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Our Mental Health Technician Specialist Program focuses on providing a solid background in working with mentally, developmentally, or emotionally impaired individuals. The Mental Health Technician Specialist Program will also focus on abnormal behavior in order to understand abnormal patterns of functioning to better assist professionals with the individual's daily needs.
Mental Health Technician
Mental health technicians work wherever people need support with mental or behavioral health. This Mental Health Technician course provides a comprehensive overview of the role of mental health technicians. We define various mental health conditions, explore a variety of therapies and treatments and what contributes to mental illness.
Prerequisite(s): None
Abnormal Psychology
In the same way that psychology offers important insights in terms of human behavior and experience, so does the sub-field known as abnormal psychology. Our Abnormal Psychology course will introduce psychopathology and changing views of mental illness. We examine impairments in brain functions and social processes and how this affects everyday life. Our course explores disorders of childhood, mood disorders, psychoses, schizophrenia, sexuality, eating, and anxiety disorders. By taking this course, you will discover the many faces of abnormal psychology and will be challenged to define what is normal and abnormal.
Prerequisite(s): None
** Course Subject to Change.
Mental Health Technician
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Define mental health and the role and responsibilities of mental health technicians
- Recall ethics, laws and patient rights in a clinical setting
- Recognize aspects of therapeutic communication
- Differentiate between common mental health disorders
- Explain how to work with diverse populations
Abnormal Psychology
After completing this course, you should be able to:
- Identify components of psychopathology and neuroscience approaches to treating mental illness
- Recall symptoms and behaviors associated with psychological disorders, childhood disorders, mood disorders, and suicide
- Recognize how stress, trauma, and anxiety affect psychopathology
- Define characteristics of eating, sexuality, and addictive disorders
- Identify traits associated with schizophrenia, personality, and neurocognitive disorders
Mental Health Technician
Mental Health Technician Module 1
Mental Health Technician Profession
- What is a Mental Health Technician
- The Care Team and Working Under Supervision
- History of Mental Health Care
- Deinstitutionalization and Its Effects
- The Continuum of Care
- Inpatient, Outpatient and Residential Settings
- Recovery Model
- How Services are Funded and Accessed
Mental Health Technician Module 2
Understanding Mental Health and Illness
- Mental Health vs. Mental Illness
- Mental Health Continuum
- What Contributes to Mental Illness
- Risk Factors and Protective Factors
- Stigma and Its Effects on Care
- Ethics and Values
- Confidentiality and HIPAA
- Patient Rights and Dignity
- Informed Consent and Right to Refuse
- Mandatory Reporting
- Scope of Practice
Mental Health Technician Module 3
Therapeutic Communication
- What Makes Communication “Therapeutic”
- Active Listening and Core Techniques
- Nonverbal Communication
- Barriers and Roadblocks to Avoid
- The Phrases of the Helping Relationship
- Boundaries, Transference and Countetransference
Mental Health Technician Module 4
Common Mental Health Disorders
- How Disorders Are Grouped
- Mood Disorders
- Depression and Bipolar Disorder
- Anxiety and Trauma-Related Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders – Schizophrenia
- Personality Disorders
Mental Health Technician Module 5
Observation, Documentation and Reporting
- Why Observations Matter
- Structured Behavioral Observation
- Mental Status
- Objective vs. Subjective Documentation
- How to Chart Well
- What and When to Report
Mental Health Technician Module 6
Safety, Crisis Prevention and De-escalation
- Building a Safe Environment
- Recognizing Escalation Early
- De-escalation
- Suicide and Self-Harm Awareness
- Aggression and Personal Safety
Mental Health Technician Module 7
Therapeutic Environment and Varying Populations
- Daily Living with Dignity
- Routines and Structure
- Activities and Group Support
- Creating a Healing, Safe, Recovery-Oriented Environment
- Children and Adolescents
- Older Adults and Cognitive Change
- Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Trauma-Informed Care
Mental Health Technician Module 8
Substance Use, Co-occurring Disorders and Medication Support
- Substance Use Basics
- Co-occurring Disorders
- Recognizing Intoxication and Withdrawal
- Psychiatric Medication Groups
- Medication Support Role
- Professional and Teamwork
- Self-Care
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal Psychology Module 1
Causes of Abnormal Behavior
- Recognizing the Presence of a Disorder
- Features of Abnormal Behavior
- Defining Abnormal Behavior
- Who Experiences Abnormal Behavior?
