We believe that the “understanding of the procedures used in Psychiatric assessment and
liaison with other professionals involved in mental health” can be a taught component, although
we believe that spending time with those familiar with psychiatric assessment procedures and
professionals in the mental health field is important . However we think that the balance of
training and experience is a matter for Training Organisations.
We take a similar view of the provisions in relation to skills in assessing and differentiation of
responses to shock, trauma, bereavement and spiritual emergency from severe mental illness,
although again we stress that experience with people suffering from severe mental illness is we
believe a minimum requirement.
Some Training Organisations will wish to go much further in providing lengthy placement
provisions. It is important for all training organisations to reflect on the way they meet these
requirements considering the context in which their graduates practice psychotherapy.
Curriculum Requirements
Member organisations must provide a curriculum that covers the following elements:
1. Current approaches to the management and treatment of “Mental Illness”, including the
role of mental health nurses, occupational therapists and psychiatrists.
1. Different drug treatments that are available and their effects and short and long term side-
effects.
3. The basics of the legislative and organisational framework, including the Mental Health
Act, the Care Programme Approach and the various agencies involved. mental Health Familiarisation Placement. Page 2
4. Skills in assessing and responding to the range of responses to shock and trauma,
bereavement and spiritual crisis and differentiating these from severe mental illness.
Familiarisation Placement Requirements – 30 hrs –by UKCP accreditation
The placement must be in a setting that allows candidates to spend time with those who have
severe mental health problems. Additionally the setting must provide an opportunity for
discussion with staff involved with assessment and diagnosis. This can be achieved in a variety
of settings including local authority day care centres or voluntary organisations working with
client groups with mental health issues e.g. MIND.
Candidates should produce a reflective account/diary of their experience that is submitted to an
appropriate person in the training Organisation e.g. training Supervisor.
Duration
The familiarization placement should be of sufficient length to enable the meeting of the
learning outcomes. There should also be a taught component alongside the placement itself.
Learning outcomes:
1. develop a basic understanding of psychiatry and the mental health system, the rights of
patients and the psycho-social issues involved.
2. understand the main principles of the mental health act and the procedures for the
compulsory admission and detention of patients.
3. enhance their ability to liase with other mental health practitioners
4. become familiar with psychiatric assessment, planning a range of forms of intervention
and evaluation procedures
5. understand the range of “mental illness” that can lead to involvement in the mental
health system.
6. familiarise themselves with the different types of intervention used, including
medication and electro-convulsive therapy, etc and their main side effects
7. Spend time with people who have been diagnosed with severe depression and psychosis
so that the are able to recognise these in the future
8. Be able to empathise with clients who have been patients in the system.
Document as agreed by the HIPS Section, May 20th 2003 and amended by the Assessment
Board July 2nd 2003.
