Duration
Study one unit across a seven-week study period, allowing you to complete your Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health within 8 months. It's recommended that you spend approximately 20 hours per week on your postgraduate study. Our 100% online Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health program allows you to study when it suits you and you are not required to be online at a specific time.
Fees
$11,480 for all 4 units. FEE-HELP is a Commonwealth Government loan scheme that helps eligible full-fee paying students pay all or part of their tuition fees. FEE-HELP is available for this program.
Units
Study one unit each seven-week study period with our multi-award-winning Block Model. Assessments are delivered at the same time each study period, allowing for deep and focused learning.
Study intakes
There are six study periods each year, allowing you to begin your Graduate Certificate at the start of any study period. You will study one unit at a time over the seven-week study period. If required, you are able to skip a study period.
July, Aug, Oct
CSP Available
A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is subsidised by the Australian Government, reducing your total tuition fees from $11,480 (full fee) to $2,368. CSPs are limited and subject to availability. Eligible students may be able to defer their student contribution through a HECS-HELP loan.
Why study Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Online?
Award-winning VU Block Model®
Our postgraduate online Block Model has won consecutive LearnX Live! Awards for ‘Best Online Learning Model’. With VU Online you can have a consistent, manageable and connected online learning experience.
Support 7 days and in the evenings
Get the support you need, when you need it. Connect with your academics, facilitators and peers in each unit and benefit from 1:1 personalised support from specialist academics via email, phone or video call.
Unique, one-of-a-kind university qualification
Study a unique university mental health qualification in Australia specifically designed to focus on engaging and working with children and adolescents. Be empowered to apply your knowledge in schools and educational settings.
Save up to 75% on your fees*
You may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) for selected subjects in this course.
*CSP is available to new, eligible students who enrol in and commence selected courses in 2027. Limited places available.
Overview
We’re living in a time where the lives of children and adolescents are more complicated than ever before. The demand for professionals in mental health has never been greater.
VU Online’s Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health will give you a strong understanding of child and adolescent mental health and wellbeing.
This graduate certificate features a contemporary curriculum designed by mental health experts. Upon completion, you can continue your studies to gain the Master of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
VU Online’s Postgraduate Block Model
Our postgraduate online Block Model is designed to be flexible, interactive and student-centred. You’ll experience structured and supportive online learning, and benefit from 1:1 academic support via phone, email or SMS, seven days a week and in the evenings.
Ready to make a difference in the lives of children and adolescents? VU's online Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health can help you achieve your goals.
Our program equips you with the expertise and practical skills to promote health and well-being for young people.
From developmental psychology and trauma-informed care to community engagement and mental health assessment, our curriculum covers a range of essential topics.
With a Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from VU, you can unlock new career opportunities and make a positive impact on future generations.
- School Mental Health Practitioner
- School Counsellor
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Consultant
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinator
- Student Health Coordinator
What you will study
View entry requirements, career options and what’s available to you, through our extensive student support network below.
This unit introduces students to the key principles and approaches of mental health and recovery-oriented services delivered to diverse children, adolescents, and their families. Learning focuses on presentations of mental ill-health in children and adolescents, who are experiencing challenging social and family environments. The unit examines a range of barriers and enablers to child and adolescent friendly mental health service provision. Students will reflect on strategies to provide culturally appropriate, family-focused, multidisciplinary, and intersectoral mental health services to children and adolescents.
This unit examines key principles, strategies, and approaches to engage with and assess diverse children and adolescents experiencing mental-ill health. Students interrogate how to conduct responsible, safe, and ethical risk assessments guided by relevant legislative frameworks. Learning includes a comprehensive analysis of child and adolescent-friendly models and approaches for successful clinical practice. Students also critically reflect on their interpersonal communication when conducting age-appropriate biopsychosocial, culturally appropriate risk assessments.
In this unit, students examine the experiences of trauma among people from diverse populations, cultures, and age groups and its impact across the lifespan. Students will analyse the way people, with the lived experience of trauma, report feeling stigmatised, discriminated against and misunderstood. These impacts include emotional dysregulation, substance misuse, self-harm, and suicidal behaviours. Students will also appraise the eight foundational principles of trauma-informed care and practice that focus on modelling interpersonal relationships, working with cultural differences, advocating for consumer control and choice, inspiring hope, supporting recovery, and integrating care. The unit requires students to critically reflect on their practice through a trauma-informed lens and interrogate the importance of recovery-oriented practice when caring for people who have experienced trauma.
