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Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Maintain knowledge of mental health
   • Maintain knowledge of common mental health conditions.
   • Recognise symptoms of mental health conditions.
   • Understand the relationship between mental health conditions and offending behaviour.
2. Communicate effectively with people who have mental health conditions
   • Listen and respond appropriately to people in a non-judgemental manner.
   • Communicate and build rapport with people with mental health problems/conditions.
   • Use interpersonal skills while working with people experiencing mental health conditions.
   • Manage behaviours associated with mental health conditions in consultation with appropriate professionals.
   • Assist offenders with mental health conditions towards responsibility and selfadvocacy.
3. Monitor and refer people with mental health problems/conditions
   • Establish and maintain networks with internal and external mental health service providers as required by organisation.
   • Monitor and report behavioural changes of people with mental health conditions.
   • Refer people with mental health conditions to appropriate services.
   • Maintain support of people with mental health conditions in line with organisational policy and procedures.

Required Skills

This section describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required skills understanding information and applying relevant information to the wellbeing and welfare of people with mental health issues providing clear accurate and appropriate observations in relation to the behaviours of people affected by mental health conditions establishing and maintaining supportive and professional relationships with people with mental health issues supporting people to selfefficacy in relation to their mental health conditions providing supervision and management of offenders based on assessed risk adapting responses to different special needs responding to a range of different emergencies consulting with senior staff and appropriate personnel

Required knowledge organisations code of conduct code of ethics and duty of care rights of offenders common mental health disorders relationship between mental health conditions and substance abuse comorbidity substance abuse (comorbidity) cognitive impairment refugee status trauma torture neglect and abuse etc symptoms and signs of common mental health issues and associated behaviours mental health issues that contribute to offender behaviour reasons for resistance to medication and management plans cultural practices that may impact on mental health assessment andor treatment procedures policies and requirements for reporting risks behaviours and incidents involving offenders including organisations reporting processes organisations offender information sharing system protective supervision and surveillance of offenders at risk of harm including suicide and selfharm prevention strategy early intervention relevant support programs within organisation policy regulatory legislative and legal requirements including recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody World Health Organisation recommendations on managing mentally ill and suicidal inmates community treatment orders guardianship board conditions and treatment directions on probation and parole orders etc current issues facing offenders and existing services to address their needs and rights

Evidence Required

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
Overview of assessment	Evidence for assessment must be gathered over time in a range of contexts to ensure the person can achieve the unit outcome and apply the competency in different situations or environments
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit	In addition to integrated demonstration of the elements and their related performance criteria look for evidence that confirms the knowledge requirements of this unit the skill requirements of this unit application of employability skills as they relate to this unit
Context of and specific resources for assessment	This unit contains a wide range of variables to reflect the diverse nature of supervision of offenders with mental health conditions or problems Selection from the range of variables will reflect the specific requirements of the work site and the defined work role Valid assessment of this unit requires a workplace environment or one that closely resembles normal work practice and replicates the range of conditions likely to be encountered by an individual supervising offenders effectively as part of a coordinated team including coping with difficulties irregularities and changes to routine copies of legislation policies procedures and guidelines relating to supervising with people with mental health conditions or problems access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required
Method of assessment	The following assessment methods are suggested observation of performance in routine workplace activities within a range of agreed responsibilities and in various work locations written andor oral questioning to assess knowledge and understanding completion of workplace documents and reports produced as part of routine work activities thirdparty reports from experienced practitioners completion of performance feedback from supervisors and colleagues
Guidance information for assessment	Assessment methods should reflect workplace demands and any identified special needs of the candidate including language and literacy implications and cultural factors and personal experiences that may affect responses to the questions In all cases where practical assessment is used it will be combined with targeted questioning to assess the underpinning knowledge

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Range Statement

Mental health conditions may include:	anxiety and depression disorders psychoses substance use disorders self-harm grief, loss and trauma
Interpersonal skills may include:	demonstrating: compassion empathy using: active listening open/closed questioning culturally safe interaction motivational interaction solution-focussed approaches
Appropriate services may include:	psychologists/counsellors psychiatrists medical officers cultural consultants nurses community support services that are provided: online face-to-face via telephone

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