New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing (Social and Community Services) (Level 4)

Aim: To develop learners’ ability to engage with and communicate with service users in a manner which respects their socio-cultural identity, experience and self-knowledge.

"Service users” includes people, family and/or whānau accessing health, social and community services.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Compare their own values, socio-cultural identity and behaviour patterns to other socio-cultural identities and values within their community and society.
2. Identify dominant socio-cultural identities and values as well as a range of other (non-dominant) socio-cultural identities and values within their community to be able to advocate for practice in a culturally safe manner.
3. Employ key interpersonal skills required for establishing trusting relationships, and strategies for overcoming barriers to building trust.
4. Identify differences in communication modes and styles and utilise this awareness when assisting others to gain access to health, social and community services.
5. Employ privacy considerations and consent processes, as well as protocols used within workplace practice to protect personal information.

Aim: Enable learners to explore the NZ, regional, community and social contexts of health and wellbeing (mental health and addiction) services; the availability and accessibility of community networks and resources; and factors influencing safety for service users, their whānau and others involved in those service.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify the range of services, roles and responsibilities within the health and wellbeing sector in New Zealand and the mental health and addiction sector in their own region to be able to refer service users to appropriate services.
2. Identify other local community services and resources and strategies to encourage service users to utilise them.
3. Identify risks for service users, support workers, and others; in a health and wellbeing context and employ strategies for contributing to their safety.

Aim: Introduce learners to models tools, strategies and interventions used in mental health and addiction settings to work alongside people and their whānau to support autonomy, build resilience, foster hope and support recovery.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify factors that contribute to mental health and wellbeing and factors that contribute to mental health problems.
2. Recognise common substance and non-substance addictions, addictive behaviours and their impact on service users and their whānau (including the potential impact of co-existing problems).
3. Employ relevant interventions and models when working with service users in health and wellbeing settings, and use applicable assessment and self-reporting screening tools and appropriate brief interventions.
4. Interpret the purpose and components in a wellness support or recovery plan with a service user.
5. Interpret a model used to provide support to a service user with mental health and addiction issues.

Aim: To provide the learner with an experience of applying and reflecting on their knowledge, values, strategies and skills with service users and their whānau (in a mental health and/or addiction setting). With a focus on fostering hope, building resilience, supporting autonomy and recovery.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Carry out delegated tasks including strategies to contribute to the safety, privacy and confidentiality of mental health and addiction service users, support workers, and others.
2. Action wellness support plans with mental health and addiction service users in terms of its stated aims and objectives.
3. Identify challenges posed when supporting family/whānau of mental health and addiction service users and act appropriately.
4. Provide the person, family and/or whānau with appropriate information, education and advocacy about Mental Health and Addiction.
5. Contribute to the application of intervention models with addiction and co-existing problems.

Aim: To introduce the learner to foundation concepts in Māori world-view; foster an understanding of the history of Māori as tangata whenua and knowledge of person-whānau interconnectedness; and to enable the learner to relate these to their own role in a health and wellbeing setting.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify key events in the colonisation of Aotearoa/New Zealand that affect vulnerabilities to conditions, wellbeing, identity, and health literacy.
2. Employ key principles drawn from Te Tiriti o Waitangi and apply them in health/social service settings.
3. Interpret/Use Māori explanatory models of health and well-being and key concepts and values from a Māori world-view when providing service to people and their whānau.
4. Confidently participate in marae-related activities such as pōwhiri and whakawhānaungatanga.

Aim: To introduce learners to issues relating to: human development (life stages); medications and medication handling; and at least one other topic of interest, within a health and wellbeing/mental health and addiction setting.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Apply the required standards, codes and statutes relevant to the support work area of practice, in mental health and addiction services.
2. Relay information on the correct use of prescribed medication to service users and whānau in a safe manner, and contribute to the safe handling of medication in the workplace.
3. Identify and manage the challenges and benefits of working with families/whānau of service users in a mental health, addiction or health and wellbeing field.
4. Interpret the journey from childhood to older adulthood in terms of selected Western and non-western models, and the impact of significant life events.
5. Support a mental health and addiction service user with mental health and addiction issues for a prescribed period within a particular life stage.

Aim: To explore roles and role boundaries of support workers in health and wellbeing/mental health and addiction settings; and familiarise learners with legal, ethical and exploratory frameworks by which the learner is able to reflect on their professional practice, personal and professional boundaries and their professional development.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Apply role boundaries and ethical practice in a health and wellness (mental health and addiction) setting when supporting a service user.
2. Interpret/use statutes and regulations and policy frameworks that underpin the practice of support workers, including service user, family and/or whānau rights.
3. Carry out delegated support work tasks with users of health and wellness (mental health and addiction) services that contribute to the functioning of a team.
4. Participate in supervision within the professional health or social services environment, and consider applicable factors when negotiating a contract for professional social services supervision.
5. Set personal and professional development goals, interpret organisational processes for reflecting and recording progress in professional development.

Aim: Application of, and consolidation of, learners’ knowledge, strategies and role-specific skills (in a mental health and/or addiction setting), with service users and their whānau. With a focus on fostering hope, building resilience, supporting autonomy and recovery.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and implement strategies for engaging with mental health and addiction service users and their natural supports.
2. Identify and implement strategies for increasing resilience within the field of health and wellbeing (Mental Health and Addiction support work).
3. Support the person, family and/or whānau to develop, implement and monitor the goals, review progress and contribute to up-dating a wellness support plan.
4. Articulate theory, values, principles and practice skills used in work place environment and formulate strategies for ongoing personal and professional development.