CHCCCS017 Topic 2

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TAFE SA *

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CHCCCS004

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Communications

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Jan 9, 2024

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UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING 47 Topic 2 In this topic you will learn how to: 2A Interact with individuals with empathy, sensitivity, professionalism and courtesy 2B Identify and respect social, cultural, ethnic and spiritual differences 2C Select and use verbal and nonverbal communication approaches that acknowledge the individual’s emotional needs Engage empathetically People who are grieving as a result of loss are emotionally vulnerable. It is important that you interact with them in a sensitive and respectful manner and take into account social, cultural, ethnic and spiritual differences that may influence how they respond to their loss. The most important support you can provide someone is to listen to them and acknowledge their loss. You should never tell a grieving person how they should feel or deal with their grief. Your ability to listen empathetically and communicate in an appropriate manner helps the grieving person to feel supported and to trust you to provide them with support they need.
48 UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING CHCCCS017 PROVIDE LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT 2A Interact with individuals with empathy, sensitivity, professionalism and courtesy A person who is living with loss often feels confused and disoriented. One of the most important things that you can do to help someone work through their loss and associated grief is to empathise with them and allow them to experience and express their feelings. It is only by experiencing and acknowledging their emotions that bereaved people are able to work towards acceptance. Saying things like, ‘You should try to pull yourself together now’ is not helpful. Always be prepared to listen without judgment. In doing so, you show respect for the person and acknowledge what they are experiencing. Some communication strategies for helping you interact with people living with loss are described below. Communication strategies that can help you interact with people coping with loss include: X empathetic listening X identifying and affirming the person’s strengths and opportunities X helping to manage overwhelming feelings and facilitating their coping styles X focusing on identifying immediate needs and concerns X facilitating informed choices X demonstrating unconditional positive regard X adopting a non-judgmental approach X responding in a genuine way. Professional courtesy All workers need to maintain professional courtesy to all individuals. This includes co-workers, people accessing the service and other contacts such as tradespeople. Courtesy is the showing of civility and respect to others in the way in which we interact and communicate with them. Here is a list of the most common forms of courtesy that needs to be part of the everyday activity in both home and working life. Common forms of courtesy that need to be part of everyday activity X Be respectful of all people X Appearances count – maintain a tidy, professional appearance X Be polite X Maintain an appropriate tone of voice and communicate in a professional manner X Be on time for work and appointments and notify others if you are running late X Do not gossip about others
UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING 49 TOPIC 2 ENGAGE EMPATHETICALLY X Always acknowledge other people in your presence X Assist in keeping common areas clean and tidy X Always use the correct name to address a person Use communication to respond to a person’s needs When working with grieving people, communicate in ways that respond to each person’s individual needs and within culturally appropriate boundaries. Grieving people often have needs such as those discussed here. Grieving people often need to: X feel safe and supported X have the significance of their loss recognised X be treated with empathy, sensitivity, respect and courtesy X feel comfortable about expressing their feelings X feel accepted and understood X have their individual circumstances taken into account X have their cultural needs respected X feel they can rely on you for accurate information X have their privacy and confidentiality maintained. Respond to a person’s needs There are several steps that you should take in your initial conversations with the person experiencing loss and grief. When you first meet or have contact with a person who is recently bereaved, make sure that you acknowledge their loss. A grieving person needs to feel that their loss is recognised and understood. Strategies for responding to a person’s needs are outlined below. Acknowledge the person’s loss When others avoid directly acknowledging what has happened, the grieving person may feel that the significance of their loss and the life of the deceased person are being minimised. Simply saying that you are sorry to hear of the death and making sure you use the deceased person’s name, shows the grieving person that you recognise their loss and want to acknowledge and be respectful of the person who died. Please note, however, that if you are supporting a person from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background it may not be appropriate to use the deceased’s name. Be genuine It is important to be genuine and sincere in the way you communicate with a grieving person. They will quickly recognise if you are just going through the motions of doing your job. Your sensitivity, empathy and professionalism can make a difference to whether they feel they can trust you and to how understood and supported they feel.
