Course Title: Counsel clients affected by domestic and family violence

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: VE 2020

Class Number: 2079

Class Section: DARD

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: HWSS6092C

Course Title: Counsel clients affected by domestic and family violence

School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5397 - Diploma of Community Services

Course Contact: Anne Fitzpatrick

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 99250329

Course Contact Email: @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

Applicants must have completed a Certificate IV in Community Services or a related field (Youth Work, Disability & Alcohol & Other Drugs) or be currently employed in a community services organisation working with either men, women, young people and families.

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to use counselling and facilitation skills to explore client issues and identify possible options by providing a safe and supportive environment. It includes encouraging clients to be actively involved in seeking their own solutions.

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

This unit is delivered in a cluster with:

CHCCSM005     Develop, facilitate and review all aspects of case management

CHCDFV007     Work with users of violence to effect change

 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CHCDFV006 Counsel clients affected by domestic and family violence

Element:

1. Establish confidence

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Review existing case information as the basis for work

1.2 Use interpersonal skills to establish a professional relationship with clients based on confidence and support

1.3 Conduct interviews and interactions with clients in asafe environment and in a participatory and confidential manner

1.4 Show sensitivity to cultural, family and individual differences and any specific needs

1.5 Explain and promote rights and responsibilities of client,their family andworker throughout client contact

1.6 Mutually determine appropriate structures, timeframes and protocols

1.7 Apply organisation standards and procedures and comply with legislative and statutory requirements

Element:

2. Explore issues

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Use appropriate questioning to encourage clients to explore and acknowledge their fears, concerns and personal capabilities

2.2 Encourage those who use violence to take personal responsibility for their actions

2.3 Use facilitation skills to encourage exploration of emotions and experiences that will assist in reflection of issues

2.4 Analyse and respond to any indications of risk or threats to safety according to the degree and nature of the risk to client, their family and/or worker

2.5 Explore services and resourcesto meet needs of client and their family in accordance with organisation standards and procedures

2.6 Provide accurate and relevant information designed to develop awareness and understanding of domestic violence

2.7 Encourage client self- determination by using opportunities which assist clients to identify issues, set personal goals and make informed choices to enhance the safety of the client and their family

2.8 Encourage clients to recognise decisions and changes needed to assist them to achieve their goals

2.9 Acknowledge progress and encourage and support self-management of issues

Element:

3. Identify future directions

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Identify and document future services and support required by the client and plan their delivery in consultation with client, their family and other appropriate people

3.2 Jointly identify client information needs and agree and implement actions to satisfy these as appropriate

3.3 Provide opportunities for client and their family to obtain information and develop skills

3.4 Use questioning and reflection to assist the client to make positive choices and changes as necessary

3.5 Maintain records of participation and progress according to organisation standards and procedures

Element:

4. Evaluate own communication

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Reflect on and evaluate own communication with clients

4.2 Recognise the effect of own values and beliefs on communication with clients

4.3 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. By applying these skills and this knowledge you will be able to work with clients on personal and psychological issues associated with domestic and family violence within established policies, procedures and guidelines.


Details of Learning Activities

  • Class exercises to review discussions/lectures
  • Group projects
  • Workshopping of projects including peer/lecturer feedback
  • Group discussion
  • Practical placement
  • Simulated workplace activities


Teaching Schedule

 

WorkshopsCluster: Case work in a Family Violence context ClusterWorkshop 1 + 2Introduction and initial engagement

  • Establishing confidence, and maintaining professional relationship
    • interpersonal skills
    • interviews and interactions
    • sensitivity to cultural family and individual differences
    • promoting rights and responsibilities
    • appropriate questioning

Principles and approaches.

