Course Title: Work effectively in trauma informed care

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2023

Course Code: HWSS6091C

Course Title: Work effectively in trauma informed care

School: 535T Social Care and Health

Campus: City Campus

Program: C4423 - Certificate IV in Mental Health

Course Contact: Chris Walters

Course Contact Phone: +61399258268

Course Contact Email: chris.walters@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Nominal Hours: 40

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes the skills and knowledge required to practice and contribute to the continuous improvement of trauma informed care within a service.

This unit applies to individuals working in the community services and health sectors where services are informed by the knowledge and understanding of central trauma, particularly the impact of interpersonal violence.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	CHCMHS007 Work effectively in trauma informed care
Element:	1. Work from a trauma informed care perspective
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Apply the key principles and practices of trauma informed care 1.2 Promote safe environments and relationships with those affected by trauma, including preventing traumatisation and re-traumatisationin the context of service use 1.3 Respond to disclosures of past and current trauma or abuse using principles of trauma informed care 1.4 Respond to behaviours and distress related to trauma using principles of trauma informed care 1.5 Assist individuals affected by trauma to identify personal resources and strengths 1.6 Recognise the coping strategies and adaptations of individuals who have experienced trauma 1.7 Identify resources and strengths within individuals who have experienced trauma
Element:	2. Utilise self-care strategies
Performance Criteria:	2.1. Apply self-care strategies in managing re-traumatisation 2.2 Apply self-care strategies in managing vicarious trauma
Element:	3. Contribute to the continuous improvement of trauma informed care in services
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Reflect upon own practice and work environment and identify opportunities to embed trauma informed care and practice in service delivery 3.2 Identify barriers to implementing trauma informed care and practice and refer to appropriate/senior personnel 3.3 Participate in organisation policy development on trauma informed care according to job role 3.4 Identify and participate in strategies to enhance service delivery of trauma informed care 3.5 Invite and respond to consumer feedback on trauma informed practices and service delivery

Learning Outcomes

This course is structured to provide students with the optimum learning experience in order to demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to effectively in the above elements.  

Details of Learning Activities

There will be a range of learning activities to engage students with course material to develop skills, knowledge and understanding in providing services to people within a trauma informed care framework. The learning activities will be interactive and will include: group work activities, peer learning, discussions, case studies, reflective learning, quizzes and practice learning exercises.

Teaching Schedule

Semester 2 2023	Course Schedule: Work effectively in Trauma Informed Care
Week	Topic	Assessment
Week 1	Work from a trauma informed care perspective   What is trauma   Grief and loss   Trauma within mental health services   PTSD   Screening tools   Interpersonal violence  Key principles and practices of trauma informed care   Underpinning legislation, frameworks, policies and procedures   Duty of care   Dignity of risk   Effects of trauma    Safe environments and relationships and preventing traumatisation and re-traumatisation:  Re-traumatisation   Sensory environment   Re-traumatisation of consumers within services
Week 2	Supporting disclosure   Barriers to disclosure   Responding to disclosure    Respond to behaviours and distress   The stress response and the body  Trauma and development   The impact of trauma on brain development   Changes in brain regions   The impact of trauma on the body   The stress response and relationships – the role of attachment   The impact of trauma on relationships   Heightened distress   Self Injury
Week 3	Ongoing responses in the supportive relationship   Supporting learning about trauma and its impacts    Setting trauma-related recovery goals   Building readiness and safety for specialist trauma work   Increasing emotion and body awareness   Recognise coping strategies and adaptations   Identify resources and strengths within individuals  Utilise self-care strategies   Utilise self-care strategies   Applying self-care strategies in managing re-traumatisation and vicarious trauma   Developing your individual self-care plan   Empathy
Week 4	Reflect upon own practice   The principles of self-reflection   Barriers to implementing trauma informed care and practice   Power Dynamic between a worker and the consumer or carer   Organisation policy development   Enhance service delivery of trauma informed care   Invite and respond to consumer feedback  Work on Assessment Task 3 – Professional Practice	Assessment Task 1
Week 5	Practice Assessment Task 2 Role Plays
Week 6	Assessment Task 2 – Role Plays  Completing assessment role plays
Week 7	Assessment Task 2 – Role Plays  Completing assessment role plays
Week 8	Unit catch up and review

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

The University Library has extensive resources and provides subject specialist expertise, research advice, help with referencing and support through:
The learning Lab
www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/learning-lab
The Study Support Hub
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/study-support-hub
English for uni workshops
https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/study-support/workshops/english-uni-workshops

Overview of Assessment

There are three individual assessment tasks consisting of short answer questions, role plays with a self reflection component as well as a self-care plan. 

In order to achieve competency in this unit, you must be marked as satisfactory for each assessment task.

Students are allowed two submissions per assessment.  Any further resubmissions is at the discretion of the teacher and coordinator.

Assessment tasks include:   

Task 1: Knowledge assessment  

Task 2: Role plays and self reflection  

Task 3: Self-care plan 

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task 1: This assessment requires students to complete short answer knowledge questions to consolidate and demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and learning from this unit.

Assessment Task 2: This assessment requires students to adopt the role of a Mental Health worker and complete three role plays with clients working from a trauma informed framework. Students will be required to answer reflection questions at the end of all three role plays.

Assessment Task 3: This assessment requires students to demonstrate their ability to develop and apply self-care strategies when exposed to vicarious trauma and to contribute to the continuous improvement of trauma informed care in services.

Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix is located in Canvas at the end of each assessment task.

Other Information

Please refer to the RMIT Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters: http://www.rmit.edu.au/students 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview