Unit Outline

In this unit you will explore the history of occupational therapy in mental health to contextualise this area of practice in alongside other mental health approaches. You will consider mental health from a global, national, and local perspective to examine the continuum of mental health across the lifespan and from a person-environment-occupation conceptual understanding. You will learn occupational therapy process and skills to address conditions and formulate culturally safe clinical opinions to articulate occupational therapy plans and programs that enhance wellbeing, health and participation outcomes through occupation-based intervention and environmental adaptation. This unit includes experiential learning activities to enhance your understanding of the lived experience of mental health, mental health issues and mental disorders with a focus on reducing stigma and enhancing social inclusion and advocacy though affirming and collaborative practices.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Critically compare different understandings of mental health across the lifespan using the evidence-based research and relevant theories of human occupation.
2	Critique approaches to supporting individuals, communities, and populations to enhance mental health, wellbeing, and quality of life through environmental adaptation, occupational engagement, and participation.
3	Apply relevant occupational therapy theories and other evidence to develop effective interventions for complex client and community scenarios involving mental health issues, illness or risk factors.
4	Synthesise information from a range of occupational therapy assessments and interventions appropriate to addressing mental health and participation needs of individuals and families in their community.
5	Articulate culturally safe written and verbal communication when framing clinical opinions and formulation of therapeutic plans, programs, and outcomes.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	CXA723

Alterations as a result of student feedback

Feedback on previous units has influenced the design of the first iteration of this unit in the following ways:
• Clear list of learning activities expected to be completed before each week’s class
• Case-based learning to support contextual learning
Development of a MyLO Resource Library’ containing tailor made occupational therapy and mental health resources related to the Tasmanian and Australian context

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Mental Health Continuum Annotated Concept Map	Week 4	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 2:	Skill Demonstration Simulation Client	Week 7	30 %	LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
Assessment Task 3:	Occupational Therapy Formulation	Week 14	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Mental Health Continuum Annotated Concept Map

Task Description:

Annotated Concept Map of different theoretical understandings of the mental health continuum

This assessment task requires you to analyse and critically compare differing perspectives of the mental health continuum and represent that analysis via an annotated concept map. The primary perspectives on mental health to consider are the biomedical, psychological, sociological, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, lived experience, recovery and trauma-informed approaches, occupational science / occupational therapy.

Task Length:

1800 words +/- 10%

Due Date:

Week 4

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Critically compare different perspectives on the experience of mental health and mental health disorders.	LO1, LO2
2	Analyse and distinguish occupational therapy approaches within the wider context of mental health practices.	LO1, LO2
3	Justify analysis though use of references and resources.	LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Skill Demonstration Simulation Client

Task Description:

Goal setting with a simulated client - skill demonstration

You will engage in a simulated client interaction to demonstrate client centred goal-setting skills in occupational therapy based on a detailed client scenario, including an occupational profile, diagnostic details, health history, collateral information, and assessment results.

The assessment task will be filmed for assessment purposes. All videos will be stored securely and disposed of on completion of your Course.

Task Length:

30 minutes

Due Date:

Week 7

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Analyse diagnostic, health history and occupational therapy standardised assessment information to inform therapeutic reasoning and goal session planning.	LO2, LO4
2	Utilise culturally safe, client centred verbal and non-verbal communication to foster rapport and facilitate effective collaboration with simulated clients.	LO3, LO5
3	Synthesise occupational therapy assessment information, incorporating the Recovery Philosophy and demonstrating respect for the lived experience of clients.	LO5
4	Collaborate with the simulated client to develop relevant occupational goals that reflect their needs, preferences and aspirations.	LO4, LO5

Assessment Task 3: Occupational Therapy Formulation

Task Description:

Analysing a mental health scenario and documenting an Occupational Therapy Formulation
In this assessment you will develop an occupational therapy formulation in response to a scenario that describes the community and sociocultural context, the background, goals and needs of an individual and/or family.

The Occupational Therapy Formulation should be written with the client / family and other health professionals as the intended audience. Documentation must be concise, respectful, client centred and culturally safe. References should be used in the report where relevant and required to show application of theory and evidence. References must be verifiable from reputable and peer reviewed sources.
A template will be provided in MyLO.

Task Length:

2000 words

Due Date:

Week 14

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Synthesise occupational information to formulate an occupational therapy plan for an authentic scenario.	LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5
2	Apply culturally safe, client-centred principles to create concise documentation.	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO5
3	Apply the principles of theoretically sound and evidence-based practice to therapeutic reasoning in occupational therapy process and practice.	LO1, LO3, LO4, LO5

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Academic progress review

The results for this unit may be included in a review of your academic progress. For information about progress reviews and what they mean for all students, see Academic Progress Review in the Student Portal.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Required Resources

Required reading materials