Family-Oriented Care in Mental Health (300204)

Family-Oriented Care in Mental Health (300204)

Level ~ Graduate Diploma
Availability ~ Semester 2
Type ~ Elective

This unit provides a framework for the understanding of major models of family therapy. It allows students to examine current issues and debates about the applicability of working collaboratively with peers, persons and their families. This unit will enhance the student’s knowledge and skills of current family therapy practice and encourages exploration of the integration of family work to enhance the care of a person presenting with mental distress. It also encourages students to debate how and when to apply models of family work in their practice, and to develop interventions that promote collaborative care planning and evidence-based treatment.


Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the core principles of recovery-oriented family focused interventions in mental health across the lifespan.
  • Use advanced problem-solving skills to apply collaborative, family-oriented interventions considerting all contexts, and be able to critically evaluate outcomes.
  • Critically review, analyse and synthesise family therapy literature and research applied within a best practice recovery framework considering mental health models of care and policy and procedures.
  • Critically review mental health services and be able to apply family-oriented interventions in the workplace.

Weekly Schedule
Week 1 Family-Oriented Practice within a Recovery Framework
Week 2 A Family-Oriented Approach to Mental Health Practice
Week 3 Applying Family-Oriented Mental Health in Practice I
Week 4 Applying Family-Oriented Mental Health in Practice II
Week 5 Assessing Families I – Recovery and the Family Life Cycle
Week 6 Assessing Families II –Culture, Family Functioning and Genograms
Week 7 Systemic Case Formulation and Engaging Families
Week 8 The First Family Therapy Interview
Week 9 Solution-Focused Brief Therapy
Week 10 Structural Family Therapy
Week 11 Narrative Therapy
Week 12 Systemic Family Therapy
Week 13 Evidence-Based Practice, Research and Evaluation
Week 14 Applications of Family-Oriented Therapy
Week 15 More Applications, Ethics, Professional Development and Training