Digital Pulse - Ch 3 - Sec 2 - COPE

Development Issues: Aboriginal health, HIV/AIDS, Community Health Services

Programme Summary

COPE is an independent, non-profit, education and training centre offering high quality Community and Health Services Worker Training and a broad-based Community Education Program which focuses on strengthening communities, family and relationship education, and life skills education, including skills for living and working. Cope has merged with, and is now a division of, Relationships Australia (SA). Relationships Australia (RA) is a not-for profit community based organisation that is committed to enhancing the lives of communities, families and individuals by being the leading professional provider of quality relationship support services. Cope continues to provide community education and training for workers in South Australia.

COPE is committed to Indigenous issues and acknowledges Indigenous peoples as the first peoples of this land and as the keepers of the oldest continuous living cultures known. Their resilience and their determination to maintain their culture has been a source of great inspiration. The COPE philosophy believes that there is much to learn from, and with, Indigenous people. This belief has shaped their approach to learning and teaching. They are also committed to the process of reconciliation between Indigenous and subsequent Australians, and in tenants of respect for the rights of all people. A willingness to understand the legacy of Australia's history is an important part of the process of renewal and healing the wounds of the past. Only through such acknowledgement will society be able to move forward together to create a more equitable society.

Summary of ICT Initiatives

The COPE website serves as a gateway to a host of resources and access points to the organizations various training programs. Some of their programme delivery is conducted online and with Internet/email facilitation. Their training for people working in the Community and Health Services sector aims to raise awareness, develop appropriate attitudes towards client values and needs, and develop effective professional strategies and skills. There are several units within the COPE organization.

COPE's Community Services and Health Training Unit is committed to developing relevant skills, qualifications and career paths for workers, best practice in the workplace, and excellence in service delivery. This is done by:

• Supporting the workplace as a developing and interactive learning environment.
• Ensuring that the training offered accurately reflects and responds to the needs of workers, the organisation and their clients.
• Wherever possible, assisting staff at all levels of an organisation to access a nationally accredited, competency based training pathway that recognises the skills and abilities they bring to the organisation.
• Ensuring that competency based training is delivered both on and off the job in a timely and responsive manner, and that it is regularly evaluated and adjusted to meet the needs of the specific organisations and workers.

In pursuit of these objectives COPE offers the following services:

• Training development
• Resource Development for Community Service Practice
• Consultancy Services for Diversity in the Workforce
• Peer Education

COPE also provides HIV and Hepatitis worker training that includes work on the bio-psycho-social aspects of HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and related diseases. Topics covered include mental health, substance use, multicultural contexts and volunteer training. The aims are to reduce transmission rates, to improve service delivery to individuals and groups most at risk, to equip workers and volunteers with skills to effectively respond, and to challenge attitudinal barriers and advocate for legal reform.

The HIV and Hepatitis Worker Training Project designs training specifically for workers and volunteers in Health and Community Services and those working within agencies funded by HIV and Hepatitis C and Related Programs Unit (HHARP) of the Department of Human Services. The Project works closely with HHARP and industry organisations in identifying the training needs of workers. COPE customizes training programs to meet the needs of a particular work group or organisation. Typically, its programs target:

• Workers and volunteers in HHARP funded agencies
• Community and Health services workers and volunteers
• Aboriginal Community organisations
• Mental Health service providers
• Commercial enterprises

Programs may take the form of Workshops or Action learning projects. Workshops are tailored to meet the needs of the organisation, and delivery times and approach are negotiated with COPE. Action learning projects, take a group of learners and develops their understanding of a chosen topics, and creates and implements an action plan within their agency to make changes to workplace practice.

The group is facilitated by an outside trainer and may meet over a period of weeks or months, seeking a range of external input, taking on individual tasks to develop their knowledge and researching their agency needs. The use of ICTs during these training periods is important for information sharing, dialogue, and the exchange of ideas. The website also acts as a resource centre, with searchable access to their library, a collection or recommended readings and reports, tips for stress management, and links to other resource pages.

Observations

Recent COPE initiatives have included the following reports resource materials, many of which are available through the website

Partners: Department of Human Services, Relationships Australia

Source:COPE website

For More Information Contact:

116 Hutt Street Adelaide,

South Australia 5000.

Phone: (08) 8223 3433 International +618 8223 3433

Fax: (08) 8232 3534 International +618 8232 3534

Email: info@cope.asn.au