How to Become a Community Support Worker: Australian Careers in Government

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CHC43315

Certificate IV in Mental Health

The online CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health course from Open Colleges in association with Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd (RTO: 90197), teaches you the essential skills needed to work in mental health services.

Ideal for those already working in the sector or individuals looking to enter the field for the first time, this online course provides students with the skills to understand mental health diagnoses, establish communication with clients to support recovery, reflect cultural awareness in work practice, and provide effective intervention for individuals at risk of self-harm or suicide.

Students will also develop the competencies to support clients with a dual diagnosis and liaise with other support services to address co-existing issues. Successful completion of this certificate will enable you to apply evidence-based theory to the development of community rehabilitation programs and work to create a greater awareness of the importance of promoting positive mental health practices.

Practical work placement

This certificate includes a mandatory work placement of at least 120 hours, in order to acquire essential practical skills. You will be required to source your own placement with an organisation involved in the delivery of mental health services.

The Certificate IV will be issued by from Open Colleges in association with Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd.

PLEASE NOTE – Open Colleges is a privately-run RTO, not government-run like a TAFE, so they cannot offer government funding. Please check eligibility requirements before beginning an enrollment with Open Colleges.

Online, Workplace

Online

Community Support Worker, Disability Services Instructor, Disability Support Worker, Mental Health Nurse, Mental Health Officer, Mental Health Outreach Worker, Rehabilitation Counsellor

Price may vary

Max 18 months

CHC43215

Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs

For all support workers and care staff, or those aspiring to become one, this course will equip you with specialised knowledge in dealing with alcohol and other drug-related problems. Study the online CHC43215 Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs offered by Open Colleges in association with Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd (RTO: 90197), and gain the transferable skills to work across a range of community services settings, including the mental health and youth work sectors.

Learn how to provide case management services, withdrawing and intervention activities and deal with mental health issues. With a focus on outreach work and community work, this course will teach you the skills to deal with clients facing drug-related health issues who are attempting to get their lives back on track.

Gain practical skills

The Certificate IV will be issued by Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd.

Online, Workplace

Online

Case Worker, Community Support Worker, Detoxification Worker, Drug and Alcohol Worker, Family Support Worker, Outreach Worker, Support Worker

Price may vary

Max 18 months

CHC43415

Certificate IV in Leisure and Health

Gain the skills to make a positive impact in the lives of clients in aged care, health, and the community services sectors with the CHC43415 Certificate IV in Leisure and Health offered by Open Colleges in association with Integrated Care & Management Training Pty Ltd (RTO: 90197).

This nationally recognised qualification will teach you how to plan, implement and monitor individual and group activities for a diverse range of people. You’ll learn to support independence and wellbeing, relationships with carers and families, as well as community participation and social inclusion. You’ll learn by working for a fictitious care facility where you’ll be introduced to a range of fictitious colleagues and be faced with a variety of situations you may encounter in a real-life workplace.

Gain practical skills

To successfully complete this course and gain hands-on experience you must complete a minimum of 120 hours of work placement, within a suitable workplace. Suitable workplaces include residential aged care facilities, respite care facilities, day care centres, home care environments, community support settings, rehabilitation services and refuges.

Online, Workplace

Online

Activity Officer, Aged Care Worker, Community Support Worker, Lifestyle Coordinator, Support Worker

Price may vary

Up to 18 months

CHC32015

Certificate III in Community Services (WA only)

Please note – this course is available to Western Australian residents only.

If you possess great empathy skills and are passionate about your community and well-being of others, then this nationally recognised Certificate III in Community Services (CHC32015) qualification from Industry Skills Training could be the right step for you.

This qualification is designed for entry level community service workers and will equip you with all the necessary skills and knowledge required to commence a rewarding career based on supporting individuals through the provision of person-centred community services. Through this course you will learn essential skills such as how to respond to client needs and provide individualised support, how to work and communicate in health and community services, how to recognise and respond to crisis situations and how to facilitate the interests and rights of clients.

Aside from fully enabling you to work in entry-level community service jobs, this course is also a great gateway for further education that would allow you to work in more specialised services such as disability care or aged care.

Note: This course is available through the Jobs & Skills WA Priority Industry Training and Work Readiness programs and a government funding discount is available for eligible students. Enquire now to find out if you qualify. This course is NOT available to people on 500 or 600 visas.