  • Specifically
    • strength-based
    • rights-based
    • person-centred
    • needs-based

Before meeting the client

  • Identify and prepare appropriate assessment tools and processes as used in service agency
  • Gather existing information about client, including information provided by specialists and other sources – this is to determine the range of issues that may be affecting client

Initial contact with client

  • Ensure that the practical aspects of meeting have been made in consultation with person being assessed.
  • Establishing rapport, providing safe environment for meetings
  • Provide clear information about the assessment process and obtain consent
  • Risks – evaluating issues of urgency and eligibility (and risk factors for service delivery)
  • How to address the “roles and responsibilities” of worker, client (including boundaries, service delivery processes)
  • In understanding your role and responsibility as worker, ensure you work within scope of your own role and seek assistance/ support as required
  • How to have the conversation with client on organisation, family and community needs, responsibilities and rights
  • Providing information on rights of appeal and complaints processes as part of roles & responsibilities information
  • Establish collaborative approach to working with client
  • Bringing cultural considerations into your case management planning
  • Working with diversity and special needs

Workshop 3 + 4Boundaries of work role

  • How to ensure decisions and actions taken are within own level of responsibility
  • Obligations as defined by position description and own agency’s policy and procedures
  • Obligations as defined by law and relevant codes of practice/licensing/registration
  • Looking at work role in terms of state legislation and service policies and procedures
  • Seeking supervision
  • Reporting and discussing concerns
  • Identifying indicators of client issues beyond scope of own role and reporting/referring accordingly
  • Vicarious trauma
  • Applying effective safe work and self-management strategies when working in child protection

Counselling/communication techniques for working clients

  • Adopting a structured approach – preparing for the client session, including information about the client’s developmental status. May involve consultation with client’s family/other worker/s
  • Selecting and using communication techniques that support the initial session’s objectives
  • Focus on client needs and expectations in the initial session
  • Developing a collaborative relationship with child/young person and their families (all cultural and socioeconomic contexts) – look at what is involved in this
  • Prioritising the experience of the child/young person when supporting their needs, rights and interests

The client counselling session

  • Working with the child/young person to ensure they understand the nature of the counselling service
  • Apply knowledge of lifespan development theories to clarify client’s developmental status after observing and questioning appropriately
  • Recognise factors that may have impacted on appearance and behaviour of the client
  • Work with anxieties as they arise
  • Be respectful of concerns and individual need – work accordingly
  • Maintaining confidentiality

Working with Families

  • Particular strategies for working with families
  • Collaborative working practices

Identifying risk factors

  • Working with families and supporting them to address risks
  • Providing referrals to support families
  • Identifying potential risk factors associated with developmental issues

Workshop 4 + 5Collaborative working practices

  • What these look like – with child/young person, families, other agencies and workers
  • Establishing agreed guidelines of collaborative practice
  • How collaborative working practices can support the management of challenges in child protection work

 Using other services

  • Consider referrals to other services and own service deliver from strengths-based perspective
  • Work with the idea of ‘best fit’ for client when evaluating internal capability and other service networks
  • Work collaboratively with client – provide with service information, support their decision-making processes and encourage to self-advocate

Monitoring case plan

  • Implement strategies to monitor case plan with client on a regular basis
  • How to implement changes that may need to occur to case plan – work on how to develop appropriate alternatives and/or ongoing interventions – negotiate any changes with all relevant parties
  • Documenting case plans interventions in compliance with evidence-based practice and confidentiality requirements

Workshop 6 + 7Ethics and client-focused work practices

  • Protecting the rights of clients – what these are, and how to protect them
  • Safe working practices – for worker and young clients
  • Ethical and nurturing practices when working with children and young people
  • Professional boundaries
  • Recognising and reporting potential ethical concerns when working with children & young people

Workshop  8Reporting

  • Maintaining accurate records relevant to specific and general circumstances surrounding risk of harm in accordance with state legislation, service policies and procedures, and ethics
  • Recording and reporting risk-of harm indicators
  • How to write reports that are non-judgemental, and why
  • Working with relevant agencies in ensuring maximum effectiveness of report
  • Disclosure and organisation requirements

Case closure

  • Processes and documentation

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Assessment One: Case scenario and written response to questions,

Assessment Two: Case scenario and written response to questions,


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 required 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 should refer to the assessment brief which is available through Canvas for full assessment criteria.

Assessment Task 1: Role play: Kirrie and Mick

Assessment Task 2: Role play: Jill and Troy

Assessment Task 3: Role play: Michelle and Adam

Assessment Task 4: Case scenario: Tony

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 matrices are available through Program Administration.

Other Information

Attendance:

Your learning experience will involve class-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical exercises

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

Assessment:

Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (eg. 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