In this unit, students focus on developing their understanding of mental ill-health. Students examine the most common mental illnesses; the factors that contribute to their prevalence; and the impact of mental illness on the lived experience of diverse people, families, and communities. Students also examine mental health as a national health priority, together with mental health promotion and illness prevention services and strategies. Other aspects of the unit include the legal and ethical frameworks that guide how practitioners work with people with mental illness; and the specific skills needed to build and maintain person-centred therapeutic relationships that promote recovery and resilience. Students will also critically reflect on the need for practitioners to self-care and the importance of consumer-centred supervision.
Entry requirements
When you apply to study with VU, we’ll take into consideration your prior study, work experience and current skills. If eligible, you can also apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), so you can make your next career move even sooner.
- Completed an AQF Level 7 Bachelor degree in a cognate discipline such as Health Science, Social Work, Psychology, Medicine, Counselling, Criminal Justice, Youth Work or Education; OR
- Completed an AQF Level 7 Bachelor in any discipline and at least 2 years of approved work experience.
Fees & FEE-HELP
A Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health from VU Online costs $2,870 per unit*, taking the total for 4 units to $11,480*.
This depends on the number of units you study and whether you are eligible for Advanced Standing, which is assessed after you submit your application.
10% discount for alumni
If you’ve previously completed a qualification with us (and didn't apply through an agent), you may be eligible for a 10% discount.
Note that you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s loan scheme, FEE-HELP. The loans are available to assist eligible full-fee paying students with the cost of a university program. It can be used for all or part of the tuition. To determine your eligibility, visit the FEE-HELP website.
*2027 student fees are shown and are subject to change.
For more information on fees and student support, download a brochure.
Want to learn more about this course?
What our students say
Studying with VU was a really positive experience. The small class sizes made it easy to ask questions and get support, and I never felt like just a number. Being able to tailor assessments to my own area of work meant the learning felt practical and genuinely relevant to my practice.
What our students say
I am receiving a lot of support from my facilitators and my Student Success Advisor, who boosts my confidence and self-esteem.
What our students say
It was personally satisfying connecting and collaborating with a range of industry professionals. Many have become valuable work contacts, some even lifelong friends and career mentors.
What our students say
The flexibility, relevance and opportunity that VU Online brings to higher education are testaments to excellence in teaching and learning.
Frequently asked questions
No, however it is designed and delivered by leading mental health academics and practitioners. We offer the only university mental health qualifications in Australia specifically designed to focus on engaging and working with children and adolescents.
Our Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health will give you skills in assessment which you can apply in a range of educational, therapeutic, community and clinical settings. You can also use it as a pathway to gaining a Master of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
We offer the only university mental health qualifications in Australia specifically designed to focus on engaging and working with children and adolescents. This degree will empower you to engage with childen, adolescents, families, carers and clincians across settings.
In addition, VU Online's postgraduate Block Model allows you to study one unit at a time so you can manage study alongside work and other commitments. You'll have access to support seven days a week and in the evenings, so you can achieve your goals.
The Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health is for professionals who want to gain mental health skills that can be applied in educational, community, therapeutic and community settings. This course is a great option if you would like to engage with children, adolescents, families, carers and clinicians to drive positive impact. Our Graduate Certificate in Mental Health. is for allied health and social care professionals who want to apply contemporary approaches to mental health to their role.
Becoming a mental health practitioner does not necessarily require you to be a nurse, but it does require appropriate education, training, and, in many cases, professional registration, depending on the role you’re targeting. A mental health practitioner is a general term that can include a range of professionals, such as counsellors, psychologists, social workers, youth workers, child development specialists, and allied health professionals, who are trained to support mental wellbeing, provide assessment, or deliver therapeutic interventions. The specific educational requirements vary by profession and the type of support provided.
For professionals working in allied health, education or community settings, an online mental health qualification such as VU Online’s Graduate Certificate in Child and Adolescent Mental Health provides specialised postgraduate knowledge in mental health principles, assessment and intervention. The course is suitable for graduates from diverse backgrounds – including education, psychology, social work, youth work and health sciences – and prepares them to contribute to mental health support across educational, community and therapeutic settings without requiring nursing registration.
Still have questions?
Our Student Enrolment Advisors are just a click away. They can answer any questions you have about this course or VU Online.
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