Classroom, On Campus

Assistant Community Services Worker, Community Care Worker, Community Services Case Manager, Community Services Worker, Community Support Worker, Community Worker

Price may vary

Enquire now for course duration

Not Available

CHC43215

Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs

If you are a compassionate and empathetic person, and enjoy helping others in the community overcome various obstacles to live their best lives, then this CHC43215 Certificate IV in Alcohol and Other Drugs qualification from Hader Institute of Education could provide you with a path to a rewarding career.

This course is focused on giving you the required skills and knowledge to support and assist recovery of people affected by drug and alcohol dependency issues. By teaching you essential skills such as how to asses needs and provide interventions for people with alcohol and other drugs issues, develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans, work with people with mental health issues, use communication to build relationships and recognise and respond to crisis situations, this qualification will ensure that you become an effective drugs and alcohol community support worker.

Theoretical component of the course is conducted online, with 120 hours of work placement experience to be completed in one of our rehabilitation centres, and in only 12 months of study you will be qualified for one of many entry-level individual and community support positions.

Online, Workplace

Online

Case Worker, Community Health Officer, Community Health Worker, Community Support Worker, Detoxification Worker, Mental Health Support Worker

Price may vary

12 months

Not Available

CHC53215

Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs

If you are a community minded person who is looking to commence a rewarding career based on helping others overcome obstacles caused by alcohol and drug addiction, then this CHC53215 Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs qualification from Hader Institute of Education could be ideal for you.

This course is designed to give you all the contemporary skills and knowledge to confidently engage in community support and counseling roles aimed at supporting people in overcoming problems arising from drug and alcohol abuse. You will gain crucial skills such as how to assess needs of clients with alcohol and other drugs issues, how to develop and review individual alcohol and other drugs treatment plans, how to establish and manage client relationships and work with diverse people and how to work effectively in trauma informed care.

Our online blended delivery model is based on three online classroom sessions per week as well as 22 hours per week of structured self-paced study, as well as monthly one-on-one tutoring session, that will see you graduate in as little as 12 months.

Please note: This course is fee-for-service, it is not government funded.

Online

Case Manager, Case Worker, Community Care Worker, Community Health Worker, Community Services Case Manager, Community Support Worker, Community Worker, Drug and Alcohol Counsellor, Family Support Worker, Rehabilitation Counsellor, Welfare Support Worker

Price may vary

12 months

Not Available

CHC43315

Certificate IV in Mental Health

If you are a type of person who enjoys helping others live their best lives and are looking to commence a gratifying career, then this CHC43315 Certificate IV in Mental Health qualification from Hader Institute of Education could be just the course you’re looking for. The course is designed for people looking for entry-level work based on helping people in communities or workplaces overcome various mental health issues such as ones connected to drug and alcohol consumption.

You will learn all the crucial skills to become a confident and successful mental health support worker, such as how to provide recovery oriented mental health services, how to recognise and respond to crisis situations, how to use communication to build relationships and how to provide services to people with co-existing mental health and alcohol and other drugs issues.

Aside from 48 weeks of theory-based online learning, during the course you will also be required to complete 80 hours of practical work placement which will ensure that on completion of the course you are ready to hit the ground running in your first work role.

Please note: This course is fee-for-service, it is not government funded.

Online, Workplace

Online

Assistant Community Services Worker, Community Support Worker, Community Wellness Officer, Community Worker, Mental Health Coordinator, Mental Health Support Worker, Mental Health Worker

Price may vary

12 months

Not Available

CHC42021

Certificate IV in Community Services

The demand for community services specialists is on the rise in Australia and the number of required community services workers is set to increase threefold over the next decade, so if you have an aptitude for helping other now is the perfect time to become a qualified community services worker with this CHC42021 Certificate IV in Community Services qualification from Hader Institute of Education.

This course is designed for people wishing to build a career based on helping others live their best lives and focuses on enabling you to provide support, advocacy or interventions to individual clients, groups or communities across a range of services. The course will give you essential skills and knowledge such as how to facilitate the interests and rights of clients, how to work with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, how to recognise and respond appropriately to domestic and family violence and how to provide loss and grief support.

This 100% online course consists of three hours per week of online classroom sessions, 15 hours per week of structured self-paced study and seven one-on-one online skills development and practice sessions and will see you ready to commence your first role in community services within 12 months.

This is one of the only course of its kind available nationally so enquire now and begin your journey to a rewarding and fulfilling career.

Please note: This course is fee-for-service, it is not government funded.

