Course Title: Work with forced migrants

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2024

Course Code: HUSO5237C

Course Title: Work with forced migrants

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4432 - Certificate IV in Community Services

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: 50

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 performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to work with, and for, refugees within an ethical, social, political and economic context.

This unit applies to work within an agency, directly or indirectly, involved with the provision of services to forced migrants, people with refugee and special humanitarian visas, people granted refugee status in Australia, business and skilled migrants whose prime motivation for leaving their country was to escape violence or persecution, and the immediate family members of anyone from these groups.

Workers have limited responsibilities and work within established guidelines to develop, monitor and provide support and services in a range of areas, including but not limited to, settlement, accommodation, counselling, financial advice, family services, youth work, income support, education, health care and crisis intervention.

This course is delivered and assessed in a cluster with:-

  • CHCMHS007 - Work effectively in trauma informed care 


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CHCSET003 Work with forced migrants

Element:

1. Develop a professional rapport with people who are forced migrants

Performance Criteria:

1.1. Apply cultural sensitivity and adapt communication techniques, style and language to accommodate cultural values and practices of people who are forced migrants.

1.2. Identify how own ethnicity, religion, class and gender affect interactions with people and modify approach to suit people who are forced migrants.

1.3. Identify the communication needs of people who are newly arrived, traumatised and confused and modify approach to suit.

1.4. Identify where an interpreter is needed and work to ensure that interpreter services are accessed.

Element:

2. Plan settlement services

Performance Criteria:

2.1. Identify current issues which may impact on own work and organisation relevant to the provision of settlement services.

2.2. Collect, discuss and use the views of key stakeholders and representatives from relevant target groups when determining service requirements.

2.3. Develop and maintain links with workers in complementary roles in the provision of settlement services.

2.4. Evaluate issues in relation to a person’s culture, family background and interest and modify settlement plan to suit.

2.5. Identifying specific needs of individuals and determine learning program requirements.

2.6. Document and agree on settlement plan with person and other relevant service providers and stakeholders.

Element:

3. Address issues associated with people who are forced migrants

Performance Criteria:

3.1. Provide support to people who are forced migrants using a collaborative approach.

3.2. Discuss and provide information regarding services available in Australia and the importance of using these services.

3.3. Take into account the culture, religion, gender and experiences of the person in all actions and decisions.

3.4. Recognise signs of trauma and refer to other services.

3.5. Support person to deal with loss and grief.

3.6. Support person to deal with discrimination from the mainstream community and other ethnic groups.

3.7. Support person to make links within their own community and within the broader Australian community.

3.8. Refer person to other service providers as required to meet their needs.

Element:

4. Monitor and review support

Performance Criteria:

4.1. Obtain ongoing feedback from people in relation to service and support.

4.2. Evaluate progress in relation to settlement plan.

4.3. Monitor stress and emotions of self and colleagues and implement strategies to maintain wellbeing.

4.4. Identify opportunities for improved service provision and modify approach.

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

Learning activities will include:

Practical demonstrations
Online Discussion Forums, Groupwork and Quizzes
Analysis/critique of relevant reading material
Workshops, group discussion
Peer learning
Guest lecture/presentation
Research activities
Group activities/projects
Simulated workplace activities


Teaching Schedule

Course Schedule: Working with Forced Migrant and Trauma Informed Care Practice Cluster                        Semester 1 : 2024

 

Week

Topic

 Assessment Due Dates

Week 1 

 

 

Working with forced migrants in Australia

  • The international protection regime and Australian policies
  • Background, historical, political, economic and social context
  • Settlement in Australia

 

 

Week 2

 

 

Understanding experiences of people with refugee backgrounds

  • Recognising effects of grief, loss, stress, torture and trauma and the impact of migration
  • The importance of identity
  • Perspectives on gender, class, culture and religion
  • Excursion to Immigration Museum

 

Week 3

 

 

 

Constance documentary

Planning settlement services

  • Building rapport and addressing communication needs of clients
  • Identifying specific needs of individuals and determine learning program requirements
  • Developing relationships with stakeholders and representatives

Organising services

  • Demonstrate skills for working with clients to select appropriate and relevant services
  • Demonstrate knowledge for recognising current experiences of trauma and referring clients to appropriate personnel or services
  • Acquire skills for facilitating access to services

