Course Title: Respond to individuals who disclose sexual violence

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: VE 2022

Class Number: All

Class Section: All

For flexible terms and optional semesters, a Part B course guide may have been published for the entire teaching period, or for the specific class number in which you are enrolled. If there is no Part B course guide published for your specific class number, please refer to the guide for the teaching period in which you are enrolled. Enrolment Online is the definitive source for details regarding your class enrolment.

Course Code: HWSS8151C

Course Title: Respond to individuals who disclose sexual violence

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: City Campus

Program: C0052 - Course in Recognising and Responding to Sexual Violence

Course Contact: Kim Monaghan

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 2143

Course Contact Email: kim.monaghan@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 70

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

NAT10994001 Develop and apply knowledge of the impacts of sexual violence

Course Description

This course describes the skills and knowledge required to respond to the needs and preferences of victim/survivors who have experienced sexual violence.

This course develops workers’ ability to apply culturally safe, trauma-informed care and practices to facilitate and respond to disclosures of sexual violence. It also requires workers to develop skills to take an intersectional approach to identify victim/survivors’ needs and preferences and support their access to specialist services.

This course applies to frontline health and community service workers and other workers providing services to adults and young people. These workers may not be specialised sexual violence practitioners.

No occupational licensing, certification or specific legislative requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

NAT10994002 Respond to individuals who disclose sexual violence

Element:

1 Facilitate a safe environment

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Create an accessible and safe environment to engage with victims/survivors
1.2. Identify and address cultural requirements for engaging with victim/survivors
1.3. Determine the need for a specialist worker and/or support person and arrange if needed
1.4. Validate and normalise victim/survivors' experiences of sexual violence and their trauma responses
1.5. Explain responsibilities and limitations of own role in responding to disclosure
1.6. Recognise own values and bias and take these into account when providing response

Element:

2. Establish needs and preferences

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Work with victim/survivor to identify risks to safety and security and establish protective factors
2.2. Recognise own role, responsibilities and limitations and seek guidance from supervisor to address them, if necessary
2.3. Explain and address any concerns about legal, medical, forensic, and sexual violence specialist options
2.4.Collaborate with victim/survivors to identify and prioritise their preferences for options and any other relevant supports
2.5. Provide responses to any immediate at-risk situations in accordance with service standards and/or organisational policy
2.6. Prepare a plan to implement safety techniques
2.7. Comply with any mandatory and/or organisational reporting requirements

Element:

3 Facilitate referrals for intervention and specialist support

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Explain to victim/survivors the referral process and reasons for referral
3.2 Explain the victim/survivors' own rights and responsibilities where mandatory reporting and/or information sharing is required
3.3 Seek consent from victim/survivors to share information with referral services in accordance with health and community services standards and/or organisational policy and procedures
3.4 Provide information about appropriate specialist providers


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • facilitate safe disclosure of sexual violence
  • establish victim/survivors' needs and preferences
  • facilitate referrals for interventions and specialist support. 

You will have:

  • facilitated and responded to the disclosures of sexual violence of two victim/survivors applying trauma-informed care and practice principles
  • engaged in a process of critical reflection on practice.


Details of Learning Activities

  • Online, self-paced learning activities, including case study analyses, knowledge checks and reflection
  • Videos, readings, and independent research to explore key concepts and student’s topics of interest
  • Synchronous, online discussions of current issues
  • Workshopping of knowledge-based and simulated assessment tasks


Teaching Schedule

Week

Content

Week 1
Course Introduction

  • Pre-workshop activities

Week 2
Barriers to Disclosure

 

  • Disclosures of Sexual Violence
  • Impacts of Disclosure
  • Common Barriers to Disclosure
  • Culturally Specific and Intersectional Barriers
  • Workshop

Week 3
Facilitate Disclosure

  • Trauma-Informed Response
  • Key Actions and Considerations for Response
  • Steps to Receive a Disclosure
  • Additional Indicators and Effects of Sexual Violence
  • Considerations for Practice
  • Workshop

Week 4
Establish Needs and Preferences

  • Victim/Survivor Safety
  • Assess and Address Risk
  • Options at Health Services
  • Risk Evaluation
  • Strengths and Protective Factors
  • Actions for Immediate Danger
  • Prioritisation of Supports
  • Targeted Supports
  • Workshop

Week 5
Safety Planning

  • Collaborative Safety Planning
  • Planning Considerations
  • Technology Safety
  • Your Safety
  • Workshop

Week 6
Referrals and Information Sharing

  • Referrals for Victim/Survivors
  • Steps in the Referral Process
  • Mandatory Information Sharing
  • Records Management
  • Workshop

Week 7
Reflective Practice for Development

  • Reflective Practice for Practitioners
  • Questions for Reflection on Practice
  • Unit Summary
  • Course Summary
  • Workshop
  • Assessment Task 1 due
  • Assessment Task 2 role plays 

Week 8 and 9
Assessment 

  • Assessment Tasks 2 role plays
  • Assessment Task 3 due


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

The University Library has extensive resources and provides subject specialist expertise, research advice, help with referencing and support through: 


Overview of Assessment

Assessment is ongoing throughout the course and will include knowledge questions, case study analyses and a critical reflection task. Full assessment briefs will be provided and can be found on Canvas.


Assessment Tasks

Students enrolled in Vocational Education and Training qualifications are assessed for Competency. To be assessed as Competent means you have consistently demonstrated the required knowledge and skills at a standard expected in the workplace.  

To be assessed as Competent in this course, you will need to complete each assessment task to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher at the conclusion of each assessment task.  You will be permitted a maximum of 2 resubmits. 

You should refer to the assessment brief which is available through Canvas for full assessment criteria and due dates.

For this course, assessment tasks are workshopped each week in class, with the teacher facilitating assessment work relevant to each week’s learning content. Peer and teacher feedback on work is ongoing throughout the course.

Assessment Task 1: Questions to demonstrate your knowledge of trauma-informed responses to victim/survivors who have or are experiencing sexual violence. Due date: Week 7 

Assessment Task 2: Role plays with simulated clients to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to facilitate and respond to disclosure, including providing referrals. Due date: Weeks 7-9

Assessment Task 3: Critical reflection on practice during simulated assessment. Due date: Weeks 8-9 

Results that apply to courses that are delivered and assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment are: 

CA: Competency Achieved 

NYC: Not Yet Competent 

DNS: Did not Submit for Assessment 


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant unit of competency. These mapping documents are available through Program Administration if required. 

Other Information

Attendance: 

Your learning experience will involve online class-based discussion, and collaborative and simulated assessment work.  

It is strongly advised that you attend all timetabled workshop sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully. 

Information about your studies: 

You can access My Studies through the RMIT website for information about timetables, important dates, assessment dates, results and progress, Canvas etc.: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students 

Assessment: 

Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (e.g. applying for an extension of time): https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment 

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism:  

RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy: https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/academic-integrity 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview