StephanieTan Portfolio

1304325 Stephanie Tan Co-op Portfolio
REFLECTIVE
PORTFOLIO
AUT
Stephanie Tan
Cooperative Education
October 27, 2016
Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
Placement ........................................................................................................................................2
Reflection on Learning Aim 1 ....................................................................................................... 6
Appendix 1a ................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 1b ................................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 1c ................................................................................................................................... 19
Reflection on Learning Aim 2 .....................................................................................................27
Appendix 2a ................................................................................................................................. 32
Reflection on Learning Aim 3 .................................................................................................... 46
Appendix 3a ................................................................................................................................. 49
Appendix 3b ..................................................................................................................................57
Reflection on Learning Aim 4 .................................................................................................... 58
Appendix 4a ..................................................................................................................................63
Links to BA ................................................................................................................................... 65
Key Experience ............................................................................................................................ 67
Feedback........................................................................................................................................ 71
Future Career/development ........................................................................................................ 73
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 74
References .....................................................................................................................................75
General Appendices ..................................................................................................................... 78
CV .............................................................................................................................................. 78
The Signed Leaning Agreement ............................................................................................. 82
Swot x 2 ..................................................................................................................................... 96
Academic Supervisor Evaluation Form ................................................................................ 103
Work-based Supervisor Feedback Form .............................................................................. 105
Sample Coop Log ............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.06
Bibliography ............................................................................................................................ 108
0|P A G E
Introduction
Cooperative Education is a level 7 paper provided by AUT University. It

requires students to enter the work force in the field they are studying (and/or a
field relevant to future career aspirations) and acquire practical experience in said
field for a minimum requirement of 150 hours. The placements are a fantastic
opportunity for students to use information learnt over the course of their respective
degrees and gain an understanding of what is expected of them in the work place.
This paper is unlike any other paper provided in any university in New Zealand.
My placement was 150 hours working as a support worker for Victim Support,
a not for profit company which liaises with the NZ Police and is primarily funded by
the Ministry of Health. Victim support provides free emotional support, practical
information and referrals to other support services to victims of crime and trauma
throughout Aotearoa. The slogan Manaaki Tangata stands for our vision which
empowers us to support and care for people and restore mana, belonging and well-
being. My role with victim support was a volunteer support worker. My job tasks
entailed but were not limited to the following: taking crisis referrals from supervisor
or call centre, responding to referrals and making contact with the victims,
attending crisis callouts, following up with victims, supporting victims through the
court process, and referring victims to other services. I have had an incredible
learning and working experience with Victim Support and I will be continuing my
work as a volunteer upon completion of my final semester at university.
This portfolio will cover an overview of my placement at victim support, the

learning aims I strived to achieve during my placement, reflections on my aims, a
brief overview of a key experience, and a discussion regarding my future
development and career.
PAGE 1
The Placement
Finding a Placement
After starting the Cooperative Education paper in March 2016, it took me 2

months to find my placement and three months total to start my placement. I began
my search for a placement online, using websites such as Seek and Student Job
Search. My search revolved around counselling work as I aspire to develop a career
in therapy and am a student of psychology. As I am an undergraduate student, I was
aware that a placement in counselling type work would likely be voluntary. I applied
for a number of counselling-type work with companies such as Raeburn house,
Lifeline, Victim Support and Youth line. I had an interview with Lifeline early on in
my search. The job appealed to my learning and interests very much, and the
employers were eager to hire me. However, I could not take the job as the training
time did not coincide with my cooperative education deadlines. I then had my
interview with Victim Support. The interview went well; I became very passionate
about their mission while discussing the work that Victim Support does during the
interview. In May 2016 I began my compulsory training to become a support worker.
I believe that I was successful in my placement search because of my attitude
towards deadlines. In my first SWOT analysis, I state that resilience is a strength of
mine. I believe that this aspect of my personality allows me to be more self-
disciplined and meet my deadlines ahead of time.
The Organisation
Victim Support emerged in the early 1980s as a small number of the

