Lesson 1: Introduction and Orientation

Attention

This first lesson is really like using a compass…you are getting your bearings in this online class, finding out where things are, and getting the lay of the land!

It is vital that you read all the documents that have been provided in this course to get a feel for all the complexity of this online class. And, I said "complexity", not "complex". It is not difficult to get around, there is just a lot here so you need to spend some time getting to know it. Sort of like exploring a city instead of a small town!

In each of these Lesson Plans you will see this same organization of material...an "Attention Getter" like this one...then a listing of the Learning Outcomes (what I expect you will be able to do when we are done with this lesson plan), the Teaching material for you to review, and finally the Assessment activities that are going to allow you to demonstrate that you got the Learning Outcomes.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able to:

  • Identify the goals and outcomes of the FYE Course
  • Identify personal motivations for going to college
  • Demonstrate the ability to interact and navigate within the Blackboard interface
  • Identify sources of information about the Mental Health program on the KVCC website
  • Identify the courses needed for both Provisional and Full-MHRT/C Certification

Teaching

Orientation to this Course and to Blackboard

For this Lesson you will need to review ALL of the following areas of the course:

  • Course Navigator
  • Course Information Pages
  • Lessons

I can't emphasize this enough, you need to read EVERYTHING, take notes on it, email me any questions...or better yet, post questions in the Course Questions discussion board (which will remain open all semester!)

Take some time at this point in the semester to look around at everything that is included in this course...get a "feel" for the class so you can understand how it is structured.

Below, as in all Lesson Plans, you will find the various Assessments that are involved in this class...each Lesson will have different things for you to do so be sure you manage your time well to get all things done.

A bit on terminology:

The term Assessment, as it is used to describe the next section in the lesson plan, is generic and refers to all the different ways and activities that we can determine what you have learned.

Assignments are written documents that you have to first produce on your computer in a word processor and then upload to the site through a drop box. This is different than the Quiz where you write directly into the Blackboard interface.

Discussions are bulletin boards where you participate in online dialogue with your instructor and your fellow students. This is a vital part of the class. It is expected that you will participate in these discussions often and you are required to post at least two substantive comments to EVERY graded discussion. (IF you have graded discussions in your class)

If you need assistance navigating blackboard, this link will bring you to a resource that explains all of blackboards features and some basic navigation tips.

Orientation to the Mental Health Program

Since you are taking this course it may be assumed that you already know a lot about the Mental Health Program, but it is always good to make sure that we are all on the same page!

  • History of the Program
    • In 1990 a class action lawsuit was filed against the State of Maine due to overcrowding, poor conditions, and the deaths of 10 residents of the State's Mental Institutions.
    • The resulting judgment (against the State - known as the Consent Decree) mandated that training be provided for community mental health providers so patients being released from the psychiatric hospitals would receive good care.
    • The Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician levels of certification were created. These have evolved into the MHRT-I and MHRT/C certificates we know today.
    • Kennebec Valley Technical College began to offer a Certificate Program consisting of the 10 core competency classes for the MHRT/C and also offered trainings leading to the MHRT-I
    • In the Spring of 2006, Mark Kavanaugh led a proposal to formalize the program as the Associates in Applied Science in Mental Health and the program was born.
  • MHRT Certifications
    • Based on the guidelines set forth in the Consent Decree, Mental Health workers need to be educated and demonstrate proficiency in 10 competency areas. These 10 areas currently align with the 10 core classes in the KVCC Mental Health program.
      • MHT 104: Community Mental Health
      • MHT 110: Interviewing and Counseling
      • MHT 112: Crisis Identification and Intervention
      • MHT 124: Psychosocial Rehabilitation
      • MHT 125: The Changing Workplace (Diversity Competency)
      • MHT 214: Incest, Sexual Abuse, and Trauma
      • MHT 216: Mental Health and Aging
      • MHT 218: Substance Abuse Counseling
      • MHT 220: Case Management
      • MHT 226: Vocational Aspects of Disabilty
    • Click HERE to review the official website of the MHRT/C Certification
    • Getting your PROVISIONAL MHRT/C CERTIFICATION
      • When you have completed the 100-level classes in the list above, you are eligible to apply for the Provisonal MHRT/C Certificate.
      • This will allow you to work as a case manager.
      • You have to complete the rest of the courses for your FULL certification with 2 years of being issued your Provisional.
      • If you fail to do so, your Provisional certification will no longer be valid (you don't have to take the courses over, you simply need to complete the other courses for your FULL certification.
    • Getting your FULL MHRT/C CERTIFICATION
      • Once you have completed ALL TEN of the classes in the list above, you can apply for your FULL MHRT/C certification.
    • To APPLY for either of these you simply have to get in touch with the Social Science Program Chair, Dr. Mark Kavanaugh, and he will process the papework for you.

Assessment

Lesson 1 Quiz

For each Lesson in this course you will complete a Lesson Quiz. You will find the Lesson Quiz listed in the same Lesson Folder that you found the Lesson Plan in. And THAT, my friends, is a sentence with WAY TOO MANY instances of the word "Lesson" in it!

None-the-less, the quizzes are multiple choice and you MUST complete them for credit in the course. You will have two tries on each one to maximize your grade.

Lesson 1 Discussion

Online discussions encourage you to interact with your fellow students and your instructor even though this is an online class. For most of the lessons in this course you will be required to post a comment responding to a "prompt" listed in the Lesson Plan (like this one!)

Be sure you check in with the Lesson Discussions through the week (read - more than one time a week!) and participate as actively as you can. You can post into discussions all week right up to the due date of that week, but posting early creates a great discussion.

In this discussion I would like you to post your Introductory Video. For this task you are going to create a brief introductory video of yourself using your iPad! In addition to the brief introduction, please indicate your plans on how you are going to pursue getting your MHRT/C...for instance, do you plan on getting your Provisional very soon and then working on other courses after, etc.

We have created a special page that reviews your options for recording video and presenting it in class. Click HERE to review that document.

For full credit in the graded discussions you need to post at least ONE response to the prompt in the Lesson and reply to at leaset TWO other students' posts. Your reply posts must be substantive. Please see the grading rubric in the Syllabus for this course for more details.

These instrucitons apply to all the graded discussions in this course and will not be repeated.