This retake course is for students who previously attended Mental Health Level 1 but did not pass the competency exam. The content is the same as the original course, and students will attend the full 8-hour live virtual class again. Enrollment in this retake session provides students with two additional attempts to pass the Mental Health Level 1 competency exam.

The course provides a comprehensive overview of common mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD, and personality disorders. Participants will review how symptoms may present, how trauma and communication barriers impact care, and how to respond to behavioral changes with professionalism and compassion. The class reinforces the three-step approach to challenging behaviors (Stop, Identify, Take Action), along with effective communication strategies, suicide warning signs, crisis response techniques, and the importance of maintaining healthy boundaries.

This retake session ensures that caregivers can revisit essential concepts, strengthen their understanding, and build confidence in supporting individuals living with mental health conditions.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define common mental disorders and recognize their symptoms, such as anxiety disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, schizophrenia, eating disorders, OCD, and related conditions

2. Identify stigma, myths, and contributing factors affecting individuals with mental disorders

3. Apply the three-step approach to challenging behaviors:

   Stop, Identify, and Take Action

4. Use effective communication strategies, including active listening, respectful communication, non-verbal awareness, and adapting interactions for specific disorders

5. Recognize suicide risk factors and warning signs, and know how to respond, including how to talk with someone who may be thinking about suicide

6. Support individuals through crisis management, de-escalation, and identifying triggers that lead to crisis situations

7. Identify strategies for responding to specific behavioral challenges, such as aggression, hallucinations, withdrawal, and wandering

8. Demonstrate awareness of professional boundaries and the importance of assertive, non-confrontational interactions