Master of Philosophy in Community Mental Health

Purpose

The programme will help to address the needs of stakeholders such as the national and provincial government and mental health programme, non-governmental organisations and national and provincial clinical and managerial health services (not only mental health facilities) that need to deal with mentally ill patient and their families and their society. Graduates from this program will also have the ability to generate new knowledge in this growing field, as they will have been enabled with excellent research skills.

The call for knowledgeable mental health practitioners and focused facilities is on the increase, and this proposed Master of Philosophy programme will aid both practitioners and the community in addressing this need.

Rationale

The diagnosis, management and chronic care of mental illnesses have moved from the traditional academic and large mental institutions to care in the community. In South Africa the integration of mental health services into primary and general care is still a process in transition. Providing equitable, integrated mental health services remains a challenge.

Major academic institutions and large mental institutions provide mental health care according to a multi-disciplinary model, i.e. according to medical, psychological and social interventions. As patients are being moved out of large institutions, there is a growing need for the multi-disciplinary team to move services to the community. Mental health service provision poses a number of unique challenges to the mental health care worker. These include integration of services, engagement with families and psycho-social rehabilitation of patients within the community.

This qualification is aimed at mental health care workers who form part of the multi-disciplinary team with the aim, firstly, of providing further training and empowering these professionals to function in the public health system by improving not only clinical skills, but also the conceptual approach to managing the mental health care user. Secondly, the aim is to train mental health care workers in service planning, service-orientated research and evaluation of mental health services.

It is assumed that learners are

• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Computer Literate.

Recognition of prior learning

The qualification conforms to the University of Stellenbosch's policy regarding Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL). The policy stipulates that the responsibility for implementation of the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning resides with the Dean of the Faculty. Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning policy and practices at departmental level is subject to an in-depth and thorough process of self-evaluation and external peer evaluation as a compulsory requirement in the process of periodical and comprehensive departmental evaluation. The Faculty of Health Sciences has an Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning policy, to which any application for Recognition of Prior Learning must comply.

Access to the qualification

The qualification is open to all learners who are in possession of one of the following

• MBChB.
• MMed Psychiatry or the exit examination from the College of Psychiatrists, South Africa (FCPsych), which allows the candidate to practice as a psychiatrist.
• Registration as a professional with the appropriate professional council of South Africa (i.e. HPCSA).
• At least two or more years' professional experience will be an advantage.

All the learning in the qualification is at NQF Level 9.

Exit-Level Outcomes and Associated Assessment Criteria

Graduates from this programme will be able to deal with complex issues intelligently, solve problems creatively and be autonomous in their field of specialization in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding.

Graduates will be able to

1. Be an independent learner and will have accepted the responsibility for lifelong continuous professional development.
2. Perform independent analysis of new data and clinical problems using a wide range of methods and techniques appropriately.
3. Plan, excecute, interpret and publish research relevant to the discipline.
4. Integrate the knowledge of social constructions of mental illness into their daily practice.
5. Lead a multi-disciplinary mental health team.

Graduates will demonstrate

1. Comprehensive knowledge of the structure, nature and functioning of multi-disciplinary mental health teams.
2. Advanced competency in the management of the above structures according to their designated clinical roles.
3. Comprehensive knowledge of the social constructions of mental illness and a mature understanding of the influence of these constructions on the development, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of mental illness.
4. The clinical skills and decision-making abilities necessary for effectively screening patients and managing psychiatric illness as well as special populations in the community.
5. Thorough knowledge and application of the fundamentals of Ethics as it aplies to community psychiatric care.

Integrated assessment

The University of Stellenbosch has a specific policy to ensure high standards in assessment practices. The programme coordinator is responsible for ensuring that staff involved in the programme adhere to the policy and to ensure explicitness, validity and reliability of assessment practices. Module assignments, as well as the thesis, will be assessed by faculty appointed internal and external examiners. The University also employs a system of internal and external moderation of assessment of all Exit Level modules.

The Senate decision that all programmes be re-evaluated and improved on a yearly basis is implemented at all levels. The programme coordinator is responsible for initiating this process and reports to the faculty's programme committee. The evaluation process includes an internal and external evaluation as well as a self-evaluation process.

The exit examination is under the auspices of The College of Psychiatrists of South Africa.