On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Apply recovery principles in occupational therapy practice and therapeutic relationships within mental health settings.
2. Analyse the DSM and its use as a classification system to understand identification and management of a range of common psychiatric diagnoses, drawing on literature from alternate perspectives.
3. Analyse the key principles and elements of the Mental Health Act and their application in mental health practice.
4. Explain and document the key elements of mental health and suicide risk assessment processes.
5. Apply the occupational therapy process, models of practice and clinical reasoning using an integrated evidence-based practice approach in a variety of mental health settings.
6. Analyse various aspects of the National Mental Health Strategy, Policy and Standards and their relationship to occupational therapy practice in mental health.

1. Mental health perspectives and approaches (history, recovery and consumer participation, strengths perspective, trauma-informed practice and the DSM)
2. Understanding diagnosis, assessment, management and consumer experience of major mental illnesses/disorders.
3. Therapeutic relationships and recovery from mental illness/disorder.
4. Mental Health Act.
5. Mental Health Assessment and Suicide Risk Assessment.
6. Occupational therapy intervention and evidence-based practice in acute-care settings.
7. Occupational therapy intervention and evidence-based practice in community-care settings.
8. National policy and strategic context.