Course Title: Support counselling clients in decision-making processes
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2021
Course Code: HWSS6121C
Course Title: Support counselling clients in decision-making processes
School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context
Campus: City Campus
Program: C5360 - Diploma of Financial Counselling
Course Contact: Jo Wallwork
Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 3983
Course Contact Email: mary-josephine.wallwork@rmit.edu.au
Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff
Nominal Hours: 120
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 course describes the skills and knowledge required to support clients to clarify their goals, explore options, and develop a course of action.
The counselling skills developed within this course will be considered in a financial counselling context.
This course is clustered with one other course:
- Facilitate the counselling relationship and process CHCCSL003
These two courses are delivered and assessed together.
National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria
National Element Code & Title: |
CHCCSL007 Support counselling clients in decision-making processes |
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Element: |
E1. Assist clients to clarify goals and requirements |
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Performance Criteria: |
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Element: |
E2. Explore options with clients |
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Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Identify collaboratively potential courses of action for meeting individual aims and requirements 2.2 Identify and explore factors which could influence the preference for, and ability to achieve, a course of action 2.3 Determine and explore features and likely consequences of possible courses of action 2.4 Check client’s understanding of what is likely to be involved in each possible course of action |
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Element: |
E3. Support client to reach decisions |
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Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Assist clients to assess possible advantages and disadvantages of each possible course of action, and their appropriateness for meeting client requirements 3.2 Encourage clients to decide on a course of action and to consider alternatives which could be used, if necessary 3.3 Document decisions and agreed ongoing support within organisation guidelines |
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. By applying these skills and this knowledge, you will be able to use specialised communication skills within a counselling process. You will be able to use a structured approach to establish the counselling process; work with clients to clarify goals, options, and courses of action; and manage the counselling process to its conclusion.
Details of Learning Activities
In-class (campus-based and online classroom) activities:
- teacher directed group activities/projects
- peer teaching
- group discussion
- class activities to review discussions/lectures
- role play activities
Out-of-class activities:
- independent project-based work online and other research
- independent study
Teaching Schedule
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1
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Following the client’s story and staying with their perspective to support the client in feeling comfortable and expressing their concerns freely The client’s presenting issues - establishing their nature and depth and giving attention to the possibility of underlying issues. Assist clients to become aware of underlying issues where appropriate and begin to identify ways of dealing with them.
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2
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How to identify and promptly deal with situations requiring immediate action Support clients to identify their primary concerns in relation to the presenting issues and to prioritise concerns on which to work
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3
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Review of key stages of counselling session and techniques for managing each stage, including:
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4
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When to refer client to other services. Reporting or referring appropriately in line with organisation requirements. Identify and work with uncertainty and ambivalence of clients Obstacles to the counselling process, including:
How to support clients to experience and process difficulties
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5
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Draw attention to, and discuss parallels and links in client’s experience as appropriate Identify and implement interventions that have meaning for the client’s immediate situation and that are most likely to facilitate client understanding and actions Strengths-based approach – supporting the client to identify and use known and previously unknown strengths Self-awareness as a practitioner including:
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6
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Explore perceptions of client’s feelings by reflecting back, clarification and review Acknowledge and work with changes in client’s life as appropriate Monitor and review the counselling process with clients to ensure it remains of value
Proactively identify and work on threats and disruptions to the counselling process with clients Review and compare own and client’s perceptions of the process and provide suggestions and advice in response Facilitate change at a pace the client can tolerate and assimilate Recognise and assess the appropriateness of ending the current counselling Acknowledge, value and work with individual uncertainty in the counselling relationship Apply ethical codes of conduct in addressing counselling dilemmas Enable client to identify when the process is approaching its conclusion and support client’s autonomy during the ending process Use boundaries of the counselling relationship to assist the ending process Plan, structure and contract endings appropriately with client Complete documentation and reporting according to organisation requirements
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7
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Working with client to support decision-making Encourage clients to identify and explore their aims, requirements and ideas. Look at the different types of goals that may be set for different circumstances Key concepts, principles and practices of 3 different decision-making models
Assist clients to identify practical goals and requirements for these, and discuss with clients how goals might be modified based on client strengths
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8
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Identify collaboratively potential courses of action for meeting individual aims and requirements Identify and explore factors which could influence the preference for, and ability to achieve, a course of action Determine and explore features and likely consequences of possible courses of action Check client’s understanding of what is likely to be involved in each possible course of action Assist clients to assess possible advantages and disadvantages of each possible course of action, and their appropriateness for meeting client requirements Encourage clients to decide on a course of action and to consider alternatives which could be used, if necessary
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9
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Obstacles to decision making and planning in the counselling context Problem solving and action planning techniques in the counselling context Document decisions and agreed ongoing support within organisation guidelines Identify situations where aims and requirements of clients cannot be met, and make referrals to alternative sources of guidance and support
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10
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Assessment workshop |
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11
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Assessment workshop |
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12
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Assessment workshop |
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Please note that most workshops will have in-class assessment activities included. |
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
References
Other Resources
Overview of Assessment
Your knowledge and understanding of course content is assessed through:
- Practical demonstration of skills responding to a work place scenario
- Knowledge questions
Assessment Tasks
This Cluster is assessed in accordance with competency-based assessment. To demonstrate competency in this Cluster you will need to complete the following assessment tasks to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback from the teacher when you have completed the assessment tasks. You should refer to the assessment plan which is available on Canvas for details of each assessment task and for detailed assessment criteria.
Assessments for this Cluster include:
- Assessment task 1: Role Play
- Assessment task 2: Role Play
- Assessment task 3: Role Play
- Assessment task 4: Role Play
- Assessment task 5: Role Play
- Assessment task 6: Role Play
- Assessment task 7: Knowledge Questions
Assessment Matrix
The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant unit of competency. These matrices are available with the assessment tasks on Canvas.
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