Availabilities:

2021 unit offering information will be available in September 2020

Unit description

Explores aspects of Indigenous mental and spiritual care in relation to terms, definitions and diagnoses used in the area of Australia's Mental Health Services. Students will examine the social, and political issues impacting on the psychological wellbeing of Indigenous people and consider appropriate health worker responses to recognised mental illnesses, trauma, substance and physical abuse patterns within Indigenous families, communities and mainstream society.

Unit content

1. Introduction

2. Cultural safety

3. Historical background

4. Wellbeing – diverse perspectives

5. Resilience & resistance

6. Classification and assessment

7. Connection and relatedness

8. Anxiety, stress and violence

9. Organic mental disorders – delirium, dementia and drugs

10. Voices and visions

11. Healing Together

12. Where to from here?

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: Intellectual rigour, GA2: Creativity, GA3: Ethical practice, GA4: Knowledge of a discipline, GA5: Lifelong learning, GA6: Communication and social skills, GA7: Cultural competence
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:GA1GA2GA3GA4GA5GA6GA7
1describe, from an Indigenous perspective, common disorders or states of ill health and discuss the ethics involved in working with a person with mental health problems Ethical practiceKnowledge of a disciplineCultural competence
2provide cross-cultural perspectives on mental health and ill health, using both Indigenous Australian and western psychiatric frameworksEthical practiceKnowledge of a disciplineCommunication and social skillsCultural competence
3identify and describe a range of culturally safe healing approaches to assist individuals and communities towards mental, emotional, spiritual and cultural health.CreativityKnowledge of a disciplineCommunication and social skillsCultural competence

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. describe, from an Indigenous perspective, common disorders or states of ill health and discuss the ethics involved in working with a person with mental health problems
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  2. provide cross-cultural perspectives on mental health and ill health, using both Indigenous Australian and western psychiatric frameworks
    • GA3: Ethical practice
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA6: Communication and social skills
    • GA7: Cultural competence
  3. identify and describe a range of culturally safe healing approaches to assist individuals and communities towards mental, emotional, spiritual and cultural health.
    • GA2: Creativity
    • GA4: Knowledge of a discipline
    • GA6: Communication and social skills
    • GA7: Cultural competence

Teaching and assessment

Notice

Intensive offerings may or may not be scheduled in every session. Please refer to the timetable for further details.

Southern Cross University employs different teaching methods within units to provide students with the flexibility to choose the mode of learning that best suits them. SCU academics strive to use the latest approaches and, as a result, the learning modes and materials may change. The most current information regarding a unit will be provided to enrolled students at the beginning of the study session.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.
Commencing 2021 Commonwealth Supported only. Student contribution band: 1

Fee paying courses
For POSTGRADUATE or UNDERGRADUATE full fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees

International

Please check the international course and fee list to determine the relevant fees.

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