This unit describes the required skills and knowledge to bring to a close the healing process as part of a relationship between a client and social and emotional wellbeing worker, as well as to access local therapeutic services, recognising limitations of therapy and factors that may influence clients in contacting a therapist.

The unit applies to senior Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers overseeing clinical aspects of the delivery of primary health care services and/or managing the overall delivery of primary health care services and programs to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities.

This unit equips Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers to provide support related to social and emotional wellbeing and does not infer that they are qualified counsellors.

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.

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:

facilitated a healing journey for at least one group of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients by:

negotiating rules of participation

explaining the relevance of experiencing personal healing as a basis for providing support to clients

demonstrating appropriate communication skills

providing a safe place for participants to undertake the healing journey

identifying an appropriate point to complete part of healing process and provide closure for self and clients

assisted at least one client to identify and access appropriate therapeutic services to support ongoing healing as required

reflected on their own involvement in healing journey, including any personal areas of concern, on at least one occasion.

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:

alternative therapies – art, music

key communication models

conflict resolution strategies for individuals and families

debriefing, including:

definitions and processes

for self

for colleagues

factors that the client may consider when contacting a therapist (e.g. kinship, training, confidentiality, gender, cost, approach, personal warmth, sincere concern, whether they can talk in a candid non-defensive way, reputation, understanding)

limitations of therapy

procedures for working with clients in crisis (i.e. safety issues, liaising with emergency agencies, calming strategies, etc.)

professional boundaries

self-healing journey

story maps and storytelling

strategies for assisting clients to access services

strategies for overcoming client resistance

suicide and self-harm

referral options.

Skills must be demonstrated working:

in a health service or centre

as a senior member of and/or supervising a primary health care team

with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients.

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.