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Mental Health Academy
Mental Health Academy
Disaster Mental Health Counseling Certification
2020

The gold standard program in Disaster Mental Health Counseling. This digitally badged credential course is led by international expert Prof. Cirecie West-Olatunji, Ph.D. (Director of the XULA Center for Traumatic Stress Research). It’s a 31-hour deep-dive program that will teach you best-practice strategies, clinical skills and cultural insights to effectively serve in disaster-affected areas – anywhere in the world.

Module 1: Introduction to Disaster Mental Health Counseling

This module provides an overview of the key terms and concepts associated with disaster mental health counseling.

Special attention is paid to working with culturally diverse individuals and other vulnerable client populations. Topics include the goals
and mission of culture-centered disaster mental health counseling (C-DMHC) as well as the types of clients typically served in C-DMHC work. A review of the limitations of current DMHC approaches is provided and a rationale for C-DMHC is discussed.

Module 2: Preparing to Serve (Pre-impact)

This module presents an overview of how mental health professionals prepare for deployment prior to entering a disaster-affected area.

Special attention is given to working with culturally diverse individuals and other vulnerable client populations. Topics include increasing awareness of counselor bias, understanding environmental stressors and strengths, and historical trauma and traumatic stress. A review of the limitations of current DMHC approaches is provided and a rationale for C-DMHC is discussed.

Module 3: Working with Disaster- affected Clients

This module provides an overview of the on-the- ground activities associated with disaster mental health counseling.

Special attention is paid to working with culturally diverse individuals and other vulnerable client populations. Topics include what to do upon arrival at the deployment site as well as how to engage in assessment and triage of disaster-affected clients. A review of the do’s and don’ts

of working in interdisciplinary teams is also provided, along with an explanation of clinical supervision issues during deployment. Finally, Dr West-Olatunji engages a comprehensive discussion of the interventions used with the C-DMHC approach.

Module 4: Moving Toward Recovery (Post-impact)

This final module provides an overview of the key terms and concepts associated with disaster mental health counseling.

Special attention is paid to working with culturally diverse individuals and other vulnerable client populations. Topics include the goals
and mission of culture-centered disaster mental health counseling (C-DMHC), as well as the types of clients typically served in C-DMHC work. A review of the limitations of current DMHC approaches is provided and a rationale for C-DMHC is discussed.

Credential & Certificate

Upon successful completion of all 24 mandatory assessments, you’ll be issued with an MHA Digital Badge and a CE Certificate of Attainment.

Upon successful completion of all 24 assessments, you’ll be issued with an MHA Disaster Mental Health Counseling Digital Badge and a CE Certificate of Attainment.

A Digital Badge is a form of Digital Credential (also known as ‘micro-credential’) that can be verified/validated online. A digital badge signals your achievement to potential employers and stakeholders, as they are able to verify your learning/skill acquisition outcomes in real-time, over the web.

Both Digital Badge & Certificate of Attainment can be used to demonstrate your course completion and learning achievement.

View digital badge of completion with this link.

Details
Certificate of Completion
Document
Letter of Completion
Document
Mental Health Academy
8007 Silverspring Dr
Henrico
Virginia
USA
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