Forensic Mental Health Courses
Course Codes - 72911 (Grad Cert); 72907 (Grad Dip); 73204 (Master)
Background
The Forensic Mental Health courses are designed to address issues in the multi-disciplinary care of mentally disordered offenders, whether in specialist forensic psychiatric units, the health care system, the corrections system, or the community. Each discipline caters for its own particular demands and there is a marked lack of coordination or recognition of the complex milieu of the clinical interface. Large numbers of professional people work with mentally ill offenders and have received little or no training to work with such clients. The proposed courses are a unique and timely development which aims to attract target groups including nurses, psychologists, physicians, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, social workers, occupational therapists, art therapists, counsellors, spiritual counsellors and Chaplains, voluntary workers, and those in non-government organisations, staff of the Justice Department, including Juvenile Justice and the Family Courts, probation officers, and staff from Corrective Services.
These programs are specifically written for professionals who encounter mentally ill offenders in the course of their work, whether in community or institutional settings, adopting a multi-disciplinary approach, and are designed to appeal to a wide range of relevant professions.
Course Structure
The Forensic Mental Health programs are delivered entirely by distance education, using printed and online materials.
First Year Subjects (Graduate Certificate)
Study Period 1 (February-June)
- NS5360:03 Issues in Forensic Mental Health 1 (also offered in Study Period 2)
- NS5361:03 Law, Social Policy and the Mentally Ill Offender
Study Period 2 (August-December)
On completion of the above 4 subjects, you can exit with a Graduate Certificate of Forensic Mental Health.
Second Year Subjects (Graduate Diploma)
Study Period 1 (February-June)
- NS5364:03 Forensic Psychopathology and Psychotherapy 2
- NS5365:03 Ethical Considerations in Forensic Mental Health
Study Period 2 (August-December)
- NS5201:03 Research: Theory & Methodology (also offered in Study Period 1)
- NS5366:03 Practice Development Project (also offered in Study Period 1)
On completion of the above 8 subjects, you can exit with a Graduate Diploma of Forensic Mental Health.
Third Year Subjects (Master)
Study Period 1 (February-June)
- NS5402:06 Research Project Part 1
Study Period 2 (August-December)
- NS5403:06 Research Project Part 2
On completion of the above 10 subjects, you can exit with a Master of Forensic Mental Health.
Expected Outcomes
Successful completion of these courses will:
- provide graduates with a theoretical foundation to their understanding of a range of issues regarding the care of mental disordered offenders;
- encourage and inform a multi-perspectival approach to the care of mentally disordered offenders;
- enable graduates to bring multi-disciplinary research findings and innovative clinical developments to bear on their practices with mentally disordered offenders;
- enable graduates to critically examine social policies and practices relevant to the care of mentally disordered offenders; and
- facilitate the development of reflective practitioners in a context of multi- and post-disciplinary forensic mental health care.
Entry Requirements
Students will normally be expected to hold a first degree in a related discipline OR possess a relevant professional qualification and have at least two years’ post-qualifying professional experience.
Course Fees
From 2008, coursework studies at JCU will be much more affordable. Australian* postgraduate coursework students will have two fee options for most courses:
- Commonwealth supported places will be available for all
postgraduate Nursing courses. Commonwealth supported students only pay the
student contribution amount and can defer payment by accessing HECS-HELP –
the same option as for undergraduate studies, for details see
Postgraduate assistance. 2008 student contribution amounts for 3-credit
points subjects for students who commenced their course of study on or after
1 January 2005 are: upfront payment $407.20 per subject, or deferred payment
$509 per subject. (Students who commenced their course prior to 2005 see
2008 Schedule of Student Contribution Amounts.) Note that students are
not able to claim tax deductions for commonwealth supported fees.
- Postgraduate tuition fees are set for all courses. Some students may wish to choose this option because they can claim their fees as a tax deduction if there is a direct connection between the course and their work activities. Furthermore, tuition fee paying students will not use up their Student Learning Entitlement (access to Commonwealth supported study for the equivalent of seven years of full-time study). Postgraduate tuition fees for 2008 are expected to be $340 per credit point (i.e. a 3-credit point subject will cost $1,020). Tuition fee paying students can defer payment by accessing FEE-HELP, for details see Postgraduate assistance.
* Australian students refers to Australian citizens or holders of permanent humanitarian visas.
New Zealand citizens and Australian permanent resident visa holders must pay their student contribution amounts or tuition fees upfront, and cannot access HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP.
International students pay international tuition fees and should visit JCU’s International Student Centre for fee information.
Intakes
All courses commence in Study Period 1 (3 March 2008). Mid-year (August) entry is also available. It is recommended that applications be submitted as early as possible but by no later than 30 December for February intake and 30 June for August intake.
Applications
Application packages are available from the Postgraduate Studies Officer, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Nutrition, phone 1800-888975, email nursing@jcu.edu.au, or can be downloaded below (PDF format).
- Download Postgraduate Application Package [390kb 9 pages PDF]
Further Information
Return to the Postgraduate Courses page for further information on postgraduate studies, pathways and enrolment procedures.