Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to determine and apply appropriate therapeutic approaches through the application of the counselling process.

This unit applies to family relationship counsellors who operate with significant autonomy in therapeutic professional service roles in the community sector. The activity is self-directed.

The skills in this unit must be applied in accordance with Commonwealth and State/Territory legislation, Australian/New Zealand Standards and industry codes of practice.

Elements and Performance Criteria

Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Unit Mapping Information

No equivalent unit.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e0c25cc-3d9d-4b43-80d3-bd22cc4f1e53

Assessment requirements

Modification History

Performance Evidence

The candidate must show evidence of the ability to complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the job role. There must be evidence that the candidate has:

• performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 50 hours of client work in a family counselling service
• worked collaboratively with clients and provided counselling to at least 3 different family groups, including all of the following:

• couples
• family counselling
• children/young people

• used specialised counselling communication skills
• used theory and process of counselling and case work consistent with legal and ethical requirements to:

• assess presenting issues
• develop goals
• develop and document counselling agenda/case plan
• monitor and adapt interventions.

Knowledge Evidence

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role. This includes knowledge of:

• legal and ethical considerations for family counselling work, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:

• children in the workplace
• codes of conduct
• discrimination
• duty of care
• ethical dilemmas in practice, and processes for ethical decision-making
• mandatory reporting
• practitioner client boundaries and implications of unequal balance of power
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, including limitations
• records management
• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations of interventions
• work health and safety, including:

• stress management
• supervision requirements

• traditional non-western and modern western approaches to family life
• features and prevalence of common and contemporary issues facing Australian families, including:

• alcohol and other drugs issues
• domestic violence
• financial constraints
• problem gambling
• mental health issues
• technology and communication

• impact of issues on different family members, including impacts of:

• separation and divorce on men and women, children and young people and on parenting,
• conflict, particularly high level and/or ongoing conflict on children and adolescents

• sources of current scientific and professional literature in the area of family counselling practice
• key components of modern systems theory, solution focused and behavioural approaches as applied to work with families including their limitations and contraindications for use
• key components of one other approach to family work
• specialised counselling and communication techniques
• key aspects of attachment theory as it applies to family relationships, interactions with the client, their family, significant others and carers
• models of change in counselling practice
• how gender and differences in power and resources affect family dynamics
• balancing the rights and needs of parents and children
• what constitutes a clear counselling contract with measurable behavioural goals and how to develop one
• role of counsellor in relation to domestic and family violence, including:

• indicators and effects of violence, abuse intimidation and control in families
• safety planning for families where there is ongoing violence or abuse
• referral protocols

• type and scope of referral options and pathways to support clients seeking interventions and supports beyond or in conjunction with counselling
• effects of one’s own values, belief , family background and gendered experience on own counselling.

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace with the addition of simulations and scenarios where the full range of contexts and situations have not been provided in the workplace. The following conditions must be met for this unit:

• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:

• client information
• current scientific and professional literature in the area of family counselling practice

• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:

• scenarios that involve complex interactions with real clients.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=5e0c25cc-3d9d-4b43-80d3-bd22cc4f1e53