Unit of competency Outline
Date retreived
23/07/2026 2:02 AM AWST
23/07/2026 2:02 AM AWST
Whilst all efforts are made to provide accurate and timely information from the relevant source/documentation, please be aware that the information supplied may not be the most current version. The accuracy of the detail has not been confirmed by the Department and therefore should not be relied upon without first confirming the contents.
Provide guidance in social and emotional well being
Provide guidance in social and emotional well being
Unit of competency
National Code
HLTAHW607B
HLTAHW607B
State Code
D5720
D5720
TGA Status
Replaced
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Replaced
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
27/07/2011
Field of Education
061305 - Indigenous Health
Original Release Date
27/07/2011
Nominal Hours
60
Description
This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to provide social and emotional well being guidance and support to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander clients in crisis, in need and in the context of an ongoing supportive client/worker relationship
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Work within professional and personal boundaries
- 1.1 Define and observe the professional boundaries of SEWB support relationships in relation to working with a range of clients, including: women, men, children, youth, families, couples
- 1.2 Explain the professional and personal boundaries of SEWB support and discuss with the client
- 1.3 Work in accordance with organisation policies on professional and personal boundaries
2. Assess the current status and needs of the client
- 2.1 Establish a safe, supportive and culturally secure environment for the client
- 2.2 Explain the process of providing guidance and support to the client
- 2.3 Explain the role and limitations of the social and emotional well being worker to the client
- 2.4 Take client history through discussion with the client and appropriate others
- 2.5 Assess client's current mental status and needs by discussion with the client and appropriate others
3. Plan treatment for the client
- 3.1 Discuss treatment options with client, including alternative therapies that may include traditional Aboriginal healing
- 3.2 Develop a treatment plan with the client
- 3.3 Identify and explore referral options
4. Provide appropriate emotional support and guidance to clients
- 4.1 Establish an emotionally safe and culturally secure environment to support client self-disclosure
- 4.2 Use appropriate communication techniques to build rapport, empathy and trust with the client
- 4.3 Take into account socioeconomic demographic, cultural and language needs in all counselling work
- 4.4 Use a non judgemental approach in all counselling work
- 4.5 Use strategies for resolving conflict where appropriate
- 4.6 Use strategies for building self esteem where appropriate
- 4.7 Select therapies and techniques appropriate to client's physical, cultural, spiritual, intellectual and emotional needs
- 4.8 Provide information to the client as appropriate and at the client's request in accordance with organisation policy and procedures, confidentiality requirements and duty of care
5. Refer clients
- 5.1 Discuss referral options with client
- 5.2 Maintain links with referral agencies
- 5.3 Facilitate referral to other agencies where and when appropriate
- 5.4 Follow up with clients referred to other agencies as appropriate to social and emotional well being work role
6. Review counselling treatment with clients
- 6.1 Discuss effectiveness of the treatment plan with the client
- 6.2 Discuss options for variation to the treatment plan with the client
- 6.3 Consult colleagues as necessary and appropriate in accordance with confidentiality requirements
- 6.4 Revise treatment plans with the client
7. Review or end counselling relationship with the client
- 7.1 Review effectiveness of therapeutic relationship with the client
- 7.2 Discuss ending a counselling relationship with the client and others (i.e. other agencies) as appropriate
- 7.3 Review impact on the client of ending the counselling relationship
- 7.4 Put in place referral and support networks to support client when counselling relationship ends
8. Use self protection strategies
- 8.1 Use conflict resolution and negotiation in a crisis as appropriate
- 8.2 Take appropriate action to ensure safety of client, self and others in accordance with organisation policies and protocols and available resources
- 8.3 Seek emergency assistance as required
- 8.4 Acknowledge limits of own abilities and refer appropriately in accordance with organisation policies and available resources
- 8.5 Seek debriefing as required
- 8.6 Undertake ongoing self care and stress management activities
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.
