Elements and Performance Criteria

RANGE STATEMENT

The Range Statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Add any essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts.


Features of suicide loss may include:
Feelings of rejection, abandonment and blaming
Feelings of remorse, guilt and responsibility
Feelings of anger and/or helplessness
Feelings of relief
Feelings of stigma and shame (depending on cultural context)
Denial
The need to understand why the search for motive and acceptance when there may not be a motive
Difficulty acknowledging the cause of death
Fear of hereditary susceptibility
Loss of basic trust
Loss of sense of safety
Increased risk of suicide
Trauma


Support for those bereaved by suicide may include:
Individual grief counselling
Group grief counselling
Self-help support group
Psycho-educational support group
Social network
Recognised telephone and web-based counselling services
Psychological services
Mental health services
Suicide prevention services
Pastoral/spiritual care support


Education approaches may include:
Information about aspects such as
psychological processes
practical needs
coping strategies
emotional needs
physical needs
social needs
spiritual needs


Support approaches may include:
Psychological support
Emotional support
Therapeutic methods
Health promotional support including community capacity building approach


Therapeutic approaches may include but are not limited to:
Therapeutic methods such as
rational emotive therapy
systematic desensitisation
person-centred therapy
group therapy


Principles of working with persons bereaved by suicide may include:
'Above all, do no harm'
Duty of care
Confidentiality and privacy
Cultural safety
Sensitivity and respect
Acceptance and non-judgement
'Rights of Persons bereaved by suicide'
Risk management


Needs of the individual, family and community may include:
Information about general grief and loss theory
Information about trauma
Understanding of individuality of grief
Understanding of cultural diversity in grief and loss
Statistics about suicide and suicide bereavement
Information about possible cognitive restrictions of the individual
Dealing with stigma (e.g. psychosocial, legal and religious) and isolation
Understanding of feelings of rejection, abandonment and blame
Understanding of feelings of remorse, guilt and responsibility
Understanding of feelings of anger and/or helplessness
Understanding of feelings of relief
Understanding of feelings of stigma and shame (depending on cultural context)
Understanding the need to understand why the search for motive and acceptance that there may not be a motive
Dealing with denial
Dealing with difficulty acknowledging the cause of death
Dealing with fear of hereditary susceptibility
Dealing with contagion
Working with family dynamics
Understanding loss of basic trust and loss of sense of safety
Assessing increased risk of suicide and other risk taking behaviours
Logistical and legal issues
Information about coping strategies and interpersonal tactics
Acknowledging strengths
Supporting therapeutic process of hope
Working towards resilience and integration
Developing potential for growth
Lifespan approach to suicide prevention
A continuum of care
Identifying individual strengths


Lifespan and developmental issues may include:
Children's development level
Adolescents
Elderly
Intellectual disabilities
Developmental disabilities


External support agencies may include, but are not limited to:
Coroner's office
Housing services
Financial management services
Funeral services
Legal services
Translation services
24 hour crisis services
Recognised telephone and web-based counselling services
Grief counselling services
Psychological services
Disability services
Domestic and family violence services
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander health services
Emergency services
Mental health services
Mental health community teams
Suicide prevention services
Government agencies, such as Veterans' Affairs


Use and power of language and communication refers to:
Reactions to specific words such as 'committed suicide'


Suicide prevention and post-vention skills and intervention responses may include:
Identifying warning signs
Risk assessment
Counselling skills
Intervention responses
Engaging people
Life sustaining actions
Helping actions
Protective factors
Developing safety plans


Self-care strategies may include:
Personal management and self-monitoring
Supervision
Follow-up support and defusing
Reflection on practice
Recognition of negative emotions and well being
Peer support
Ongoing professional development and formal training
Knowing when and how to ask for back up support

EVIDENCE GUIDE

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria, Required Skills and Knowledge, the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package.

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate this unit of competency:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
This unit is best assessed in the workplace or in a simulated workplace under the normal of range conditions
Assessment should be gathered on one or more occasions but must reflect the normal range of client situations encountered in the workplace


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in community services should be aware of access, equity and human rights issues in relation to their own area of work
All workers should develop their ability to work in culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) environments
In recognition of particular issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, workers should be aware of cultural, historical and current issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients and communities


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other community services units of competency is encouraged


Method of assessment:
Consistent performance and development would be expected to be demonstrated involving a combination of oral and written tasks while also featuring simulated and actual practiceExamples might include:
group exercises
written (e.g. journal) and verbal responses to questioning
simulated exercises


Related units:
This unit is recommended to be assessed in conjunction with related unit:
CHCCS426B Provide support and care relating to loss and grief