Mental Health Coordinating Council

Diploma Qualifications

Diploma of Community Services

This course offers a unique opportunity to develop your practice in working with complexity and diversity in responding to consumer needs. Incorporating the most current practice in the Mental Health and Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) sectors, the course is delivered by specialist trainers who have extensive and current industry experience. Complete an additional four days to achieve the dual mental health and AOD qualification.

This course is specifically designed for community mental health workers, AOD workers, or workers in the community sector who are in a mental health role. You are not required to have completed a Certificate IV level qualification to be eligible for this course however please read the entry requirements below.

Course Dates and Duration

Estimated number of training days is 10–14 depending on qualifications.

Diploma of Community Services (Mental Health) CHC50312

Course Topics:

• Recovery and Recovery Orientated Practice
• Understanding and working with complexity and diversity
• Working with reluctance
• Screening and assessment tools
• Risk management
• Personalised individual practice review
• Promotion, prevention and early intervention
• Understanding community and consumer advocacy
• Evidence based strategies

The qualification consists of 16 units (14 compulsory units and 2 elective units). Qualification overview.

Diploma of Community Services (Alcohol, other drugs and mental health) CHC50412

Course Topics (in addition to those of the Diploma of Community Services Mental Health):

• Bio-psycho-social factors related to AOD use
• Practical skills in Motivational Interviewing
• Relapse prevention and harm minimisation
• Pharmacotherapies in the context of mental health

The qualification consists of 19 compulsory units only. Qualification overview.

Entry requirements

To gain entry into this qualification you must:

1. Be recently appointed or currently working in a community support mental health work role and have a relevant recognised higher education or vocational education qualification at Certificate IV or above.
                                      OR
2. Be recognised as competent, through a recognised training program or recognition process, against the following qualification (or equivalent):
   • Certificate IV in Mental Health
   • Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs.
                              OR
3. Have sufficient work experience in the relevant sector to indicate likely success at this level of qualification in a job role involving:
   • the application of knowledge with depth in some areas and demonstration of a broad range of technical and other skills
   • a wide range of tasks and roles in a variety of contexts, with complexity in the range and choices of actions required
   • the exercise of discretionary judgement and decision making under general guidance.
                             AND
4. In consultation with the industry reference group MHCC have agreed that the following additional requirements must be met to gain entry into diploma level qualifications:
   • be employed within the sector for no less than 6 months full time or 12 months part time
   • be recommended by your workplace to complete this qualification.