Maudsley Learning are pleased to offer a comprehensive and flexible package of mental health training for physician associates working in primary care as well as secondary mental health and physical health services.

The Programme curriculum covers everything from basic knowledge of mental disorders and their treatment to the advanced skills needed to manage complex and challenging patients. Learning is made accessible and engaging through a combination of high-quality eLearning, live in-person or remote teaching, and high-fidelity simulation training, all designed and delivered by our expert faculty.

The Programme is designed to be flexible in order to meet the needs of your workforce, with a modular structure that can be tailored to different workplace requirement and pre-existing experience level. The eLearning programmes are intended to provide a foundational level of knowledge which can be built upon in the live sessions, where the focus is on experiential and interactive skills-based learning. The eLearning is not a prerequisite to attending the live sessions, but may be recommended for some audiences depending on their prior experience.

However, we are able to create bespoke training based on these courses should your workforce require a different mix of learning outcomes.

Basic eLearning

This package consists of 4 x 1-hour modules covering the basic knowledge needed to take a psychiatric history, perform and document a mental state examination, assess and manage risk, and manage an acutely distressed or agitated patient.

Advanced eLearning

This package consists of 4 x 1-hour modules covering approaches to diagnosis and formulation, understanding common mental disorders, psychopharmacology, physical health in psychiatric patients, and legal aspects of mental healthcare.

Primary care physician associate 2-day course

This 2-day programme includes one day of classroom-based learning and one day of simulation training and can be delivered in-person or remotely.

After completing this course those attending will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. Use psychological models and strategies to support those who are in mental distress.
2. Understand a range of common mental health presentations in primary care, in addition to important topics such as complex grief, neurodivergence, and personality disorders.
3. Support those suffering with addictions and manage symptoms of withdrawal.
4. Communicate confidently with confused, distressed and agitated service users.
5. Support service users with symptoms and presentations that frequently lead to mental comorbidity, including chronic physical illness, pain, insomnia, and stress.
6. Draw upon psychological and wellbeing models to support service users in making behavioural and lifestyle changes.

Secondary care physician associate 2-3 day programme

This flexible programme includes 1-2 days of classroom-based learning followed by one day of simulation training and can be delivered in-person or remotely. The choice to commission the 2- or 3-day package will depend on your trainees’ existing level of experience and knowledge/skills gap and can cover the following:

• Effectively engaging a service user in performing and documenting a complete psychiatric history and mental state examination.
• Assess, formulate, and manage risk in people with mental illness.
• De-escalation of distressed, agitated, or aggressive service users, with a focus on prevention and reducing restrictive practices.
• Diagnosis, formulation, and investigations for psychiatric illness.
• Mechanisms of action, monitoring, and risks associated with psychotropic medications
• Understanding the interactions between mental and physical health, including the physical health needs of people with serious mental illness and the mental health needs of those with chronic physical illness.
• Roles and responsibilities under the Mental Health Act and Mental Capacity Act