Career Development Standards and Competencies

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Type of recognition

Assessed Learning, Certificate Level

Certificate requirements

1. Completion of all courses and assignments within the 10 modules.
2. Successful completion of the Needs Assessment video assignment (Module 3), which is evaluated by an instructor and feedback is given. The assignment must receive a 'pass' by the Instructor and results in the earning of the Needs Assessment: Foundations Microcredential.
3. Successful completion of the Module 5 writing assignment, writing a rationale to support an Education Plan. The assignment must receive a 'pass' by the Instructor and results in the earning of the 'Writing in Case Management' Microcredential.
4. Successful completion of the three-part final assignment (Module 9). This comprehensive assignment requires the demonstration of learning from the case management training, including case conceptualization, decision-making and prioritizing, identifying and describing client strengths and employment challenges/barriers, writing case notes, determining interventions, developing a comprehensive employment action plan and writing a rationale to support an education plan. The final assignment demonstrates the learning from Modules 1 – 8 of the training.

Learning Content

Each module comprises a series of short courses that incorporate a range of approaches, including presentations, readings and learning activities. All integrate strategies for learner engagement.

Module 1: Case Management in Career and Employment Services

The first module provides an orientation to the training and introduces case management both in the context of career development practice and as a distinct skill set. In the employment services setting within OSD, Case Workers are typically also Career Development Practitioners, and this module outlines the competencies required of each role.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Have a general overall understanding of the training
• Be familiar with the current status and future direction of case management, both from a provincial and a national perspective
• Define career development practitioner and case manager/case worker, and explain the relationship between the two roles
• Identify and discuss the core competencies required of a person who is a case manager of a client
• Assess personal strengths and identify areas for further development
• Begin or add to a professional development plan

Module 2: Communication Skills and Developing a Working Alliance

Module 2 focuses on the core communication skills required to establish rapport and build a working alliance. These skills are the foundation of case management and include nonverbal, verbal and listening skills as well as the core elements of building a working alliance – rapport, confidentiality, collaboration, trust, and giving feedback.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Understand and practice critical components of good communication skills, including nonverbal, verbal and listening skills.
• Recognize and appreciate cultural diversity and inclusion.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the core elements of building a working alliance, including rapport, confidentiality, collaboration, trust, and feedback.

Module 3: Needs Assessment

Module 3, the Needs Assessment, is the heart of the training. In it, the communication skills learned and practiced in Module 2 are applied to conducting a needs assessment. Concepts covered in Module 3 include introductions and confidentiality, the Employability Dimensions, strategies for effective questioning, and the needs assessment interview/conversation. A recorded video assignment is submitted for evaluation.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Understand the levels of needs assessment and the purpose of each.
• Demonstrate effective questioning skills.
• Be aware of and understand five employability dimensions.
• List the general components of a needs assessment interview.
• Identify client strengths.
• Identify employment barriers/challenges.
• Be able to introduce yourself to a client and review confidentiality.
• Conduct an effective needs assessment interview/conversation.

Module 4: Case Worker Essentials

Module 4 builds on the needs assessment, continuing with next steps in the case management process, including case conceptualization, decision-making, and making referrals; and addressing the case management competencies of community connections, coordinating interventions, and advocacy.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Use information gathered in a needs assessment to conceptualize a case.
• Be familiar with the steps of decision-making and the ethical decision-making model.
• Apply judgment and decision-making skills in prioritizing employment barriers.
• Understand case conferencing and its benefits.
• Integrate the skills of case conceptualization, prioritizing and decision-making in summarizing a case for case conferencing.
• Comprehend essential components of coordinating interventions, including community connections, making referrals and advocacy.
• Be able to identify employability dimensions and interventions to address specific client barriers.

Module 5: Writing for Case Workers

In Module 5, the focus shifts to one particular element of case work – writing. Module 5 reviews critical aspects of effective writing, then focuses on specific tasks including writing about barriers, action planning, and writing emails and case notes.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Know the meaning and purpose of the action plan.
• Recognize core elements of effective writing in case work, such as being clear, concise, accurate and objective.
• Identify your own strengths and areas for growth in relation to writing skills.
• Base all communications to or about a client on a foundation of respect, acceptance and trust.
• Demonstrate effective writing skills when describing employment barriers.
• Demonstrate effective writing skills in writing case notes and e-mails.

