Application
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required by consumers and carers in the mental health peer workforce to use and apply their lived experience in a purposeful way.
This unit applies to consumers/carers, who as a condition of employment, must themselves have lived experience of mental illness and are working with consumers/carers who are affected by mental illness.
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. Clarify organisation context for using lived experience | 1.1 Confirm organisation’s expectations of the use of lived experience in the course of peer work 1.2 Apply organisation policy and guidelines in relation to using lived experience in peer work, especially in relation to safe disclosure and public disclosure 1.3 Determine the extent and the types of stories to be shared from own lived experience |
2. Determine boundaries of sharing lived experience and prepare aspects of consumer/carer’s story | 2.1 Establish appropriate personal boundaries and guidelines 2.2 Apply varied levels of sharing in relation to lived experience 2.3 Evaluate and select options in framing stories for different purposes 2.4 Consider privacy in developing parameters of stories to be told or written 2.5 Obtain clear and consent from others before including them in any story 2.6 Review impact of sharing lived experience and make determination to proceed or vary level of disclosure 2.7 Seek input from experienced peers about ways to effectively use lived experience in peer work |
3. Use lived experience to establish role in peer work | 3.1 Ensure sharing is positive, purposeful and within the philosophical framework of peer ethics, values, role definition and organisation requirements 3.2 Recognise and address the potential impacts and implications of sharing aspects of own personal story on consumers, carers, other staff and upon the organisation 3.3 Recognise sharing of own personal story is one component of job role |
4. Maintain a safe working relationship in relation to lived experience in peer work | 4.1 Engage in debriefing and peer supervision according to identified needs 4.2 Recognise and take action to attend to own vulnerabilities associated with use of lived experience in peer work 4.3 Recognise and take action to attend to own vulnerabilities associated with vicarious trauma |
5. Utilise responsible self-care strategies | 5.1 Apply strategies to address personal physical and emotional needs 5.2 Maintain a positive work life balance and personal wellness plan 5.3 Negotiate reasonable adjustments in the workplace to meet own self-care requirements |
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 |