Foundations for Success: Training for the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit Specialist

Description

Working in an inpatient psychiatric setting can be both deeply rewarding and incredibly demanding, especially when you’re responsible for de-escalating crises, maintaining safety, and supporting clients in their most vulnerable moments. This foundational training equips professionals with the tools, strategies, and mindset they need to thrive in this high-stakes environment.

Whether you’re new to inpatient psychiatric care or seeking to refresh your knowledge, this course provides an essential framework to ensure you’re prepared to meet the complex clinical, ethical, and interpersonal demands of the role.

Dr. Rosalind Polk-Hall, EdD, LPC, CMFT, CPCS, brings decades of clinical, supervisory, and academic experience to this training. As a licensed professional counselor and clinical supervisor for decades, Dr. Rosalind has mentored hundreds of behavioral health professionals and worked extensively in community counseling agencies. Her guidance is rooted in real-world expertise and a deep understanding of what success looks like on the unit floor.

Dr. Roz takes a compassionate, structured, and trauma-informed approach to instruction. Her teaching is grounded in clinical best practices and regulatory standards, with a focus on helping professionals translate theory into confident, effective practice.

This course covers the fundamentals of inpatient psychiatric care, including psychiatric diagnoses, crisis intervention, and safety protocols. Participants will explore effective de-escalation strategies, trauma-informed communication, professional boundaries, HIPAA compliance, and the role of the interdisciplinary team. Emphasis is placed on cultural competence, ethical practice, and maintaining a safe, therapeutic environment for both staff and patients.

Key Takeaways:

• Master essential inpatient skills: Gain confidence in de-escalation, documentation, communication, and crisis intervention.
• Understand your role in a team: Learn how to collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary psychiatric care team.
• Strengthen professionalism and ethics: Apply legal, ethical, and cultural principles to ensure safe and respectful patient care.

Why this course?

• Tailored for real-world challenges: This course directly addresses the high-pressure realities of inpatient care, preparing you for situations you’ll likely face on the job.
• Led by a seasoned expert: Dr. Rosalind brings over decades of experience as a therapist, professor, and clinical supervisor.
• Trusted by professionals nationwide: Offered by Telehealth Certification Institute, a leading provider of high-quality continuing education for behavioral health clinicians.

Learning Objectives:

• Consider foundational concepts in mental health care.
• Assess legal and Ethical Considerations.
• Interpret key factors of HIPAA and confidentiality.
• Recognize the value of cultural competence.
• Differentiate between professional vs. nonprofessional boundaries.
• Integrate Trauma-Informed Care into daily work functions.
• Identify the use of de-escalation techniques and crisis prevention.

Whether you're stepping into your first shift on a psychiatric unit or mentoring staff who are, this training offers the clarity, structure, and confidence-building tools needed to succeed. Join us for this course and walk away equipped to provide high-quality care in even the most challenging clinical settings.

Add this course to your cart to begin learning instantly.

Format and Access

This is a non-interactive, self-study program and consists of over 4 hours of video instruction and a post-test.

Course Details

Availability: 

From the time of registration, you have six months to access the coursework.

Who Should Attend: 

This course is intended for behavioral health professionals who are new to inpatient psychiatric care or who want to strengthen their foundations with expert-led strategies..

Teaching Methods: 

This is a non-interactive, self-study course. Teaching methods for this course include recorded lectures, videos, a post-test, and a course evaluation.

How to Attend: 

Course access and completion instructions.

Instructor and Disclosures

Instructor

Dr. Rosalind Polk-Hall, EdD, LPC, MA, CMFT, CPCS

Dr. Roz is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor practicing in the state of Georgia. She currently works as a Clinical Director in a community mental health counseling setting, provides clinical supervision to clinicians in various settings, and is a mental health counselor/clinical supervisor in private practice. She earned her doctoral degree from Argosy University (Nashville) in Counselor Education and Supervision. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Psychology with a specialty in Counseling at the Georgia School of Professional Psychology (Argosy University).
With over 27 years of clinical experience, Dr. Roz is a licensed professional counselor dedicated to transforming lives and shaping the next generation of therapists. Throughout her career, Dr. Roz has worked across a broad range of settings, including community mental health centers, private practice, jails, in-patient psychiatric hospitals, and educational institutions—bringing compassionate, evidence-based care to individuals from all walks of life. Her clinical expertise spans mood and thought disorders, addictions, trauma-informed care, and life transitions, always with a focus on empowering clients to reclaim their well-being and purpose. Passionate about professional development, Dr. Roz now devotes much of her time to mentoring emerging therapists, helping them build confidence, integrity, and clinical excellence in their practice. Whether guiding clients through healing or supporting new clinicians on their professional path, Dr. Roz remains deeply committed to making a meaningful impact—one life, and one therapist, at a time.

Disclosure Statement: 

The instructor(s) for this course receive compensation for their services. There are no reported conflicts of interest to disclose.

CE Hours

Credit Hours:

This course consists of 4 continuing education hours of credit.

Counselors:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No, 6693.  Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified.  Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Mental Health Counselors. #MHC-0048.

Marriage and Family Therapists:

Many MFT licensing boards accept our courses or one of the approvals which we have from professional associations.  You can check with your board to determine if your licensing board would accept this course.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0135, effective May 8, 2025.

Social Workers:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, #1609, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 05/02/2024 – 05/02/2027. Social workers completing this course receive 4 clinical continuing education credits.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Social Workers #SW-0435.

Addiction Professionals:

This course has been approved by Telehealth Certification Institute LLC, as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits, effective 10/15/2025. NAADAC Provider #193104, Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is responsible for all aspects of the programming.

Psychologists:

Telehealth Certification Institute LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Telehealth Certification Institute LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Psychologists #PSY-0128.

Art Therapists:

Telehealth Certification Institute, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for Licensed Creative Arts Therapists #CAT-0093.

Other Professionals:

This course qualifies for 240 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations.  Retain your certificate of completion and contact your board or organization for specific filing requirements.

This course is a non-interactive, online self-study.

Participants may request a printed version of their certificate of completion to be delivered by mail. A shipping/handling fee of $6.95 will be charged per request. Shipping internationally may require an additional charge.

Accommodations and Policies

Close Captioning is available for live webinars and recorded video presentations.

You can click on the following links to view our policies:

• Accommodations for Individuals with Disabilities.
• Cancellation Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Support Options
• Disclosure Statement