(via Rory Litwin, Library Juice Academy)
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 have met the following goals.
- 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 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.
Course Structure
This is an online class that is taught asynchronously, meaning that participants do the work on their own time as their schedules allow. The class does not meet together at any particular times, although the instructor may set up optional synchronous chat sessions. Instruction includes readings and assignments in one-week segments. Class participation is in an online forum environment.
Payment Info
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. The “Register” button on the website goes to our credit card payment gateway, which may be used with personal or institutional credit cards. (Be sure to use the appropriate billing address). If your institution wants us to send a billing statement or wants to pay using a purchase order, please contact us by email to make arrangements: inquiries@libraryjuiceacademy.com<mailto:inquiries@libraryjuiceacademy.com>
For additional information on the course, and to register, please go here. To see a list of all of the courses being offered next month, click here.
