Overview
In this unit, you will evaluate individual patient presentations and related factors contributing to mental health conditions. You will learn how to formulate and apply evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. While doing so, you will appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine. Additionally, you will explore how to communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: PMSC12002 Clinical Paramedic Practice 1. PMSC12001 Procedures and Skills in Paramedic Care. Please note: Any student who has not successfully completed a PMSC residential school within the preceding 12 months or undertaken a clinical placement unit, should consult with the Head of Course to discuss completing a PMSC12001 Procedures & Skills refresher. This ensures currency with all contemporary skills and procedures in line with industry standards and professional capabilities.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student and Unit Teaching Evaluation
Poster presentation marking criteria was unclear and difficult to understand what was required in that section at times.
Poster presentation marking guide will be reviewed and improved to ensure that the response required is clear. More criterions will be included to make the assessment requirements clear.
Feedback from Student and Unit Teaching Evaluation
Students enjoyed the residential school with the actor involvement and realistic scenarios. Students also enjoyed the structure and clear expectations of residential school.
Residential schools will continue to be presented in a realistic way with actor involvement where there is availability. Residential school will continue to keep a structure and provide information on the requirements for the assessments.
Feedback from Student and Unit Teaching Evaluation
Students enjoyed the content delivered throughout the weeks but at times could be discussed more concisely.
Some lectures will be recorded again to ensure that the delivery is more concise. Some content was filmed during staff sickness and will be executed better for next delivery.
Feedback from Student and Unit Teaching Evaluation
Students felt the tools and guidance given to them were helpful for their development and made the content easy to understand.
Tools and guidance will continue to be given to students while looking for other teaching methods that will allow more students to understand the necessary concepts.
Feedback from Self reflection
The Moodle site at times was not clear and needed extra clarification.
The Moodle site will be reviewed and updated to make sure that all information is clear for the student.
- Evaluate individual patient presentations and related factors contributing to mental health conditions
- Formulate and apply evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
- Appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine
- Communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
The Paramedicine Board of Australia requires that units align with the Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics, which consist of five (5) domains. The below section aligns the proposed learning outcomes with these domains. In addition, the learning outcomes have been aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards.
Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
| Standard/Attribute/Criteria | Learning Outcome |
| Domain 1: The professional and ethical practitioner 1.1.1, 1.1.3, 1.1.5, 1.1.6, 1.1.8, 1.1.9, 1.1.10, 1.1.11 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.5 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.4.1, 1.4.2 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 2: The communicator and collaborator 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner 3.1.1, 3.1.2 3.2.1 3.2.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3, 3.4.3 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.1.4, 4.1.5, 4.2.1, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, 4.3.1, 4.3.2, 4.3.3, 4.4.4, 4.5.2, 4.5.3, 4.6.5, 4.7.7, 4.7.9 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 5: The paramedicine practitioner 5.1.2, 5.1.3, 5.1.4, 5.1.5, 5.2.1,5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.3.1, 5.3.3, 5.3.4, 5.3.5, 5.3.6, 5.4.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.5, 5.4.6, 5.6.1, 5.6.2, 5.6.3, 5.6.4 | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards
| Standard | Learning Outcomes |
| Partnering with Consumers | LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Preventing and Controlling Infections | LO1, LO2, LO4 |
| Medication Safety | LO1, LO2, LO4 |
| Comprehensive Care | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Communicating for Safety | LO1, LO2, LO4 |
| Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration | LO1, LO2 |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Case Study - 50% | ||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
m.bray@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
- Introduction to mental health
- Statistics
- Definitions
- Communication
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 4th Edition - Chapters 1, 2 & 3
Mental Health Care (Hungerford, Hodgson, Clancy, Murphy & Doyle) 4th Edition - Chapter 1.4 & 1.5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Mental status assessment
- Legislation
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 5
Queensland Ambulance Guidelines - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Clinical practice procedure - Chapters: Behavioural disturbances - Emergency examination authority, Mental illness - the legal framework, transport of persons under the MHA 2016
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Bipolar
- Schizophrenia
- Borderline personality disorder
- Excited delirium
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 4 & 9
Mental Health Care (Hungerford, Hodgson, Clancy, Murphy & Doyle) 4th Edition - Chapter 9 & 10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Grief
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 4 & 12
Mental Health Care (Hungerford, Hodgson, Clancy, Murphy & Doyle) 4th Edition - Chapter 7
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Self harm
- Suicidal ideation
- Substance use/ETOH/drug use
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 4, 7 & 9
Mental Health Care (Hungerford, Hodgson, Clancy, Murphy & Doyle) 4th Edition - Chapter 8
Queensland Ambulance Service - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Clinical practice guideline - Chapter - Behavioural disturbances - The suicidal patient
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Domestic abuse
- Domestic violence
- Cultural consideration and safety
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapter 10
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 1 Due: Week 6 Monday (21/4/25) 9:00am AEST
Written Assessment Due: Week 6 Monday (21 Apr 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Module/Topic
- Acute behavioural disturbance
- Verbal de-escalation
- Restraints
- Other agencies
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 7
Queensland Ambulance Service - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Clinical practice guideline - Chapter - Behavioural disturbances - Acute behavioural disturbance
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Pharmacology
- Sedation management
- Post sedation cares
Chapter
Pocket Book of Mental Health 3rd Edition - Chapters 9
Queensland Ambulance Service - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Drug therapy protocols - Chapter - Droperidol
Queensland Ambulance Service - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Clinical practice procedure - Chapter - Behavioural disturbances - Emergency sedation - acute behavioural disturbance
Queensland Ambulance Service - Clinical Practice Manual (CPM) - Clinical practice guideline - Chapter - Behavioural disturbances - Acute behavioural disturbance
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Postnatal depression
- Postnatal psychosis
Chapter
Mental Health Care (Hungerford, Hodgson, Clancy, Murphy & Doyle) 4th Edition - Chapter 7.3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Paramedic mental health
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Case study
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Case study
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Written Assessment
For this assessment you will be required to complete 2 separate components.