community began to provide assistance to victims. In 1985 the United Nations
adopted the Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for victims of crime and abuse
of power. Victim support was founded in 1986. The crisis helpline was established
by Telecom in 1997. There was a high demand for support for victims of crime and
trauma. Over the years, it became clear that the Maori population of victims was
PAGE 2
quite prominent. Therefore, the trademark Manaaki Tangata was adopted in 2003
to ensure application of cultural sensitivity through the practice. Cultural
consideration has become more of a priority over the years as Aotearoa is becoming
more and more multi-cultural. It is important for support workers to be non-
judgmental and to be culturally sensitive when working with victims, as victims are
often in delicate, fragile mental and/or physical states. As mentioned in the
introduction, Victim Support provides emotional and practical support,
information, financial assistance, referral to other support services and advocacy for
the rights of victims (Victim Support, 2014). In order to live up to standards, Victim
Support services are available nationwide through a national structure. Direct
service delivery to victims is primarily delivered by volunteer support workers who
are managed and supervised by paid staff coordinators, who provide debriefing,
supervision, case management, coaching and regular training to the volunteer
support workers (Victim Support, 2014). I believe that Victim Support does a good
job at fulfilling social needs. However, there is room for growth. Throughout my
placement I felt under resourced as a support worker. Because the support worker
communicated directly with victims, I believe that we should be better equipped.
We currently use the landline 0800 number and snail mail for communicating due
to confidentiality reasons. Though confidentiality is important, I believe that being
able to text my victims would be a much faster, more convenient way to engage in
communication as my victims have told me previously. However, Victim Support
does not have the funds to provide each volunteer support worker with a cell phone
and mobile plan. I believe that the organization managers should think about other
ways to protect the security of the support worker whilst using full potential of
modern technology. In saying that, I have never been so well taken care of
emotionally than working with Victim Support. They go above and beyond to make
the volunteers feel appreciated and psychologically well.
My role as a Support Worker
PAGE 3
Victim Support takes pride in helping the community. Victim Support offers 24/7, 7
days a week free phone assistance to victims of crime and trauma. Our call centre
representatives take crisis calls and then refer the victims to support workers such
as myself. Alternatively, when a crisis occurs (this includes any crisis from a car
accident to a sudden death), a support worker is contacted and is asked to take the
referral, get in touch with the victim, and offer support. From there onwards, my
role involves building rapport with the victims, and supporting them. My role as a
support worker changes day to day. The type of support I offer depends on what the
victim has experienced, and how they are feeling at the time. For these reasons,
Victim Support holds training for all volunteer support workers. Therefore,
completing this training, completing my Question Persuade and Refer training,
understanding trauma through research were chosen as learning aims to ensure that
I am and feel qualified to be a support worker.
Support over the phone:
When victims are too busy or do not feel comfortable with face to face visits, I
provide them with ongoing support over the phone. I firstly assess their feelings and
allow them to vent their feelings. I then assess their physical, spiritual,
psychological, and social needs by using the techniques I learnt at the ITP. When
victims are quiet and non-responsive, I usually try to normalize their feelings so that
they feel more comfortable. When necessary, I refer them to more appropriate
services. Communication skills are essential to being a support worker. This explains
my rational for my learning aim regarding improving communication skills.
Support in person:
Offering face to face support is very effective. I am able to assess victims feelings
and needs much faster than with over the phone support. However, I find that I am
more emotionally vulnerable with face to face visits as I am a very empathetic
person. Face to face visits are both empowering and difficult for me. They are
PAGE 4
empowering because I can see my victims making progress right in front of me, it
reassures me that I am doing my job well, and it gives me hope that people can move
on from trauma. However, it becomes difficult for me emotionally when I can see
the victim going through a really hard time, while being aware that I cannot fix the
situation, I can only help them cope. It is extremely helpful that after each face to
face visit I am offered a debriefing from one of the Victim Support coordinators. I
was always reassured that my psychological health was important. Though visits
were sometimes emotionally taxing, they were also extremely rewarding. To know
that I have learnt the techniques and skills to help people overcome such traumas
is uplifting. I also feel blessed to have the opportunities to learn more about coping
with different crime associated traumas as Victim Support regularly holds training
sessions.
A huge role of the Support Worker entails providing support during court cases and
doing victim impact statements with victims. I did not provide assistance in court
during my placement. However, I did complete many victim impact statements with
victims. A victim impact statement (VIS) is a document in which the victim
expresses how the offence impacted them physically, mentally, financially etc. It is
read aloud in court (by the judge, or the victims themselves if they so choose). When
written correctly, it can have an impact in court and the sentencing of the offender.
I found that completing these statements with victims was a very therapeutic
process for them, from my very first victim. Through writing this document they are
able to vent all of their frustrations and pent up feelings. Also, knowing that this
statement may affect the sentencing of the offender provided a sense of closure and
justice. I feel that it is the aspect of being heard that is very empowering for victims.
Some of my victims chose to read it aloud in court themselves. Others did not wish
to attend court for various reasons. However, they all experienced closure and relief
of some kind. I enjoy doing VISs, and I will always assist a victim in writing their
VIS where possible.
PAGE 5
Reflections on Learning Outcomes
Throughout my placement, I created 4 goals to facilitate my academic, professional,

and personal learning. These aims were formulated so that I could take advantage
of the opportunity working with Victim Support, maximize my learning, and
become a better support worker. They were made with guidance from my
cooperative education supervisor (Cristina Parra) and cooperative education
coordinator (Judith Collins).
Learning Aim One - Professional

