What is the Mental Health Academy?
Mental Health Academy is a convenient professional development education portal for mental health professionals. Mental Health Academy delivers the widest range of courses, with convenient online delivery, and the broadest professional recognition.
How are courses delivered?
For your convenience, Mental Health Academy courses are delivered online. Each course is hosted on the website (thus, there is nothing to download) and includes readings, assessment questions, tables and diagrams, audios, videos and other supporting materials (depending on the course).
How are videos delivered?
Similarly to courses, Mental Health Academy video workshops are delivered online, using webstreaming technology. Webstreaming is the same technology utilised in websites such as Google Video and You Tube. It is a cost-effective, efficient way to access video content without having to download excessive data.
How do I register and pay for courses?
Just follow the simple instructions at www.mentalhealthacademy.com.au/register. You have 3 options to access courses:
I'm an unlimited member. How do I access all courses I'm entitled to?
First, make sure you login using the login box on the top-right section of our homepage. Once you are logged on, you can subscribe to any course you'd like, at no additional charges to your monthly or annual unlimited fees.
To subscribe to courses, simply visit the COURSES section, select a course category, then click the yellow subscribe button from a specific course. The course you've subscribed to is automatically added to the "My Courses/Videos" page, where you can access the content from.
Are there any pre-requirements to register for courses?
No. Whilst we might suggest that you complete some courses prior to undertaking others, there are no pre-requirements to register to, and complete, and Mental Health Academy courses. You also do not need to be a mental health professional - anyone with interest on areas covered by our courses and/or videos is welcome to register.
How do I find out if my Professional Association endorses/approves a particular course for professional development?
Mental Health Academy courses are endorsed for professional development by multiple associations, including the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) and Australian Psychological Society (APS).
To find out if a specific course is endorsed by your Association, simply refer to the links under 'Recognising Associations' at the right-hand side column of the course Overview Page (located at the COURSES section of our website).
By clicking any of the links, you'll also find out specific endorsement details referent to that Association.
How do I access courses I've registered for?
Once you register for a course, by either paying for it individually or by registering via an unlimited membership, the course is accessed via your 'My Courses/Videos' section. Your courses will be listed either as "In Progress" and "Completed".
How long do I have to complete a course?
Once you register for a course, there is no limiting timeframe to complete it. You may take a few days, a month or even a year to finish and submit a course you have already started. All Mental Health Academy courses are self-paced.
Can I do more than one course at a time?
Yes. You are welcome to register and complete as many courses as you would like, during the same period.
If I logout during the course, will my answers be lost?
No. However, you need to ensure that you save your progress as you progress through the assessments. Simply use the appropriate button at each assessment question. Saving each answer ensures your information is saved for the next time you access it.
I have completed a course, what happens now? Do I get a certificate?
When you submit your assessment and achieve the minimum 80% completion rate, you will be directed to a window which includes a link to download your certificate of completion. The same certificate can also be downloaded from the “Complete Courses” table of your “My Courses/Videos” page.
I don't have much time available in front of a computer. How do I complete the courses?
One simple solution is to print the reading materials and assessments first. You can then read the material at home and mark your answers on a piece of paper. Once you have the opportunity to be in front of a computer, simply login, complete the assessments and get your results. If the course you are doing has video content, you will need to organize time online to watch it.
It is important to remember that due to copyright restrictions you cannot distribute printed materials to anyone.
How many questions do I need to answer correctly to complete a course?
To successfully complete a Mental Health Academy course, you are required to obtain a minimum of 80% correct answers on the overall course.
My assessment result was "Not Yet Competent". What do I do now?
First, don't panic. If you have not passed your final assessment, you can simply re-access the course; review your answers; and re-submit the assessments. When you re-access a course you did previously, answers you got incorrect are identified in RED. You can re-submit your course until you obtain the minimum 80% required for successful completion.
What do course HOURS and LEVELS refer to?
HOURS are calculated in accord with the course’s length in words. In general, 1 hour refers to courses that have less than 5,000 words; 2 hours to courses that have between 5,000 and 10,000 words; whilst 3-hour courses have 10,000-15,000 words.
LEVELS reflect the complexity of the course content. Generally, LEVEL 1 courses provide an introduction to a topic or theory; LEVEL 2 courses provide more in-depth exploration, including specific applications; and LEVEL 3 courses concentrate of practical aspects, revolving around comprehensive case studies.
I am having trouble watching the videos within my Courses, what should I do?
