Mental Health Technician with Pediatric & Geriatric Specialization

This course, offered by our accredited school partners, is a valuable primer for any healthcare professional interested in gaining the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to work in the mental health field. Students will learn how to work comfortably with clients who exhibit both effective and maladaptive behaviors through a holistic view of mental healthcare. The course covers many therapies and treatments for a variety of psychological and psycho-social issues, such as substance abuse, medical illness, developmental disabilities, and the harmful impact of social stressors such as poverty, domestic abuse, and homelessness. The course is ideal for any student wishing to become equipped to be a mental health technician, including but not limited to nurses, case managers, psychiatric technicians, and direct care providers.This program includes a pediatric and geriatric specialization that will give students an advantage when pursuing employment working with mental illness in children and the elderly. After completing this course, you should be able to: • Comprehend the history and current trends of mental healthcare • Identify the characteristics of common psychiatric disorders • Comprehend legalities related to the mental health office • Define human behavior and different elements affecting it • Identify methods for assisting those suffering from loss of life Mental Health Technician Module 1 Mental Health Care: Past and Present • History of Mental Healthcare • Defining Mental Health • Community Mental Health Care • Current Mental Health Care • Inpatient vs. Outpatient Care • High-risk Populations • Ethical and Legal Issues • Values, Rights, and Ethics • Legal Liability • Sociocultural Issues • Culture, Ethnicity, and Religion • Cultural Assessment • Theories and Therapies • Psychoanalytic Therapies • Cognitive Theory • Psychobiology Mental Health Technician Module 2 Therapeutic Skills • Complementary and Alternative Therapies • Whole Medical Systems • Integrative Medicine • Psychotherapeutic Drug Therapy • Antianxiety Agents • Medication Education • Skills and Principles of Mental Health Care • Components of Behavior • Setting Limits • Mental Health Assessment Skills • Mental Health Treatment Plan • Holistic Nursing Assessment • Therapeutic Communication • Theories and Types of Communication • Verbal and Nonverbal Communication • Therapeutic Relationship • Therapeutic Use of Self • Therapeutic Environment Mental Health Technician Module 3 Problems Through the Life Cycle • Problems of Childhood • ADHD • Conduct Disorders • Problems of Adolescence • Behavioral Disorders • Chemical Dependency • Problems of Adulthood • Personal Identity • Developing Coping Skills • Problems of Late Adulthood • Finances • Drug Abuse • Geriatric Nursing Care • Cognitive Impairment • Alzheimer’s Disease • Confusion • Delirium • Dementia Mental Health Technician Module 4 Anxiety and Depression • Managing Anxiety • Normal Anxiety • Phobic Behaviors • Obsessive-compulsivity • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder • Illness • Hospitalization • Denial During Illness • Discharge Planning • Loss and Grief • Good Death • Unresolved Grief • Stages of Grieving Process • Depression • Depressive Episode vs. Disorder • Seasonal Effective Disorder • Therapeutic Interventions • Mood Disorders Mental Health Technician Module 5 Eating, Sleeping and Aggression Disorders • Physical Problems, Psychological Sources • Physiological Stress Response • Conversion Disorders vs. Somatization Disorders • Hypochondria • Eating Disorders • Sleeping Disorders • Anorexia Nervosa • Bulimia • Functions of Sleep • Dissociative Disorders • Self-concept • Multiple Personality Disorder • Anger • Aggression • Stages of the Assault Cycle • Coping with Anger • Aggression Theories Mental Health Technician Module 6 Outward and Inward-Focused Emotions • Outward-focused Emotions • Dysfunctional Family • Abuse During Pregnancy • Rape-trauma Syndrome • Special Assessments for Suspected Victims • Developing Self-awareness • Violence • Inward-focused Emotions • Suicidal Behaviors • Self-protective Behavioral Response • Suicide Through Each Life Cycle • Substance-related Disorders • Chemical Dependency in Different Age Groups • Abused Substances • Consequences of Abuse • Addiction • Relapse • Inhalants • Sexual Disorders • Psychosexual Problems • Modes of Sexual Expression • Sexual Addiction • HIV/AIDS Mental Health Technician Module 7 Personality Disorders and Schizophrenia • Personality Disorders • Continuum of Social Responses • Dual Diagnosis • Schizophrenia • Subtypes of Schizophrenia • Continuum of Neurobiological Responses • Antipsychotic Medications • Psychoses • Chronic Mental Health Disorders • Effect of Deinstitutionalization • Basic Interventions for Disorders • HIV/AIDS and Mental Illness • Challenges for the Future • Old vs. New Homeless Person • Right of Self-Determination • Coping with Information Overload • Americans with Disabilities Act Mental Health Technician Module 8 Pediatric • The medical assistant's role in a pediatric specialty office • Age-related physical and developmental factors for children • How to assist in procedures performed in the pediatric specialty office • Common childhood diseases and disorders Mental Health Technician Module 9 Geriatric • The medical assistant's role in the geriatric office • Physical changes that take place during aging • Psychological aspects of aging • The social components of the aging process • Nutritional needs and challenges associated with aging • Various cultural views of the elderly in society Enroll through one of our accredited university or college partners today!

