Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Are you dedicated to supporting and nurturing the wellbeing of children and adolescents? Interested in gaining a deeper understanding of their thoughts and behaviours to provide more effective assistance? If you’re keen on identifying and addressing common mental health disorders in young people and learning professional treatment approaches, our Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is the ideal course for you.
Duration
Approximately 500 hours to complete the course, which has five key modules made up of 50 lessons.
Entry Requirements
There are no prerequisites to complete this course. However, you must be able to read, analyse and comprehend printed information in English, and to write statements and solve problems to complete the course. You must also have reliable access to a computer and a reliable internet connection and have basic computer skills.
Certificate
Upon completing the course, you will receive a Statement of Attainment for each module completed and Certificate of Completion.
Delivery
Online, flexible learning when it suits you and your lifestyle.
Availability of Content
12 months to access the course content (extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis)
Approximately 500 hours to complete the course, which has five key modules made up of 50 lessons.
There are no prerequisites to complete this course. However, you must be able to read, analyse and comprehend printed information in English, and to write statements and solve problems to complete the course. You must also have reliable access to a computer and a reliable internet connection and have basic computer skills.
Upon completing the course, you will receive a Statement of Attainment for each module completed and Certificate of Completion.
Online, flexible learning when it suits you and your lifestyle.
12 months to access the course content (extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis)
Summary
The Professional Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is an in-depth course designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of mental health issues in young people. This course goes beyond the basics, offering insights into childhood depression, anxiety, eating disorders and other prevalent mental health conditions. You will explore the complexities of developmental stages in infants and children, including social, cognitive, sexual, and moral development, as well as language acquisition and learning types. It also delves into developmental disorders, with a focus on pervasive developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s syndrome), Rett’s disorder, and childhood disintegrative disorder, examining their long-term implications. This program is ideal for those seeking to deepen their knowledge and skills in supporting the mental health of children and adolescents.
Course Outline
Students will undertake five key modules, made up of 50 lessons.
Module 1: Child and Adolescent Mental Health (100 hours)
In this module, you will learn about mental health problems in childhood, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, tic disorders and problems associated with brain disease or injury, environmental factors, abuse and neglect. As an introductory module, it provides a solid foundation to the scope of common child and adolescent mental health disorders and how to identify them.
Module 2: Child Psychology (100 hours)
This module aims to deliver an introduction into child psychology, where you will discover how infants and children develop (socially, cognitively, sexually, morally), how they acquire language, and different types of learning. You will hone your critical thinking skills, learn how to make observations of behaviour seen in children and develop ways to analyse information to encourage you to approach scenarios from a different perspective.
This module will cover a range of topics; from discovering how parenting styles can influence childhood behaviour, to what age you can expect children to start speaking, to learning how much of a child’s behaviour is due to genetics and understanding how children learn in different ways.
Module 3: Anger Management (100 hours)
This module is designed with the aim to help you understand the nature and scope of anger in children and techniques (including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy), to help manage and provide support when required.
You will discover that anger management is not about removing all anger, but instead learn how to help children channel their anger into positive aspects and away from the negative aspects, so it can be productive rather than destructive.
Module 4: Developmental, Learning and Behavioural (100 hours)
In this foundation introductory module, you will learn about developmental disorders, including pervasive developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (which now includes Asperger’s syndrome) as well as Rett’s disorder and childhood disintegrative disorder. The module aims to help you identify the different signs and symptoms, treatments and possible causes of each, the implications of a developmental disorder later in life and how important it is to respond to the signs and symptoms as early as possible.
You will also learn about behavioural disorders, such as different types of attention and hyperactivity disorders, along with conduct disorders like oppositional defiant disorder. The module also explores learning disorders, which are specific developmental disorders, such as reading disorders.
Module 5: Adolescent Psychology (100 Hours)
This is a comprehensive segment of the course, focusing on the multifaceted aspects of adolescent development. This module provides an in-depth look at the various life crises adolescents face, alongside their physical, intellectual, emotional, and sexual development. It also covers key areas such as social and moral development, delinquency and crime, and the critical transition of adolescents into adulthood. As an essential part of the course, it lays a solid foundation for understanding the complexities of adolescent psychology, equipping you with the knowledge to identify and address the unique challenges faced by adolescents.
For the full subject list and course guide, fill out our Enquiry Form and our course consultants will be in touch.
Assessment
Assessments are an important part of your study journey as they help ensure you stay on track and meet the learning objectives of each lesson before moving onto the next. They also help your student support advisor and mentors identify where any further support may be required, so that you get the most out of your course. You will learn via various methods; a combination of reading, undertaking research and watching videos. Assessments might include case studies, quizzes and written assessments.
Approval & Recognition
The Learning Group is an approved and recognised member of IARC. The IARC is an International association which recognises quality and excellence in education providers in tertiary education.
Who will this course interest?
This course is a beginner level course and will lay a sound foundation of knowledge and skills which can grow with experience and further study. Knowledge of child psychology is most relevant to careers in psychology, counselling and teaching. However, professionals in many other fields benefit from a deeper understanding of childhood development.
This course may be of interest to people working, or aspiring to work in or as:
› Youth Work
› Child and Adolescent Counselling
› School Counselling
› Teaching
› Child Psychology
› Youth Coaching
› Social Work
› Children’s Services
If you have a specific job in mind, it is important that you research exactly what is required before enrolling in a course. Different roles will require different skills, qualifications and recognition. If you are unsure, one of our course consultants will be able to help you with this.