Elements and Performance Criteria
- Recognise and respond to couples' needs within the group while maintaining group cohesion
- Establish group norms
- Observe and respondinclusively to participants' responses
- Use reflective (active) listening skills
- Use clarification skills to assist understanding and integration of learning into behaviour
- Use feedback to promote insight and enable participants to make choices about the issues which may impact on them and their relationships
- Balance task and maintenance functions to facilitate (as far as possible) the meeting of both participants' needs and program outcomes
- Use appropriate conflict management strategies at couple and group level
- Work collaboratively with co leaders to facilitate effective group functioning and to model what a good relationship looks like
- Plan and debrief with co-facilitator
- Model respect for different leadership styles
- Listen to and acknowledge differences of opinion
- Negotiate and delegate where appropriate, task and maintenance functions in relation to the group
- Encourage and support the open interaction of co-leader/s
- Deal appropriately with differences that may result in conflict
- Facilitate couple interaction within the group environment
- Monitor interactions between couples in the group and between individuals within couples, to ensure opportunities for full participation in learning activities to maximise learning outcomes
- Ensure appropriate balance between opportunities for individual development and reflection, couple sharing and development and community of couple sharing and learning
- Use strategies appropriate to the social, cultural and developmental stage of couples' relationship to promote couple discussion and decision-making about the on-going development and health of their relationship
- Respond promptly and appropriately to couples displaying distress or concern in a manner that maximises safety and confidentiality for each individual
- Maintain an appropriate balance between achievement of stated outcomes for the program and the need to be respectful of couples' privacy as well as being sensitive to the needs and concerns of each individual in the relationship
- Maintain appropriate boundaries between educative and counselling/therapeutic interactions
- Monitor own professional limitations and boundaries and clearly articulate these to participants throughout the program
- Ensure an appropriate balance between processing of individual/couple issues within the larger group and within couples is maintained in keeping with the stated goals and outcomes of the program
- Use interpersonal skills to effectively maintain the boundaries established by the practitioner and to maximise opportunities for achieving the stated outcomes for the program
- Recognise and respond to domestic/family violence and personal problems that impact on the health and development of relationships
- Ensure all interactions with participants are planned and undertaken in a manner that ensures maximum consideration for the safety of clients, colleagues, self and others
- Ensure all interactions with and responses to clients are undertaken in accordance with organisation requirements, accepted practices of prevention and intervention and within legislative and duty or care requirements
- Ensure all interactions with clients are undertaken in a safe and confidential environment that maximises opportunities for client needs to be accurately identified and to promote the accurate and relevant exchange of information
- Assess information obtained from clients to establish priorities for action
- Identify own limitations and boundaries in addressing and working with identified needs.
- Seek assistance from appropriate professionals when issues are identified as beyond own limitations and boundaries
- Respond to participants in a manner that is sensitive to severity of the presenting issue, specific needs of the clients and which places high priority on safety, rights and responsibilities of clients, colleagues, self and others
- Ensure appropriate referral and support for clients with identified needs
- Refer to other services based on the identified needs of clients
- Provide referral and support networks in accordance with organisation/agency standards and procedures
- Undertake record-keeping and reporting in accordance with organisation/agency standards and procedures
- Seek support and debriefing from colleagues and other appropriate staff in order to sustain ongoing effectiveness and well being and to reflect on courses of action taken with clients