Elements and Performance Criteria

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.

Lived experience - Consumer in this context means:
The personal experience of living with mental illness and the consequences. This experience includes the consumer’s mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing and may have significant social and economic impacts


Lived experience - Carer in this context means:
The personal experience of being in a carer role with a person who is living with mental illness. This experience includes the carer’s mental, physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing and may have significant social and economic impacts


Framing stories for different purposes may include:
Empathy
Engagement
Holding hope
Rapport building
Respect
Valuing and responding to the uniqueness of each person


Privacy and informed consent in this context means:

Information is shared according to the legal requirements under the Privacy Act, organisation policy on confidentiality, and wherever possible consumer and carer informed consent, knowledge and full participation. Information may under these provisions be shared with people such as:
Care network
Case managers
Consumers
Family members
Other services
Other staff
Supervisor


Ensure sharing is positive, purposeful may include:
Appropriate disclosure and use of lived experience
Collaborative consultation
Empathy
Engagement
Holding hope
Listening and responding to the person verbal and nonverbal communication
Non-judgemental and sensitive approach
Rapport building
Respect
Valuing and responding to the uniqueness of each person
Working with the person’s own understanding of their experience


Peer ethics in this context means:
Peer ethics broadly relates to the values that underpin mental health peer work, and that inform mental health peer worker practices. Peer ethics refers to the dual principles of reciprocity and equality - between peer workers and their peers - on the basis of shared or similar experiences, on mutual sharing and understanding, and in the knowledge that mental health peer workers do not exert power over people who are using or accessing theirs, or any other services

Peer ethics are essentially about actively facilitating and promoting the self-determination and empowerment of people who are affected by mental distress


Recognise sharing of your personal story is one component of job role may include:
Accessing peer support
Education about recovery
Elimination of discrimination
Encouraging a person’s sense of hope and personal value
Enhancing a person’s own sense of agency
Enhancing and supporting the care network
Identifying and exploring positive and negative risks with consumers
Promoting self-advocacy and self determination
Promoting the right of equal and full citizenship with access to all community resources and opportunities
Removal of barriers to participation
Supporting people to develop and pursue their recovery goals and aspirations
Trauma and trauma informed care
Working with consumers with their choices to live, and work in their community of choice

Own vulnerabilitiesmay include:
Recovery journey and own physical health and well being
Re- traumatisation
Vicarious trauma
Transference and counter transference
Limited workplace support or access to supervision
Excessive workload and expectation
Specific work environments


Vicarious trauma in this context is defined as:
The negative changes that happen to individuals over time as they witness or hear of other people’s traumatic experiences. Vicarious trauma is often intensified when a worker identifies or recognises similar experiences to that of the people with whom they are working


Needs may include:
Cultural
Disability
Emotional
Employment
Financial and economic
Grief and loss
Health
Housing
Legal
Mental health
Physical
Problematic alcohol and other drugs use
Sexuality
Social
Spiritual
Trauma informed care
Friends and family


Reasonable adjustments in the workplace may include:
Variation to workload, hours of work
Self-determination in regard to choice of peer work
Accessible, timely and appropriate supervision other than line management
Periods of leave where this is a supportive and appropriate strategy

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 on the job or in a simulated workplace under the normal range of conditions
Consistency in performance should consider the requirements of the particular workplace context
The candidate must show evidence that they have been able to apply learnings from their own lived experience to working with peers in a mental health context


Conditions of assessment:
This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to mental health peer work
Assessment must be undertaken by a qualified Assessor [as determined by the Australian Quality Training Framework] who has lived experience and holds this unit of competency or demonstrated equivalent competencies
OR
A consumer/carer him/herself who has lived experience and demonstrated experience in a consumer peer worker or carer peer worker role
AND
Accompanied by a qualified Assessor who has the necessary assessment competencies [as determined by the Australian Quality Training Framework]
Where the candidate being assessed in a consumer peer worker context, they must be assessed by an experienced consumer peer worker with lived experience (and a qualified Assessor where the consumer peer worker is not a qualified assessor)
Where the candidate is being assessed in a carer peer worker context, they must be assessed by an experienced carer peer worker who has lived experience (and a qualified assessor where the carer peer worker is not a qualified assessor)


Access and equity considerations:
All workers in community and health 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 and linguistically 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
In recognition of particular issues facing culturally and linguistically [CALD] diverse communities, workers should be aware of cultural and current issues impacting on CALD groups
Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse communities


Context of and specific resources for assessment:
This unit can be assessed independently, however holistic assessment practice with other mental health peer work units of competency is encouraged
Resources required for assessment of this unit include access to a workplace or simulated workplace where assessment may occur


Method of assessment:
In cases where the learner does not have the opportunity to cover all relevant aspects in the work environment, the remainder should be assessed through realistic simulations, projects, previous relevant experience or oral questioning on ‘What if?’ scenarios
Assessment of this unit of competence will usually include observation of processes and procedures, oral and/or written questioning 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, or other appropriate persons