Cultural respect
This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social wellbeing, community capacity and governance
Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices
Community control
Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process
Supervision
Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements
References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals
A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines
Legislative requirements
Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute "usual practice" due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by "usual practice circumstances"
Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework
Characteristics of clients include:
Addicts or recovering addicts
Adults
Children
Clients diagnosed with a mental illness
Grieving individuals, families and communities
People who have limited schooling
People with English as a second or third language
Stolen generations
Survivors of sexual abuse
Victims of sexual assault
Victims of trauma, domestic/family violence, assault or abuse
Youth
... and may include:
Older people
People who have issues of identity (sexual, cultural)
People with disabilities
Unemployed
Services include:
Advocacy
Counselling
Crisis intervention
Debriefing
Early intervention/prevention
Liaising between agencies
Medication monitoring
Referral
Shared case management
Support and management
Stakeholders include:
Community elders
Families, carers, friends
Individuals
Traditional healers
... and may include:
Aboriginal Legal Services (Stolen Generations issues)
Emergency services - police, ambulance
Employers (Aboriginal Medical Services, Community Centres)
Government departments and agencies providing support services in sexual assault, trauma, financial support, counselling, child protection, health, housing, justice
Vocational training organisations
Organisation policies and processes may include:
Emergency procedures
Freedom of information policy
OH&S procedures
Practice guidelines for social and emotional well being workers
Referral procedures
Linked agencies may include:
Aboriginal Medical Services
Accommodation
Crisis services such as Kids Help Line, Samaritans, Anglicare, Refuges, Sobering Up Shelters
Department of Social Security /Centrelink
Emergency services such as police and hospital
Employment services and support
Family and Children's Services or equivalent
Financial assistance agencies (e.g. family and children's services)
Health Department
Mental health services
Ministry of Justice
Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Sexual Assault Counselling Services
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.
Cultural respect
This competency standard supports the recognition, protection and continued advancement of the inherent rights, cultures and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
It recognises that the improvement of the health status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people must include attention to physical, spiritual, cultural, emotional and social wellbeing, community capacity and governance
Its application must be culturally sensitive and supportive of traditional healing and health, knowledge and practices
Community control
Community participation and control in decision-making is essential to all aspects of health work, and the role of the health worker is to support the community in this process
Supervision
Supervision must be conducted in accordance with prevailing state/territory and organisation legislative and regulatory requirements
References to supervision may include either direct or indirect supervision of work by more experienced workers, supervisors, managers or other health professionals
A person at this level should only be required to make decisions about clients within the organisation's standard treatment protocols and associated guidelines
Legislative requirements
Federal, state or territory legislation may impact on workers' practices and responsibilities. Implementation of the competency standards should reflect the legislative framework in which a health worker operates. It is recognised that this may sometimes reduce the application of the Range of Variables in practice. However, assessment in the workplace or through simulation should address all essential skills and knowledge across the Range of Variables
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Health Workers may be required to operate in situations that do not constitute "usual practice" due to lack of resources, remote locations and community needs. As a result, they may need to possess more competencies than described by "usual practice circumstances"
Under all circumstances, the employer must enable the worker to function within the prevailing legislative framework
Characteristics of clients include:
Addicts or recovering addicts
Adults
Children
Clients diagnosed with a mental illness
Grieving individuals, families and communities
People who have limited schooling
People with English as a second or third language
Stolen generations
Survivors of sexual abuse
Victims of sexual assault
Victims of trauma, domestic/family violence, assault or abuse
Youth
... and may include:
Older people
People who have issues of identity (sexual, cultural)
People with disabilities
Unemployed
Services include:
Advocacy
Counselling
Crisis intervention
Debriefing
Early intervention/prevention
Liaising between agencies
Medication monitoring
Referral
Shared case management
Support and management
Stakeholders include:
Community elders
Families, carers, friends
Individuals
Traditional healers
... and may include:
Aboriginal Legal Services (Stolen Generations issues)
Emergency services - police, ambulance
Employers (Aboriginal Medical Services, Community Centres)
Government departments and agencies providing support services in sexual assault, trauma, financial support, counselling, child protection, health, housing, justice
Vocational training organisations
Organisation policies and processes may include:
