HLT 107: Mental Health and Mental Issues

Course Description

This course will focus on educating healthcare workers in caring for people with mental health issues. The course includes an overview of the current mental healthcare system in the United States, ethical, legal, and sociocultural issues, and various psychotherapies. Skills and principles of mental healthcare will be explored with a focus on therapeutic communication, therapeutic relationships, and therapeutic environment. Mental health problems throughout the life cycle will be examined with an emphasis on the elderly population. Care of clients with various types of psychological and psychosocial disorders will also be discussed.

Prerequisite

  • None

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Explain the history of mental healthcare and the current system of care.
  2. Identify the areas of potential legal liability, ethical and sociocultural considerations for mental healthcare providers.
  3. Examine the skills and principles of mental healthcare.
  4. Discuss therapeutic communication, environment, and relationships.
  5. Compare and contrast mental health problems of children, adolescence, adults, and the elderly.
  6. Discuss the care of clients with psychological disorders such as anxiety, loss/grief, depression and dissociative disorders.
  7. Discuss the care of clients with psychosocial problems such as anger/aggression, suicide, substance-related disorders, personality disorders, and schizophrenia and other psychoses.
  8. Explain chronic mental health disorders and identify therapeutic interventions utilized in a variety of settings.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsPointsWeight

Discussions (Weeks 1-8)

320

20%

Quizzes (Weeks 1-7)

140

20%

Case Study (Week 4)

100

20%

Research Paper (Week 7)

100

20%

Final Exam (Week 8)

100

20%

Total

760

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle

  • Morrison-Valfre, M. (2021). Foundations of Mental Health Care. 7th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Mosby. ISBN-13: 978-0-323-66182-9

Course Schedule

Week

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

1

Topic: History of Mental Health Care and Systems

  • Readings:
    • Chapters 1 & 2
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 1

2

2

Topics: Legal, Ethical and Sociocultural Issues

  • Readings:
    • Chapters 3 & 4
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 2
3

3,4

Topics: Skills and Principles of Mental Health Care
  • Readings:
    • Chapters 8, 10-12
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 3

4

5

Topic: Mental Health Care Across the Lifespan
  • Readings:
    • Chapters 13-16
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 4
  • Submit Case Study

5

6

Topic:Caring for Clients with Psychological Disorders
  • Readings:
    • Chapters 18, 20, 21 & 24
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 5

6

7

Topic: Caring for Clients with Psychosocial Disorders Part 1( Anger/Depression, Suicide, Substance-Abuse)  
  • Readings:
    • Chapters 25, 27 & 28
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 6

7

7

Topic: Caring for Clients with Psychosocial Disorders Part 2 (Personality Disorders and Psychoses)  
  • Readings:
    • Chapters 30 & 31
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Quiz 7
  • Submit Research Paper on a Mental Health Disorder/Disease

8

8

Topic: Chronic Mental Health Disorders

  • Readings:
    • Chapters 32 & 33
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in the Discussions
  • Review the Lecture material
  • Complete Final Exam

Final Exam
Comprehensive final that will cover all chapters
SLOs 1-8

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.