Assisting Patrons with Mental Disorders Across Library Settings

$200.00

Dates: March 4 - March 31

Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that one in five children, teens, and adults suffer from a mental illness. With libraries functioning as a hub of the communities they serve, librarians must be prepared to serve patrons struggling with mental health issues. This course will provide librarians with the necessary knowledge and skills to address common mental disorders, as well as ways in which librarians can balance their own mental health needs in a demanding profession.

Course Information

Session

Credits

1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Registration dates

We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment.

Course Description

The National Alliance of Mental Illness estimates that one in five children, teens, and adults suffer from a mental illness. With libraries functioning as a hub of the communities they serve, librarians must be prepared to serve patrons struggling with mental health issues. This course will provide librarians with the necessary knowledge and skills to address common mental disorders, as well as ways in which librarians can balance their own mental health needs in a demanding profession.

The instructor has a unique background in being a second career librarian after having worked as a psychologist for 20 years.

By the end of the course, students will:

  • Develop a better understanding of the most common mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  • Improve sensitivity in interacting with patrons with a mental disorder with an emphasis upon awareness of the stigma of mental illness, implementing library policies to address the needs of patrons with a mental disorder, and providing accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
  • Learn effective ways of managing interactions with patrons struggling with a mental disorder including: deescalating emotional clients; conflict resolution skills; maintaining appropriate boundaries; and managing requests for sensitive information about mental health topics.
  • Work with community partners to develop potential referral sources, training opportunities, mental health programming, and assistance with crisis intervention.
  • Apply self-care strategies to balance the mental health needs of librarians who may be struggling with a mental health disorder and/or common job and life stressors.

Dawn Behrend

Dawn BehrendDawn Behrend an Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Lenoir-Rhyne University, where she serves as the liaison for psychology, counseling, mathematics, computer science, and business and manages the library’s social media platforms. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Clinical Psychology, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Library Science. Ms. Behrend has worked for 20 years in North Carolina as a Licensed Psychological Associate and is a second career librarian. Ms. Behrend continues to work in private practice where she completes psychological evaluations in addition to her work as an academic librarian.  

How to Register

To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the “Register” button that follows the description of each course. If the “Register” button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the “notes” field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.

Payment Info

Our shopping cart system allows you to pay with a credit card or with PayPal. Alternatively, if it is an institutional payment, we can arrange to invoice you. Contact us by email, and we can make arrangements to suit your institution's business processes.

Special Session

Please contact us to arrange a special session of this class for a group of seven or more, with a negotiable discount, or to be notified when it is next scheduled.

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