50 UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING CHCCCS017 PROVIDE LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT Listen Allow the grieving person to talk about their loss and the person who has died. Should they not want to talk, respect their choice and make sure you are comfortable sitting with them in silence. Let the person take the lead in setting the pace, tone and content. Your main role is to listen and to be empathetic, accepting and non-judgmental. When appropriate, ask sensitive questions to explore particular issues they bring up or to clarify meaning. Use the empathetic listening and communication skills to encourage open expression. Accept pain Make sure you do not fall into the trap of trying to make a grieving person feel better or thinking that you need to cheer them up. Losing someone close is deeply painful and trying to prevent someone from feeling and expressing their pain denies the significance and depth of their loss and grief. You can help the grieving person manage overwhelming feelings by being accepting of all their emotions and encouraging them to express them. Be patient Do not expect the grieving person to manage their grief in any neat and predictable way. Grieving is a highly individual process, influenced by many different personal and circumstantial factors. Be aware that grieving people have good days and bad days. It is important that you take a flexible approach to how you offer support and that you recognise and respond to the grieving person’s changing needs. Empathetic listening It can be difficult to know what to say and how to support a person living with loss. Often just being with the person and showing a willingness to listen is more helpful to them than words of comfort. By listening and allowing the person to talk about their loss, you can help them accept their feelings and work through their loss. To listen in an empathetic way, focus on the words and needs of the speaker, try to see things from their perspective and be accepting of the person’s experience. For example, if someone says to you, ‘I feel as though I have lost my only friend,’ it would not be empathetic to say, ‘I’m sure you’ll make other friends in time’. Instead you might respond by saying, ‘You must have been very close’.
UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING 51 TOPIC 2 ENGAGE EMPATHETICALLY Identify and affirm the person’s strengths and opportunities The person who is living with loss, especially those who are also dealing with grief associated with trauma, often experience a loss of confidence in their own abilities and worry about how they will cope. Try to help the person think about how they have managed loss and difficult times in the past. Encourage them to re-establish their sense of direction and resilience. This is known as taking a strengths-based approach. By identifying and affirming a person’s strengths, you help them recognise and draw on their resources and opportunities. Opportunities may include sources of support and positive ways of dealing with their grief, such as going to a support group or using art to express their feelings. Help to manage overwhelming feelings and facilitate coping People experience difficult and overwhelming emotions when they are grieving. Feelings of guilt, anger, despair and fear are common. It is important to encourage the person to feel their emotions and find a way of expressing them. Trying to avoid or suppress feelings may only prolong the grieving process and lead to complications such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse and other health problems. There are several strategies that you can use to help the bereaved person manage their emotions; some are outlined below. Accept all feelings X Allow the person to express anger, despair and sorrow without telling them what they should or should not be feeling. By being accepting of these feelings and allowing the person to express them without fear of judgment, argument or criticism, you help to normalise expressions of grief. Encourage the person to talk about their loss X If a person wants to talk about loss and their feelings, it is important that they have an opportunity to do so with a patient and empathetic listener. Many people need to find meaning in their loss and do this by telling and retelling what has happened. Repeating the story helps them process and come to terms with their loss. Be with the person X Some people may not want to talk and may not want you to talk. Being with the person means sharing a space with them and showing your support by sitting silently and offering comfort through your presence. Never press a person to talk about their loss or feelings before they are ready to do so.
52 UNIT RELEASE 1 (ASPIRE VERSION 1.3) © ASPIRE TRAINING & CONSULTING CHCCCS017 PROVIDE LOSS AND GRIEF SUPPORT Do not minimise a person’s sense of loss and grief X To heal, people need to acknowledge their pain and have it acknowledged by others. By telling them they will get over it in a few months or inferring that you know exactly how they are feeling, you risk trivialising what they are going through. Encourage the person to express their feelings X Encourage the person to express their feelings in a tangible or creative way that suits them. Sometimes doing something practical helps people process their feelings. Encourage the person to use a journal to write about what has happened or use art as a medium of expression. For example, ask them to make a scrapbook celebrating the deceased person’s life. Identify immediate needs and concerns A person who is grieving may be so overwhelmed by grief that they have difficulty thinking about daily living. They might find it difficult to ask for help or fear being a burden. You can make it easier for them by asking specific questions, such as, ‘Is there anyone you would like me to call?’ A bereaved person may need temporary support. Help the person to focus on specific issues by asking direct questions about how they are managing and arrange support for them when needed. Try to monitor the grieving person’s general state of physical and mental health. For example, if they appear to be having difficulty sleeping, you may need to ask what they are doing to address this issue and suggest going to the doctor. Areas of temporary support may include: X grocery shopping and preparing meals X answering the phone X looking after children or pets X making funeral arrangements X looking after their immediate needs. Positive regard, acceptance and genuine response Always adopt an attitude of unconditional positive regard towards the grieving person. This means being respectful and accepting of them without judgment, disapproval or approval. When you show unconditional positive regard, you allow the person to be who they are and validate their experience. You also need to ensure that your approach is non-judgmental and that your response is genuine, as outlined below. Adopting a non-judgmental approach X Adopting a non-judgmental approach means that you do not impose your ideas, beliefs and values on someone else In the same way, you should accept that everybody has their own ways of grieving; For example, some people like to celebrate a deceased person’s life by telling jokes about them, whereas others may see this as disrespectful.
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