Application
This unit describes the required skills and knowledge to assess whether clients are misusing alcohol and/or other drugs and implement a care plan under direction or within established guidelines that limit discretion.
This unit applies to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers working as part, and under the supervision, of a multidisciplinary primary health care team to provide a range of primary health care services to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
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 specify the level of performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. |
1. Provide information to community about substance misuse | 1.1 Ensure substance misuse information is accurate and easily accessed and understood by community 1.2 Obtain further information as needed 1.3 Encourage individuals to seek advice for their own circumstances |
2. Assess whether individuals are misusing substances | 2.1 Obtain a client history and records according to organisation guidelines 2.2 Use culturally appropriate and safe communication skills to undertake and record assessment of individual 2.3 Maintain client confidentiality |
3. Plan and implement follow-up action | 3.1 Plan follow-up action in consultation with other health professionals and key community workers 3.2 Ensure follow-up action is in line with community, 3.3 Refer client to appropriate services in line with individual and community needs and organisation guidelines 3.4 Monitor the follow-up plan and record outcomes |
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:
provided accurate and accessible information about substance misuse to the community on at least three occasions by:
- consulting with the primary health care team to determine the information to provide
- communicating the information to members of the community in culturally appropriate and safe ways
- using different mediums to support access to information
worked with the primary health care team to support at least three individual clients by:
- analysing client history and records to assess possible substance misuse for each client
- planning follow-up action consultation with relevant community and/or health professionals
- implementing and monitoring follow-up plans.
Evidence of Knowledge
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:
physical, social and psychological effects of misuse of substances identified in this unit
treatment options relating to specific substance misuse
community issues and legislation relating to substance misuse
patterns of drug and alcohol consumption relevant to the community and region
service providers and associated referral processes
understanding of blood-borne viruses in relation to injecting drug use, and associated high rates of HIV and hepatitis C in this Aboriginal population group
indirect impacts of substance misuse, including:
- foetal alcohol syndrome
- environmental tobacco smoke
principles of harm minimisation (as Australia’s national policy), including:
- harm reduction
- supply reduction
- demand reduction
impact of substance misuse on the healthy functioning of major body organs and systems
likely interactions between chronic illness and substance misuse
impact of substance abuse on pregnancy, birth and unborn children.
Assessment Conditions
Skills must be demonstrated working:
in a health service or centre
as part of, and under the supervision of, a multidisciplinary primary health care team
with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.
In addition, simulations and scenarios must be used where the full range of contexts and situations cannot be provided in the workplace or may occur only rarely. These are situations relating to emergency or unplanned procedures where assessment in these circumstances would be unsafe or is impractical.
Simulated assessment environments must simulate the real-life working environment where these skills and knowledge would be performed, with all the relevant equipment and resources of that working environment.
Assessors must satisfy the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015/AQTF mandatory competency requirements for assessors.
Assessment must be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in this unit of competency and who is:
an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Worker
or:
accompanied by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care.
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. |