Emerging Minds
Learning
2hrs 30mins

Practice strategies for implementation

About the course

This course is the third in a series that examines practice skills and strategies to help support collaborative engagements with children and their families. These skills and strategies are effective in providing early identification and prevention responses to children’s mental health concerns. In this course, you’ll consider practice skills that support children’s participation in mental health interventions.

This course focuses on work with children between the ages of five and 12. If you would like more information on working with infants and toddlers, check out the following courses:

Who is this course for?

This course is designed for practitioners who work with children and their families to implement mental health interventions. This includes accredited mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists, psychologists, paediatricians, mental health social workers, mental health nurses, mental health speech therapists and mental health occupational therapists.

This course recognises that these specialist practitioners:

  • work with children and families in a variety of settings
  • commonly have extensive experience in implementing a range of interventions when working with children and their families; and
  • have diverse theoretical perspectives and practice approaches that inform their work.

Learning aims

As you progress through this course, you will reflect upon the elements of your own practice and further develop your skills in:

  • facilitating children’s participation when implementing and reviewing interventions to support their mental health and wellbeing; and
  • drawing on a range of strategies in the implementation phase:
    • Supporting parents to align actions and values.
    • Collaborative skill-building with children.
    • Noticing progress in setbacks.
    • Future-proofing new skills.

Duration

This course is estimated to take you approximately two-and-a-half hours to complete, including reading the material, completing the reflective activities and watching the videos.

You can undertake the course across multiple sessions at your own pace. The last screen you visit before logging off will be bookmarked and you will have the option of returning to that screen when you next log in.

Practice strategies e-learning series

This video introduces you to the Practice strategies suite of online courses. It’s recommended that you complete the Practice strategies for assessment and engagement and Practice strategies for formulation courses prior to proceeding with this course.

A summary of the strategies covered in the three courses can be downloaded below.

Self-care

As you work through the course, it is important to be aware of your own emotional responses. Please follow the self-care tips below and seek help if needed:

  • We do not recommend undertaking the entire course in one sitting. Give yourself some breaks. Even if you don’t feel that you need a break, it’s a good idea to take one anyway and come back later.
  • Be aware of your emotions as you progress through the course, and take action if you are starting to feel stressed or upset. For example, consider taking a break and doing something for yourself that you enjoy.
  • Be aware of your emotional responses after you complete the course.

If at any point you find you are struggling, please talk with your supervisor, seek help, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263.

Definitions

For the purposes of this course, the term parent encompasses the biological and adoptive parents of a child, as well as individuals who have chosen to take up a primary or shared responsibility in raising a child.

Social and emotional wellbeing refers to the way a person thinks and feels about themselves and others. It incorporates behavioural and emotional strengths and is a facet of child development.1

In broad terms, social and emotional wellbeing is the foundation for physical and mental health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is a holistic concept which results from a network of relationships between individuals, family, kin and Community. It also recognises the importance of connection to Land, culture, spirituality and ancestry, and how these affect the individual.2

‘Social and emotional wellbeing’ is also used by some people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, who may have differing concepts of mental health and mental illness.3

Social and emotional development involves the development of skills required to:

  • identify and understand one’s feelings
  • read and understand the emotional states of other people
  • manage strong emotions and how they are expressed
  • regulate behaviour
  • develop empathy
  • establish and maintain relationships.4

Contributors

This course draws on the latest research, clinical insights, and the lived experience of our child and family partners. We’d like to thank the professionals and families who played an integral role in shaping this course, generously offering their time, wisdom and unique perspectives.

A quick guide to Emerging Minds Learning

Watch the following video for a quick guide on how to navigate Emerging Minds Learning courses.

References

  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2012). Social and emotional wellbeing: development of a Children’s Headline Indicator. Cat. no. PHE 158. Canberra, ACT: AIHW.
  2. Commonwealth of Australia. (2017). National strategic framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ mental health and social and emotional wellbeing. Canberra, ACT: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, p.6.
  3. Everymind. (2020). Understanding mental health and wellbeing. Newcastle, NSW: Everymind.
  4. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2009). A picture of Australia’s children. Cat. no. PHE 112. Canberra, ACT: AIHW.

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