VERN3100 Relatinonal skills and Mental Health Course description

Relational skills, interdisciplinary cooperation and counselling functions are key aspects of social educators’ professional practice. This course emphasises the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation.

The course will also give students knowledge of mental healthcare, different diagnoses and consequences for users’ everyday lives. Various forms of evidence-based treatment measures are also emphasised.

Passed all parts of the following courses: VERN1400/VERND1400

After completing the topics relational skills and interdisciplinary collaboration (1) and mental healthcare (2), the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student:

• has broad insight into the concept of counselling, as well as important phases in counselling (1)
• has knowledge of ethical challenges associated with counselling work (1)
• is capable of explaining important factors for establishing and maintaining relationships (1)
• is capable of describing factors that can promote cooperation, trigger conflicts and resolve conflicts (1)
• is capable of explaining the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation (1)
• has knowledge of expedient facilitation of counselling, meetings and group work (1)
• has knowledge of preventive and health-promoting factors that can improve users’ mental health and quality of life (2)
• has knowledge of mental diagnoses, diagnostic criteria and symptoms (2)
• has knowledge of how mental disorders affect the everyday lives of patients/users (2)
• is familiar with various forms of treatment and services available to people with different mental disorders (2)
• is capable of explaining certain evidence-based treatments in relation to specific groups (2)
• has knowledge of the legal basis for services, with particular emphasis on the Act relating to the Provision and Implementation of Mental Health Care (the Mental Health Care Act) (2)

Skills

The student

• has the skills required to create good relationships with relevant partners (1)
• is capable of planning and carrying out a counselling meeting (1)
• is capable of using different methods and tools in adapted exercises (1)
• is capable of contributing to professional reflection through active listening, expedient questions and constructive feedback (1)
• is capable of demonstrating counselling skills, and is capable of receiving and making use of feedback on his/her own conduct (1)
• is capable of demonstrating motivational skills in groups (1)
• is capable of demonstrating expedient skills in accepting constructive feedback or opposition in groups (1)

Competence

The student

• is capable of using suitable relational skills that help to promote interdisciplinary cooperation (1)
• is capable of using skills that are relevant to a counsellor, chair of a meeting, or group leader (1)
• is capable of explaining the requirements that apply to preparatory and follow-up work, as well as further follow-up of a counselling process (1)
• has knowledge of mental health problems, diagnostic criteria and consequences to the everyday lives of people who suffer from these disorders (2)
• has knowledge of different services, evidence-based treatments and methods that can help people to cope with their everyday lives (2)
• is familiar with the legal basis for the services offered to the target group, and is capable of discussing relevant ethical challenges presented by the design of the services (2)
• is capable of discussing ethical problems relating to diagnosing and designing services for people with mental disorders (2)

Approved by the Doctoral Committee 24 May 2018. Minor changes approved 27.04.2020.

This PhD-course is open for candidates at the PhD Program in Educational Sciences for Teacher Education, other PhD candidates and academic employees.

Language: English (and Norwegian, dependent on the language of participants).

This course is one of two PhD-courses on Action Research. Course 2 builds on Course 1. This first course addresses different forms of Action Research, as an approach to the intertwining of research and change in social and educational science. Approaches to Action Research will be related to philosophical questions of what science means in social research, questions of researching practice and user-engagement in research.

On completion of the course, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The candidate:

• has knowledge of historical and contemporary perspectives on Action Research, related to philosophy of science.
• has knowledge of key questions related to research and ethics in the field.

Skills

The candidate:

• can analyze relationships between theories of knowledge and Action Research
• can formulate epistemological, methodological, and ethical problems in educational science research related to Action Research
• can give academically competent oral presentations at relevant national and international conferences

General competence

The candidate:

• can identify and discuss relationships and conflicts between more general scientific theories and knowledge theories in Action Research, related to his/her field of research.
• can give well-structured presentations of basic qualities and issues in Action Research

Organised tuition is given in the form of lectures and seminars. Candidates are expected to actively participate in all the teaching activities.

Students are expected to read the syllabus before the course to be able to participate actively in discussions.

The candidate prepares a fifteen minutes oral presentation of aspects of Action Research that she / he finds particularly interesting, based on the syllabus. The presentation can be in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English. Following the presentation there will be a five to ten minutes sequence in which the candidate responds to questions from the examiners. 

New and postponed examination

In case of failed exam/legal absence, the student can have a new exam under the same conditions when a new/postponed exam is arranged.

Regulations

Regulations for new or postponed examinations are available in Regulations relating to studies and examinations at OsloMet. Students must register for a new or postponed examination. More detailed information about registration and times for new or postponed examinations is available on the web site.

The presentation will be assessed by the course coordinator and a member of the academic staff involved in the PhD program.