PAR2032 Paramedic management of mental health

When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. 1

   In this unit, you will develop your skills as a paramedic to assess and care for patients with mental health problems in the community. You will explore the epidemiology, history, and current state of mental health in Australia, with a focus on community-based care. You will examine acute and chronic mental health concerns across diverse populations. Through case-based learning, you will integrate biomedical, social, and clinical sciences, and engage in practical scenarios to strengthen your communication, assessment, and clinical decision-making skills.

2. 2

   Apply the requirements of local legislation when caring for those with acute behavioural disturbances.

3. 3

   Apply structured mental health assessment frameworks to identify risk, needs and priorities for care within the scope of paramedic practice.

4. 4

   Evaluate and adapt communication strategies to support people experiencing disturbances of thoughts, mood, or behaviour in diverse clinical and cultural contexts.

5. 5

   Implement safe, evidence-based therapeutic interventions in the assessment and management of mental health emergencies in community settings.

6. 6

   Justify evidence-based strategies to safely and ethically manage mental health crises, with consideration to the needs and wellbeing of patient, family/caregivers and self.