Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
22/07/2026 1:14 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.

Deal with grief and trauma

Deal with grief and trauma

Unit of competency
National Code
SIFIND002A
State Code
S7069
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
18/02/2009
View on TGA
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
06/12/2013
Field of Education
090513 - Counselling
Original Release Date
06/12/2013
Nominal Hours
20
Description
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to respond appropriately to client and colleague expressions of grief and deal effectively with personal grief. It involves using appropriate communication techniques and identifying and implementing strategies for assisting grieving clients and colleagues.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1 Interact with grieving clients.
  • 1.1 Identify grief responses.
  • 1.2 Respond to grieving clients according to workplace policies and procedures.
  • 1.3 Identify social, cultural and religious differences that may affect grief responses.
  • 1.4 Identify and apply appropriate communication techniques and interpersonal skills when responding to grieving clients.
2 Provide support for colleagues in grief situations.
  • 2.1 Identify colleagues experiencing difficulty in coping with grief according to workplace policies and procedures.
  • 2.2 Identify and apply appropriate communication techniques and interpersonal skills to respond to colleague's grief needs.
  • 2.3 Identify and apply strategies for informal grief support.
3 Deal with personal grief.
  • 3.1 Identify personal grief responses.
  • 3.2 Identify and apply strategies for responding to personal grief.
  • 3.3 Identify and access workplace information resources for meeting staff grief needs.
  • 3.4 Participate in debriefing and peer support sessions with other staff members according to workplace policies and procedures.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. 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) may also be included.

crying
fear
pain
depression
anger
sadness
disbelief
denial
shock
violence
humour
relief
withdrawal
confusion.

codes of conduct
confidentiality requirements
frequency of debriefing and peer support sessions.

religion of client or colleague
cultural response to death
age of deceased person
relationship of client or colleague to deceased person
circumstances surrounding the death
number of losses experienced by client or colleague
level of family or community support
existence of family conflict
health of client or colleague
disability.

non-verbal language, such as touch or supportive body language
active listening
active questioning.

debriefing
empathic listening
conflict resolution
referral for counselling.

location and contact details of grief care services
print references
videos
websites
support groups
grief care service information.

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Evidence of the following is essential:

the identification and response to client and colleague grief according to workplace policies and procedures and funeral services industry protocols
use of appropriate communication techniques with grieving clients and colleagues from a range of social, cultural and religious backgrounds and implementation of strategies for dealing with own grief
interaction with grieving clients and colleagues on multiple occasions to ensure consistency of performance and ability to respond to different situations.

Context of, and specific resources for assessment

Assessment must ensure:

demonstration of skills in an environment where grief reactions can be assessed and appropriate responses applied
interaction with grieving clients and colleagues
access to relevant documentation, such as information resources related to grief and trauma.

Method of assessment

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

observation of candidate applying appropriate communication techniques and responses to grief and trauma with clients, colleagues and self
role play, demonstrating responses to grief and trauma
written or verbal questioning to assess knowledge and understanding of grief responses
review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance by the candidate.

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

SIFIND001A Work effectively in the funeral services industry.
Employability skills embedded in this unit should be assessed holistically with other relevant units that make up the skill set or qualification and in the context of the job role.

Replaces
State Code National Code Title Type
S7009 WFSCCR102A Deal with grief and trauma Unit of competency
Replaced By
State Code National Code Title Type
WG633 SIFXIND003 Deal with grief responses Unit of competency