Unit of competency details

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements define the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

The Performance Criteria specify the level of performance required to demonstrate achievement of the Element. Terms in italics are elaborated in the Range Statement.

• Clarify organisational context for using lived experience

1.1 Confirm organisation’s expectations of the use of lived experience in the course of peer work

1.2 Apply organisational policy and guidelines in relation to using lived experience in peer work, especially in relation to safe disclosure and public disclosure

1.3 Determine the extent and the types of stories to be shared from own lived experience

• Determine boundaries of sharing lived experience and prepare aspects of your story

2.1 Establish appropriate personal boundaries and guidelines

2.2 Apply varied levels of sharing in relation to lived experience

2.3 Evaluate and select options in framing stories for different purposes

2.4 Consider privacy in developing parameters of stories to be told or written

2.5 Obtain clear and informed consent from others before including them in any story

2.6 Review impact of sharing lived experience and confirm or vary level of disclosure

2.7 Seek input from experienced peers about ways to effectively use lived experience in peer work

• Use lived experience to establish role in peer work

3.1 Ensure sharing is positive, purposeful and within the philosophical framework of peer ethics, values, role definition and organisation requirements

3.2 Recognise and address the potential impacts and implications of sharing aspects of your personal story on consumers, carers, other staff and upon the organisation

3.3 Recognise sharing of your personal story is one component of job role

• Maintain a safe working relationship in relation to lived experience in peer work

4.1 Engage in debriefing and peer supervision when relevant

4.2 Recognise and take action to attend to own vulnerabilities associated with use of lived experience in peer work

4.3 Recognise and take action to attend to own vulnerabilities associated with vicarious trauma

• Utilise responsible self-care strategies

5.1 Apply strategies to address personal physical and emotional needs

5.2 Maintain a positive work life balance and personal wellness plan

5.3 Negotiate reasonable adjustments in the workplace as required

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role.

These include sufficient knowledge of the areas below to apply to their work in relation to this unit:

• Importance of self awareness in mental health peer work
• Intention of purposeful sharing and positive use of lived experience in mental health peer work
• Historical, social, political and economic contexts of mental health services and mental health consumer and carer movements
• Philosophical, ethical and values based approaches to peer work
• International and national developments in consumer and carer peer work
• History and context of self-directed recovery and recovery principles, facilitation, pathways and practices
• Impacts and different types of stigma for consumers and carers including self-stigma, individual stigma, community stigma, prejudice and discrimination on the recovery journey
• Social justice issues, principles and approaches including working from a rights based framework and awareness of the rights and responsibilities of consumer and carers and peer workers
• Impacts of trauma and the role of the peer workforce in trauma informed care
• Impacts of mental health systems on consumers and carers
• Different understandings of mental illness and distress/issues
• Principles and practices of duty of care as these apply to peer work
• Self-care strategies and processes, reflection in peer work

Essential skills:

The candidate must be able to effectively do the task outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit, manage the task and manage contingencies in the context of the identified work role

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

• Apply and promote the underpinning values, ethics and philosophies of mental health peer work in all aspects of work
• Articulate and extrapolate lived experience to:
• establish rapport
• provide hope
• provide objective information and opportunity for consumer/carer exploration of opportunities, rights, and options in recovery planning
• building a shared understanding
• Implement the ethics, values and intentions of the consumer/carer workforce
• Communicate effectively with consumers/carers and service providers
• Maintain confidentiality and explain limits of confidentiality
• Participate in self-care strategies in mental health peer work

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:

• The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
• This unit is best assessed on the job or in a simulated workplace under the normal range of conditions
• Consistency in performance should consider the requirements of the particular workplace context
• The candidate must show evidence that they have been able to apply learnings from their own lived experience to working with peers in a mental health context

Conditions of assessment:

• This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to mental health peer work
• Assessment must be undertaken by a qualified Assessor [as determined by the Australian Quality Training Framework] who has lived experience and  holds this unit of competency or demonstrated equivalent competencies

OR  

• A consumer/carer him/herself who has lived experience and demonstrated experience in a consumer peer worker or carer peer worker role

