Advanced Certificate in Counselling and Communication Skills
Human and Social Studies - Psychology
Purpose and Rationale
Purpose:
The Advanced Certificate: Counselling and Communication Skills has been designed to provide learners with in-depth knowledge in a range of specialisations in the field of counselling. Trauma Counselling, HIV/AIDS Counselling, Community Mental Health, Family Counselling, and School Counselling are approved practice areas for any registered counsellors who may enrol in the qualification. These specialisations are included as elective options for specialisation in the qualification. The qualification aims to provide mental health practitioners with the opportunity to update, enrich, supplement, and deepen their existing skills in their area of specialisation. It also serves to upgrade the practitioners' existing qualifications by allowing learners to develop more specialised knowledge in counselling.
Rationale:
The long-term demand for lay counsellors is expected to increase as communities across South Africa face challenges in the developing South Africa. Issues such as poverty, HIV/AIDS, and other healthcare needs present ongoing challenges for better and more sustained community mental health care training. The qualification seeks to address the growing and acknowledged need for training and equipping a wide range of community-based organizations and agencies in counselling skills. The increased interest in training at the South African College for Applied Psychology further highlights the necessity of this qualification. Presently, many lay counsellors in various communities possess a broad range of skills and experience but lack formal qualifications.
Outcomes
- Select and evaluate effective methods in counselling.
- Apply interpersonal skills to counsel a client within own scope of practice.
- Display adaptable professional ethics, skills and judgments in a contextual and multi-cultural South Africa. Critical Cross-Field Outcomes: All the Critical Cross-Field Outcomes are addressed in this qualification.
Assessment Criteria
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
- Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of key terms, concepts and practices in the field of applied psychology and counselling.
- Screen a client and critically evaluate the information to determine needs and make recommendations for appropriate interventions.
- Identify common issues/difficulties in the therapeutic process of counselling whilst recognising the role of the social context in the counselling relationship.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
- Apply understanding of self is when establishing appropriate relationships with clients.
- Explain the nature and significance of the therapeutic relationship.
- Analyse the concepts of self-confidence and assertiveness in relation to the leadership role.
- Build and develop the therapeutic relationship and use it to inform and enhance the therapeutic process.
- Demonstrate sensitivity to issues of culture and diversity throughout the relationship.
- Offer counselling that is appropriate to the given needs of the client and facilitates a process towards the client finding a solution.
- Refer the client/s appropriately where necessary.
- Report on the outcome of the interventions and analyse own actions and reactions in terms of the resultant therapeutic process.
Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
- Identify ethical and legal issues pertinent to working with clients as a counsellor.
- Demonstrate professional standards and confidentiality throughout counselling relationships.
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of own scope of practice within the counselling context when dealing with clients.
- Use critical and creative thinking within limitations of own scope of practice and take responsibility for own decisions and actions.
- Keep required records of counselling interventions according to the established principles, ethics and protocols for counselling.
Integrated Assessment:
- The student's ability to achieve the Exit Level Outcomes will be assessed through a variety of methods such as case studies, research assignments, reports, presentations, role-plays, and critical reflection.
- Assessments are designed to facilitate learning, participation, and achievement, with constructive and timely feedback provided to assist learners in their preparation for future assessment tasks.
- Formative assessment encourages in-depth learning through learners' own activity and engagement with the subject, while summative assessment leads to certification of achievement.
- Assessment aims to develop in learners the ability to independently evaluate the quality of their work.
Qualification Details
- Type
- Advanced Certificate
- NQF Level
- 06
- Min. Credits
- 132
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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This page includes information from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) . Builtneat Pty Ltd trading as Study Start, has modified all or some of this information. SAQA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.