Professional Certificate in Mental Health
Objectives
This course aims to equip social workers in the community with knowledge and skills to manage clients with common mental health conditions and complex psycho-social presentations.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Conduct family casework involving common mental health conditions, collaborating in a multi and transdisciplinary context, towards relapse prevention and mental health recovery;
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model in mental health casework with complex psychosocial problems;
- Provide psycho-education to clients and their families about mental wellness, mental illness and treatment; and supporting families in their caregiving roles; and
- Apply relevant legislations and ethical practice in mental health social work.
Who Should Attend
This certificate is targeted at social workers, case managers and community-based counsellors in the medical and social sectors who:
- Have at least 3 years of experience working with clients with common mental health conditions;
- Preferably, have attended basic mental health education at the undergraduate level, mental health first aid training, or the Foundational Module in Mental Health with NUS SWK Department, etc.
Delivery Mode
Face-to-Face Sessions and Preparation Work
Funding Type
SSG Funding
Course Brochure
Click here to view or download the brochure
Enquiries
Email to swkcpepc@nus.edu.sg
Certificate Outline
A Critical Review of Mental Health Diagnosis, Treatment, and Social Work Practice
[20 & 21 August 2024: Closed]
Participants will be able to:
- Understand the context in which mental illness is placed and the role of social work in mental health care; and how treatment concepts and ideologies have evolved over time.
- Develop a critical understanding of mental health classification and diagnoses.
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model and systemic frame in mental health assessment and intervention.
- Apply relevant mental health legislation and related legislation in social work interventions with persons with mental health condition.
- Manage ethical issues underlying social work interventions with persons with mental health conditions.
Black Dog Days: Depressive Disorders and Social Work Intervention
[27 September 2024]
Participants will be able to:
- Attain an understanding of the aetiology, symptomology and evidence-based treatment approaches, and course of the illness for MDD and PDD.
- Appreciate the effects of depressive disorders on clients and their families, and co-work with mental health professionals to support them in their recovery journey.
- Appreciate the relationship between depression and presentations related to grief and bereavement.
- Manage suicidal behaviour of persons with depressive disorders.
- Use of psychometric tools in screening for depression.
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model and S Systemic framework in the management of complex cases with depressive disorders.
Distorted Reality in Psychotic Disorders: Psychotic Disorders and Social Work Intervention
[15 October 2024]
Participants will be able to:
- Attain an understanding of the aetiology, symptomology and evidence-based treatment approaches to common psychotic disorders.
- Appreciate the effects of the illness on individuals and their families, and more effectively co -work with mental health professionals to support them in their recovery journey.
- Appreciate the relationship between psychotic symptoms and risk of violence to others.
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model and systemic approach in the management of complex case involving treatment non-compliance and dangerousness.
Social Work with Persons with OCD and Hoarding Disorder
[18 & 19 November 2024]
Participants will be able to:
- Attain an understanding of the aetiology, symptomology and evidence-based treatment approaches to:
- OCD
- Hoarding Disorder
- Appreciate the effects of these illness on individuals and their families, and more effectively co -work with mental health professionals to support them in their recovery journey.
- Appreciate the relationship between OCD, Hoarding Disorder and hoarding behaviour.
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model and systemic approach in the management of a complex case involving a client with OCD.
- Effectively manage decluttering with clients with hoarding disorder.
'Must be PD!': Social Work Intervention with Persons with Borderline Personality Disorder
[2 December 2024]
Participants will be able to:
- Attain an understanding of the aetiology, symptomology course of illness and evidence-based treatment for persons with borderline personality disorders.
- Appreciate the effects of the symptoms of borderline personality disorder on afflicted individuals, their families, and social and helping systems.
- Develop an understanding and management of self harm and suicidal behaviours in persons with borderline personality disorders.
- Apply the Integrated Illness Causation Model and systemic approach in the management of cases involving clients with borderline personality disorder and complex psychosocial presentation. A special focus on self management will be made.
Important Information
- Participants have to complete all courses to qualify for the Professional Certificate in Mental Health.
- Participants who wish to sign up as standalone course, may email to swkcpepc@nus.edu.sg.
Fees
| Course title | Full course fees | Pricing after SSG Funding* (Singapore Citizen below 40 years / Singapore Permanent Resident), including GST | Pricing after SSG Funding* (Singapore Citizen aged 40 years and above), including GST | NUS early bird tier discount, including GST
*Early bird rate ends on 17 Oct 2024 |
| A Critical Review of Mental Health Diagnosis, Treatment, and Social Work Practice | $1,800 | $588.60 | $228.60 | — |
| Black Dog Days: Depressive Disorders and Social Work Intervention | $950 | $310.65 | $120.65 | — |
| Distorted Reality in Psychotic Disorders: Psychotic Disorders and Social Work Intervention | $950 | $310.65 | $120.65 | — |
| 'Must be PD!': Social Work Intervention with Persons with Borderline Personality Disorder | $950 | $310.65 | $120.65 | — |
| Social Work with Persons with OCD and Hoarding Disorder | $1,900 | — | — | $1,035.50 |
About the Instructors
Ms Chan Lay Lin
Principal Medical Social Worker,
Institute of Mental Health
Ms Tracy Wee
Principal Medical Social Worker,
Institute of Mental Health
Lay Lin is a principal medical social worker and family therapist with the Institute of Mental Health. Currently, she leads the education portfolio in the Medical Social Work Department and carries a clinical load in family therapy and complex casework with persons with mental health problems.
Lay Lin has served with the National University Hospital, National Cancer Centre and TRANS Centre (Bedok and Bukit Timah Branches) in her social work career. Lay Lin has rich training experience and has been actively involved in the conduct of mental health related training for social workers, school teachers, public health officers and first responders.
Tracy is principal medical social worker and family therapist with the Institute of Mental Health. She is also trained in crisis management and trauma-informed practices. Tracy is a certified Mental Health First Aid and Crisis Intervention Stress Management (Individual) Instructor.
Tracy spearheads the Staff Support and Assistance Programme in IMH that focuses on training and providing emotional support and intervention to staff who experience stressful or traumatic incidents. Apart from performing case management, psychoeducation, psychosocial and risk assessments, Tracy also provides individual, marital and family therapy to patients and their families.
Ms Joanne Chen
Senior Medical Social Worker,
Institute of Mental Health
Ms Kang Xinyi
Senior Medical Social Worker,
Institute of Mental Health
Joanne has been working with patients with mental health conditions in the last 8 years in IMH. She has worked extensively with the multi-disciplinary team in forensic psychiatry, where she served offenders with mental health and addiction problems. Joanne presently focuses on providing psychosocial rehabilitation for patients who require middle to long term care in IMH due to their complex mental health and psychosocial needs.
Apart from case management, Joanne also provides counselling to patients, and is involved in the training of young social workers in the department, and to internal and external partners. Joanne has actively been involved in research studies and is currently involved in an item analysis of achievement tests in an education programme.
Xinyi began her social work career at the Institute of Mental Health in 2011 and is currently leading two teams of medical social workers in both the regional inpatient and outpatient setting. Xinyi also has extensive experience in forensic psychiatry, working with both voluntary and involuntary offenders with mental health concerns of varying complexities in the community.
Xinyi has obtained her Advanced Practice in Forensic Mental Health (MSc) from The University of Manchester and holds post graduate qualifications in counselling. Besides clinical work, Xinyi is also passionate about the training and education of fellow practitioners and students. She participates in the teaching of undergraduates at the University, as well as provides training on mental health social work in various settings.