PgCert Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP)

Successfully completing this course enables you to take on the role and responsibilities of an approved mental health professional, once approved by your authority. The course consists of three modules including a placement organised by your sponsoring authority, where you apply teaching from all modules in practice.

This course is aimed at qualified experienced professionals in mental health who wish to become approved mental health professionals (AMHP).

You complete three modules to gain the postgraduate certificate, which are • values, ethics and evidence informed practice • mental health law and policy • AMHP practice (placement).

You study the application of values, ethics and dilemmas, mental health and wider associated law and policy. You also examine the current research that informs knowledge about mental health conditions and treatments. We encourage you to locate and evaluate research findings relevant to your practice.

Learning takes place in workshops, lectures, group and individual tasks and in practice as well as in private study.

During the course you develop
• autonomous decision making and assessment skills in crisis situations
• the ability to work with a range of professionals to promote recovery
• the ability to work in a culturally competent way with a wide range of people in distress the skills and knowledge to apply the law in a way that reflects understanding of the impact on service users and carers

Placements are in your own agency, usually with an AMHP team. An allocated practice educator provides supervision while you shadow and then lead assessments with a range of AMHP colleagues.

Professional recognition

You are eligible to be approved by your local Social Services Authority as an approved mental health professional.

2016 entry requirements

Typically you need
• a qualification in social work, occupational therapy, mental health or learning disability nursing or chartered psychology
• registration with relevant professional body
• two years post qualification experience
• sponsored by local authority or health trust

You need to have completed shadowing of approved mental health professional assessment and submit a write up of this assessment with your application.