Course description
Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) promote the mental health and psychological wellbeing of children and young people, and provide high quality, multidisciplinary mental health services that ensure effective assessment, treatment and support for them and their families.
Those involved in CAMHS come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from art and drama therapists, through to GPs, primary mental health workers and educational social workers, all coming together to make a difference to the lives of children, adolescents and their families.
This inter-professional course is aimed at people of all disciplines working with young people.
It has been designed in conjunction with CAMHS practitioners as well as service users and their representatives including young people from Barnardo's Keeping the Family in Mind project.
The course curriculum maps against the national competency framework for CAMHS specialist practitioners and primary health workers as well as recommendations from the National CAMHS Support Service.
The course explores:
-A range of therapeutic interventions, policy, legal and ethical issues
-How you can empower children, young people and families
-The rights of the child and young person and the complexities of working in the practice situation
-Inter-agency and inter-professional working
-Leadership and change within the workplace
Course content
To complete the Postgraduate Diploma, you will need to take the 4 compulsory modules below.
To complete the full Masters programme, you will need to undertake the 4 compulsory modules and a dissertation
The modules are designed to give you an insight into current thinking on CAMHS and how to integrate this with your own practice.
CAMHS: Concepts and Theories
-Child and adolescent developmental theories, mental health disorders and the experience of mental distress for children and young people
-Factors that influence the mental health of children and young people in planning and intervention
-The anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory values used in planning, implementing and evaluating therapeutic interventions
CAMHS: Frameworks for Practice
-The matrix of service delivery in CAMHS and related services in the UK
-Legal and ethical issues in work with children and families where mental distress is occurring
-Working with families
-Planning and consultation
-Supervision skills
CAMHS: Theory into Practice
-The theory that underpins child and adolescent mental health
-Planning and delivery of intervention in CAMHS and related services
Research Methods
-Develop a rigorous approach to the process of research
-Prepares you to complete a dissertation/ research project
Dissertation: usually a 15,000 word review of evidence, research proposal or project related to your area of professional practice.
What you can expect from Salford
You'll find us on the Allerton Campus of the University which includes the Mary Seacole Building, a brand new development with clinical rooms, lecture theatres and offices, providing some of the most up-to-date facilities in the UK.
Our courses are delivered by teams of dynamic and supportive staff who are committed to helping you move professional practice forward. We have a strong tradition of working closely with local and national mental health organisations and this ensures the course is up-to-date and will meet your needs.
Virtual Learning
You will get additional support through Blackboard, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It can be accessed by registered users from anywhere in the world by using the Internet and provides a range of possibilities, including:
-The delivery of course materials, such as handbooks, lecture handouts, slides and web links which can be accessed easily by students both on and off campus
-The use of discussion boards that allows discussion between staff, students and others
-Online exchanges between staff, students and others who can be logged into a virtual classroom
-Taking online assessments with automatic marking and feedback facilities
What students think
We also value the opinion of our students and use it to further develop the course. Evaluations from past students have highlighted the following strong points:
-The application of theory and research to practice
-The development of critical analytic thinking that challenges practice
-The space to reflect on practice and sound out new ideas that make a difference in practice
-Raising awareness of young people’s rights and of the importance of anti-oppressive practice
-Meeting and networking with other professionals in CAMHS
-Learning resources that are high quality, varied and relevant to practice
-Self-development and being able to recognise and articulate one's own knowledge and skil
