Psychoeducation for Clients

Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements for all allied mental health professionals delivering services under the Better Access Initiative were introduced by the Australian government in 2011. This CPD for psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and others is mandatory in order to maintain Medicare provider status. It is applicable to those providing Focused Psychological Strategy (FPS) items and is undertaken in order to enhance the skills required to deliver the FPS treatments allowable under the Better Access Initiative (the full list of which can be found in the Medicare Benefits Schedule). One item on the list is psychoeducation. That is, the government understands that psychologists, social workers, and occupational therapists need to provide psychoeducation to clients with various conditions, and therefore encourages them to gain solid skills in doing so. Psychoeducation is the subject of this course. But just what, exactly, is it? The purpose of this course is to give you an understanding of what does comprise psychoeducation, how it may be delivered - in which formats and for what conditions - and what results a clinician offering it may reasonably expect. You will want to know what the “ ingredients” of a workable psychoeducation program are, and what barriers you may encounter to successful implementation. We cover all of those aspects. Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to: Define psychoeducation and discuss the sorts of objectives such programs aim to achieve; Cite at least two studies showing the effectiveness of psychoeducation on various measures; Name the structure and content elements that successful programs tend to have in common; Identify which delivery formats will work best for your clients; Recall the strategies for incorporating learning and leadership principles followed by psychoeducation program planners; Name at least eight conditions which can be managed better through psychoeducation; List the benefits of a psychoeducation program in terms of client outcomes and cite any risks or side effects; Discuss the potential barriers to implementation that must be dealt with.