Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge to identify and manage immediate suicide risk and work with the individual to achieve safe outcomes. It includes the requirements for developing a clear safety plan for addressing any immediate danger to the person at risk or others, mobilising access to emergency medical help when needed and facilitating links with further support.

This unit applies to people in formal helping roles in any community service context. Suicide safety may involve face-to-face, telephone or remote contact with the person involved.

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 (such as 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:

• responded to at least 3 different situations where there is risk of suicide

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:

• indicators of potential suicide risk, including risk of any type of self-harm
• principles and practices of suicide intervention, including:

• assessment
• suicide safety
• facilitating emergency interventions
• identifying safe actions to implement safety plans
• facilitation of on-going support

• referral options and procedures for accessing services
• procedures for facilitating emergency interventions
• personal values, beliefs and attitudes that facilitate or impede suicide intervention:

• assumptions about who may be at risk
• common notions about suicide
• assumptions about what might keep someone safe or unsafe

• consideration of how the presence of mental health concerns might influence the helper’s intervention role and inform referral options
• principles and practices of self-care and supervision
• legal and ethical considerations and how these are applied in an organisation and individual practice, including:

• duty of care
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations

Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace or in a simulated environment that reflects workplace conditions. The following conditions must be met for this unit:

• use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources including organisation policies and procedures
• modelling typical workplace conditions, including:

• typical workplace reporting processes
• scenarios and simulations of crisis situations appropriate to the industry sector
• scenarios and simulations that reflect real working conditions by modelling industry operating conditions and contingencies

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