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.


Possible reactionsmay include:
Display of strong emotions including, grief, guilt, anger, excitement
Challenging, confrontational and argumentative behaviour
Withdrawal, disengagement from group and group processes
Attempts to dominate group processes
Attempts to sabotage group, undermine group processes


Psycho-educational group includes:
Structured designs that help participants develop knowledge and skills for coping adaptively with potential or immediate problems, developmental transitions, or life crises
Participants in a psycho-educational group are able to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills to current and future life circumstances beyond their experiences in the group
Participants within a psycho-educational group have the capacity to learn from each other as well as from the facilitator and the program activities
The outcomes of participation in a psycho-educational group may involve changes in beliefs, values and ideas and will often result in changes to behaviour as a result of these
The focus for other groups may include:
task/work group which involves organisation settings for group and team work and where the focus is to complete a task or set of tasks
group counselling which is a less structured group and involves specifically working with individuals' issues within the group context
group psychotherapy which is a less structured group that focuses on individual experiences where participants have not had their emotional needs met during childhood and have developed some psychopathology


Alternatives and responses to possible reactions may include:
Respectful acknowledgement of differences of beliefs, values, opinions and perspectives and individual's rights to these
Acknowledgement of respective rights and responsibilities and perceptions of all participants
Relevant principles and practice of conflict resolution are clarified and confirmed and agreement sought to implement these where required
Offering alternative exercises and / or activities which can be undertaken without threatening the comfort levels of the group participant
Sensitive and assertive re-focusing of group from individual to group issues and processes
Linking individual experiences to group outcomes through use of relevant examples
Shift from whole group to small group, pair or individual activities to redirect energy, diffuse tensions and ensure opportunities for engagement for all participants
Debriefing of individual outside of the group which may include referral to other services
Future exclusion from the group in extreme circumstances where continued participation significantly undermines the group outcomes and the participant's needs are clearly unable to be met


Support strategiesmay include:
Encouraging the participant to identify when their own personal boundaries for operating comfortably within the group are in danger of being exceeded
Establishing avenues for support including buddy system within the group, permission to self-select time out from the group either by physically leaving or by engaging in individual activity for example journal work, emotional regulation strategies, relaxation exercises
Referral to counselling or other support services


Inclusive work practicemust include:
The ability to work effectively and inclusively with the whole client, considering the full range of possible influences in their lives including personality, culture, language, religion, age, gender, family of origin, education levels, learning abilities, health, disabilities and issues and the interplay and dynamics of each of these
To work inclusively requires the worker to respond respectfully to the whole person demonstrating cultural competence through sensitively valuing each and every person as a whole unique individual


Disclosure may include:
Child sexual assault
Separation and divorce
Adoption
Sexual assault
Family domestic violence
Mandatory reporting
Experience of violence
Workplace harassment
Alcohol and other drug use
Gambling
Illness


Phases of the group must include:
Tuning-in phase
Beginning phase
Middle phase
Termination phase


Group work may include:
Consideration of relevant group work theory, for example:
Tuckman
Lang
Heron
Schwartz


Disruptive behaviourmay include:
Angry outburst
Emotional outburst
Conflict with other group member
Conflict with facilitator
Disagreement with group content
Disagreement with group purpose
Disagreement with group activity


Supervision may include:
Formal and/or informal supervision sessions
Group supervision
Telephone supervision
Peer appraisals (where appropriate levels of experience exist)
Internal or external supervision
Journals
Videotapes of facilitation of groups
Co-facilitation and reports from these
Reflecting on practice
Negotiation of supervision between the supervisor and the supervisee
Establishment and shared understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the supervision process
Activities undertaken through the development of an appropriate professional relationship
Considering the growth of the person, their professional development, gaining of knowledge, skills, attitudes for the further development of their professional practice

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 to effectively deal with disclosures and disruptions when facilitating psycho-educational groups
Evidence of competency in this unit will need to be assessed over a period of time in order to gather evidence of consistent performance
This will include contexts applicable to the work environment, such as actual or simulated workplace situations involving a combination of direct, indirect and supplementary forms of evidence
Assessment must confirm sufficient ability to manage disclosures and disruptions in psycho-educational groups


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 a culturally diverse environment
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
Resources required for assessment include access to an appropriate workplace or simulation of realistic workplace setting where assessment can take place


Method of assessment:
Evidence for assessment of competence may be gathered by appropriate combination of the following:
demonstration of competency within the working environment through the effective facilitation of psycho-educational groups including managing disclosures and disruptions. as a guide, current international benchmark for psycho-educational group leaders is thirty hours of supervised practice.
realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on 'what if?' scenarios, case presentations, written assessment
observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questions on essential knowledge and skills and consideration of required attitudes
where performance is not directly observed and/or is required to be demonstrated over a period of time and/or in a number of locations, any evidence should be authenticated by colleagues, supervisors, clients or other appropriate persons
The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate
Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language barriers other than English
Where the candidate has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment
Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role


Related units:
This unit is to be assessed after or in conjunction with the following related units of competency:
CHCFAM407B Work effectively in relationship work
CHCGROUP403D Plan and conduct group activities
CHCGROUP408B Facilitate and review a psycho-educational group