Unit of competency details
CHCFCS002 - Provide relationship counselling (Release 1)
Summary
Usage recommendation:
Current
Releases:
| 1 1 (this release) |
08/Dec/2015 |
Companion volumes:
Unit of competency
Assessment requirements
Training packages that include this unit
Qualifications that include this unit
Accredited courses that have this unit in the completion mapping
Classifications
Classification history
| ASCED Module/Unit of Competency Field of Education Identifier | 090513 | Counselling | 29/Apr/2016 | |
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Unit of competency
Modification History
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Release
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Comments
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Release 1
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This version was released in CHC Community Services Training Package release 3.0 and meets the requirements of the 2012 Standards for Training Packages.
Significant changes to the elements and performance criteria. New evidence requirements for assessment including volume and frequency requirements. Significant change to knowledge evidence. Minimum work hours added.
Supersedes CHCFCS802B
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Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to assess for safety risks, establish professional relationships, determine presenting problems and direct therapeutic counselling processes with couples experiencing complex relationship issues.
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
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ELEMENT
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PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
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Elements define the essential outcomes
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Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.
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1. Assess for safety risks in couple relationships
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1.1 Assess for domestic and family violence issues using established screening tools
1.2 Take action to address any issues of safety according to organisation policy and legislative requirements
1.3 Refer individuals to support services to manage issues of safety or risk according to individual needs
1.4 Document issues of concern or potential risk according to policy and relevant legislation
1.5 Assess whether there is a safe enough environment where violence exists to offer couple counselling
1.6 Create safe environment for couples to maximise opportunities within the counselling session
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2. Establish professional relationship with each individual
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2.1 Engage each individual using appropriate techniques and strategies
2.2 Remain impartial in the professional counselling relationship with couples
2.3 Explore and outline ethical boundaries and expectations of the professional counselling relationship
2.4 Identify and manage problematic issues of the professional relationship with couples
2.5 Take appropriate steps to prevent the development of problematic relationship issues between the counsellor and individuals within the couple
2.6 Monitor and respond appropriately to the physical and emotional reactions of each individual to the counselling process
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3. Identify and explore presenting problems
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3.1 Encourage individuals to describe the presenting problems and explore their understanding of why the problem exists
3.2 Encourage couples to become aware of and discuss the problem in relation to associated behaviours or situations
3.3 Elicit the couple’s understandings of attempts to previously manage the problem in the past
3.4 Evaluate couple’s perception of their relationship prior to the problem existing
3.5 Reframe problems and recursive interaction
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4. Direct the therapeutic process of couples counselling
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4.1 Use questioning and counselling techniques effectively to explore couples options, motivations, and commitments for change
4.2 Respond to communication difficulties including overt and covert aggression and hostility between individuals
4.3 Identify strengths of the relationship and encourage individuals to negotiate and develop strategic goals to be achieved in their relationship
4.4 Develop future session plans based on information and evidence obtained from current counselling session
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5. Terminate counselling sessions
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5.1 Recognise when the counselling is no longer serving the interests or needs of the client
5.2 Discuss with the client/s when counselling no longer appears to serve the clients interest or needs and either re-negotiate professional relationship or terminate the service
5.3 Engage client/s in determining any further external interventions and arrange appropriate referrals
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6. Seek feedback from the client/s about the counselling service provided
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6.1 Review counselling progress and provision regularly with clients
6.2 Obtain feedback from the clients at the conclusion of the counselling service
6.3 Use feedback strategies to encourage client contribution to improved counselling practice
6.4 Review client feedback and use this to inform practice reflection and improvement as part of supervision
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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
|
Release
|
Comments
|
|
Release 1
|
This version was released in CHC Community Services Training Package release 3.0 and meets the requirements of the 2012 Standards for Training Packages.
Significant changes to the elements and performance criteria. New evidence requirements for assessment including volume and frequency requirements. Significant change to knowledge evidence. Minimum work hours added.
Supersedes CHCFCS802B
|
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
- used specialised counselling communication skills
- produced accurate and comprehensive case records, files and reports.
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 relationship counselling, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:
- codes of conduct
- discrimination
- duty of care
- ethical dilemmas in practice, and processes for ethical decision-making
- practitioner client boundaries and implications of unequal balance of power
- privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, including limitations
- records management
- work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations, including situations where usefulness of counselling may be limited and referral is required
- work health and safety, including:
- stress management
- supervision requirements
- common presenting issues, and their characteristics and counselling challenges, including:
- pre and post separation issues
- parenting and agreements
- sexual relationship issues
- fertility and/or pregnancy issues
- financial issues
- intimacy issues
- grief and loss experienced one or both parties
- family of origin influences
- specific issues for same sex couples
- cross cultural issues
- processes, systems and requirements for contracting and reaching agreements with client about the nature, process and expected timeframes and responsibilities for counsellor and client
- historical development of counselling theories and practice approaches, and their similarities and differences
- contemporary research, scientific and professional information and approaches to counselling in diverse cultural contexts
- broader contexts that impact family and relationship research and implications for practice
- approaches used in couple counselling, their strengths, limitations and contraindications, including, including the principles and practices of major theories
- ways to engage people in the counselling process, including:
- conversation – non problem-focused
- discussion of self as counsellor in professional manner
- respectful and non-judgemental attitude
- even distribution of time between individuals in couple
- open questioning in a non threatening manner
- use of empathy and rapport building techniques
- types of questioning used in relationship counselling, including:
- questioning to scan relationship web
- reflexive questioning
- relational questioning
- circular questioning
- issues impacting different types of couples, including:
- heterosexual couples
- same sex couples
- couples of different ages/stages of development
- family and domestic violence considerations, including:
- indicators and dynamics of domestic and family violence and complexities of interpersonal interactions, e.g. power, abuse and conflict
- procedures and instruments to screen for abuse before, during and after couple or family counselling and any additional safety planning requirements and procedures for clients and staff
- concepts of couple, family and child dynamics in normal and abnormal developmental forms
- stages of human development and how this knowledge applies to relationship counselling practice
- characteristics of diversity, and how these impact on attitudes to, and values within, relationships, including:
- age
- cognitive ability
- culture
- ethnicity
- gender
- socio-economic status
- spirituality
- the role of social context in the counselling relationship
- counselling and case work processes, including those related to:
- contracting and what needs to be agreed
- documentation
- interactions with other professionals and service providers
- interactions with the client, their family, significant others and carers
- type and scope of referral options and pathways to support clients seeking interventions and supports beyond or in conjunction with counselling
- own prejudices and stereotyping attitudes and their potential influence on counselling practice.
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:
- 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
