SPE1005 Promoting Mental Health (FOEDU)

Semester 2 (ONC)Toowoomba (ONC)Springfld

Units 1.0 (Teacher Education: Special Edu) Band 5

State law in Queensland (Australia) requires that all adults working/undertaking professional experience/researching with children under the age of 18, in the state of Queensland are required to possess a current suitability card (Blue Card). (See "Other Requirements" for further information.) Also see: http://www.childcomm.qld.gov.au/employment/bluecard/informationSheets.html.

Synopsis

This course is designed to assist pre-service educators develop an awareness of the nature of risk and protective factors that can have an impact on a young person's social-emotional wellbeing and mental health. Students will participate in a range of learning contexts to develop knowledge of the warning signs of possible mental health problems and/or illness, the curriculum and pedagogical innovations that promote wellbeing in their students and school communities, and respond to students in distress or showing signs of social-emotional distress. A health promotion model will be introduced and students will explore practical and innovative ways to promote health-enhancing cultures in their classrooms and school communities. Students will explore strategies to deal with alienation, meaninglessness, powerlessness, social estrangement and normlessness that when experienced by some students can lead to serious risk of developing mental health problems and / or illness. The value of initiatives that enhance academic outcomes through social-emotional learning in the classroom will feature as a way to motivate schools to generate and implement policies dealing with social and emotional wellbeing.