Keeping up with your annual CPD requirements is a challenge for any professional with a busy workload. Whether you work in psychology or mental health, the pressure and demand of your role often gets in the way of any time set aside for development. But losing your registration isn’t an option, so you’ve got to make time for CPD.
It’s not just about ticking boxes though. CPD is essential for you to keep pace with practice and procedure developments. So, completing this training not only keeps you employed, it makes sure you are competent and legally allowed to do your job.
You can gain your CPD hours in a number of ways, from attending conferences and workshops to peer review activities. But as these often take place during the workday, even they can be hard to fit in. Especially when you have a high number of patients to see or a jam-packed schedule for other reasons.
Luckily, one of the ways you can gain CPD hours is through distance learning courses. And as these are completed at your pace online, you can fit them in whenever you have time. Whether it’s in your lunch hour, time you manage to set aside for CPD or when you have time after work.
There are courses you can take that focus on topics which help those working in mental health. Or within the wider spectrum of psychological services. They can increase your understanding of the service users experience. As well as explore issues like capacity and consent, legislation and psychological therapies.
If you need to complete psychology and mental health CPD, we’ve listed some of the courses you can take below. So you can maintain your registration in a way that works around your schedule.
Psychology CPD
There are many online courses that can develop your knowledge in various aspects of the psychology spectrum. These are ideal if you want to begin aligning yourself with a particular niche, or just broaden your understanding. They include:
Developmental Psychology
There is a lot we can learn about human behaviour by assessing the impact of our transition from childhood to adulthood. This course helps to understand and explain how humans grow and change throughout their lives. You’ll understand how behaviour develops and explore personality, social development, identification and early life development. Helping you better understand the younger mind and how to help children handle their emotions.
Child Psychology
This course can help you specialise in supporting children specifically. It provides insight into the psychological changes that children go through from infancy through to their teenage years. Taking you beyond the fundamental knowledge of child development.
Criminal Psychology
If supporting the justice system appeals to you, you can develop your skills in criminal psychology online. Learning how you can prevent future crimes by identifying patterns in criminal behaviour. As well as the ethical considerations of psychological research.
Educational Psychology
With serious emotional challenges often presenting in early years, courses in educational psychology provide valuable insight. You’ll learn how to plan ways of helping the child both in the classroom and the home. Which can help you work in schools and educational institutions, should that be your aim.
Industrial Psychology
You can gain the skills to better analyse business products, processes and environments to improve their effectiveness, functionality and motivation. Industrial psychologists play a big part in business, and this course helps you understand just how important that role is.
Relationship Psychology
Having the skills to explain relationships, attraction and love can help support couples going through a hard time. This course examines the psychology and structure of relationships, how they develop and how they can be maintained.
Sports Psychology
In sport, unlocking the winning mindset can help coaches and sports participants enhance motivation and the likelihood of success. This course helps you understand how psychological factors affect performance. Which will enable you to help athletes overcome problems, enhance their performance and achieve their goals.
Mental Health CPD
It’s important for mental health professionals to complete CPD training. Namely, because it extends your skills and knowledge in assessing, treating and managing mental ill-health. The courses below look at particular mental health services, the mental health of specific age groups, legislation and crisis intervention.
Mental Health and Social Care
This course teaches you how to critically evaluate the social model of mental health. After which, you’ll be able to promote the users' perspective within mental health services. And provide suggestions of how to better manage areas of conflict. You’ll look at stakeholders and their influence and mental health policy and legislation. Plus, the various forms of advocacy for those experiencing mental health issues or managing enduring disorders.
Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health
If you aim to work in mental health services that support children, this course will provide valuable insight. It will develop your knowledge and awareness of the challenges facing children and young people with mental health issues. You will also become familiar with the impact of those issues. Plus the ways you can help children and young people maintain good mental health and wellbeing.
Awareness of the Mental Capacity Act 2005
Designed to prevent family members or third parties making decisions on behalf of individual’s that don’t reflect their best interests. Having up to date knowledge of mental health legislation is essential for ongoing professional registration. This course provides vital insight on this and how to legally act on behalf of someone who is deemed not to have capacity.
Continue your Education Online
Whether you’re a psychology or mental health professional, online courses provide a flexible and convenient way to gain your CPD. You can complete your mandatory hours when and where it suits you. So you don’t have to worry about taking time out of your schedule to study if it isn’t a possibility.
learndirect is the leading UK distance learning provider. Our courses are designed with the help of industry experts and professional tutors. So, you can be assured you’re gaining skills that are highly relevant to your career.
The courses above and many others we provide give you the knowledge and skills that enhance your professional abilities.
Find out more about those relevant to mental health by clicking the link to our mental health faculty below.
