CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health
Do you work in a community services or healthcare setting? Upskill with this qualification and you’ll develop the specialised skills and knowledge to work effectively with people with complex needs.
Course essentials
Qualification Code
Entry requirements
Duration
Locations
Course overview
Advance your career as a trained professional supporting people with a mental illness and/or psychosocial disability.
Gain an understanding of creating and delivering community-focused health promotion and prevention strategies.
Feel confident in providing services to people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drug issues and working within the frameworks of trauma-informed support.
Course specifics
Learn skills such as:
· assessing and promoting social, emotional and physical wellbeing
· assessing co-existing needs
· working in an alcohol and other drugs context
· recognising and responding to crisis situations
· promoting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safety
· increasing the safety of those at risk of suicide
· working collaboratively with your client’s care network and support services.
This course will prepare you for roles such as a community or mental health rehabilitation or support worker. You may work in mental health peer support or as a mental health outreach worker.
This qualification is most useful as a complementary qualification for those already working in the community services sector and seeking to enhance their skills in the mental health area. If you’re starting out in your career, the Certificate IV or Diploma of Community Services would offer a broader skillset.
On successful completion of this qualification, you may choose to continue your studies with the Diploma of Mental Health.
Industry placement will be required to be completed with a total of 80 hrs, and sourced by our TAFE placements team.
IT requirements
To do this course you’ll need a fast and reliable computer and access to high-speed internet. Expect to use about 5GB of data per month for every unit you’re doing. Find out more about the minimum IT requirements for studying with us.
Got questions?
Call us on 1800 333 864, start a live chat or submit an enquiry.
Student support
The support we offer is second to none. Need academic help? No problem. Extra access or financial assistance? Let’s see what we can do. View our student services.
The fine print
The commencement of all courses is subject to available funding and enrolment quotas.
Everything in this course overview is correct at the time of being published. However, the University reserves the right to alter any course, procedure or fee. Please check for changes before you apply or enrol.
Federation University uses Victorian and Commonwealth Government funding (for eligible students) to deliver training.
School department
Federation TAFE
Career paths
Fees and scholarships
Tuition fee information
2026 indicative fees
The fees you pay will depend on your eligibility for a Victorian Government subsidised place under the Skills First Program. The indicative fees displayed below are estimates for the total course and may change depending on individual circumstances at enrolment.
Fees are subject to change annually.
| Concession Government Subsidised Place | Standard Government Subsidised Place | Full Fee Place (Not eligible for government subsidy) |
|---|---|---|
| $660 | $3,300 | $11,220 |
Other study costs
Students will be required to purches their name badge $10
Other important information
If you need help managing your fee payments, you might be eligible for a direct debit payment plan. Students doing certificate-level TAFE courses can access payment plans for both tuition and materials fees. Diploma and advanced diploma students can access payment plans for materials fees only.
If you’re accessing government-subsidised training under the Skills First Program, doing this course might affect your ability to access future government-subsidised training.
If you’re eligible to enrol in a course under the Victorian Government Free TAFE initiative, the tuition would be free but you’d still have to pay the materials fee (if applicable).
Find out more about fees, payments and refunds.
Scholarships
There’s a range of scholarships and grants available. Find out what you can apply for.
Course details
Start dates
Semester 2, 2026
Locations
Mt Helen (on campus)
Information
- Our Mt Helen, SMB, Camp St and Gillies St campuses are located in Ballarat.
Contact hours
This course is delivered on campus 2 days/week, 9:30am to 4:30pm each day. There is no online option.
Additional study time is required to complete assessments, reading and activities. We recommend that approximately 10 hours per week should be put aside for these activities.
Work integrated learning
Students must undertake an 80 hour work placement.
Sample course structure
This is a list of units available in this course. Which units you enrol in will depend on the course and stream available.
- Work with diverse peopleCHCDIV001
- Promote Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander cultural safetyCHCDIV002
- Work legally and ethicallyCHCLEG001
- Establish self-directed recovery relationshipsCHCMHS002
- Provide recovery oriented mental health servicesCHCMHS003
- Work collaboratively with the care network and other servicesCHCMHS004
- Provide services to people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issuesCHCMHS005
- Work effectively in trauma informed careCHCMHS007
- Promote and facilitate self advocacyCHCMHS008
- Assess and promote social, emotional and physical wellbeingCHCMHS011
- Participate in workplace health and safetyHLTWHS001
- Increase the safety of individuals at risk of suicideCHCCCS003
- Assess co-existing needsCHCCCS004
- Recognise and respond to crisis situationsCHCCCS019
- Facilitate the recovery process with the person, family and carersCHCMHS006
Entry requirements
All applicants are required to
- undertake a literacy and numeracy assessment test (LLN)
- hold a valid Police Check
- hold a valid Working With Children Check (WWCC)
- hold a valid NDIS check
Please note the Police Check; NDIS and Working With Children Check (WWCC) will be at your own expense.
How you apply will depend on your current situation. Visit our how to apply page for options and instructions.
After you submit your application, we’ll get you to do an online literacy and numeracy review to help us understand where you’re at (and if the course you’re applying for is a good fit). We’ll give you feedback and offer you support if needed.
For information about students’ rights and responsibilities, please refer to the VET Information Guide.
- VTAC application
- Yes
- VTAC code
- 3700511794 - Mt Helen (on campus)
- Direct application
- Yes
- Federation University code
- LKW
- National course code
- CHC43315
Students may continue their studies by undertaking the Diploma of Community Services the Diploma of Mental Health or the Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs. Note: Completion of one program does not guarantee selection into a subsequent program.
Hear from our students
Hi, my name is Mitchell. I'm a third-year criminology student at Federation Berwick. I chose to study criminology and criminal justice because I was interested in law but I wasn't overly sure if I was going to do a law based degree. So my careers counsellor at school advised me about Federation and knowing that me as a student struggled with the bigger classrooms, Federation offers a better learning environment with smaller classrooms and a more personal appropriate teachers and that's something that I think has really helped me develop as a student. I'm also a student ambassador which helps me to create a more personal relationship with my teachers where we have a first name basis and they understand who I am as a student, which allows them to obviously provide better opportunities for me to learn and grow. And a fun fact about me is that I play basketball Federation in the Nationals team, so we go to the Gold Coast to play basketball.