Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the knowledge and skills required to assess the needs of clients affected by problem gambling and develop case plans for the delivery of problem gambling counselling services.

This unit applies to individuals working with people affected by problem gambling.

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:

• worked collaboratively with at least 3 clients who gamble to harmful levels, including:

• assessing and documenting client issues
• developing individualised case plans that identify strategies to assist them in to overcome problems associated with gambling

• used the following communication skills in work with clients:

• effective use of body language
• paraphrasing
• reflecting feelings
• open and closed questioning or probing
• summarising
• reframing
• exploring options
• use of normalising statements.

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 and local) for problem gambling, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:

• codes of conduct
• discrimination
• duty of care
• human rights
• privacy, confidentiality and disclosure
• records management
• rights and responsibilities of workers, employers and clients
• specific legislation that affects gambling, including:

• state/territory Responsible Conduct of Gaming

• work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations
• work health and safety

• types of gambling services in Australia and the different ways they are made available
• key gambling industry stakeholders and their interrelationships
• context for work in problem gambling, including:

• sector values and philosophies
• historical – changing attitudes and approaches
• cultural – factors that motivate people to gamble
• political – current policy context
• economic – links between economic conditions and levels of gambling, socioeconomic patterns, state revenue generation

• definitions and key indicators of problem gambling
• stages of problem gambling
• features of responsible gambling
• graduated risks of some forms of gambling
• potential impacts of problem gambling
• different models of work in problem gambling, when and how they are used, including:

• individual counselling and therapy
• internet and telephone counselling
• working with families and relationship counselling
• community awareness, development and education
• assessment and referral services
• outpatient services
• peer support/self help
• crisis situation responses
• relapse prevention
• harm minimisation
• group work
• financial counselling
• case management
• residential and inpatient services

• existence and meaning of myths, chance, odds, randomness, gambling cycle
• problem gambling assessment processes, including:

• range of issues to be covered
• types of assessment screens and tools

• factors influencing the current status of the client including:

• current or baseline levels of gambling behaviour
• readiness to change
• physical, emotional, financial, legal and psychosocial state and immediate needs in these areas
• gambling and other issues in the family

• factors for consideration when working with different types of clients:

• client of different ages
• different gender communication styles
• mandated and voluntary clients
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people
• culturally and linguistically diverse people

• considerations when working with clients at risk of self-harm, suicide or with mental health issues
• coexisting issues potentially impacting on the client, how to respond and sources for referral:

• housing
• employment
• financial
• legal
• relationship

• case management principles and processes
• referral agencies for people with problem gambling
• communication techniques, including:

• effective use of body language
• paraphrasing
• reflecting feelings
• open and closed questioning or probing
• summarising
• reframing
• exploring options
• use of normalising statements

• referral options and availability.

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:

• client information
• problem gambling assessment tools

• modelling of industry operating conditions, including:

• scenarios that involve complex interactions with other people.

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