Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to build relationships with help-seekers, use crisis support micro skills and address the personal issues that affect working with people in crisis. The support is immediate and short term, and not ongoing.

This unit applies to individuals in crisis support roles who work according to established procedures and models. They work under supervision.

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 50 hours of work in a service providing support to people in crisis
• managed contacts from at least 50 help-seekers with varied presenting issues, using

• the structure of the organisation’s crisis support model
• crisis support micro skills

• managed the personal factors that affect working with people in crisis.

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 (national, state/territory) for short term crisis support work, and how these are applied in organisations:

• codes of conduct:
• duty of care
• mandatory reporting
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
• records management
• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
• work health and safety, including management of own reactions and stress

• vision, policies and procedures of the organisation
• crisis and crisis theory in the context of the individual job role
• scope of the crisis support role in different organisations
• self-care strategies, including debriefing and their importance
• stages of a crisis support model
• principle of unconditional positive regard and being non-judgemental
• how values, attitudes and beliefs impact on crisis support processes
• crisis support micro-skills, and how they are used, including:

• brief encouragers which assist the help-seeker relate their story and concerns
• reflection of feelings and meaning
• hearing the help-seeker’s concerns
• paraphrasing (reflection of content)
• using open and closed questions to expand or clarify understanding
• understanding the help-seeker’s context
• recognising when higher levels of care may be required
• use of silence
• balancing the frequency of questions
• summarising and closure

• indicators of strong emotions and how to respond, including:

• grief
• anger
• confusion
• sadness
• frustration
• suicidal despair

• empowering processes and how they are used in crisis support including:

• active listening
• identifying and affirming help-seeker strengths and opportunities
• reframing, summary and closure
• helping contain overwhelming feelings to facilitate coping
• using questions and concreteness to focus the help-seeker on identifying immediate needs and concerns
• setting realistic achievable goals for the contact
• brainstorming consequences
• exploring options
• facilitating informed help-seeker choices
• identify achievable tasks to be addressed after the contact
• constructive feedback about crisis support practice

• strategies to deal with help-seeker issues and emotions

• managing tone, pitch and pace of voice
• setting boundaries between crisis supporter and help-seeker
• awareness of personal vulnerabilities which may be triggered during a contact
• containment skills
• supervision
• debriefing.

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. Where simulation is used, it must reflect real working conditions by modelling industry operating conditions and contingencies, as well as, using suitable facilities, equipment and resources.

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