end, this module encourages health/social professionals to explore alternative means of intervention that may be more amenable to service users and is not based in pharmacology.

The lecturers are all experienced professionals who are passionate about this subject and are keen to share their knowledge. Students will receive classroom based lectures and web based instruction as well as individual tutorials to address any idiosyncratic need – all this will be based at the City South campus in Edgbaston.

Why Choose Us?

• Contemporary practice
• Holistic teaching to facilitate holistic care
• Person – not patient – centred care

Course structure

The module will begin with a scrutiny of current paradigms of treatment along with the issue of medical dominance. Next, the evidence base for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions is examined followed by a variety of interventions highlighted.

This module will facilitate students to progress a career in the community setting, and will lead to an independent practitioner.