Counselling guidelines & standards

Page content: Service Plan and Program guidelines 2001/2002 | Program Standards 2001

Telephone Counselling - Service Plan Implementation and Program Guidelines 2001/2002

Telephone counselling, information and referral services respond to callers with a wide range of concerns and personal emergencies. They are accessible to all members of the community and support and enhance their health and well being. The use of the telephone for service delivery allows for an immediate, accessible, anonymous and confidential response to the caller's situation.

Telephone counselling services play an important role in the continuum of health and welfare services, providing immediate counselling, support, information or referral in crisis and non-crisis situations. Early intervention, crisis intervention and prevention of re-occurrence of a problem are situations requiring diverse responses from telephone counselling services. Telephone counselling services also respond to potentially suicidal callers, callers concerned about the suicide risk of others and callers experiencing bereavement following suicide.

Telephone Counselling - Service Plan Implementation and Program Guidelines 2001/2002 (22kb, pdf)

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Telephone Counselling Program Standards, 2001

These standards represent the first step in introducing a quality framework for telephone counselling services in Victoria.

The framework is also informed by the Suicide Helpline Standards document Suicide Intervention Service Standards: Helpline and Generalist Telephone Counselling Services which outlines the required standards with which the Suicide Helpline. The document should also guide the suicide intervention activities of all telephone counselling services funded through the Telephone Counselling Program.

The information contained in these standards is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. These standards are intended as a general guide only and are not designed to replace the exercise of individual professional judgement on a case by case basis. No person should act on the basis of any information contained herein without taking their own professional advice in each particular circumstance.

Agencies are advised to seek their own independent legal advice in respect to their legal obligations and any other legal issues arising out of their role under the service agreement.

Standard 1: Service Access

The service will be:

• available 24 hours a day (except for specialist telephone counselling services, where hours will be negotiated). In some cases, this may be provided in collaboration with other services.
  
  
• available for the cost of a local call.
  
  
• responsive and sensitive to the diverse needs of Victorian communities.

Standard 2: Staffing

The service will be provided by appropriately trained and supported staff and volunteers.

• Selection and recruitment: The service will develop, document and implement equitable and transparent selection and recruitment policies and procedures.
  
  
• Training: All volunteer counsellors will receive training in the following areas:
• Orientation to nature and purpose of service
• Code of ethics
• Policies and procedures
• Development of skills in the use of telephone and computer technology, including use of the database
• Development of personal awareness relevant to the counselling role
• Development of skills in crisis management
• Development of specific skills in assessing and managing callers at risk
• Development of knowledge and understanding of common caller themes and situations and appropriate counselling assistance.
  
  
• Supervisory staff: The service will be supervised by staff who are qualified by relevant professional training, accredited supervision training or experience.
  
  
• Supervision and support: The service will provide ongoing, accessible supervisory support for telephone counsellors to assist with their counselling role, their professional development and their observance of policy and procedures. Debriefing and defusing support for counsellors following stressful calls will be provided as needed.
  
  
• Safety and wellbeing: The service will operate in a safe and secure location which meets relevant Occupational Health and Safety standards.

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Standard 3: Information and Referral

• Referral database: The service will maintain a current, comprehensive database of information and services relevant to the client base.
  
  
• Links with other services: Services will:
  • Establish and maintain cooperative and professional working relationships with relevant professional and community services.
  • Establish and implement clear policies and procedures for the engagement of emergency services.

Standard 4: Confidentiality/ Duty of care

The service will comply with DHS' Information Privacy Principles and any relevant legislative provisions in relation to the collection, retention, management, use, quality, disclosure or transfer of information. (For further information, visit www.dhs.vic.gov.au/privacy)

The service will ensure that caller information remains private and confidential and that it is only disclosed where it is considered that there is a severe risk of harm to the caller or others. The service will develop and implement policies and procedures for responding to such calls in line with relevant legal requirements and service obligations.

The service will develop and implement policy and procedures regarding the protection of callers' privacy and confidentiality with particular reference to collection, use, storage, communication, release and disposal of caller information.

Where major safety issues exist, the service has a duty of care to record identifying information to assist the police to trace a call.

Standard 5: Management of service

The service will adopt sound management practices including:

• Regular monitoring of activities and evaluation of the operation of the service.
  
  
• Clearly defining and documenting duties, roles, rights and responsibilities of management (including committees/boards of management).
  
  
• Clearly defining and documenting duties, roles, rights and responsibilities of staff, both paid and voluntary.
  
  
• Clearly defining and documenting client rights.
  
  
• Prudent management of resources.
  
  
• Compliance with all legal requirements.

Grievance resolution: The service will have a documented grievance resolution policy which indicates procedures and protocols for dealing with grievances and complaints promptly and fairly.

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