Lesson 1Validated screening instruments: PHQ-9, GAD-7, AUDIT-C, C-SSRS — administration, scoring, interpretation, and cutoffsThis part looks at main self-report tools for depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and suicide risk. Learners practice standard ways to give them, score them, use cutoffs, and explain results in clinic, including when to do them again and how to talk about findings kindly.
Selecting appropriate screening instrumentsStandardized administration proceduresScoring rules and severity cutoffsInterpreting scores in clinical contextCommunicating results to patientsLesson 2Assessment workflow for first 2–3 sessions: sequencing questions, building rapport, and structuring session timeThis part teaches how to set up the first two to three sessions, mixing building trust with gathering info. Learners plan question order, timing, changes, and time use while keeping warmth, teamwork, and clinic focus.
Setting agenda and expectations earlyPrioritizing urgent assessment domainsSequencing sensitive questions thoughtfullyBalancing rapport with data gatheringTime management and session closureLesson 3Documentation and legal/ethical requirements for initial assessment, consent, and confidentialityThis part explains documentation rules and legal-ethical duties in intake. Learners check informed consent, confidentiality limits, required reporting, and risk notes, and practice writing clear, strong notes that help ongoing care.
Elements of informed consentExplaining confidentiality and its limitsMandated reporting and duty to protectWriting clear, defensible intake notesManaging records and information sharingLesson 4Risk assessment protocols: assessing suicidal ideation, intent, plan, protective factors, and safety planningThis part covers structured checks for suicide and violence risk, including thoughts, intent, plan, means, and protective things. Learners practice tools like C-SSRS, noting risk level, and making joint, useful safety plans with clients.
Eliciting suicidal thoughts and historyAssessing intent, plan, and access to meansIdentifying protective factors and buffersDetermining risk level and monitoringDeveloping collaborative safety plansLesson 5Identifying strengths and resources: social supports, work functioning, motivation, prior coping skillsThis part stresses finding client strengths, values, and resources besides symptoms. Learners check social helps, work and role functions, coping past, and drive, and mix these into case plans and joint treatment planning.
Mapping social and community supportsEvaluating work and role functioningIdentifying past effective coping skillsAssessing motivation and readinessIntegrating strengths into treatmentLesson 6Culturally responsive assessment: asking about family norms, stigma, language, and preferred terms for distressThis part focuses on mixing culture into checks, including views on mental illness, family roles, language, and ways to express distress. Learners practice kind questions, adjusting them, and avoiding stereotypes while respecting client choices.
Exploring cultural identity and migrationAssessing family roles and expectationsUnderstanding stigma and help-seeking normsAsking about language and preferred termsAddressing religion, spirituality, and meaningLesson 7Comprehensive psychiatric intake: presenting problem, symptom timeline, functional impairment, substance use, trauma, family and social historyThis part details parts of a full psychiatric intake for adults. Learners organize info on main problems, symptom paths, function effects, substance use, trauma, and family and social past into a clear clinic view.
Clarifying the chief complaintMapping symptom onset and timelineAssessing functional impairment domainsScreening substance use and traumaGathering family and social historyLesson 8Standard diagnostic criteria: DSM-5-TR criteria for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and differential diagnoses (bipolar, PTSD, substance-induced, medical causes)This part reviews DSM-5-TR rules for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, stressing different diagnosis. Learners tell unipolar from bipolar depression, rule out PTSD, substances, and medical causes, and note clear reasons.
DSM-5-TR criteria for major depressionDSM-5-TR criteria for generalized anxietyScreening for bipolar spectrum disordersDistinguishing PTSD and trauma reactionsSubstance-induced and medical conditionsLesson 9Collateral information and biopsychosocial formulation: gathering information from PCP, partner, medical records, and cultural contextThis part explains gathering extra info and building a biopsychosocial plan. Learners work with medical helpers and family, mix records and cultural setting, and turn data into clear ideas about symptom causes.
Obtaining releases and contacting collateralsReviewing medical and psychiatric recordsIntegrating cultural and contextual factorsBuilding a biopsychosocial case modelCommunicating formulation to the clientLesson 10Assessing sleep, circadian factors, and digital behavior (social media) in the intakeThis part teaches checking sleep quality, body clock, and digital habits as they link to mood and anxiety. Learners practice aimed questions, short sleep checks, and looking at social media and device patterns that make symptoms worse.
Screening insomnia and hypersomniaAssessing circadian rhythm disruptionsNighttime rumination and worry patternsEvaluating social media and device useLinking behavior patterns to symptoms