Module 6: Additional Skills for Case Workers

Module 6 examines three additional skill areas. Time management, working with challenging clients, and saying ‘no’ to clients while maintaining a working alliance are all critical to effective practice and are covered here.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Implement strategies for developing time management skills.
• Identify personal strengths and areas for growth related to time management.
• Understand client reluctance or resistance and recognize the signs of a reluctant or resistant client.
• Recognize disruptive behaviours.
• Use strategies for working with resistant clients and disruptive behaviours.
• Demonstrate the skills of saying ‘no’ to a client while maintaining a working alliance.

Module 7: Case Closure

Module 7 explores the final stage in the case management life cycle, Follow-Up. It also includes a review of case closure and strategies for working with returning clients.

At the end of this module, learners will:

• Understand the process of closing a client’s case
• Be familiar with possible reasons for closing a client’s case
• Understand how to discuss case closure with clients
• Recognize the purpose and value of follow-up
• Be aware of strategies for working with clients who are in a cycle of not completing their action plan successfully and continuing to return for services.

Module 8: Job Search

An understanding of job search strategies and tasks enables case workers to support clients around this important component of the career development process. Module 8 addresses resumes, cover letters, marketing and labour market research, as well as the strategy of helping clients increase their self-awareness and confidence to meet their goals.

Module 9: Final Assignment

Module 9 comprises a final, 3-part assignment. Part one is based on a simulated client scenario. Participants must review a needs assessment video and related documentation, analyze the case, complete case notes, identify and describe barriers, determine possible short- and long-term interventions, and write an action plan that includes these components. Part 2 is based on a different case study; participants must review all materials from the comprehensive simulated case and write a rationale/case note to recommend an Education Plan. Part 3 is the participant's personal written reflection on the learning from the training. All three parts of the final assignment are submitted, reviewed by an instructor and feedback is given. The learner must pass all three parts.

Module 10: Additional Competencies Addressed

Module 10 provides various training courses that cover several training activities addressed in the competencies in the NS Profile, including:

• Making Ethical Decisions
• Unconscious Bias
• Difference Between Policy and Regulation
• Multi-Generational Approach
• Understanding Partnership Building
• Compassion Fatigue
• Understanding Change and Transition
• How to Have A Difficult Conversation
• Strength-Based Interviewing,
• Facilitation Skills
• Understanding Social Media for Yourself and An Employer
• Learn How to Motivate a Client to Participate
• Working with the “Challenging Client”
• Prioritizing of Case Loads
• Use of Technology to Enhance Your Work
• Mental Health - Recovery-Oriented Approach
• Mental Health - Healthy Workplaces

Upon successful completion of the 10 modules, learners are awarded the Career Development Standards and Competencies Certificate.

Learning Experience, Activities

The self-paced online learning plan includes reading text, viewing videos, and accessing articles to review. Reflective activities are embedded throughout.

Assessment

Assessment is both formative and summative. Assignments in each module are submitted and reviewed by an instructor; feedback is provided. In Modules 3 and 5, assignment completion will have resulted in the earning of Microcredentials (Needs Assessment: Foundations for Module 3 and Writing for Case Management for Module 5). Finally, in Module 9 the learner completes a comprehensive three-part assignment demonstrating the skills learned throughout Modules 1-8 and reflecting on their own professional development resulting from the training.

Assignments are reviewed and evaluated by an Instructor who provides feedback and completes an evaluation form based on a rubric. The evaluators look for evidence of the knowledge and skills covered in the training.

Learners are provided with feedback on both areas of strength and areas for further development; overall, they must achieve an 'acceptable' level of competence for each assignment.

Learners must pass all components to be awarded the final Certificate-Level Microcredential for CDSCC training.

Estimated learning effort

This learning plan will take approximately 6 months to complete.

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