The Mental Health Academy "in-course" videos, available in some courses (e.g. CBT), are webstreamed directly from the YouTube website. The first thing you will need to do is ensure that you can access this website (www.youtube.com). In some workplaces and on some networks YouTube may be blocked by administrators.
To watch the videos, you will also need a fast internet connection (e.g. broadband at fast speeds). Dial-up connections, for example, are not suitable for webstreaming. If you have access to YouTube and have a fast internet connection, and still experience problems, you may not have a flash-enabled computer. You can fix this problem by visit www.adobe.com and downloading a free copy of Flash Player.
If you have followed all instructions above and are still having trouble watching the videos, please contact our team at info@mentalhealthacademy.com.au and we'll help you investigate what other issues may be causing your problems.
I am an unlimited member having trouble watching the Summit videos under the "Member's Resources" section. What should I do?
Follow the same instructions as above but instead of checking if you have access to You Tube, check whether you are able to access Vimeo - www.vimeo.com. Some of the Videos in this section are also provided in HD (High Definition) format. Thus, if you are having problems with a slow download or the video is cutting off regularly, you can try the following:
I am having trouble watching my purchased video workshops from "My Courses/Videos". What should I do?
If you have broadband or another fast internet connection, you have followed steps 1 and 2 in the question above, and your computer is flash-enabled - please email our team and describe the problems you are experiencing.
I haven't received your newsletter or other emails. What is happening?
Some network administrators (workplace) and email programs (such as Hotmail, Yahoo, GMail, etc) may be blocking the Mental Health Academy emails. With the increasing amount of SPAM on the web, many email accounts are set to block certain email addresses. To avoid that, contact your mail administrator and ensure that the addresses info@mentalhealthacademy.com.au and ezine@mentalhealthacademy.com.au are both cleared.
Conversely, you can add info@mentalhealthacademy.com.au to your contact list. In most cases, this action is enough to clear emails being sent from this address.
I'm having problems with a course or the website, who should I contact?
Simply email info@mentalhealthacademy.com.au and one of our team members will reply to your query promptly (generally within a couple of hours, except on weekends). We ask you to address queries via email for quality control purposes.
I received an email stating that I need to update my payment details. What happened?
Our billing system automatically processes payments on a daily basis. If a due payment is processed and declined for whatever reason (e.g. expired credit card date, insufficient funds, no authorisation, etc.), our system will send an automated notification letting you know about it.
Upon receiving the notification, you can login to your account and update your details (if required). If you would like the payment re-processed, you do not need to take any action as this is automatically done.
Once the first email is sent out, the system will try to process the payment again in three occasions - if this payment continues to be declined, a second email notification is sent and the account is placed on "suspended" status. If you have received this second email, there is no reason to panic. You can stilll login to your profile and update your payment details - or email our team if you required further assistance.
Note that if an account is suspended for an extended period of time (e.g. 3 or more months) it might be cancelled and/or deleted from our system.
What happens if my account access is "suspended"?
When your account is suspended, you can still access your profile and records. If you are an unlimited user, you will only be able to access to courses which you have purchased individually (or with a PAYG status). Courses that you have registered to as an unlimited user will be unavailable until your payment is confirmed. You will also not be able to access the "Member's Resources" section.
I would like to pay for courses via direct debt or cheque. Is that possible?
No. However, the majority of banks now offer a free service which allows you to use your regular key card (bank card) as a credit card for online and offline purchases. If you are not sure about this service, please contact your bank to find out more.
I've been paying for unlimited access but haven't accessed resources lately. Can I get a refund?
No. We do not refund paid fees on the basis of "not using the account". To draw a comparison, Mental Health Academy's unlimited memberships are very similar to a Gym membership - your payment gives you the right to access resources whether or not you decide to. It is your sole responsibility to monitor your access to resources.
Can I still access my completed courses after I cancel my membership?
Yes. If you're a monthly or annual unlimited user and decide to cancel your membership, you will still be able to access your completed courses, purchased video workshops and courses you've purchased as a Pay-As-You-Go user (whether or not you've completed them).
Cancellation of your unlimited membership means you won't be able to access courses in progress and exclusive member resources. You will also not be able to purchase additional videos and/or courses.
Can I use the material to train staff or colleagues?
Mental Health Academy courses, videos and other educational resources are only to be used by the individual person that registered. All resources are available at a very fair and reasonable investment. Only by strictly following our copyright restrictions can we continue to deliver courses at a low rate for everybody.
Can I reproduce content in the newsletter?
If you wish to reproduce any articles and other content from our newsletter, you will need to email our team and request permission to reproduce a particular section. We will review your request and provide you with a response generally within 1-week.
