Elements and Performance Criteria

The range statement statement provides detail of the scope of the elements and performance criteria to allow for differences with enterprises and workplaces including practices, knowledge and requirements. The range statement also provides a focus for assessment and relates to the unit as a whole.

Workers may be engaged in a working environment in which they:
Seize opportunities to do brief interventions with clients as they arise
Work with a client on a one-to-one basis and have limited opportunity for supervision of the brief intervention process
Are communicating in a language other than their first language
Are required to make clients' file notes and fulfil administrative requirements in a language other than their first language
Must comply with cultural obligations which influence their use of brief intervention with particular clients

Features of brief interventions include:
One-to-one approach, private
Takes short period of time
May be done by a health team member
Client led process
Opportunistic
To share knowledge
To help client to think about making changes to improve health

Brief interventions may be used for:
Harm reduction
Facilitating behaviour change
Any behaviour which affects health, such as
Diet and exercise
Smoking
Excessive drinking of alcohol
Use of other drugs such as cannabis, kava or illicit drugs

Resources to support brief interventions may include:
Displays
Electronic media
Brochures or pamphlets
Books and other publications, see reference list
Other health workers
Community health stories

Brief intervention strategies required may include:
Applying a rang eof assessment tools to determine the brief intervention needed
Raising awareness of link between behaviour and personal health/social well being
Raising awareness of link between personal behaviour and the affect on family and community
Sharing relevant information about health
Exploring the client's expressed concerns
Motivational interviewing techniques
To help the client to weigh up the good/not so good things about the health issue or behaviour
To help the client express his or her reasons for concern and the arguments for change
Highlighting the benefits of changing
Setting personal goals and exploring personal change strategies
Identifying a hierarchy of personal change strategies
Identifying strategies for lapse/relapse prevention
Assessing potential harmful outcomes, such as withdrawal
Giving the client resources, such as written information, appropriate to the stage of change
Giving positive feedback and encouragement
Offering time and support

Organisational policies and procedures include those relating to:
Record keeping and filing
Security
Confidentiality
Workplace code of conduct or code of practice
Broader legislative requirements

Monitoring and feedback may be:
Verbal
Written
Pictorial
Audio visual
Electronic, eg. computer files

Critical aspects of evidence:

Critical aspects of evidence relate to particular knowledge, understanding and skills that are essential to performance. Evidence to demonstrate consistent achievement of this unit's outcomes includes:

Completed course tasks and materials, workshop notes, diagrams and/or lists
Oral presentation of accurate information about brief intervention
Practical demonstration and/or role play. In the case of workplace delivery, elements of brief intervention could be practiced sequentially. For example, starting by assessing intention to change in several clients, then doing more harm reduction for pre-contemplators, and so on to build up confidence and competence.
Completed log book of cases, including self assessment
Completed client file notes and records

Essential knowledge and skills:
Essential knowledge and skills refers to the essential knowledge, understanding and skills a person needs to perform work to the required standard.

A person should be able to demonstrate:


Knowledge of:

Brief intervention scope and process
The wider physical, social, community and cultural environment within which the client lives
Knowledge of facts and approaches relating to nutrition, environmental health, use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs as relevant to the client and worker context
Options to support behaviour change
Referral resources
Importance of confidentiality and privacy
Organisational policies and procedures for record keeping and security
Workplace code of conduct or code of practice
Occupational health and safety guidelines
Interpersonal communication, including ability to listen, observe, speak and behave in a respectful and sensitive manner. It is necessary for the worker's manner to be non-judgemental and non-confrontational. This ability is crucial as the health information shared may be confronting to the client. Language used may be English or a community language depending on the client and worker
Screening and assessment of client needs
Clear presentation of health information in one-to-one situation
Facilitation and negotiation to the level required to assist client decision making
Literacy competence required to satisfy record keeping and referral requirements

Interdependent assessment of units:
Interdependent assessment of units refers to an assessment relationship between units.
This unit of competency is designed to stand alone as a short course. It is designed to be offered to workers of broad ranging professional background, engaged in a variety of settings.
It may be assessed in conjunction with other units, however, it is not required.

Method and context of assessment:
Method and context of assessment refers to what assessment is appropriate, how often competence is required to be demonstrated, and where assessment should be undertaken.

Assessment may take place during a training workshop or in the workplace, depending on the mode of delivery. Assessment should include a combination of methods such as:

Observation and listening
Individual/group discussion
Discussion of participants' self-assessment and evaluation
Assessment of written exercises, displays and presentations