Postgraduate Diploma in Mental Health Practice in Educational Settings (EMHP)

Module 1: Children & young people’s mental health settings: context and values

The module addresses general professional ethical issues and values pertinent to NHS and related care settings, and the requirement to work from an inclusive values base, which promotes recovery and recognises and respects diversity. The module explores the critical professional and ethical issues surrounding the assessment and treatment of mental health difficulties. Areas covered include staffing structures and roles within the NHS and relevant voluntary and local authority agencies; clinical governance issues regarding effectiveness, quality and confidentiality of service; ethical and legal aspects of clinical practice; management of clinical time and caseload; use of supervision and personal and professional development.

Module 2: Common Mental Health Problems in Children and Young People: Assessment and Engagement

This module will provide EMHPs with a good understanding of the incidence, prevalence and presentation of common mental health problems experienced by children and young people (CYP) and evidence-based treatment approaches and choices. The module will develop the EMHPs competency to assess and identify areas of difficulty and establish the main focus for change. This will include understanding the child in the context of their family, culture, wider social environment, developmental stage and temperament and within a diagnostic framework. EMHPs will also gain an understanding of routine outcome measures and standardised assessment tools and appropriate interventions.

 Module 3: Interventions for common mental health problems

This module will provide EMHPs with a good understanding of processes of therapeutic support and management of individual CYP and parents/carers experiencing anxiety, low mood or behavioural difficulties. Skills teaching will develop general and disorder-specific competencies in the delivery of low intensity treatments informed by cognitive-behavioural and social learning principles.

Module 4: Working, assessing and engaging in education settings

This module comprises two main areas: understanding the educational context and the assessment and engagement of CYP and their families specific to educational settings. The context includes legislative and policy frameworks. In addition to the skills learnt in Modules 1 and 2, EMHPs will learn engagement skills in school setting and with teachers and other education staff, understanding whole school approaches, observational and auditing skills and neurological development and learning problems. The underlying focus will be to support senior mental health team colleagues and schools develop an environment of safety, belonging and competence for students and staff.

Module 5: Common problems and processes in educational settings

This module considers the broader contexts that impact on CYP in their ability to engage in learning, including adverse experiences, trauma and the limits of CYP autonomy. An understanding of social and health statutory and community agencies and the role of the EMHP within these systems will be explored.

EMHPs will also promote the wellbeing of CYP within the school context. This will include implementing peer mentoring approaches, supporting classroom management and staff training.

Module 6: Interventions for emerging mental health difficulties in education settings

This module will consider 3 main interventions for parents/carers and school staff in relation to CYP emerging mental health difficulties. These are consultation skills, delivery of training, and psychological support to groups (CYP and/or education staff.)

Applications to this programme may only be made through MHST services recruiting trainees and not directly through the University of Sheffield. Posts are typically advertised by services on NHS jobs websites or equivalent.

Delivery of the programme will be provided through a combination of two taught days per week (Weds & Thurs), self-guided study and experience gained from working within a MHST.

Teaching consists of two full days of lectures. Sessions include role play, practical exercises, and small group discussions. Guided independent study is also expected to take place.

You will be assessed through essays, observed assessments, presentation, recordings of clinical practice and a portfolio. Your clinical practice will also require sign off by your supervisor in practice.