Emergency procedures
Freedom of information policy
OH&S procedures
Practice guidelines for social and emotional well being workers
Referral procedures
Linked agencies may include:
Aboriginal Medical Services
Accommodation
Crisis services such as Kids Help Line, Samaritans, Anglicare, Refuges, Sobering Up Shelters
Department of Social Security /Centrelink
Emergency services such as police and hospital
Employment services and support
Family and Children's Services or equivalent
Financial assistance agencies (e.g. family and children's services)
Health Department
Mental health services
Ministry of Justice
Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Sexual Assault Counselling Services
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 of assessment:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Conditions of assessment:
This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture
Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself
or:
accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care
Context of assessment:
This unit can be appropriately assessed in the workplace and under the normal range of workplace conditions or in a simulated workplace situation with the normal range of conditions to which the Social and Emotional Well Being Worker would be exposed in the workplace
Such conditions may include
institutional settings (e.g. rehabilitation centre)
one to one counselling sessions
family or couple counselling
outreach (particularly for youth)
opportunistic counselling (e.g. in the home when engaged in other health care such as administering medication)
All assessments must ensure that the personal safety of the worker and the client is taken into consideration when demonstrating the competencies
Assessment must take account of the practice of counselling
Assessment must take into consideration the cultural safety aspects of counselling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and this must be demonstrated by the workerIn support of this the assessor must be also be aware of the characteristics of, and practice cultural safety in their own assessment processes
Method of assessment:
In making the holistic assessment of the performance criteria in this unit it is essential that observation is made of the worker undertaking counselling with clients, either in the workplace, or in a simulated workplace with access to the full range of workplace conditions and clients with whom the counselling will take place
Assessment must include observation of counselling for at least three of the following groups:
children
youth
couples or families
survivors of sexual abuse
at risk of self harm/suicide
trauma survivors (particularly Stolen Generations/Removed Generations)
Related units:
This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application
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 of assessment:
The individual being assessed must provide evidence of specified essential knowledge as well as skills
Consistency of performance should be demonstrated over the required range of situations relevant to the workplace
Where, for reasons of safety, space, or access to equipment and resources, assessment takes place away from the workplace, the assessment environment should represent workplace conditions as closely as possible
Conditions of assessment:
This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander culture
Assessment must therefore be undertaken by a workplace assessor who has expertise in the unit of competency or who has the current qualification being assessed and who is:
Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander him/herself
or:
accompanied and advised by an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person who is a recognised member of the community with experience in primary health care
Context of assessment:
This unit can be appropriately assessed in the workplace and under the normal range of workplace conditions or in a simulated workplace situation with the normal range of conditions to which the Social and Emotional Well Being Worker would be exposed in the workplace
Such conditions may include
institutional settings (e.g. rehabilitation centre)
one to one counselling sessions
family or couple counselling
outreach (particularly for youth)
opportunistic counselling (e.g. in the home when engaged in other health care such as administering medication)
All assessments must ensure that the personal safety of the worker and the client is taken into consideration when demonstrating the competencies
Assessment must take account of the practice of counselling
Assessment must take into consideration the cultural safety aspects of counselling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and this must be demonstrated by the workerIn support of this the assessor must be also be aware of the characteristics of, and practice cultural safety in their own assessment processes
Method of assessment:
In making the holistic assessment of the performance criteria in this unit it is essential that observation is made of the worker undertaking counselling with clients, either in the workplace, or in a simulated workplace with access to the full range of workplace conditions and clients with whom the counselling will take place
Assessment must include observation of counselling for at least three of the following groups:
children
youth
couples or families
survivors of sexual abuse
at risk of self harm/suicide
trauma survivors (particularly Stolen Generations/Removed Generations)
Related units:
This unit may be assessed independently or in conjunction with other units with associated workplace application
Replaces
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| C9028 | HLTAHW607A | Provide guidance in Social and Emotional Well-Being | Unit of competency |
Replaced By
| State Code | National Code | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| WG723 | HLTAHW072 | Provide guidance in social and emotional wellbeing | Unit of competency |