AND  

• Accompanied by a qualified Assessor who has the necessary assessment competencies [as determined by the Australian Quality Training Framework]
• Where the candidate being assessed in a consumer peer worker context, they must be assessed by an experienced consumer peer worker with lived experience (and a qualified Assessor where the consumer peer worker is not a qualified assessor)
• Where the candidate is being assessed in a carer peer worker context, they must be assessed by an experienced carer peer worker who has lived experience (and a qualified assessor where the carer peer worker is not a qualified assessor)

Access and equity considerations:

• All workers in community and health services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
• All workers should develop their ability to work in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment
• In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities
• In recognition of particular issues facing culturally and linguistically [CALD] diverse communities, workers should be aware of cultural and current issues impacting on CALD groups
• Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse communities

Context of and specific resources for assessment:

• This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other mental health peer work units of competency is encouraged
• Resources required for assessment of this unit include access to a workplace or simulated workplace where assessment may occur

Method of assessment:

• In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on ‘What if?’ scenarios
• Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning on essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
• Where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a ‘period of time’ and/or in a ‘number of locations’, any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, or other appropriate persons

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Lived experience - Consumer in this context means:

The personal experience of living with mental illness and the consequences. This experience includes the consumer’s mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing and may have significant social and economic impacts

Lived experience - Carer in this context means:

The personal experience of being in a carer role with a person who is living with mental illness. This experience includes the carer’s mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing and may have significant social and economic impacts

Framing stories for different purposes may include:

• Empathy
• Engagement
• Holding hope
• Rapport building
• Respect
• Valuing and responding to the uniqueness of each person

Privacy and informed consent in this context means:

Information is shared according to the legal requirements under the Privacy Act, organisation policy on confidentiality, and wherever possible consumer and carer informed consent, knowledge and full participation. Information may under these provisions be shared with people such as:

• Care network
• Case managers
• Consumers
• Family members
• Other services
• Other staff
• Supervisor

Ensure sharing is positive, purposeful may include:

• Appropriate disclosure and use of lived experience
• Collaborative consultation
• Empathy
• Engagement
• Holding hope
• Listening and responding to the person verbal and nonverbal communication
• Non-judgemental and sensitive approach
• Rapport building
• Respect
• Valuing and responding to the uniqueness of each person
• Working with the person’s own understanding of their experience

Peer ethics in this context means:

Peer ethics broadly relates to the values that underpin mental health peer work, and that inform mental health peer worker practices. Peer ethics refers to the dual principles of reciprocity and equality - between peer workers and their peers - on the basis of shared or similar experiences, on mutual sharing and understanding, and in the knowledge that mental health peer workers do not exert power over people who are using or accessing theirs, or any other services

Peer ethics are essentially about actively facilitating and promoting the self-determination and empowerment of people who are affected by mental distress

Recognise sharing of your personal story is one component of job role may include:

• Accessing peer support
• Education about recovery
• Elimination of discrimination
• Encouraging a person’s sense of hope and personal value
• Enhancing a person’s own sense of agency
• Enhancing and supporting the care network
• Identifying and exploring positive and negative risks with consumers
• Promoting self-advocacy and self determination
• Promoting the right of equal and full citizenship with access to all community resources and opportunities
• Removal of barriers to participation
• Supporting people to develop and pursue their recovery goals and aspirations
• Trauma and trauma informed care
• Working with consumers with their choices to live, and work in their community of choice

Own vulnerabilitiesmay include:

• Recovery journey and own physical health and well being
• Re- traumatisation
• Vicarious trauma
• Transference and counter transference
• Limited workplace support or access to supervision
• Excessive workload and expectation
• Specific work environments

Vicarious trauma in this context is defined as:

The negative changes that happen to individuals over time as they witness or hear of other people’s traumatic experiences. Vicarious trauma is often intensified when a worker identifies or recognises similar experiences to that of the people with whom they are working 

Needs may include:

• Cultural
• Disability
• Emotional
• Employment
• Financial and economic
• Grief and loss
• Health
• Housing
• Legal
• Mental health
• Physical
• Problematic alcohol and other drugs use
• Sexuality
• Social
• Spiritual
• Trauma informed care
• Friends and family

Reasonable adjustments in the workplace may include:

• Variation to workload, hours of work
• Self-determination in regard to choice of peer work
• Accessible, timely and appropriate supervision other than line management
• Periods of leave where this is a supportive and appropriate strategy