MS in Mental Health and Wellness: Integrated Health Emphasis
Study Integrated Health and Wellness for Patient Care
Grand Canyon University’s Master of Science in Mental Health and Wellness with an Emphasis in Integrated Health program can prepare you for a career in integrated mental health sciences.
Integrated, or interprofessional, healthcare is characterized by a significant level of collaboration and communication among professionals in their approach to delivering quality care. Diverse professionals work as team members to exchange information related to a patient’s care and develop a treatment plan together that addresses all the various needs of the patient. The goal of integrated health sciences is to reduce symptoms, improve quality of care and outcomes, increase accessibility to services and lower costs.
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Learn the Inner Workings of the Human Mind
This Master of Science in mental health and wellness — integrated health program’s curriculum centers on these five domains:
Analyze legal, ethical and community standards, self-care strategies for providers and technologies adopted in the field
Identify the impact of culture on a patient, resources/support systems that promote health and wellness and the competency to work with people from diverse backgrounds
Study aspects of leadership to manage a facility, assess programs for success and prescribe strategies that motivate professionals and improve their effectiveness
Determine coping approaches, understand assessment practices and treatment modalities for mental health disorders and analyze the relationship between mental, emotional and physical health as it relates to human development
Explore the field in-depth by determining best practices as they apply to the model, analyzing the system and latest research, describing the impact of human well-being and translating knowledge and skills into the workplace
The program concludes with the Mental Health and Wellness Capstone course, where you can examine concepts covered through practical application and exploration of the mental health and wellness field. Special focus is given to careers and the duties/tasks performed. Areas of study include case management, community resources, working with multidisciplinary teams, ethical situations, record keeping/documentation, creating treatment/care plans and identifying community needs.
Specialize Your Skills for the Integrated Health and Wellness Industry
As a MS in mental health and wellness student looking to specialize in integrated health and wellness, you can look forward to covering topics such as:
- The exploration of human nature, including cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, mental, spiritual and social motivations
- Introduction to theory, appropriate strategies and best practices within the integrated health care field
- An integrated health program assessment, development and implementation
- Examining the therapeutic relationship between patients and practitioners
The goal of this program is to teach graduates to have career readiness to assist with, promote and advocate for patient accessibility within integrated health services. You can explore concepts of cultural diversity, advocacy, ethics, human development and the connection between mental and physical health. You will also be taught about the research and best practices of mental health and wellness in its correlation to human resiliency, recovery and functioning within an integrated health-focused environment. This degree does not lead to licensure.
Career Opportunities in the Integrated Health and Wellness Community
Graduates can pursue a career path as a community health worker, community health outreach worker, community health program coordinator, community health promoter and community nutrition educator. Graduates may also have the ability to become a field expert, scholar and leader by completing a doctorate program.
MS in Wellness and Mental Health With an Integrated Health Emphasis FAQs
If you are seeking a career working in integrated health or mental health and wellness, our frequently asked questions are here to provide you with more information on this field and earning your master’s degree.
The American Psychology Association defines integrated healthcare as collaborative efforts among healthcare professionals to provide patients with comprehensive treatment and improve overall well-being.1 This comes in the form of information-sharing amongst healthcare professionals to come up with a comprehensive plan of treatment to address various needs of the patient, including biological, psychology and social needs.
A mental health and wellness integrated health emphasis master’s degree can equip you with advanced knowledge of various areas of healthcare related to mental health and wellness. Advancing your knowledge in the field allows you to position yourself for potential career advancement in integrated mental health sciences.
Additionally, careers in healthcare expect faster than average growth. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates job growth for healthcare occupations to increase by about 13% from 2021 to 2031, much faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of about 2 million jobs in the field.2
The mental health and wellness program with an emphasis in integrated health requires 34 total credits for completion. When completing your program online, the majority of the courses are each eight weeks in length.
Explore Emphasis Options
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1 Integrated Health Care. (2013). American Psychological Association. Retrieved on May 25, 2023.
2 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 and 2021 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as well. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2022, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Healthcare Occupations, retrieved on May 25, 2023.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed to prepare students for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the liberal arts. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course is an introductory course in mental health and wellness practices. The purpose of the course is to develop a basic understanding of mental health and wellness practices and wellness approaches. An overview of mental health disorders, basic overview of treatment practices, and the Dimensions of Wellness are covered.
Course Description
This course covers ethics and cultural diversity as it relates to mental health and wellness. The history of ethics is addressed, including how early ethical models evolved into modern ethical codes in the mental health and wellness professions. How ethics relates to legal standards and issues such as records and billing are addressed. Cultural diversity, sensitivity, and competence are covered.
Course Description
This course examines a variety of factors related to wellness and includes a focus on substance use and abuse, nutrition, weight control, diet, exercise and safety. An exploration of lifestyles factors related to promoting health and wellness across the lifespan is assessed as well as effective coaching for health and wellness.
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive overview of mental health and wellness practice in a community healthcare setting. The importance of documentation, including the maintenance, accuracy, and integrity of health care records, as well as the ethics and policies concerning documentation is covered. The basics of research in the mental health and wellness field, such as data collection, interpretation, and the ethical implications of research, are covered. Information literacy is also covered, to provide a basic framework of common terminology and communication in the integration of mental health and medicine.
Course Description
This course takes a holistic look at the structure and function of the family in contemporary society as well as the many societal influences that affect the family. It examines how modern phenomena such as nontraditional family structures, and the proliferation of technology have impacted today’s families and the way they interact with other community systems. Modern governmental guidelines and ethical challenges, including systems such as foster care, are also addressed. Additionally, the role of cultural norms in family systems and the importance of cultural awareness in working with families in the mental health care system is addressed.
Course Description
This course examines the design of effective community-based and other prevention programs. The strategies for implementing prevention programs and how to conduct effective evaluation of prevention programs is reviewed. The differences and interplay between intervention and prevention is covered, as well as the funding and administration of prevention programs.
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive understanding of mental health, wellness, and health care, including the integration of these three fields. The course covers common mental health disorders, treatments, and supportive services, as well as an integrated focus on the mind and the body. The course examines the health challenges often faced by individuals with behavioral or mental health disorders, and it reviews appropriate services, interventions, preventative services, and treatments to achieve and maintain health and wellness.
Course Description
This course provides a practical, real-world exploration of the mental health and wellness field. Special focus is given to careers in mental health and wellness. The common duties and tasks performed by workers in the mental health and wellness field are investigated. Concepts covered throughout the program are examined through practical application. This course is the last course in the program of study; all other course work must be completed before this course.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.