Behavioral Health

Catalog description

Restricted to students in the Master of Physician Associate Studies program. During this course, the student will be given the opportunity to: 1) identify normal physical, social, and psychosocial processes and distinguish these from processes due to illness and injury; 2) understand the neurobiological processes and genetics in relation to mental illness; 3) provide a foundation for assessing a patient’s state of mental health and development; 4) explain the classification of common mental illnesses set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; 5) recognize the importance of an appropriate and timely referral; 6) recognize the importance of other healthcare professionals in the management of patients with mental illness; 7) recognize the importance of family and community dynamics in the management of patients with mental illness; and 8) discover health and well-being in the clinician’s personal life and how this may intertwine with the clinician-patient relationship, professionalism, and cultural competence.