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 practiced trauma informed care

Conditions of assessment:

This unit includes skills and knowledge specific to trauma informed care and practice

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

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

Assessors and trainers must take into account relevant access and equity issues, in particular relating to factors impacting on individuals from cultural 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

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit.

Essential knowledge:

The candidate must be able to demonstrate essential knowledge required to effectively perform task skills; task management skills; contingency management skills and job/role environment skills as outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit

These include knowledge of:

Trauma, including:

Prevalence of trauma in the population

How trauma impacts over the lifespan

The dynamics of interpersonal violence and the relationship to trauma

The way individuals cope and manage trauma

The potential for and causes of re traumatization

Definitions of trauma and complex trauma and its impacts

Definition and impacts of interpersonal violence and its relationship to trauma

Gender and cultural differences in trauma informed care

Respectful engagement with individuals, families and communities affected by interpersonal violence, sexual assault and child abuse including child neglect

Common beliefs and attitudes towards people who experience interpersonal violence and how this impacts on their access to services and recovery

Values and core principles and features of trauma informed care and practice, including:

A belief that recovery is possible and that healing occurs in healthy and supportive relationships Understanding trauma and its impact

Promoting safety

Supporting control, choice and autonomy

Focusing on strengths

Ensuring cultural competence

Impacts of subsequent trauma including seclusion and restraint on people with trauma histories

Sensory reactivation (triggering), re-victimisation and re- traumatisation

Strategies for becoming trauma informed, practicing trauma informed care and promoting continuous improvement

Mutual relationship between trauma informed care and practice and recovery orientated practice

Organisation policy and procedures related to trauma informed care service delivery

Practices that build resources and strengths within individuals who have experienced trauma

Relevant legal implications and other rights/ obligations and limitations

Legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines relating to information handling, such as confidentiality, privacy, security, freedom of information

Social justice principles

Referral options and resources available to support self-advocacy

Links between suicidality, self- harm and interpersonal trauma

Boundary perspectives (worker, client and community)

Effects of vicarious trauma, possible indicators and strategies to manage vicarious trauma

Dynamics of power and control and tactics characteristically utilized in interpersonal violence

Vicarious trauma in the workplace and for the individual worker

Essential skills:

It is critical that the candidate demonstrate the ability to:

Convey information about trauma informed care and practice to consumers

Balance warmth and empathy with boundaries and limits

Apply trauma informed care and policies and practice within job role

Apply policy and practice for managing vicarious trauma in the workplace

Promote best practice for the prevention of re-traumatisation

Use trauma informed assessment tools as required

Gather feedback on the capacity of services to implement trauma informed care

Demonstrate an understanding of duty of care requirements

Perform work within duty of care requirements

Uphold and support the rights and interests of client groups in the workplace

Respond in crisis and ongoing care situations

Identify supportive supervision processes for reflective practice

Apply oral communication competence in order to represent the interests, rights and needs of the client whilst maximising client autonomy using appropriate language and terminology as relevant to organisation structure

Written communication skills as required by organisational 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. 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.

Self-care strategies may include:

Establishing boundaries

Identifying boundary violations and transgressions

Seeking supervision

Awareness of vicarious trauma and self-care strategies

Use of arousal reducing strategies

Participating in Peer support strategies

Following organisational policies and procedures

Re-traumatisation is defined in this context as:

Re-traumatisation is the re-experiencing of sensations and/or emotions experienced at the time of a single or multiple traumatic events/histories from the past. Re-traumatisation is generally triggered by reminders of previous trauma - sensations, images, sounds, situations and body feelings, which may or may not be potentially traumatic in themselves.

Vicarious trauma is defined in this context as:

Vicarious trauma are changes and stress reactions that can occur in a worker or carer who is overtime, repeatedly exposed to disclosures about trauma or traumatic material. It emerges from witnessing or hearing about other people’s suffering and trauma.

Barriers to implementing trauma informed care and practice may include:

Absence of trauma informed organisation culture

Organisation/worker using disempowering strategies including:

Coercive and involuntary treatment

Services that are hierarchical, and non-communicative

fragmented service provision

Use of restraint and seclusion

Lack of available resources

Using judgement and non-respectful language and approaches

Using non collaborative approaches e.g. professional controlled or driven service delivery

Unsupportive work practices

Absence of evaluation processes

Identify and participate in strategies may include:

Organisational assessment

Gather feedback on the capacity of services to implement trauma informed care

Participate in Trauma Informed supervision of staff