PART A – You will create a report on ONE of the four statements provided regarding a stigma in mental health. These conditions and stigmas are discussed during week 4.
Your report may include the following sub headings however feel free to make them appropriate to your research:
- Overview of condition
- Background
- Symptoms
- Management
- Stigma discussion
- What is the stigma?
- Evidence to support why this stigma is not true
- Representation
- How the mental health condition should be discussed
- Conclusion
The word count for this report is 1000 words not including references. You are to write using academic language.
PART B – Poster presentation
You are to create a poster with information from your research that is informative of the topic with focus on reducing the stigma of the condition to the public.
This poster does not have a word count, however be mindful of the amount of words you are writing.
Your poster may include the following sub headings, however they are not compulsory:
- What is (mental health condition)?
- What is the stigma?
- What can be done to improve this?
Please refer to the Generative AI Permission document available on your Moodle site for guidelines on the acceptable and unacceptable use of generative AI in this unit.
Week 6 Monday (21 Apr 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Week 9 Monday (12 May 2025)
Assessment results will be returned to the student 3 weeks after the due date.
Report criteria:
- Sufficiently introduces the chosen topic including appropriate information
- Symptoms are introduced for the condition
- Pre-hospital management discussed including elements of pharmacological and non pharmacological treatment
- Stigma is identified and appropriate justification on how the perception can be changed
Presentation criteria
- Presentation content appropriate for public display with relevant information included
- Presentation appearance to assessment instructions
- Referencing as per APA standard
This assessment must be in your own words and completed individually, collaboration with other students is not permitted.
Ensure you engage with recent (dated after 2014) peer-reviewed, scientific articles using APA referencing.
- Evaluate individual patient presentations and related factors contributing to mental health conditions
- Communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
2 Case Study
You will be required to complete 5 tasks from a case study provided on the Moodle page. These tasks support your continued professional development through structured self-directed learning.
Please review the tasks thoroughly before commencing. You must complete all tasks according to the instructions provided, ensuring that all work is referenced as per instructions.
Please refer to the Generative AI Permission document available on your Moodle site for guidelines on the acceptable and unacceptable use of generative AI in this unit.
Week 10 Monday (19 May 2025) 9:00 am AEST
Review/Exam Week Monday (9 June 2025)
Assessment results will be returned to the student 3 weeks after the due date.
You will be required to demonstrate your theoretical knowledge taught to you throughout this unit. This assessment will be conducted by case based learning. The marks awarded to each question will accumulate to the final result. The case study and marking guide will be provided on the unit Moodle page. The assessment will be based on marking criteria covering the following key points:
Assessment criteria:
- Comprehensively addressed all elements of each task
- Demonstrates appropriate grammar and sentence structure for academic writing
- Utilised quality references throughout assessment with the use of APA referencing style
- Formulate and apply evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
- Appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine
3 On-campus Activity
For this assessment you will be required to attend a compulsory residential school where you will be required to demonstrated your practical application of the concepts taught to you in this unit through a series of simulated cases.
The on-campus assessment will consist of two tasks:
- Long case
- Short case
The assessment tasks will consist of a practical demonstration of patient management. The practical assessment tasks will be related to content that has been delivered throughout the unit and aligns with the unit learning outcomes.
Assessments undertaken during the residential school may be assessed against a combination of the following criteria:
· Patient assessment and history taking
· Application of appropriate legislation
· Implementation of interventions and patient management
· Scene management and patient safety
· Mental Status Examination (MSE)/Sedation Assessment Tool (SAT)
· Verbal/Non-verbal and written communication skills
This assessment task will be completed during the mandatory residential school.
Rubrics specific to the campus activity will be uploaded onto the Moodle page.
The rubrics will consist of marks awarded for:
- Patient assessment
- Communication
- Management of condition
- Professionalism
- Safe practitioner
You need to attempt and pass this assessment item to pass the unit.
- Evaluate individual patient presentations and related factors contributing to mental health conditions
- Formulate and apply evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis
- Appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine
- Communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
