This unit is intended to address skills and knowledge required by those working, under direction, at a Certificate III level with isolated Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities

It provides basic skills and knowledge in social and emotional support required by those involved in face-to-face delivery of primary health care services

Direction may be provided by close supervision or established guidelines that limit discretion

Successful completion of 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

ELEMENT

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA

1. Identify social/emotional needs of clients

1.1 Obtain and record relevant history according to organisation guidelines

1.2 Use basic questioning to investigate and identify needs of individuals and/or community

1.3 Record findings according to organisation guidelines

1.4 Maintain individual and community confidentiality

2. Provide information about available social/emotional support services

2.1 Provide accurate information about counselling and referral targeted to identified individual and community needs

2.2 Adapt delivery of information as required to facilitate understanding and address identified needs

2.3 Obtain further information as required to address identified needs

2.4 Support clients in taking a self-care approach to health in line with individual needs and organisation and community requirements

3. Support clients under stress

3.1 Assist client to feel as comfortable as possible

3.2 Invite client to discuss worries and feelings

3.3 Use basic listening and observation skills appropriately

3.4 Suggest stress reducing activities, as appropriate

3.5 Provide immediate support to clients in crisis, in consultation with the health team and supervisor and in line with organisation procedures

3.6 Offer immediate help to bereaved family members after sudden death

4. Refer clients for social/ emotional support

4.1 Refer individuals and/or groups to providers of social and emotional support services in line with identified individual and community needs

4.2 Consult other health professionals to clarify required care and support services

4.3 Address legislative and confidentiality requirements in the referral process

4.4 Keep records according to organisation guidelines

5. Follow up clients after counselling

5.1 Consult individual and/or community about effectiveness of counselling and associated support provided

5.2 Provide feedback in line with individual, community and organisation requirements

6. Apply self-care strategies

6.1 Acknowledge limits of own personal ability, authority and role

6.2 Seek debriefing as required

6.3 Use ongoing self-care and stress management practices to manage work-related stress

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential 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:

Basic knowledge of distinctions between counselling, social/emotional and mental health support and how their components relate to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities

Understanding of self-management principles, tools and models, particularly for the management of chronic conditions

Available counselling, social/emotional support services

Relevant existing program policy

Organisation policies on counselling

Basic information on human psychology and mental health care

Culture and spirituality issues

Impacts of transgenerational trauma on individuals, families and communities:

identity

loss of land

culture

language

ceremony

Legislative and confidentiality requirements

Community views on counselling needs

Identifying and referring grief, dying and bereavement issues, such as:

Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander views on grief, dying and bereavement as contrasted with views in the non-Aboriginal community

stages of grief

methods of coping with grief, dying and bereavement

ways in which Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander families may be assisted (e.g. in making funeral arrangements)

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Identify specific social/emotional support needs of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients

Communicate effectively about available support options

Manage own work-related stress

In addition, the candidate must be able 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 the ability to:

Communicate effectively and establish a relationship of trust with clients, including basic skills in:

questioning and supporting clients

negotiation and creating a care partnership

conflict resolution

providing feedback

empathetic listening

effective use of appropriate tools to support the above activities

Undertake referral within organisation guidelines

Keep records in line with organisation guidelines

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects of assessment:

The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills

Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace

Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible

Conditions of assessment:

This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture

Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself

or:

accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care

Context of assessment:

Competence should be demonstrated working individually, under supervision or as part of a primary health care team working with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients

Assessment should replicate workplace conditions as far as possible

Related units:

This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.

Cultural respect

This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social well-being, community capacity and governance

Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices

Community control

Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process

Supervision

Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements

References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals

A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines

Legislative requirements

Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute 'usual practice' due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by 'usual practice circumstances'

Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework

Social and emotional support may relate to issues involving:

Grief

Marriage

Rape

Domestic violence

Child abuse and sexual assault

Substance misuse

Incest

Suicide/self harm

Trans-generational trauma (including unrecognised and unacknowledged grief)

Stolen Generations issues

Records may include:

Written, verbal, illustrations and audio/visual within the workplace requirements

Advice may be sought from:

Senior health workers

Nurses and doctors

Educators

Other counsellors

Key members of the community

SEWB workers

Regional centre staff

Link ups

This unit contains Employability Skills