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 in this context as a Consumer is defined as:
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


Safe and positive working relationships include:
appropriate use of lived experience
defining peer work relationship
clarifying expectations
maintaining self-care strategies
accessing self-care strategies
awareness of own vulnerabilities and that of the peer consumer
honest and trusting communications
establishing and promoting hope
promoting dignity of risk and self-determination in recovery


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
Provide information about opportunities and strategies 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

A range of appropriate information and education may include:
Range of information may include:
Recovery information
consumer rights information
service and support options and networks
consumer organisations,
consumer developed resources, tools and material
activities, forums and events


Appropriate information may include being:
Culturally appropriate
Age appropriate
Literacy appropriate
Numeracy appropriate
Language appropriate

Peer ethics is defined in this context as:
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


Work in collaboration with consumers to ensure that:
Individual and cultural needs are addressed
Potential barriers and challenges to achieving consumer directed outcomes are identified and appropriately resolved
There are appropriate levels of consultation
Information resources and education are appropriate to consumer’s individual circumstances

Respond promptly and supportively to consumers in distress or crisis may include:
Facilitating access to:
Ambulance
Clinical mental health services
Person’s care network including nominated person
Cultural consultants
Hospitals
Other organisations
Peer workers
Workers within the organisation
Records of service may include:
Advanced directive
Advocacy letters
Assessment records
Care and service plans
Complaints
Consent letters
Consumer’s own records of their recovery
Evaluation forms
Feedback and satisfaction forms
File notes
Individual program plans
Individual service plans
Initial contact forms
Personal records
Recovery wellness plans
Referral letters


Confidentiality and privacy;(a)
Information is shared according to the legal requirements under the Privacy Act, organisation policy on confidentiality, and where possible consumer informed consent, knowledge and full participation:

In situations where a consumer discloses to a mental health peer worker or is observed by a mental health peer worker to be in a situation of risk to self and/or others then the limits of confidentiality apply with a duty of care to report the risk as required by organisation policy.
Confidentiality and privacy; (b)
Information may be shared within the above stated bounds of confidentiality and wherever possible, with the consent, knowledge and full participation of a consumer, with people such as:

Care network
Case managers
Consumers
Family members
Other services
Other staff
Supervisor
Development activities may include:
Training
Coaching
Mentoring
Participation in networks
Use of blogs and other online learning tools


Work collaboratively with other services to:
Establish working relationships with other service that will benefit the participation and promotion of consumers and peer work
Promote recovery and consumer decision making
Support the rights, interests in the needs of consumers seeking access to other services as part of their identified recovery

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
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 of working effectively as a mental health consumer peer worker


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 as a consumer and holds this unit of competency or demonstrated equivalent competencies

OR
A consumer who has lived experience and demonstrated experience in a consumer peer worker role
Accompanied by a qualified Assessor who has the necessary assessment competencies [as determined by the Australian Quality Training Framework]

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 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
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


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 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