Module 1: Healthcare Fundamentals • The History of Healthcare • Healthcare Etiquette • Professional Situations and Applications Module 2: Communication in Healthcare • Healthcare Teams • Team Success • Champions Module 3: Medical Documentation and Record Keeping: HIPAA • Use and Disclosure • Real Life Scenarios • HIPAA Laws, Policies, and Requirements Module 4: OSHA Infection Control Compliance • Introduction to Infection Control • Personal Protection • Protection of the Office Environment • Instruments, Specialized Equipment & Laboratory Specimens • Infectious Patients & Healthcare Workers • Waste Management Plan • Chemical Disinfection • Heat Sterilization • Exposure Control • General Safety Standards • Employee Training • OSHA'S Required Records Module 5: Medical Terminology • Word Structure • Prefix, Root Word, and Suffix • Organization of the Body • Diagnostic Testing and Radiology Module 6: Anatomy & Physiology • Anatomy and Physiology Basics • Musculoskeletal, Integumentary, and Respiratory Systems • Digestive, Reproductive, and Urinary Systems • Blood and the Cardiovascular System • Lymphatic, Immune, and Endocrine Systems • Nervous and Sensory Systems Module 7: Office Practice and Procedure • The Health Record • Reception and Daily Operations • Billing and Reimbursement • Health Insurance Basics • Claims • Accounts, Collections, and Banking Module 8: Mental Health Care • An Overview of Mental Health • Common Mental Health Disorders • Mental Health Treatments • Supporting Persons Living with Mental Illness Module 9: Psychological Development • Theories and Therapies • Complementary and Alternative Therapies • Problems of Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood, and Late Adulthood • Cognitive Impairment Module 10: Disorders and Pharmacology • Psychotherapeutic Drug Therapy • Managing Anxiety • Illness and Hospitalization • Loss and Grief • Depression and Other Mood Disorders • Physical Problems and Psychological Sources • Eating and Sleeping Disorders • Dissociative Disorders • Anger and Aggression • Violence • Suicide • Substance-Related Disorders • Sexual Disorders • Personality Disorders • Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses • Chronic Mental Health Disorders Module 11 - Pediatrics • Common Conditions in the Pediatric Population • Communicating with Pediatric Patients and Parents • Age-Related Development Module 12 - Geriatrics • Overview of Aging • Basic Skills for Geriatric Caregivers • Communicating with the Older Adult • Meeting Safety Needs of the Older Adult • Roles and Relationships

All required reference materials are provided with this program. Technical requirements: Internet Connection • Broadband or High-Speed (DSL, Cable, Wireless) Hardware Requirements • Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher • Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended Software Requirements • Operating Systems - Windows 7, 8 or 10; Mac OS x 10 or higher • Microsoft Office 2007, 2010 or 2013 or a Word Processing application to save and open Microsoft Office formats (.doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx) • Internet Browsers - Google Chrome is highly recommended • Cookies MUST be enabled • Pop-ups MUST be allowed (Pop-up Blocker disabled) • Adobe PDF Reader

Upon successful completion of our Mental Health Technician course, students will be prepared for an entry-level position in a mental health setting and will be prepared to sit for the NCCB national certification exam to become a Certified Mental Health Technician (CMHT). Each state may have additional licensing requirements, be sure to research your states requirements for employment by visiting your states occupation board.

This class is an independent-study course. Students will have all the resources needed to successfully complete the course within the online material. A student helpdesk is available for technical support during the course enrollment.