Mental Health Worker (A.A.)
Department website: https://www.cerritos.edu/medical-assisting/
ASSOCIATE OF ART
This program will train students to help a mentally ill individual with tasks such as gaining employment, finding housing, using community resources, becoming financial competent, and other activities that promote an independent life-style for the mentally ill. The training offered for the Certificate and AA degree is comprehensive and intensive. Students will learn the basics of Psychology, the foundations of Mental Illness (Abnormal Psychology), the concept of rehabilitation and recovery, how to help the mentally ill, and how to create a cooperative relationship with mentally ill individuals. Finally, students will be given the opportunity to practice the knowledge and skills that they have gained from classroom instruction, in a community mental health environment as a part of our Field Experience class.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
- Student differentiate between the psychosocial and the medical paradigms of mental illness, rehabilitation, and recovery.
- Student use personal and professional communication appropriate to the client's developmental age, educational level, communication style, and cultural/ethnic identify.
- Students apply psychological content and skills to career goals.
- Students employ basic documentation of client care and care coordination.
- Students engage in problem solving that will lead to the client's desired outcome.
- Students identify clients' individual needs, wants, choices, and preferences.
- Students recognize the ethical, legal, and confidentiality issues that apply to the community mental health field.
- Students use basic interviewing techniques and the active listening skills of empathy, compassion, and self-awareness.
- Students utilize the DSM classification system, not as a diagnostic but as an assessment tool, to distinguish and assess abnormal behaviors.
Program Requirements
| Code Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| INST 151 | Principles Of Recovery and Psychosocial Rehabilitation | 3.0 |
| INST 152 | Helping Relationships | 3.0 |
| INST 272 | Special Populations | 3.0 |
| PSYC 101 | General Introductory Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 271 | Abnormal Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 273 | Mental Health Worker Field Experience | 3.0 |
| or INST 273 | Mental Health Worker Field Experience | |
| Total Units | 18 | |
Recommended Courses
| Code Number | Course Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSYC 103 | Critical Thinking In Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 150 | Personal and Social Adjustment | 3.0 |
| PSYC 210 | Elementary Statistics | 4.0 |
| PSYC 220 | Research Methods | 4.0 |
| PSYC 241 | Introduction to Psychobiology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 245 | Drugs and Behavior | 3.0 |
| or HO 245 | Drugs and Behavior | |
| PSYC 251 | Developmental Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 261 | Social Psychology | 3.0 |
| PSYC 275 | Cultural Psychology | 3.0 |
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
A minimum of 60 units must be completed to include: the core courses listed above and A.A. Degree general requirements.
Notes: Although all of these courses are transferable to transfer as a Psychology Major refer to Psychology Transfer Major Requirements.