Addictions & Mental Health   

Issues relating to addictions and mental health are highly prevalent in Canadian society. One in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetimes. The remaining four will have a friend, family member or colleague who will experience mental illness or addiction. One in ten Canadians aged fifteen years and older report symptoms consistent with alcohol or illicit drug dependence. About 20% of people with a mental disorder have a co-occurring substance use problem. As first responders, it is critical to possess knowledge, understanding and empathy about these topics. This course will address issues relating to the development of addictions, effects, signs and symptoms and response, as well as seeking to provide a greater understanding to the differences between mental health, mental illness and mental disorders. Finally, the course will familiarize students with concurrent disorders, a term used when a person has both a substance related disorder and a mental health disorder. No textbook required.

This course introduces students to the skills used to recognize the need for, and understand the steps to, effective crisis intervention as they apply to callers, family members, friends and co-workers. Emergency services providers, in particular, are exposed to Critical Incident Stress (CIS) situations that may lead to the need for interventions to mitigate/prevent the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The focus of this course is to make the student feel confident and competent in understanding and responding to a diverse range of crisis situations. NOTE: DVD movie required. No textbook required.

Students will examine models and elements of addiction including the addiction spiral, terminology and theoretical approaches to explaining and understanding addiction. Age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and geography will be examined in relation to cycles and forms of addiction. The course will provide students with an introduction to the use of assessment tools, client communication, interviewing and treatment planning. The intent of this course is to provide students with introductory knowledge on the signs and symptoms of addiction, including the physical and psychological components as examined through the lens of various screening and assessment inventories.Textbook Required.

This course focuses on a multi-disciplinary examination of the ways in which mental health and addiction are viewed by society and how these perceptions influence society’s response to the practical and socio-political aspects of mental illness. Students will examine personal attitudes, societal myths, and stereotypes related to mental illness and addiction. Students will be challenged to critically reflect upon how their personal orientations and resulting behaviours about mental illness, addiction, and wellness impact their cultural, societal and political beliefs. Drawing on literature, arts, politics, media, medicine, and the social sciences, students will critically examine mental illness and addiction as a social construct and contrast and compare assumptions of agency, normalcy, treatment, and recovery. Students will also learn firsthand from those with mental illness, evaluate the effects of mental illness in special populations including Indigenous people and the elderly, and apply their learning through health simulation activities. Finally, students will explore ways that those affected by mental illness and addiction construct and assess themselves. No textbook required.

*NOTE: Students wanting to register for a General Education course as part of their certificate or diploma program should make sure to receive formal approval from their Program Coordinator. It should be noted that some general education courses are too close to the vocational specializations of specific programs and are therefore excluded as an option for students. It’s therefore important to receive formal approval before registration.

You will develop a basic understanding of mental illness, psychiatric diagnoses and treatment approaches. Pre-Requisite: We encourage learners interested in entering the mental health field to engage in volunteer work. Your local Canadian Mental Health Association is a great place to begin your search for volunteer positions. No textbook required.

Students will apply prevention and intervention strategies to appropriately respond to stressful situations in the infant, child and adolescent population. The focus of this course is on the effective application of communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills in a variety of situations. Software required: Skype will be used in this course. Students must have a sound-enabled computer and a high-speed internet connection for those sessions. Textbook required.

To understand complicated mental health disorders common to infant, child and adolescents, students will review a variety of abnormal cognitive and behavioural disorders. This course will emphasize an understanding of the behaviours and the daily effects and challenges on the mental health of the infant, child, and adolescent population. NOTE: This course has mandatory chats. Textbook required.

The focus of this course is to provide students with information on current treatment approaches and practices.  Students will examine a selected range of treatment models, including harm reduction, the Matrix model, brief solution focused and cognitive models, as well as those approaches currently in use within the province.  Relapse and relapse prevention will also be examined as part of this unit.  Attention will be given to specific techniques that are utilized within these models. Textbook required.

Students explore the impact of farming on mental health. Students learn about resources, supports, and organizations that support mental wellness. The symptoms and signs of mental wellness are also examined. Students assess their mental wellness and create an action plan for self-care.  

Learners will receive a digital badge upon successful course completion.