MACC Catalog #OTA215
CIP #
DATE September 2010
Moberly Area Community College
Common Syllabus
OTA 215 Mental Health and Psychosocial Practice
Current Term
Instructor:
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Catalog Description: OTA 215 Mental Health and Psychosocial Practice (3-0-3 )
This course presents the role of the Occupational Therapy Assistant in the psychosocial
area of Occupational Therapy practice. Students will learn selected frames of reference,
and explore the effects of psychosocial dysfunction on areas of occupation. Students will
learn skills necessary to assess, implement and document intervention in a variety of
mental health se3ttings. Client factors, including culture and diversity, therapeutic
interactions and methods are studied. Students will develop skills in administering
individual and group interventions, professional communication, conflict negotiation, and
advocacy. Lab activities, site visits and Level I fieldwork opportunities will enable
students to participate in and apply psychosocial principles to practice.
Prerequisite/Co-requisite: .Admission to the MHPC OTA Program through Macc.
OTA 200 Foundations of Occupational Therapy, OTA 205 Medical Conditions in
Occupational Therapy, OTA 210 Analysis of Occupations, and OTA 220 Pediatric and
Adolescent Practice.
Text(s): Early, Mary Beth. (2009). Mental Health Concepts & Techniques for the
Occupational Therapy Assistant, 4th Edition, New York: Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins. ISBN: 978-0-7817-7839-8.
Other Required Materials:
Purpose of Course: Mental Health and Psychosocial Practice support the curriculum
design by educating future OTA practitioners on seeing clients holistically and as
occupational beings. Thr9ough a fieldwork placement in or near their own community,
the Mental Health and Psychosocial Practice class will provide students with the
opportunity to practice their learned skills, identify community resources for the mental
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health population, and advocate for mental health clients and their families within their
community. Students will not only practice and learn how to use traditional methods of
locating research based methods, such as medical journals and textbooks, but also how to
utilize the internet to locate appropriate treatment methods and evaluate their
effectiveness. The utilization of the internet and online learning opportunities will foster
and promote life-long learning of the students, as they will be able to determine
appropriate training, methods, education, research, and their own accessibility to
materials online.
Course Objectives:
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Demonstrate oral and written communication skills.
Employ logical thinking, critical analysis, problem solving, and creativity.
Demonstrate competence in basic computer use, including the ability to use
databases and search engines to access information, word processing for
writing, and presentation software.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of human development throughout
the life span (infants, children, adolescents, adults, and elderly persons).
Course content must include, but is not limited to, developmental psychology.
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the concepts of human behavior
to include the behavioral and social sciences (principles of psychology,
sociology, abnormal psychology).
Demonstrate knowledge and appreciation of the role of sociocultural,
socioeconomic, and diversity factors and lifestyle choices in contemporary
society (principles of psychology, sociology, and abnormal psychology)
Articulate the influence of social conditions and the ethical context in which
humans choose and engage in occupations.
.Articulate to consumers, potential employers, colleagues, third-party payers,
regulatory boards, policy makers, other audiences, and the general public both
the unique nature of occupation as viewed by the profession of occupational
therapy and the value of occupation to support participation in context(s) for
the client.
Understand the effects of physical and mental health, heritable diseases and
predisposing genetic conditions, disability, disease processes, and traumatic
injury to the individual within the cultural context of family and society on
occupational performance.
Use sound judgment in regard to safety of self and others, and adhere to safety
regulations throughout the occupational therapy process.
Express support for the quality of life well-being, and occupation of the
individual, group, or p0opulation to promote physical and mental health and
prevention of injury and disease considering the context (cultural, physical,
social, personal, spiritual, temporal, virtual).
Explain the need for and use of compensatory strategies when desired life
tasks cannot be performed.
Apply models of occupational performance and theories of occupation.
Describe basic features of the theories that underlie the practice of
occupational therapy.
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Describe models of practice and frames of reference that are used in
occupational therapy.
Gather and share data for the purpose of evaluation client(s)’ occupational
performance in activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of
daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure, and social participation.
Evaluation of occupational performance includes:
a. The occupational profile, including participation in activities that are
meaningful and necessary for the clients to carry out roles in home, work,
and community environments.
b. Client factors, including body functions (neuromuscular, sensory, visual,
perceptual, cognitive, mental) and body structures (cardiovascular,
digestive, integumentary systems).
c. Performance patterns (habits, routines, roles) and behavior patterns.
d. Cultural, physical, social, personal, spiritual, temporal, and virtual
contexts and activity demands that affect performance.
e. Performance skills, including motor (posture, mobility, coordination,
strength, energy) process (energy, knowledge, temporal organization,
organizing space and objects, adaptation) and communication and
interaction skills (physicality, information exchange, relations).
Select and provide direct occupational therapy interventions and procedures to
enhance safety, wellness, and performance in activities of daily living (ADL),
instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), education, work, play, leisure,
and social participation.
Provide therapeutic use of occupation and activities (occupation-based
activity, practice skills, preparatory methods).
Provide therapeutic use of self, including one’s personality, insights,
perceptions, and judgments as part of the therapeutic process in both
individual and group interaction.