 

 

 

Week 4

 

 
  • Guest speaker  Assessment One: reflection
  • Monitoring and reviewing support
    • Collecting ongoing feedback from clients
    • Evaluating progress against service provision plan
    • Identifying opportunities for improved service provision and modifying approach

Assessment Task 1: 

(Written Reflection)

Week 5

 

 

Trauma Informed Care

  • Work from a trauma-informed care perspective  
  • Key principles and practices of trauma-informed care   
  • Safe environments and relationships and preventing traumatisation and re-traumatisation

 

Week 6

 

 
  • Informed consent and disclosure
  • Respond to behaviours and distress
  • The stress response
  • The impact of trauma
  • Heightened distress
  • Self-injury

Assessment Task 2: Knowledge Questions Quiz 

 

Week 7 

 

 

 
  • Assisting to identify personal resources and strengths
  • Ongoing responses in the supportive relationship
  • Supporting learning about trauma and its impacts
  • Setting trauma-related recovery goals
  • Building readiness and safety for specialist trauma work
  • Increasing emotion and body awareness
  • Recognise coping strategies and adaptations
  • Identify resources and strengths within individuals
  • Utilise self-care strategies
  • Applying self-care strategies in managing re-traumatisation and vicarious trauma
  • Developing your individual self-care plan
  • Empathy

 

 

Mid-semester break

 

Mid-semester break

 

Mid-semester break

 

Week 8

 
  • Reflect upon own practice
  • Principles of self-reflection
  • Barriers to implementing trauma-informed care and practice
  • Power dynamics – worker, consumer or carer
  • Policy development
  • Enhance service delivery of trauma-informed care
  • Invite and respond to consumer feedback
  • Assessment workshop Ang Myat and scheduling plus 
  • Assessment One Planning Workshop:
    • Background research
    • Partnered Role Play practice / feedback
    • Settlement Plan preparation
  

Week 9

 

 Assessment Roleplay day Ang Myat  

Week 10

 

 Assessment Roleplay day Ang Myat

Assessment task 3: Ang Myat (Settlement plan)

 

Week 11

 

Debrief Ang Myat - reflective practice

Assessment workshop day Barati Family

  

Week 12

 

 Assessment roleplay day Barati Family  

Week 13

 

 Assessment roleplay day Barati Family

Assessment Task 4: Barati Family (Settlement plan)

 

Week 14

 

Debrief Barati - reflective practice

  • Course review
  • Reflection on learning
  • Planning for next steps

Assessment 5 Wellbeing meeting & 6KQ discussion

  

Week 15

 

Unit Review and reflection

  • Monitoring and dealing with stress and emotions of self and colleagues.
  • Assessment 5 Well-Being Meeting Role Plays
  • Assessment 6 Knowledge Workshop

Assessment Task 5:  Wellbeing meeting and verbal questions

Assessment Task 6: Knowledge questions

Course Schedule may change at teachers discretion* 

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

There are six individual assessment tasks consisting of written reflection, role plays, and short answer questions. 


Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: Written Reflection - In this Written Reflection Assessment, you will write about your own thoughts, feelings, and ideas on the experiences of forced migration as a result of interacting with a person with forced migration lived experience and encourage deeper insights into the impact of meeting community members with refugee experiences. 

Assessment Task 2 - Quiz/Knowledge questions - For this task, you will be required to answer  22 questions satisfactorily in canvas in the Quiz section to demonstrate knowledge of the topics covered in class. 

Assessment Task 3: Role Play Ang Myat - This practical assessment task requires you to demonstrate your skills working with clients.

Assessment Task 4: Role Play Barati Family - This practical assessment task requires you to demonstrate your skills working with clients.

Assessment Task 5: Role Play Wellbeing Meeting - This task allows you to demonstrate your ability to monitor the stress and emotions of the staff, and to confirm a range of strategies to assist them in maintaining their wellbeing.

Assessment Task 6 - Quiz/Knowledge questions - For this task, you will be required to answer 25 questions in Canvas satisfactorily in the Quiz section to demonstrate knowledge of the topics covered in class. 


Assessment Matrix

A marking rubric for each assessment task is located 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: rmit.edu.au/students

Course Overview: Access Course Overview