The Employment Counsellor is an emerging role that differs from traditional rehabilitation and career counselling in the workplace. Fostered by the emergence of the NDIS, employment counsellors use their counselling skills and fundamental employment knowledge to build client capacity for employment. The Employment Counsellor works in partnership with the Customised Employment Specialist or separately to explore employment and find the right job, not any job.
This is an emerging profession that will take greater prominence under the guise of the NDIS and the changing disability employment landscape that supports the rights of everyone with a disability to pursue meaningful employment on their terms.
This course is designed to give employment specialists an understanding of counselling and its underpinning skills and the knowledge to apply these skills in day-to-day employment practice. Employment Counselling skills are essential knowledge and tools for supporting clients with mild mental illness or other barriers to employment.
The course provides guidance and, importantly, addresses the elephant in the room -the absence of counselling methodology for non-mental health staff and vocational and employment professionals. It will provide valuable skills in areas such as motivational interviewing and mindfulness.
Based on our work with this client cohort in the field and the evidence for practice with clients, the course covers:
- Practice Boundaries
- Motivational Interviewing and Motivation Types
- Mindfulness
- Presence and Work
- Basic Counselling Skills
- Advanced Counselling
- Principles of Recovery Coaching
- Self-Advocacy
- The Self-Determination and Career Design
- Working in Partnership with the Customised Employment Specialist
These skills and knowledge will be invaluable for employment staff supporting clients with mild mental illness or anxiety about work and clients who would benefit from personal capacity building. They will also facilitate a closer working alliance with mental health specialists.
For employment staff working in regional or remote locations without access to mental health facilities or programs, this course will provide valuable skills and insight to assist you in working effectively with clients who present with mental health issues.
The short course is self-paced and supported by self-assessment and video resources.
Employment staff looking to deliver counselling using a therapeutic framework are encouraged to consider undertaking diploma or undergraduate training in this field.
