INTRODUCTION

Unqualified counsellors currently work in situations where mental health Professionals are not easily accessible to the population. The counselling programme provides the knowledge and skills for lay counsellors and gives the public greater access to counselling services.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The FETC: Counselling qualification has been developed to meet the needs of learners in a variety of counselling contexts. It develops learners who know their scope of practice, behave ethically in a counselling context, conform to minimum standards, know when to refer clients, and understand the psychological consequences of actions.

TARGET AUDIENCE

The qualification is intended to meet the needs of a wide variety of work roles including, but not limited to, social auxiliary workers, traditional healers, trauma counsellors, HIV/AIDS counsellors, career counsellors, and health and wellness practitioners.

TRAINING DELIVERY

The course will be delivered through blended learning as well as through contact and support at the worksite.

ADMISSION

Literacy and numeracy at NQF level 3.

REQUIREMENTS

Students must have access to the internet.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After completing the course, you will be able to:

Discuss strategies and procedures to manage risk behaviour and promote personal health and wellbeing.
Apply knowledge to provide effective counselling.
Describe an individual’s rights in a helping context.
Apply knowledge of HIV and AIDS, sexually transmitted infections and tuberculosis to provide counselling for infected patients.
Manage people who are affected by dreaded diseases.
Develop and implement a treatment plan for an HIV client.
Provide ongoing counselling to HIV infected and affected people, including physical and spiritual needs, basic rights, and access to services.
Apply oral and written communication skills to different situations.

COURSE CONTENT

The course covers knowledge and skills of:

Communication:

Apply communication skills in oral/signed and written communication

Mathematics:

Application of mathematics to investigate and monitor the financial aspects of personal, business, national and international issues.
Apply knowledge of statistics effectively to life related problems.

Counselling:

Problem-solving techniques to make decisions or solve a problem in a real life context.
Strategies and procedures to deal with risk behaviour and promote personal wellbeing.
Knowledge of interpersonal relationships to enhance the effectiveness of the counselling process.
Counselling an individual in a structured environment.
Group counselling process.

Health promotion and HIV and AIDS:

Demonstrate knowledge of dread disease to effectively manage an infectedor affected client, including HIV and AIDS, other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB).
Promotion of health and wellness in a selected context.
Pre- and post-HIV test counselling.
Ongoing counselling and support to individuals infected or affected by HIV and AIDS.
Develop and implement a client ARV treatment plan.

HIV in the Workplace:

Causes of stress and techniques to manage it in the workplace.
Apply knowledge of HIV and AIDS to a specific business sector and workplace.
Contribute to information distribution regarding HIV and AIDS in the workplace.

Ethics and legal rights:

The individual's rights in a specific helping context.
Ethical and legal aspects relating to counselling.

DURATION

The duration of the course is one year, involving:

Theory: 52 days
Work-based learning: 122 days.

ASSESSMENTS

Assessments will include assignments, summative theoretical assessment, work-based assignment in the form of practical and portfolio of evidence.

AWARD

A Health Systems Trust Certificate of completion will be given to participants who attend the course and successfully complete the assessment process.

A Further Education and Training Certificate will be issued by HWSETA when a learner has completed all the unit standards, portfolio of evidence, and work-based learning.

FEES

The course fees vary, based on the number of enrolments by an organisation for the course. A quotation per student will be given by the Course Co-ordinator, Cassius Semaushu at Cassius.Semaushu@hst.org.za.

Course fees must be paid in full prior to the course start date.