Effectively interact through written, oral, and nonverbal communication with
the client, family, significant others, colleagues, other health providers, and
the public in a professionally acceptable manner.
Promote the use of appropriate home and community programming to support
performance in the client’s natural environment and participation in all
contexts relevant to the client.
Assessment of Student Learning:
Student learning will be continually assessed throughout the semester through objective
online quizzes, written assignments, online group work, mid-term, final, and final project
presentation.
Description of Major Assignment(s)/Project(s):
Lab Assignments:
Media Group Planning
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Online & Class Assignments:
15%=150 points
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7 Group/individual discussion questions and responses (10 points)
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Personal daily schedule completion (10 points)
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Writing quiz questions (2 total; 10 points)
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Similar interests activity (10 points)
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DSM website review (10 points)
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Behavior programs (10 points)
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Home Safety recommendations (10 points)
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Treatment group idea (group choice) (10 points)
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Treatment group idea for depression (10 points)
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Mental Health Assessments/Evaluations search (10 points)
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Tx group idea for anger management (10 points)
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Tx group ideas for stress management (10 points)
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Community Resources for leisure (10 points)
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Sensory-based adult group treatment (10 points)
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Grade/adapt previous group (10 points)
Fieldwork Assignments:
25%=250 points
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2 reflections/questions & 2 responses (x9) (15%=37 points)
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Review of client chart/record/file (10%=25 points)
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Interview of professional (10%=25 points)
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Group observation (2) (10%=25 points)
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Group plan (15%=38 points)
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Group implementation (30%=75 points)
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Student evaluation (10%=25 points)
Quizzes:
10%=100 points
Mid-Term:
15%=150 points
Final:
20%=200 points
Character Case Study:
15%=150 pints
TOTAL CLASS PINTS = 1000 points
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ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC)
The policy reads: Students enrolled in the Missouri Health Professions Consortium
(MHPC) are expected to attend classes regularly and may be dismissed for inattention to
their academic responsibilities. A faculty member may use attendance, or lack of
attendance, as a criterion in the determination of a course grade. Permission to make up
class work missed as a result of absence is granted at the discretion of the individual
instructor. Under most circumstances, students who have been absent from classes due to
physician-documented illness or hospitalization will be allowed an opportunity to make
up work missed. If more than three weeks of class in a regular semester have been
missed, students should be encouraged to withdraw from MHPC.
Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC) ATTENDANCE POLICY
All absences must be reported to the MHPC (573-884-5689) prior to the start of class.
Occupational Therapy Assistant students are expected to attend all scheduled class
sessions. A student who does not attend class regularly may lose points for attendance or
class participation. Each class session will be given a value of 2 points towards total
course points; after the first excused, missed class two points will be deducted from total
attendance point value for each class session missed. All unexcused class absences will
result in a 2-point deduction. Point values and opportunities to make up lost class time
may be adjusted at the discretion of each individual course instructor of record. Students
absent for 30% of the class will be required to withdraw from the class and repeat the
class at the discretion of the Department Chair.
Occupational Therapy Assistant students are expected to attend all scheduled fieldwork
sessions and may be dismissed for inattention to their academic and fieldwork
responsibilities. Attendance or absence is defined as being absent from all or part of a
scheduled fieldwork session. Prior to any absence, it is the student’s responsibility to
notify the fieldwork educator and the course instructor. Faculty may use attendance, or
lack of attendance, as a criterion in the determination of a course grade. Permission to
make up fieldwork sessions and assigned work is granted at the discretion of the
Fieldwork Educator and the course instructor. Typically, students who have been absent
from fieldwork due to illness or hospitalization will be allowed an opportunity to make
up work missed.
ACADEMIC POLICY
The Missouri Health Professions Consortium (MHPC) considers academic dishonesty a
serious offense. Students are expected to be familiar with their home campus’ definitions
and explanations of academic dishonesty. MHPC will uphold and refer to those
definitions.
The department will not tolerate plagiarism, cheating, unauthorized possession of exams
or exam questions/information, tampering with instructor’s grade book or grades, or in
any way producing class work, papers, or exams through deceptive, illegitimate means.
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Any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty is subject to disciplinary action
and possible dismissal from the program.
Academic honesty is fundamental to the activities and principles of a program. All
members of the academic community must honorably have acquired, developed, and
presented. Any effort to gain an advantage not given to all students is dishonest whether
or not the effort is successful. The academic community regards academic dishonesty as
an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that range from probation to
expulsion. When in doubt about plagiarism, paraphrasing, quoting, or collaboration,
consult with the course instructor.
MHPC Statement) - AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT
Students who have disabilities that qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) should
register with their home campus if requesting accommodations and/or assistance. All members of the
Missouri Health Professions Consortium comply with ADA guidelines. If you have special
needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and need assistance, please
notify the course instructor immediately and/or contact the Access/ADA Office at your college to
confidentially discuss disability information, academic accommodations, appropriate documentation and
procedures. Students may register for assistance through the Office of Access and ADA Services through
their respective home campuses. Respective ADA college contact information is listed below:
MACC: The Office of Access and ADA Services is located in the Main Library and the
phone number is (660) 263-4110 ext. 11240. Students may also contact the Columbia
office at (573) 234-1067 ext. 12120.
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