Online

Case Worker, Community Development Worker, Community Health Officer, Community Support Worker, Health Care Educator, Welfare Rights Worker, Welfare Support Worker

Price may vary

12 months

Not Available

CHC52021

Diploma of Community Services

If you are looking to turn your desire to build better communities by helping others into a rewarding career, then this CHC52021 Diploma of Community Services qualification from Hader Institute of Education could be a great qualification for you. The Australian Government is putting more resources into the community services sector and the number of professionals required to work in this field is expected to increase threefold over the next decade, so now is the perfect time to become a qualified community services professional.

This course is designed to give you all the necessary knowledge in fields such as community services, case management and social housing, and on completion you will be able to undertake a variety of community support based roles. You will learn essential skills such as how to analyse impact of sociological factors on clients in community work and services, how to establish and confirm the counselling relationship, how to facilitate the counselling relationship and process and how to provide case management supervision.

This 100% online course consists of three hours per week of online classroom sessions, 22 hours per week of structured self-paced study and seven one-on-one online skills development and practice sessions and will see you ready to commence your first role in community services within 12 months. All learners will be required to complete a total of 100 hours of practical work placement as part of their studies. You’ll be placed in an organisation relevant to your field of study.

Please note: This course is fee-for-service, it is not government funded.

Online, Workplace

Online

Case Manager, Case Worker, Community Care Worker, Community Development Youth Worker, Community Services Case Manager, Community Services Manager, Community Support Worker, Community Wellness Officer, Family Support Worker, Housing Officer, Indigenous Community Liaison Officer, Indigenous Youth Worker

Price may vary

18 months

CHC33015

Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) (WA only)

If you’re the type of person who is driven by a strong sense of compassion and want to turn your love for helping people in need into a rewarding and stable career, then this CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) qualification from Insight Training could be exactly what you’re looking for.

Australia has an ageing population and demand for qualified Aged Care professionals is on the rise, so this is a perfect time to enter this growing industry. This qualification will ensure that you have all the necessary skills and confidence to perform to your best in this important and in-demand sector. You will gain crucial skills such as how to communicate and work in health or community services, how to facilitate the empowerment of older people, how to deliver care services using a palliative approach and how to provide support to people living with dementia, and by the end of the course you will be fully equipped and qualified to take on a range of individual and community support roles in the Aged Care sector and beyond.

This course also entails a 120 hour practical work component at an approved service facility which will both serve to test your skills in a real-life work environment and give you practical experience within the industry. Insight Training will be able to assist students with finding appropriate placement if required.

You have a choice of studying this course in-classroom at one of our campuses (in Morley, Joondalup or Rockingham) or do blended study. Please note that both options still involve the practical work experience component.

This CHC33015 Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing) is available in Perth and regional WA. It is government-funded through the Jobs and Skills WA program, which applies to eligible WA residents, and is also covered by the WA Government and Commonwealth’s “Free in ’23 – extended into ’24” program, where students who qualify can enrol in eligible courses at no cost. Enquire today to see if you qualify!

This course uses the following delivery methods, please take this into account when assessing course suitability:

On Campus / Classroom – you will need to attend daytime classes at one of Insight Training’s campuses at Morley, Rockingham or Joondalup in order to complete this course. This study mode is government funded.

After achieving this qualification, students may undertake the CHC43015 Certificate IV in Ageing Support.

Please Note: This course is NOT available to people on a 500 or 600 visa.

Blended, Classroom, On Campus, Workplace

Aged Care Worker, Assistant Community Services Worker, Case Manager, Community Care Worker, Community Services Case Manager, Community Services Worker, Community Support Worker, Community Wellness Officer, Community-Based Support Officer

Price may vary

Flexible to suit your needs

On this page

What is a Community Support Worker?

What will I do?

What skills do I need?

Resources

What is a Community Support Worker?

The role of a Community Support Worker is both rewarding and impactful, as these professionals play a crucial part in enhancing the quality of life for individuals within their communities. They work closely with people from diverse backgrounds, assisting them in accessing essential services and resources. Community Support Workers are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment that promotes well-being, independence, and social inclusion for those they serve.

In their day-to-day responsibilities, Community Support Workers assess the needs of individuals and communities, identifying available resources and services that can address various challenges. They liaise with community groups, government agencies, and private organisations to ensure that individuals receive the support they require. This role often involves developing and implementing programs that cater to the specific needs of the community, whether it be in health, housing, employment, or recreational activities.

