Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs

Verbal expression and comprehension (understanding)

What do I need to be able to do?

Understand and respond to verbal communication.
In community and health service settings, this will assist you with listening, understanding and responding to clients by providing information, gaining and confirming your client’s consent and providing clients the chance to raise issues or concerns.

Verbally communicate clear instructions and explanations in a time responsive way.
In community and health service settings, verbal communication is the primary source of communication between you, your clients, host organisation supervisors, community groups and other service providers.

Clear communication assists with establishing and maintaining rapport with clients and establishing effective relationships with host organisations, community groups and other service providers. Clear communication assists in safely supporting clients.

What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?

A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.

Additional time allowances for comprehension and expression may be available to you for on-campus learning activities. 

Social communication

Social Communication refers to the capacity to understand and use appropriate non-verbal communication such as: eye contact, gestures, facial expression, speaking volume, tone of voice, proximity and verbal turn-taking.

What do I need to be able to do?

Recognise, interpret, use and respond to non-verbal communication appropriately in on-campus, community and health services settings to build relationships, display understanding and acknowledgement of others, build relationships and establish trust with others.

In community and health service settings, tasks which require your use of social communication abilities include:

• recognising the social communication used by clients and identifying client’s emotional states through their non-verbal cues
• identifying that a client is uncomfortable, upset, frightened, under influence of drug or alcohol from their facial expression or body posture
• responding to clients by using your own social communication skills, such as open body language, eye contact and facial expressions, to display understanding and empathy

What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?

A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.  

Consideration will be given to the use of non-verbal communication appropriate to your disability or condition for example, if you have a vision or hearing impairment, you may rely more on using either auditory or visual means of social communication.

Reading

What do I need to be able to do?

Read and understand a range of written material in differing forms from a variety of sources such as: on screen material, screen-based and image-based.

In community and health service settings, essential information is communicated in written form.  Tasks which require your use of reading include: 

• reading and comprehending essential client information which may include client notes and reports
• reading and comprehending referral documents from service providers, resource material and host organisation policy documentation

The ability to read, understand and interpret written information is fundamental for the delivery of client support and services.

Writing (Written Language)

N.B. This refers not to the physical act of writing but rather to the written content.

What do I need to be able to do?

Produce coherent written communication appropriate to both on-campus learning activities and professional experience work placement tasks.

In community and health service settings, tasks which require clear, concise, accurate and time-efficient writing include:   

• contributing to client notes and producing reports
• writing letters and resource materials according to the host organisation standard and protocol, using clear, accurate and objective language

The accuracy of written notes in a community services context has both professional and legal ramifications.

What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?

A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.

You may use specialised software to support your literacy for on-campus learning activities.

What do I need to be able to do?

Correctly use and apply knowledge of theory and research gained from on-campus learning to practice in the community and health service settings. 

In community and health service settings, client assessment and intervention tasks include:

• undertaking assessment, advocacy, negotiation and mediation for clients
• co-planning client support and services with service providers
• focus, problem solving, interacting and providing feedback to clients simultaneously and in a time appropriate manner
• demonstrating your capacity to engage with clients with a level of focus and concentration throughout a designated period of duty

What adjustments to my study conditions can I access?

A range of adjustments can be organised through the Equitable Learning Services (ELS). Contact the ELS to discuss what adjustments may be helpful to you.

You may use assistive technology and strategies such as rest breaks to support your memory, planning and organisation in the on-campus learning environment. The use of these strategies during professional experience work placements should be discussed with the placement coordinator prior to commencement.

Students will need to have resilience and coping strategies in place to manage the potential challenges of the course. Triggers could occur from the intake information and a number of role plays throughout the course, so it is suggested that those with a lived experience of mental health or AOD issues, family violence and other access to community services should be at least 12 months in their recovery or 12 months from being in crisis.

You are required to complete a language, literacy and numeracy skills test before course commencement. This will determine course suitability and if you may need additional support.

We use an approved online skills review tool to determine your language, literacy and numeracy skills within Australian Core Skills Framework (ACSF)

The levels required for this course include:

• Language and literacy: 3
• Numeracy: 3