Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2021

Course Code: HWSS6120C

Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills

School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5345 - Diploma of Community Services (Case Management)

Course Contact: Melinda Brown

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4580

Course Contact Email: melinda.brown@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 60

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

None

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use advanced and specialised communication skills in the client-counsellor relationship.

 

This unit applies to individuals whose job role involves working with clients on personal and psychological issues within established policies, procedures and guidelines.

 

This unit is delivered and assessed in a cluster with:

CHCCSL001: Establish and confirm the counselling relationship.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	CHCCSL002 Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
Element:	1. Communicate effectively
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Identify communication barriers and use strategies to overcome these barriers in the client-counsellor relationship 1.2 Facilitate the client-counsellor relationship through selection and use of micro skills 1.3 Integrate the principles of effective communication into work practices 1.4 Observe and respond to non-verbal communication cues 1.5 Consider and respond to the impacts of different communication techniques on the client-counsellor relationship in the context of individual clients 1.6 Integrate case note taking with minimum distraction
Element:	2. Use specialised counselling interviewing skills
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Select and use communication skills according to the sequence of a counselling interview 2.2 Identify points at which specialised counselling interviewing skills are appropriate for inclusion 2.3 Use specialised counselling communication techniques based on their impacts and potential to enhance client development and growth 2.4 Identify and respond appropriately to strong client emotional reactions
Element:	3. Evaluate own communication
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Reflect on and evaluate own communication with clients 3.2 Recognise the effect of own values and beliefs on communication with clients 3.3 Identify and respond to the need for development of own skills and knowledge

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course you will have developed and applied the skills and knowledge required to demonstrate competency in the above elements.

Details of Learning Activities

This course has a blended delivery. Classes are delivered online with some demonstration of skill and knowledge conducted during face to face workshops (subject to Government restrictions due to Covid 19).

Learning Activities may include:

• practical demonstrations and practice roleplays
• online Discussion Forums, Groupwork and Quizzes
• analysis/critique of relevant reading material
• workshops, group discussion
• peer learning
• guest lecture/presentation
• research activities
• simulated workplace activities

Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule: Establish and confirm the counselling relationship & Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills/Semester 1 2021
Week	Topic	Assessment Due Date
Week 1	Counselling and presenting issues: - Counselling principles and the helping relationship - Scope and nature of the counselling relationship  -Mandatory reporting, privacy, confidentiality and disclosure -Presenting issues, their impacts and counselling practice
Week 2	Establishing and confirming the relationship: -Clarifying expectations and responding to anxiety about the process -Exploring options and approaches for the relationship -Agreeing on priorities and setting goals Introduce Assessment Task 2: Role Play 1	TBA
Week 3	Counselling communication techniques and micro skills: -Effective use of body language and reflecting feelings -Questioning or probing -Paraphrasing, summarising and re-framing -Challenging and focusing
Week 4	Counselling planning/Developing and documenting the counselling plan: -Techniques for creating a counselling plan -Making observations - Determining client’s own identified priorities -Identifying actions to achieve goals -Making agreements with the client to addresses disclosure and organisation requirements -Developing evaluation strategies Introduce Assessment Task 1: Knowledge Questions	TBA
Week 5	Conducting counselling interviews: -Implementing the interview process  -Monitoring progress against plan -Integrating case-noting
Week 6	Demonstrating counselling interview skills and techniques: -Counselling interviews assessment role plays
Week 7	Communicate effectively: -Identifying and responding to communication barriers -Facilitating the client-Counsellor relationship through the selection and use of appropriate micro-skills -Observing and responding to non-verbal cues Introduce Assessment Task 3: Role Play 2	TBA
Week 8	Specialised counselling interviewing skills:  -Identifying points at which to use specialised counselling skills  -Using specialised communication techniques to enhance client potential and growth -Identifying and responding appropriately to strong client emotional reactions
Week 9	Demonstrating counselling interview skills and techniques: -Counselling interviews assessment role plays
Week 10	Reflecting and evaluating practice: -Reflecting on own communication skills and relationships with clients  -Implementing strategies to evaluate and improve skills -Managing bias and the impact of own values Introduce Assessment Task 4: Knowledge Questions	TBA

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Overview of Assessment

 

Assessment 1 - Knowledge Questions

Assessment 2  - Roleplay

Assessment 3  - Roleplay

Assessment 4 - Knowledge Questions

Assessment Tasks

Assessment 1 - Knowledge Questions

This assessment task allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of establishing and confirming the counselling relationship, as well as applying specialist interpersonal, counselling and interview skills.

Assessment 2  - Roleplay

This Counselling Role Play assessment task has 3 parts. You will be assessed on your knowledge and skills to plan, prepare and conduct three (3) initial individual counselling sessions. You will then complete one (1) Client Consent and Contract to Treat form for each of the clients. Lastly you will create one (1) Counselling Plan for each presenting client.

Assessment 3  - Roleplay

This Counselling Role Play assessment task has 3 parts. You will be assessed on your knowledge and skills to plan, prepare and conduct three (3) follow-on individual counselling sessions. You will then be required to write case notes for each client. Lastly you will complete a Self-Reflection and Professional Development Action Plan.

Assessment 4 - Knowledge Questions

This assessment task allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of establishing and confirming the counselling relationship, as well as applying specialist interpersonal, counselling and interview skills.

Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix is located in Canvas at the end of each assessment task.

 

Other Information

Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters: www.rmit.edu.au/students

Course Overview: Access Course Overview