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Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction

HS2101

Course details

  • Feb 2025
    Jul 2025
  • One year full-time or two years part-time
  • Full-time or Part-time
  • Fee dependent on modules selected
  • Level 8
  • Hamilton City Campus

Summary

The Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction recognises, promotes, and supports the need for accessible higher education in the area of mental health and addiction. It provides a pathway for professional development that offers flexible delivery modes and is accessible to students throughout the region.

Graduates will have developed a range of flexible skills and expertise, which will position them well to be responsive to changing social services and health communities. They will have gained advanced knowledge and skills for practice and career progression within their field and for leadership and management roles within the health (including midwifery) and social service sectors.

View programme modules

Candidates for the Postgraduate Certificate in Mental Health and Addiction are required to complete HSIP818 and HSIP819 for a total of 60 credits.

Group E: Core modules – Mental Health and Addiction

Module codeModule nameLevelCreditsPre-requisites Co-requisites
HSIP817Advanced Practice Skills in Mental Health and Addiction 830  
HSIP818Applied Theoretical Approaches for Mental Health and Addiction830  
HSIP819Comprehensive Assessment and Treatment Planning for Mental Health and Addiction830  

What you will learn

Students will gain theoretical knowledge to support best practice principles and practices within mental health and addiction practice.

They will be equipped with evidence-based practice having had exposure to transdiagnostic theory, working with co-existing problems, whānau centred care, bi-cultural practices, assessment, and treatment planning. 

How you will learn

Blended learning and block courses are used to provide students with alternative modes of study. Learning and participating in an interdisciplinary teaching and learning context enables graduates to transfer their gained experiences and knowledge to workplace relationships and networks.

Career/further opportunities

Students will have the opportunity to enter into a wide range of areas within mental health and addiction industries including:

  • Addiction practitioner
  • Clinical coordinator
  • Caseworker
  • Navigator
  • Youth practitioner
  • Whānau practitioner
  • Team leader and/or manager​
  • Service manager
  • Youth worker

Application process

  1. Apply online or download and complete an Application to Enrol Form.
  2. Complete the online Self-Disclosure Form. If you have applied in hard copy, you will also need to complete a Self-Disclosure Form, if you have applied online this form is included as part of the online application process.
    • As a part of the Self-Disclosure Form, please select the module(s) you wish to enrol into. Details of the modules can be found in our Postgraduate Guide. If you are not sure which modules best compliment your area of work, please tick “unsure” and we will contact you. (Students studying part-time usually take one module per semester.)
    • If you would like to discuss pathway options or modules, you can also email the postgraduate team at pghsp@wintec.ac.nz.  This will enable us to assess your application further.
  3. If applying in hard copy, and if you are unsure that you meet the entry criteria, complete the Additional Information Form. If applying online, and if you are unsure that you meet the entry criteria, select discretionary entrance and this form is then included as part of the online application process.
  4. If you have them, provide certified copies of your prior academic transcripts. Find out more about supporting material for enrolment here.
  5. We may also need to verify your identity (your legal name and date of birth) as well as your residency status. If you are a domestic student, we may be able to do this through your National Student Number (NSN), if we can not access your NSN number, you will need to provide evidence of this by supplying verified copies of your birth certificate or passport.

Once you have submitted your application

  • You will receive confirmation that your application has been received and will let you know if there is anything additional that we need from you.
  • Your application will be assessed, and you will be informed of the outcome. 
  • If you are accepted to study, you will be sent an enrolment offer letter – you will need to accept this to confirm your place on the programme. Click here to find out more about enrolment and accepting your offer.

After you have accepted your offer

  • During your induction, you will be required to complete several safety checks to comply with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014. You can find out more about the safety check process and the Children's Act here.

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    Disclaimers

    Entry criteria

    a) Candidates are required to have gained:

    i. an undergraduate degree assessed as relevant by the Team Manager, or
    ii. a qualification approved as equivalent by the Team Manager.

    b) Candidates who have not gained a relevant undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification may submit a portfolio and, if the application is successful, may be admitted on an ad eundum statem basis.

    c) Candidates for the Postgraduate Diploma in Health and Social Practice, (Professional Supervision), and the Postgraduate Certificates in Professional Supervision are required to have a minimum of two years post qualifying experience in their professional field of practice or the equivalent. This is in recognition of the requirement to have consolidated and developed their own practice to a level sufficient to embark in the role of supervisor of others.

    Selection criteria

    a) In order to comply with the provisions of the Vulnerable Children’s Act, 2014 and Child Protection Policies for all ‘specified organisations’ providing a ‘regulated service’, all candidates/students may be subjected to safety checks. These may include but are not limited to;

    i. A Formal Interview
    ii. Referee Checks
    iii. A Police Vet Check
    iv. A Risk Assessment

    Any unsatisfactory result arising from the full safety checking process may result in the candidate/student being precluded/declined entry or withdrawn from the programme of study. Furthermore, students must declare any pending or new convictions arising during any stage throughout the entire enrolment period. A conviction or failure to declare a conviction may also result in the student being immediately withdrawn from the programme. Persons who are convicted of ‘specified offences’ will not be accepted onto any programme that requires that Person to work in an organisation providing a regulated service.

    b) All candidates are required to supply the names and contact details of two professional referees.

    c) All candidates are required to complete a professional disclosure form.

    d) Candidates may be required to attend an individual interview.

    English language requirements

    Candidates whose first language is neither English nor Māori are required to have score of 7 or better in all bands of the academic International English Language Test Score (IELTS), or equivalent and will be required to demonstrate the likelihood of being able to successfully achieve programme learning outcomes

    Want to see full details of the entry criteria?
    Don't meet the entry criteria?

    Pathways

    To check what you need to gain direct entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.

    Your first day

    Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.

    Programme information will be emailed to you approximately 2–4 weeks before your first workshop or at the start of your module.

    What you will need

    Wintec logins for computer access
    All course information, workshop timetables, and relevant content will be available online through Moodle.

    Computer requirements 
    We require students to have access to a device, such as a laptop or a smartphone, that has access to a video player, PDF reader and Microsoft software. Find more about device specifications here.

    Timetable information

    All Wintec timetables are available online here.

    How to find your way around

    Campus maps can be found here.

    Parking and bus information

    Both the Rotokauri and City campuses have parking available - payment and permits may be required. The Gardens Campus has free parking available. Learn more about parking and find out about bus services here.

    He reo pōwhiri, your official welcome to Wintec

    Tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koe e piki nei, e kake nei ki te Kuratini o Waikato.

    You are warmly invited to attend the official welcome to Wintec for all new students, staff and whānau (family) at either our marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa or Rotokauri campus. The pōwhiri is a welcoming ceremony involving mihimihi (speeches), waiata (singing), and will conclude with kai timotimo (light refreshments). Please gather at the campus hubs, and a staff member will guide you through our pōwhiri.

    Click here to find out when the next pōwhiri will be.

    Paying for your study

    Course-related costs

    Additional information

    Booklist

    Purchasing textbooks

    If your programme requires you to have access to textbooks, these can be purchased through a range of suppliers listed below:

      New Zealand-based suppliers

      General book suppliers

      First aid certificate

      Health status

      Uniform

      Equipment

      Clinical placement

      Prospectus (course guide)

      The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.

      Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus

      The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.

      Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus

      Portfolio

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