Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2022
Course Code: HWSS6120C
Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills
Important Information:
Please note that this course may have compulsory in-person attendance requirements for some teaching activities.
To participate in any RMIT course in-person activities or assessment, you will need to comply with RMIT vaccination requirements which are applicable during the duration of the course. This RMIT requirement includes being vaccinated against COVID-19 or holding a valid medical exemption.
Please read this RMIT Enrolment Procedure as it has important information regarding COVID vaccination and your study at RMIT: https://policies.rmit.edu.au/document/view.php?id=209.
Please read the Student website for additional requirements of in-person attendance: https://www.rmit.edu.au/covid/coming-to-campus
Please check your Canvas course shell closer to when the course starts to see if this course requires mandatory in-person attendance. The delivery method of the course might have to change quickly in response to changes in the local state/national directive regarding in-person course attendance.
School: 535T Social Care and Health
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
Classes are delivered face to face with some online delivery. During face to face and online classes, information is shared through talks and discussions, and workshops where exercises are conducted to apply learning. Time is also allocated in classes for students to work on group and individual assessment tasks.
Teaching Schedule
| Course Schedule: Establish and confirm the counselling relationship & Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills/Semester 1 2022 | |
| Week | Topic/s |
| 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 1: Knowledge Questions |
| 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 |
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: Knowledge Questions |
| 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 Introduce Assessment Task 4: Role Play 2 |
| 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 |
| Week 11 | - Review and evaluate learning |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Assessment 1 - Knowledge Questions
Assessment 2 - Roleplay
Assessment 3 - Knowledge Questions
Assessment 4 - Roleplay
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 1
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 - 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 4 - Roleplay 2
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 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