- Psychopathology in Historical Context
- Systems Theory
- Biological Factors
- Psychological Factors
- Social Factors
Abnormal Psychology Module 2
Treatment of Psychological Disorders
- DSM-5: Diagnosis and Treatment
- Biological Treatments
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapies
- Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
- Humanistic Therapies
- Research on Psychotherapy
- Couple, Family, and Group Therapy
Abnormal Psychology Module 3
Classification and Assessment of Abnormal Behavior
- Basic Issues in Classification
- Classifying Abnormal Behavior
- Evaluating Classification Systems
- Basic Issues in Assessment
- Interviews and Observations
- Personality Tests
- Self-Report Inventories
- Biological Assessment Procedures
Abnormal Psychology Module 4
Mood Disorders and Suicide
- Systems Associated with Depression
- Diagnosis for Depression and Bipolar Disorders
- Course, Outcome, and Frequency
- Social, Psychological, Biological Factors
- Treatment for Depressive Disorders
- Treatment for Bipolar and Mood Disorders
- Aspects of Suicide
Abnormal Psychology Module 5
Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Stress Disorders
- Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
- Diagnosis and Frequency of Anxiety Disorders
- Social, Biological, and Psychological Factors
- Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
- Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
- Acute and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
- Frequency, Causes, and Treatment of PTSD and ASD
- Dissociate Disorders
- Somatic Symptom Disorders
Abnormal Psychology Module 6
Stress and Physical Health
- Defining Stress
- Stress as a Life Event
- Symptoms of Stress
- Immune System Responses
- Cancer
- AIDS
- Pain Disorder
- Sleep-Wake Disorders
- Coping and Resilience
- Diagnosis of Stress and Physical Illness
- Cardiovascular Disease and Stress
Abnormal Psychology Module 7
Personality Disorders
- Important Features of Personality Disorders
- Temperament and Personality Traits
- Context and Personality
- Schizotypal Personality Disorder (SPD)
- Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
- Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
Abnormal Psychology Module 8
Feeding, Substance, and Addictive Disorders
- Symptoms of Anorexia
- Symptoms of Bulimia
- Symptoms of Addiction
- Alcohol, Tobacco, and Psychomotor Stimulants
- Impact of Other Drugs on Human Physiology and Behavior
- Diagnosis of Substance Use Disorders
- Causes of Substance Disorders
- Gambling Disorder
Abnormal Psychology Module 9
Paraphilic and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
- Human Sexual Response Cycle
- Origins of Sexual Dysfunction
- Paraphilic Disorders
- Gender Dysphoria
- Symptoms and Diagnosis of Schizophrenia
- Treatment of Schizophrenia
Abnormal Psychology Module 10
Neurocognitive and Intellectual Disorders
- Symptoms of Neurocognitive Disorders
- Diagnosis of Neurocognitive Disorders
- Frequency of Delirium
- Prevalence of Dementia
- Measuring Intelligence
- Causes of Intellectual Disabilities
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
Abnormal Psychology Module 11
Psychological Disorders of Childhood
- Externalizing Disorders
- Causes of Externalizing Disorders
- Treatment of Externalizing Disorders
- Internalizing and Other Disorders
- Causes and Treatment of Internalizing Disorders
Abnormal Psychology Module 12
Adjustment Disorders and Life-Cycle Transitions
- Symptoms and Diagnosis of Adjustment Disorders
- The Transition to Adulthood
- Family Transitions
- The Transition to Later Life
Abnormal Psychology Module 13
Mental Health and the Law
- Conflicts
- Mental Illness and Criminal Responsibility
- Civil Commitment
- Committed Patients’ Rights
- Mental Health and Family Law
- Professional Responsibilities and the Law
**Outlines are subject to change, as courses and materials are updated.**
Ed4Career is committed to being both environmentally conscious and making it easier for you to study! We’re making your education mobile! All of our textbooks are now provided as eTextbooks*. You can access them on your laptop, tablet, or mobile device and can study anytime, anywhere.
The move away from physical books to eTextbooks means you get the latest, most up-to-date version available. This also makes your training more accessible, so you can study anywhere you have your phone or tablet. The best part is that all materials are included in your training cost so there are NO extra fees for books!**
*A few courses still have physical materials.
Mental Health Technician
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).
** Certification exams are not included in the cost of the course.**
Internet Connection
- Broadband or High-Speed - DSL, Cable, and Wireless Connections
*Dial-Up internet connections will result in a diminished online experience. Classroom pages may load slowly and viewing large audio and video files may not be possible.
Hardware Requirements
- Processor - 2GHz Processor or Higher
- Memory - 1 GB RAM Minimum Recommended
PC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Windows 7 or higher
- Microsoft Office 2013 or higher. Also, you could use a general 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)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- QuickTime, Windows Media Player &/or Real Player
MAC Software Requirements
- Operating Systems - Mac OS x 10 or higher with Windows
- Mac office programs 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)
- The Kindle Reader App or VitalSource Bookshelf App are needed for many of our courses (No special equipment needed. This can be downloaded for FREE onto your computer.)
- PowerPoint Viewer (if you do not have PowerPoint)
- Adobe PDF Reader
- Apple QuickTime Media Player
