Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2023

Course Code: HWSS6120C

Course Title: Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills

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

This course has scheduled face-to-face classes where information is shared through explicit teaching, discussion and various teaching and learning activities. Plus, class time will also be provided for the application of learning.


Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule: Establish and confirm the counselling relationship & Apply specialist interpersonal and counselling interview skills/Semester 1 and 2 2023  
Week  Topic/s
Week 1

Where did counselling originate?

What is and isn't counselling?

What are the basic qualities of an effective Counsellor?

What is the scope and nature of a counselling relationship?

What are some different schools/approaches of counselling?

What are the legal and ethical
requirements of counselling

What is a Contract to Treat?

 

Week 2

What are the core conditions?

What is an empathy block?

What is a client/Counsellor helping
relationship?

What is the Person-Centred approach to
counselling?

Week 3

The 6 stages of the
Counselling Process and the 3 stages of an
individual session

Organising and setting-up the initial
session

What is a Therapeutic Framework?

Meet, Greet and
Seat

Explaining the Counselling
Contract

How to ask for permission to
take notes

How to explain your
approach to counselling

How to give
an Invite to talk, etc.

What is SOLER?

The communication process

Introduce Assessment Task 1: Knowledge Questions

Week 4

Active listening

Open and closed questions

How to reflect feelings

Mirroring

Paraphrasing

Summarising

Focusing

Normalising

Reframing

Confronting and challenging

 How to use silence

How to end a session on time

Introduce Assessment Task 2: Role Play 1

Week 5 

What is Counsellor/client anxiety?

Client resistance

How to deal with client resistance

Case conceptualisation

What is a client Counselling Plan?

Therapeutic goals

Week 6 (22nd/5)

Counselling assessment Role Play1

Week 7

Case Noting

Define what a Challenging client is

Deal with ANGRY clients

Explain SLAP + DIRT

Explain SAFETY PLANNING

Manage overly TALKATIVE clients

Deal with CRYING clients

Manage clients who constantly QUESTION

Deal with clients who give GIFTS

Explain how to deal with FEELINGS towards a client

Deal with a client that you may NOT LIKE

Introduce Assessment Task 3: Knowledge Questions

Week 8

What is CBT?

What are some CBT strategies?

How to use CBT in a counselling session

Week 9

What is SFT?

What are some effective SFT strategies?

How to use SFT in a counselling session

Week 10 

What are some creative therapies?

How can creative therapies be used in a session?

 

Introduce Assessment Task 4: Role Play 2

Week 11

 

Deliberate and sustained practice of learned counselling skills.

Prepare for Role Play 2.

 

Week 12

 Counselling assessment Role Play 2

Week 13

Define self-care

Access a further training link

Explain the 3 different types of endings

Review and evaluate overall learning


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources

N/A


Overview of Assessment

 

Assessment 1 - Knowledge Questions

Assessment 2  - Roleplay

Assessment 3  - Knowledge Questions 

Assessment 4 - Roleplay

You will be given two (2) attempts for each assessment to demonstrate the required knowledge and skills. A third (3rd) attempt can only be offered after discussions between teacher and the Program Coordinator and is not automatic. Resubmissions beyond two (2) attempts are at the discretion of the teacher and/or coordinator.


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

N/A

Course Overview: Access Course Overview