Overview
In this unit, you will evaluate mental health presentations and the associated social and cultural determinants, including those specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. You will learn how to formulate and apply evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. While doing so, you will appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine. Additionally, you will explore how to communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Pre-requisites: PMSC12001 Applied Paramedic Practice. Please note: Any student who has not successfully completed a PMSC residential school within the preceding 12 months or undertaken a clinical placement unit, should consult with the Head of Course to discuss completing a PMSC12001 Applied Paramedic Practice refresher. This ensures currency with all contemporary skills and procedures in line with industry standards and professional capabilities.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2026
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Evaluate mental health presentations and the associated social and cultural determinants, including those specific to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- Formulate evidence-based and safe treatment strategies for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis.
- Appraise and integrate mental health legislation and professional standards within the context of paramedicine.
- Communicate effectively with individuals experiencing mental health challenges, health care teams involved in mental health care, and the general public.
The Paramedicine Board of Australia requires that units align with the Professional capabilities for registered paramedics, which consist of five (5) domains. The below section aligns the proposed learning outcomes with these domains. In addition, the learning outcomes have been aligned with the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Ambulance Health Service Standards.
Professional Capabilities for Registered Paramedics
| Standard/Attribute/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
| Domain 1: The professional and ethical practitioner 1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.4, 1.1.5, 1.1.6, 1.1.8, 1.1.9, 1.1.10, 1.1.11, 1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.3.1, 1.3.2, 1.3.3, 1.4.1, 1.4.2 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 2: The communicator and collaborator 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, 2.1.5, 2.1.6, 2.1.7, 2.1.8, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, 2.2.4, 2.2.5, 2.2.6 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 3: The evidence-based practitioner 3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.5, 3.2.6, 3.3.1, 3.3.2, 3.3.3 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 4: The safety and risk management practitioner 4.1.1, 4.1.2, 4.1.3, 4.2.2, 4.2.3, 4.2.4, 4.3.3, 4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3, 4.4.4, 4.5.3, 4.6.5 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Domain 5: The paramedicine practitioner 5.1.2, 5.2.1, 5.2.2, 5.2.3, 5.2.4, 5.2.5, 5.3.5, 5.4.1, 5.4.2, 5.4.3, 5.4.4, 5.4.5, 5.4.6, 5.6.1, 5.6.2, 5.6.3, 5.6.4 | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards
| Standard | Learning Outcomes |
| Clinical Governance: 1.15a, 1.15b, 1.15c, 1.30a, 1.30b | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
| Partnering with Consumers: 2.04, 2.05a, 2.05b, 2.10a, 2.10b | LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Medication Safety: 4.15a | LO2, LO4 |
| Comprehensive Care: 5.05a, 5.05b, 5.06, 5.13c, 5.13d, 5.14a, 5.14b, 5.14c, 5.14d, 5.29a, 5.29b, 5.31a, 5.31b, 5.31c, 5.32, 5.33, 5.34a, 5.34b, 5.34c, 5.35a, 5.35b | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
| Recognising and Responding to Acute Deterioration: 8.05a, 8.05b, 8.05c, 8.05d, 8.05e, 8.06a, 8.06b, 8.06c, 8.06d, 8.06e, 8.10 | LO1, LO2, LO4 |
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
| 2 - Case Study - 50% | ||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
