Lesson 3: Is KVCC's Mental Health Program the right path for me?

Attention

Click HERE to visit the KVCC website for the Mental Health programs!

Learning Outcomes

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

  • Identify the different options for certification and graduation in the Mental Health programs at KVCC.
  • Identify the changes that are in process in regard to the MHRT/C certification.
  • Identify the course options for MHRT/C certification and potential "stacked certificates."
  • Discuss the m-Learning initiative.
  • Relate your understanding of and commitment to the program to your Academic Advisor.

Teaching

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, Dr. Mark Kavanaugh led a proposal to formalize the program as the Associates in Applied Science in Mental Health and the Associate in Applied Science in Mental Health program was born.
  • Beginning in 2012, a concerted effort was made to develop Online versions of all the required Mental Health courses.
  • In 2014 KVCC applied for and was awarded a workforce development grant that included funding for the enhancement and development of three programs at KVCC: Medical Assisting, Sustainable Design and Build, and Mental Health.
  • With this grant we were able to hire a new and dedicated Faculty/Program Coordinator, Dr. Wendy St. Pierre, and Student Navigator, Roberta Santilli (who is also the Student Navigator for the other programs in the grant)
  • Other deliverables in the grant include:
    • A deep connection to local area mental health agencies for program review.
    • Development of transfer agreements with 4-year institutions.
    • Review and update of the existing curriculum.
    • Enhanced Online course materials.
    • Enhanced workforce preparedness skill development embedded in the program (the m-Learning Initiative described below.)
  • In the Summer of 2016 it is expected that the new Learning Outcomes for the MHRT/C will be released. This will entail a complete reworking of the entire program curriculum.

MHRT/C

We might assume that most of you know what the MHRT/C is, but let's be sure! MHRT/C stands for "Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician / Community", and the "Community" part means that this is the license for the work that is done in the community, not in the hospitals or institutions.

At this point (see "MHRT/C Revisions" below) the MHRT/C is obtained when students demonstrate competency in 10 areas. These 10 areas are represented by the 10 classes in the KVCC program.

Provisional and Full MHRT/C Certification

When you have completed the first 5 MHT designated courses in the program, you are eligible for a Provisional MHRT/C Certification.

When you have done this you should contact Dr. Kavanaugh and ask him to process the paperwork for your certificate.

Once you get your Provisional MHRT/C, you need to complete the other 5 courses within 2 years. When you have completed the other 5 classes you should contact Dr. Kavanaugh again and ask him to process the paperwork for your full certification.

Programs of Study at KVCC

KVCC offers both a Certificate program (consisting of ONLY the required courses for the MHRT/C and the Mental Health Seminar) and the Associate of Applied Science in Mental Health (which includes the MHRT/C courses and a set of other courses leading to the degree.)

Click HERE to visit the KVCC website that describes these two options.

Course Offerings

In order to help you get your certifications and complete your degree in a timely fashion, KVCC offers all of the MHRT courses in both Face-to-Face and Online modalities.

All of the classes are offered Online in BOTH the Fall and Spring semesters (with SOME offerings in the Summer)

All of the 100-level courses (those needed for the Provisional MHRT/C) are offered Face-to-Face in the FALL semester.

All of the 200-level courses (those needed for the Full MHRT/C) are offered Face-to-Face in the SPRING semester.

Mental Health, Learning and Technology

Across the Department of Social Sciences there is a deep integration of technology into the classroom. All the courses in the Department utilize our Learning Management System (Blackboard) to support their classes, Face-to-Face and Online.

Research by the Mental Health Faculty has revealed that the Mental Health workplace is becoming increasingly dependent on Mobile Technology. Our work is more often done in the "field" (in people's homes, on the street, etc.) To best prepare our students for this mobile workplace we have instituted the m-Learning Initiative.

m-Learning in Mental Health

The m-Learning Initiative began in the Spring of 2016. Essentially, we have modified our course materials, teaching methods, and student expectations to incorporate the use of mobile technology in all aspects of the program.

The projected outcomes of this initiative are three-fold:

  1. Innovative teaching and learning methods that are more engaging and result in better assessment of learning.
  2. Reduced overall cost of attending college for our students.
  3. Better preparation for the mobile workplace through the preparation of mobile technology skills in the classroom.

Click HERE to visit the KVCC website page on this innovative program.

Assessment

In this section you will find descriptions of your graded Assessments.
Included in these descriptions may be information related to Graded Online Discussions.
These apply to students who are taking this class ONLINE...otherwise you can ignore them or your instructor may use them for in-class discussions.

Lesson 3 Quiz

Please answer all of the questions in this quiz. They relate to the Lesson and any links within the Lesson.

Lesson 3 Discussion

Review the m-Learning related material in this lesson. Post and discuss any questions you might have about the initiative. This is a great opportunity to ask about the details of this initiative.

Lesson 3 Assignment

Mental Health Understanding and Commitment Survey

This is a survey that we have created outside of this course to gather data from each of you on your understanding of the expectations of our program. The results of this survey can be accessed by your Advisors (Dr. Wendy St. Pierre, Dr. Mark Kavanaugh, and Roberta Santilli) for review.

You are required to participate in this survey as a function of this Lesson. Once we have verified your completion of this survey, we will contact your instructor and they will issue you a grade of 100 on this assignment.