PSY417 Service User Perspectives in Community Mental Health

The course is connected to the following study programs

• Mental health care, Interdisciplinary Education
• Master's programme in Psychosocial health

Teaching language

Norwegian

Recommended prerequisites

PSY407-G Community Mental Health - Current Concepts and Findings

 

Course contents

• Health promoting relations; stimulating the user to activity; zest for life and hope.

• The user´s perspective in specific situations; empowerment, authority and responsibility.

• Creative expressions and creativeness in psychosocial work.

• Preventative and health promoting psychosocial work.

• Various work places and methods used towards individuals, groups, families and community.

• Understanding, assessment and alternatives for acting, seen in the light of various perspectives and contexts.

• Interdisciplinary work of change. Concrete cooperation, motivation and responsibility.

• Theories and contributions of the health and social disciplines to psychosocial work. Reasons for and consequences of various choices of action in practical situations.

• Practical ethical dilemmas. Development of personal skills and a morally sound practice.

• Specialisation in research, evaluation and quality assurance of mental health work, with user-oriented work especially in focus.

• Systematic, ethical and knowledge-critical questions related to the profession.

• Experience-based and user-oriented development of knowledge. Various practices of reflection, supervision and research.

• Systemising and documenting practical experience based on the user´s experience and needs.

 

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of the course, the student will:

• regard the integrated user´s perspective as a foundation for own his/her own work;

• be able to present, analyze and have a critical attitude to theories of own profession and work methods in mental health work;

• have skills in initiating and preparing for health-promoting psychosocial processes with individuals, families, groups and community;

• have sound knowledge of and experience in community mental health work concerning users/recipients and providers;

• have sound knowledge of interdisciplinary and inter-sectorial work that promotes and mobilises the user´s own resources;

• have knowledge, attitudes and skills to initiate and participate in overall and cooperating assistance to people in crises and/or with long-lasting need for assistance;

• have an insight into evaluation and quality assurance of mental health work. 

Examination requirements

Approved participation in compulsory instruction. Please see details in the course brochure. 

Teaching methods

Lectures/Conferences

Seminars

Seminars are compulsory and 80 % certified attendance is required.

Practice in user-oriented clinical project (150 hours):

The user-oriented project will contribute to knowledge about systematic work and the development of knowledge from a user´s perspective. The students will work in groups and develop and systemise knowledge from a user-oriented field within psychosocial work. Initially, suggestions of topics, problem formulations, methods and data sources must be approved by the teachers. To obtain data, permission must be given in advance. Preliminary conclusions will be presented at a seminar for colleague students and teachers, and the final assessment will result in a written report. 90 % certified attendance is required.

Supervision:

Supervised groups will concentrate on dilemmas and challenges in clinical practice and will stimulate to increased professional skills. The groups are organised by the university. Supervision is compulsory and 90 % certified attendance is required.

Self-studies

Estimated student workload in this course is approximately 405 hours.

Evaluation

The study programme manager, in consultation with the student representative, decides the method of evaluation and whether the courses will have a midterm- or end of term evaluation, see also the Quality System, section 4.1. Information about evaluation method for the course will be posted on Canvas.

Admission for external candidates

No

Assessment methods and criteria

A graded project report from the user-oriented project in groups. A common, graded mark is given.

Please see details in the course brochure.

Reduction of Credits

This course’s contents overlap with the following courses. A reduction of credits will occur if one of these courses is taken in addition:

Course	Reduction of Credits
PSY402 – Psychosocial Work - Professional Foundation, Theory and Ethics	7.5
PSY401 – Psychosocial Work - Clinical Specialisation Project	2.5