Common tasks for Community Support Workers include conducting assessments, providing information and referrals, and facilitating access to services such as healthcare, housing, and employment training. They also play a vital role in advocating for their clients, ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights are upheld. By building strong relationships with clients and community stakeholders, Community Support Workers contribute to creating a more connected and resilient community.

Overall, a career as a Community Support Worker is an excellent choice for those who are passionate about making a difference in people’s lives. It offers the opportunity to engage with diverse populations, develop meaningful relationships, and contribute to the overall health and well-being of the community. With a growing demand for support services, this profession not only provides job security but also the satisfaction of knowing that one is making a positive impact every day.

Career snapshots For Community Support Workers

The role of a Community Support Worker is vital in facilitating community development and addressing various social issues. This profession is predominantly female, with 80% of workers identifying as women. The average age of community workers is 45 years, reflecting a mature workforce dedicated to supporting diverse community needs.

Average Age: 45 years
Gender Distribution: 80% female
Hours Worked: Average of 40 hours per week, with 61% working full-time
Employment Numbers: Approximately 28,400 people are employed as Community Support Workers
Projected Growth: The sector is expected to see continued growth, although specific annual growth rates are not detailed
Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate for this occupation is not specified, but the demand for community support roles remains strong

Community Support Workers play a crucial role in assessing community needs and liaising with various stakeholders to promote awareness of available resources. Their work spans across health, welfare, housing, and employment sectors, making them integral to community well-being.

Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing.

What will I do?

Community Support Workers play a vital role in enhancing the well-being of individuals and communities. They work closely with various groups to assess needs, provide support, and connect people with essential services. This career is particularly rewarding for those who are passionate about making a positive impact in their communities, as it involves a diverse range of tasks aimed at fostering social inclusion and improving quality of life.

Assess community needs – Evaluate the health, welfare, housing, and employment needs of individuals and groups within the community.
Liaise with stakeholders – Communicate with community groups, welfare agencies, government bodies, and private businesses to address community issues and promote available resources.
Develop support plans – Create tailored support plans for individuals based on their specific needs and circumstances.
Facilitate access to services – Assist clients in accessing health, housing, and employment services, ensuring they receive the necessary support.
Provide emotional support – Offer guidance and emotional support to individuals facing challenges in their lives.
Organise community programs – Plan and implement community development initiatives and programs that promote social inclusion and well-being.
Monitor progress – Regularly assess the effectiveness of support services and make adjustments as needed to improve outcomes for clients.
Advocate for clients – Represent the interests of clients in discussions with service providers and government agencies to ensure their needs are met.
Maintain records – Keep accurate records of client interactions, support plans, and service outcomes to track progress and inform future support.
Participate in training – Engage in ongoing professional development and training to stay updated on best practices and community resources.

What skills do I need?

A career as a Community Support Worker requires a diverse set of skills that are essential for effectively assisting individuals and communities in need. Key skills include strong communication abilities, which enable workers to engage with clients, families, and various stakeholders. Empathy and active listening are crucial, as they help in understanding the unique challenges faced by individuals, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, problem-solving skills are vital for assessing community needs and developing appropriate support strategies.

Moreover, Community Support Workers must possess organisational skills to manage multiple cases and coordinate with various service providers. Knowledge of local resources and services is also important, as it allows workers to connect clients with the necessary support. Finally, a commitment to ongoing professional development is essential, as the field is constantly evolving with new practices and policies aimed at improving community welfare.

Skills/attributes

Empathy and Compassion
Strong Communication Skills
Problem-Solving Abilities
Organisational Skills
Teamwork and Collaboration
Understanding of Community Resources
Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
Ability to Work Independently
Patience and Resilience
Basic First Aid and CPR Knowledge
Active Listening Skills
Flexibility and Adaptability
Conflict Resolution Skills
Knowledge of Health and Safety Regulations
Record Keeping and Documentation Skills

Resources

NATIONAL

QLD

VIC

ACT

TAS

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How to Become a Community Support Worker: Australian Careers in Government

Practical work placement

Gain practical skills

Gain practical skills

What is a Community Support Worker?

Career snapshots For Community Support Workers

What will I do?

What skills do I need?

Skills/attributes

Resources

Career Outcomes

How to Become a Community Support Worker: Australian Careers in Government

Practical work placement

Gain practical skills

Gain practical skills

What is a Community Support Worker?

Career snapshots For Community Support Workers

What will I do?

What skills do I need?

Skills/attributes

Resources

Career Outcomes