CHCFCS001
Facilitate the family counselling process


Application

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to determine and apply appropriate therapeutic approaches through the application of the counselling process.

This unit applies to family relationship counsellors who operate with significant autonomy in therapeutic professional service roles in the community sector. The activity is self-directed.

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

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

Elements define the essential outcomes

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1. Assess presenting problems and problematic family relationships

1.1 Identify the problems from each person’s perspective and understand the significance each person gives to them

1.2 Identify family relationship patterns and themes and articulate these accurately and empathically

1.3 Assess onset of presenting problems and relationship difficulties

1.4 Identify individual behaviours and communication transactions that contribute to conflict

1.5 Develop theoretically sound hypotheses to explain the presenting problems

1.6 Identify situations beyond scope of own practice and make referrals

2. Develop counselling agenda and case plan

2.1 Determine the counselling approach best suited to client needs

2.2 Work with the client to develop and document a case plan that articulates the proposed interventions to reach agreed objectives

2.3 Develop systemic interventions that help clients and their relational systems

2.4 Complete case documentation according to practice setting policies, professional standards and legislative obligations

3. Implement counselling interventions

3.1 Use hypotheses to generate relevant questions

3.2 Build positive respectful working alliances with and between presenting family members

3.3 Monitor the strength of alliances within the family group and use established strategies for repairing strained alliances

3.4 Track positive and negative behavioural sequences within the family dynamic to increase family members’ understanding and control of interactions

3.5 Explore behaviours, meaning and relationships using circular questioning to develop shared understanding

3.6 Devise behavioural change strategies acceptable to family members

3.7 Monitor client motivation and use motivational interviewing techniques to increase motivation for change

4. Review and adapt interventions

4.1 Monitor interventions for cultural and contextual relevance, and congruence with counselling goals

4.2 Maintain awareness of own values and personal issues, prejudices and attitudes and behaviour for their potential influence on counselling practice

4.3 Regularly assess the effectiveness of interventions using peer support processes and reflection and use learnings to inform future practice

4.4 Make appropriate referrals of clients that one cannot work with appropriately or effectively

Evidence of Performance

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:

performed the activities outlined in the performance criteria of this unit during a period of at least 50 hours of client work in a family counselling service

worked collaboratively with clients and provided counselling to at least 3 different family groups, including all of the following:

couples

family counselling

children/young people

used specialised counselling communication skills

used theory and process of counselling and case work consistent with legal and ethical requirements to:

assess presenting issues

develop goals

develop and document counselling agenda/case plan

monitor and adapt interventions.


Evidence of Knowledge

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 for family counselling work, and how these are applied in organisations and individual practice:

children in the workplace

codes of conduct

discrimination

duty of care

ethical dilemmas in practice, and processes for ethical decision-making

mandatory reporting

practitioner client boundaries and implications of unequal balance of power

privacy, confidentiality and disclosure, including limitations

records management

work role boundaries – responsibilities and limitations of interventions

work health and safety, including:

stress management

supervision requirements

traditional non-western and modern western approaches to family life

features and prevalence of common and contemporary issues facing Australian families, including:

alcohol and other drugs issues

domestic violence

financial constraints

problem gambling

mental health issues

technology and communication

impact of issues on different family members, including impacts of:

separation and divorce on men and women, children and young people and on parenting,

conflict, particularly high level and/or ongoing conflict on children and adolescents

sources of current scientific and professional literature in the area of family counselling practice

key components of modern systems theory, solution focused and behavioural approaches as applied to work with families including their limitations and contraindications for use

key components of one other approach to family work

specialised counselling and communication techniques

key aspects of attachment theory as it applies to family relationships, interactions with the client, their family, significant others and carers

models of change in counselling practice

how gender and differences in power and resources affect family dynamics

balancing the rights and needs of parents and children

what constitutes a clear counselling contract with measurable behavioural goals and how to develop one

role of counsellor in relation to domestic and family violence, including:

indicators and effects of violence, abuse intimidation and control in families

safety planning for families where there is ongoing violence or abuse

referral protocols

type and scope of referral options and pathways to support clients seeking interventions and supports beyond or in conjunction with counselling

effects of one’s own values, belief , family background and gendered experience on own counselling.


Assessment Conditions

Skills must have been demonstrated in the workplace with the addition of simulations and scenarios where the full range of contexts and situations have not been provided in the workplace. The following conditions must be met for this unit:

use of suitable facilities, equipment and resources, including:

client information

current scientific and professional literature in the area of family counselling practice

modelling of industry operating conditions, including:

scenarios that involve complex interactions with real clients.

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


Foundation Skills

The Foundation Skills describe those required skills (language, literacy, numeracy and employment skills) that are essential to performance.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.