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.