Unit of competency

Modification History

Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to communicate with clients requiring social and emotional support and provide information about available referral options. It provides basic skills and knowledge in social and emotional support required by those involved in face-to-face delivery of primary health care services.

This unit applies to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working as part, and under the supervision, of a multidisciplinary primary health care team to provide a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.

This unit equips Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to provide support related to social and emotional wellbeing and does not infer that they are qualified counsellors.

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

Unit Mapping Information

No equivalent unit.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ced1390f-48d9-4ab0-bd50-b015e5485705

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:

• provided three Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients with information about social and emotional support by:

- communicating effectively with client to identify specific social and emotional needs

- providing information about available support options and referring client as appropriate in consultation with client and other health professionals

- maintaining records as required

- following up counselling and/or other referred support effectiveness with client

- managing own work-related stress and applied self-care strategies, including using debriefing services

- demonstrating culturally appropriate and safe communication skills when interacting with clients and/or significant others at all times.

Knowledge Evidence

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.

This includes knowledge of:

• organisation policies and procedures and legislation or regulations relating to:

- client confidentiality

- referral, including various levels of urgency, and follow-up of client

- mandatory reporting

- notifiable communicable diseases

- limits of own ability and authority

- reporting procedures

- documentation

- basic knowledge of distinctions between counselling, social and emotional, and mental health support and how each relates to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities

• scope of own role in providing social and emotional support
• available counselling, social and emotional support services and associated referral processes
• organisation policies on counselling
• basic information on human psychology and mental health care
• basic counselling principles
• culture and spirituality issues
• impacts of trans-generational trauma on individuals, families and communities around:

- identity

- loss of land

- culture

- language

- ceremony

• legislative and confidentiality requirements
• community views on counselling needs
• self-care strategies for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker, including debriefing, own counselling and employee assistance programs
• identifying and referring grief, dying and bereavement issues, such as:

- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander views on death, dying, grief and bereavement as contrasted with views in non-Aboriginal communities

- stages of grief

- methods of coping with grief, dying and bereavement

- ways in which Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families may be assisted (e.g. in making funeral arrangements).

Assessment Conditions

Skills must be demonstrated working:

• in a health service or centre
• as part of, and under the supervision of, a multidisciplinary primary health care team
• with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.

In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.

Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.

Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.

Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:

• an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker

or:

• accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.

Links

Companion Volume implementation guides are found in VETNet - https://vetnet.gov.au/Pages/TrainingDocs.aspx?q=ced1390f-48d9-4ab0-bd50-b015e5485705