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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Elements define the essential outcomes.
2. Work within professional and personal boundaries
   • Define and observe professional boundaries when working with a range of clients, including women, men, children, young people, families, and couples
   • Explain the professional and personal boundaries of social and emotional wellbeing support and discuss with the client
   • Work in accordance with organisation policies on professional and personal boundaries
3. Assess the current status and needs of the client
   • Establish a safe, supportive and culturally secure environment for the client
   • Explain the process of providing guidance and support to the client
   • Discuss the role and limitations of the social and emotional wellbeing worker with the client
   • Take client history through discussion with the client and relevant family/community members
   • Assess client’s current mental status and needs by discussion with the client and appropriate others
4. Plan treatment for the client
   • Discuss treatment options with client, including alternative therapies that may include traditional Aboriginal healing
   • Develop a treatment plan in consultation with the client
5. Provide appropriate emotional support and guidance to clients
   • Establish an emotionally safe and culturally secure environment to support client self-disclosure
   • Use a non-judgmental approach and build rapport, empathy and trust with the client
   • Take into account socioeconomic demographic, cultural and language needs in all counselling work
   • Use strategies for resolving conflict and building self-esteem where appropriate
   • Select therapies and techniques appropriate to client’s physical, cultural, spiritual, intellectual and emotional needs
   • Provide information to the client as appropriate and at the client’s request, in accordance with organisation policy and procedures, confidentiality requirements and duty of care
   • Refer clients to appropriate services and follow-up as required
6. Review counselling treatment with clients
   • Discuss effectiveness of the treatment plan with the client
   • Discuss options for variation to the treatment plan and revise with the client
   • Consult colleagues as necessary and appropriate in accordance with confidentiality requirements
7. Review progress of counselling relationship with the client
   • Review effectiveness of therapeutic relationship with the client
   • Discuss ending the relationship with the client and others (i.e. other agencies) as appropriate
   • Review impact on the client of ending the counselling relationship
   • Put in place referral and support networks to support client when counselling relationship ends
8. Use self-protection strategies
   • Use conflict resolution and negotiation in a crisis as appropriate
   • Take appropriate action to ensure safety of client, self and others in accordance with organisation policies and protocols and available resources
   • Seek emergency assistance as required
   • Acknowledge limits of own abilities and refer appropriately in accordance with organisation policies and available resources
   • Seek debriefing as required
   • Undertake ongoing self-care and stress-management activities

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 social and emotional wellbeing guidance to at least three clients by:

assessing the mental status and needs of each client

developing appropriate treatment and/or referral plans/options, including alternative therapies, as appropriate in consultations with colleagues and relevant professionals

discussing treatment options with client

providing appropriate emotional support and guidance as part of the treatment plan using:

listening skills

building rapport

negotiation

questioning, reframing

externalising

reflection process by worker

motivational interviewing

reviewing the progress of the relationship with the client and colleagues, including the prospect of ending the relationship

exercising professional boundaries with each client

using self-protection strategies as appropriate to working with each client, including:

resolving conflicts and crisis negotiation

ensuring safety of self and others

seeking emergency assistance and debriefing

undertaking stress-management activities.

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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:

conflict resolution strategies for individuals and families

models and techniques to provide social and emotional support, including:

six-step problem-solving method

five stages of trauma recovery

antecedents, behaviour, consequences model (ABC model of behaviour)

cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) model

brief solution-focused therapy

narrative therapy

subjective, objective, assessment, plan, implementation and evaluation (SOAPIE) notes

strategies for counselling survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, children and young people, couples, families, grieving families, friends and communities

motivational interviewing

definitions of grief and models of support

strategies of open communication for couples

what makes a good counsellor (listening, skills, empathy, trust, etc.)

healing models, such as:

Atkinson’s trans-generational healing model

traditional healing practices

healing through art, drawing, music

social genograms

narrative therapy

local support networks and services

sexual abuse, including:

definitions, myths and facts

ways survivors feel and behave

monitoring sexual abuse

patterns in relating to the world for survivors

sexual assault, including:

definitions, myths and facts

effects

legal and medical procedures

strategies for counselling

Stolen or Removed Generations

suicide and self-harm, including:

risk factors

emergency procedures

assistance and support (agencies, community, family)

counselling strategies

referral options

organisation policies and procedures.

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