Certificate in Mental Health

CERTIFICATE IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM

Mental Health is integral to and inseparable from public health. Mental and substance abuse disorders impose large and growing life style and financial burdens in the United States as well as globally; the impacts are felt not only directly, but also in their adverse effects on other medical conditions and health behaviors. Life circumstances of individuals, their families and their communities are altered and often radically so.

To address these integral relationships of mental health with public health, the Certificate in Mental Health program was developed. Its purpose is to bring together faculty, students and practicing health professionals in order to foster enhanced research and learning experiences through inter-disciplinary, interdepartmental and inter-school activities. Students completing the program will be able to epidemiologically describe the burden of mental illness on society, apply theories and evaluate empirical evidence on determinants of mental health, design and critique interventions intended to promote mental health and identify the sources of financing and public policies that affect mental health services .

This certificate program builds on existing classes and faculty expertise and is open to all MSPH and MPH students. It is anticipated that the Certificate in Mental Health program will build a community of interest from across the school and from other units at Emory University and the larger community. Affiliated faculty and professionals drawn together for the concentration may contribute to a growing set of research activities available to students and to provide students with the capacity to contribute to improving mental health in the public and policies fostering access to appropriate mental health services. It may function as a "second academic home" for participating students in the school of public health.

LEARNING OBJECIVES OR COMPETENCIES

Students with a certificate in Mental Health will be able to:

• * Apply and critically evaluate epidemiological methods establishing case definitions and determining the incidence and prevalence of mental illness and related disability
• * Describe the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders, related disabilities and their social correlates
• * Identify how culture influences the expression of symptoms, seeking of care and response to treatment
• * Describe how the US currently finances mental health services and its cost burden for individuals and society
• * Describe proposed policies for improving access to and qualify of mental health services in the US and assess their strengths and weaknesses
• * Describe the mental health advocacy community and their avenues for influencing mental health policy
• * Integrate mental health into a comprehensive view of public health
• * Apply expertise form the major program of study to mental health or mental health services

CERTIFICATE REQUIRMENTS

* HPM 579, Mental Health and Public Health Interface (1 credit hour per academic year ) This course will provide a public health perspective of mental health and mental health services by offering a description of how the fields interface. The instructor will integrate presentations by experts from the field who address mental health and mental health services as relevant to public health. The class will provide a cross-cutting, cross-departmental experience including topics in mental health surveillance and epidemiology, mental health services and policy, mental health and behavioral science, and global mental health. The class will span two semesters, offering 1 semester hour of credit for the year (1/2 credit per semester). Students are encouraged to take the course for two years.

* Practicum in aspect of public mental health- a minimum of 200 hours

* Thesis or capstone project on topic in public mental health

* A minimum of 6 credit hours from the following courses or courses approved by

Dr. Benjamin Druss or Melissa Sherrer:

• BSHE 512 Medical Sociology, 3 credit hours
• BSHE 516 Behavioral Epidemiology, 3 credit hours
• BSHE 560R Mental Health Seminar, 1 credit hour
• BSHE 581 Stress Reduction, 1 credit hour
• BSHE 585 Public Mental Health, 1 credit hour
• BSHE 586 Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders, 2 credit hours
• BSHE 587 Seminar in Substance Abuse, 2 credit hours
• BSHE 588 Addiction, the Brain, History and Culture, 3 credit hours
• BSHE 589 Mental Illness, Public Health and American Culture in Interdisciplinary Perspective, 3 credit hours
• HPM 563 Long Term Care Policy and Practice, 2 credit hours
• HPM 577 Mental Health/Medical Interface, 2 credit hours
• SOC 330 Mental Health and Well-Being, 4 credit hours
• SOC 513, Perspectives on Mental Health, 2 credit hours
• Any 300 level or above Psychology classes

For inquiries about the Certificate in Mental Health, please contact:

Melissa Sherrer, M.Ed,, Program Administrator
404.727.3968
msherre@emory.edu

Benjamin Druss, MD, MPH, Program Director
404.712.9602
bdruss@emory.edu