MHAM (Mental Health Assessment through Movement): An evaluation and assessment tool

This class will introduce you to an in-depth assessment tool.

1. Learn multiple parameters for movement observation.

2. Learn what signifies health – strengths and what raises red flags for potential problems

3. Learn how to use these observations to:

• Gain an understanding of what scores signify strengths to draw from
• Gain an understanding of what scores signify potential problems

4. Learn how low scores in specific clusters of parameters could signify certain mental health issues – such as ADHD, Autism, Attachment Issues, Anxiety Disorder, etc.

5. Explore how the use of the MHAM for pre and post evaluation give you a way to:

• Develop a treatment plan using the language from the MHAM. This language with enable you to extent your movement knowledge into vocabulary that other professionals will understand.
• Have a concrete tool to show where progress has occurred both for interim progress notes and for post evaluations

6. Gain an understanding of how this tool could help with research

• Students will study each parameter in the MHAM and learn how to assign a score through observation and sometimes through interaction
• Students will practice making observations while watching videos of actual therapy sessions.
• Students will have the opportunity to add parameters if they find some area missing that they feel is important.
• Students will look at the current clusters of scores that may signify a certain mental health issue.
• Through readings and discussion we will evaluate these grouping and learn why they were chosen.
• Again students will have the opportunity to offer other ideas for consideration.

About Instructor

Rena Kornblum, MCAT, BC-DMT, DTRL, is a Senior Lecturer in the Dance Department, where she has been teaching since 1983. She coordinates an undergraduate certificate program in Introductory Studies in Dance/Movement Therapy as well as teaching ballroom dance. Kornblum obtained a Masters in Creative Arts in Therapy from Hahnemann University, and is a board certified dance/movement therapist. She brings over thirty-five years of professional experience as a dance/movement therapist to her therapy and prevention work. She developed the children and family program at Hancock Center for Dance/Movement Therapy, where she was the Executive Director. Kornblum initiated an in-school program in which she provides therapy sessions for children dealing with physical and sexual abuse or other trauma as well as violence prevention classes for entire classrooms.