Lesson 1Validated screening instruments: PHQ-9, GAD-7, AUDIT-C, C-SSRS — administration, scoring, interpretation, and cutoffsDis part review main self-report tools for depression, anxiety, alcohol use, and suicide risk. Learners go practice standard way to give dem, score dem, use cutoffs, and interpret for clinic, including when to do again and how to talk results.
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 timeDis part teach how to arrange first two to three sessions, balancing building trust with gathering info. Learners go plan question order, pacing, changes, and time control 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 confidentialityDis part outline documentation standards and legal-ethical duties in intake. Learners go review informed consent, confidentiality limits, must-report, and risk notes, and practice writing clear, strong notes dat support care continuity.
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 planningDis part cover structured suicide and violence risk check, including thoughts, intent, plan, means, and protective things. Learners go practice tools like C-SSRS, note risk level, and make joint, practical 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 skillsDis part stress finding client strengths, values, and resources beside symptoms. Learners go check social supports, work and role function, coping past, and motivation, and mix dese assets into case plan 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 distressDis part focus on mixing culture into assessment, including beliefs about mental sickness, family roles, language, and ways to express distress. Learners go practice respectful asking, adapting questions, and avoiding stereotypes while honoring 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 historyDis part detail parts of full psychiatric intake for adults. Learners go organize info on presenting problems, symptom path, functional effect, substance use, trauma, and family and social history into clear clinic picture.
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)Dis part review DSM-5-TR criteria for major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder, stressing differential diagnosis. Learners go 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 contextDis part explain how to gather extra info and build biopsychosocial formulation. Learners go work with medical providers and family, mix records and cultural context, 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 intakeDis part teach how to check sleep quality, body clock, and digital behavior as dem relate to mood and anxiety. Learners go practice targeted questions, short sleep check, and evaluate social media and device use patterns dat make symptoms worse.
Screening insomnia and hypersomniaAssessing circadian rhythm disruptionsNighttime rumination and worry patternsEvaluating social media and device useLinking behavior patterns to symptoms