My Aim Complete the ITP (Introductory Training Program)
My first aim was professionally focused. It was to successfully
complete the introductory training program (ITP) to be eligible for victim
support. This aim depended on my attendance at the training provided by
Victim Support, and passing the ITP take home exam.
The reason I chose this aim is because it was a compulsory step to becoming
a support worker, without which, I would not be able to begin my placement.
Additionally, I believe that completing the exam was a challenge to my
learning, because I knew it would be a test of my empathetic ability, and my
practical knowledge. Finally, my future career aspiration and the reason I
began my degree involves therapy. Therefore, it was a test of my knowledge
acquired at AUT throughout my degree to successfully complete this
program.
The training consisted of 5-6 hours a day for four days. The training was held
over 2 alternate weekends. The first weekend training was held at the Orakei
Marae. The second weekend training was at the Henderson Police station.
This training is a unique program designed by Victim Support for people who
have passed the interview stage of the application to become a support
PAGE 6
worker. This training is an essential part of being a support worker. Some of

the most important lessons I learnt about being a support worker were learnt
in the ITP. The ITP was an incredible experience overall, and significant to
my cultural, emotional, academic, and professional learning. It was culturally
significant as the first session was held at the Orakei Marae. We were
welcomed with a traditional Powhiri and spent half the day learning about
the Maori significance of Victim Support practices. All sessions were
emotionally significant as the bonding experience with my peers grew further
in each session. Additionally, our emotional wellbeing was regularly
monitored as we learnt about very sensitive topics. The ITP was academically
significant as I learnt about psychological first aid (PFA), and other areas
relevant to psychological trauma which has been a common focus in a
number of my papers throughout my degree. Finally, the ITP was significant
to my professional learning as I was consistently trained on the best practices
of a support worker, and I have reflected on this training throughout my
placement.
My Strategies
The strategies to completing the ITP included 1) attending both
weekend training sessions provided by Victim Support, 2) actively partaking
in group discussions during the training courses to enhance learning, 3)
actively taking notes during the training sessions, 4) studying the training
course books before and throughout sitting the exam, and 5) finally sitting
the exam.
The first strategy (attending both weekend training sessions) was
fairly easy to achieve as I am quite a punctual person and I usually stick to
my commitments. I also thoroughly enjoyed attending training, and took
something away from every session. The training facilitators used a number
of different teaching techniques to help us learn. They used a variety of
teaching techniques such as visual aids, group work, presentation, writing,
PAGE 7
and reading to enhance our learning and keep us engaged. The practical
learning (through group work, writing charts, role play etc.) was particularly
effective for me. Research surrounding the effectivity of practical learning is
abundant. Lopez and Munoz (2015) found that university students who learnt
by following an example learnt more successfully than students following a
textbook. However, these students were studying programming in
engineering and the study cannot be generalised widely. Gonzales et al.
(2017) thus found that it is imperative to apply student-centered learning in
teaching environments as students individual learning styles vary greatly.
However, they also found that a majority of the university students (in entry
level nursing degrees) preferred practical and visual learning as they were
more stimulating. They state that their findings are consistent with similar
studies. For example, Koivisto et al. (2016) found similar results. Their study
found that learning was enhanced in students who played simulation games
more than those who did not. They conclude that simulation games can
enhance learning development.
The second strategy was slightly harder to achieve at first. But it was
also very effective to my learning. I was encouraged to partake in group
discussions frequently by my peers and the training facilitators. I chose this
strategy because I am aware that learning is enhanced through group
discussion. It is also a personal challenge that I wanted to over-come, as I
have always been apprehensive of public speaking. The environment and the
people at both training sessions were so warm and welcoming. I noticed that
my fear of public speaking was put at ease early on. I did get nervous
partaking in group discussions but I also felt very fulfilled and I felt that my
learning was far more effective when I asked questions and participated in
group discussions. Grunert (1997) found that learning was increased when
students were actively involved in the learning process such as discussion,
review, or application. This finding contradicts the traditional learning
PAGE 8
approach in which students listen several hours a day theoretically absorbing

information from a teacher/lecturer. Another factor which enhanced my
learning was the supportive learning environment. The facilitators were very
warm and kind. They made it clear from the beginning that we were in a non-
judgmental environment. This put me at ease. Not only that, but my peers
were also very kind and I was not afraid of their opinions when I partook in
group discussions. I found that they were very interested in me, as I was in
them. I feel that because we were all quite empathetic people, this put all of
us at ease with public speaking and sharing our individual perspectives and
experiences.
The third strategy (taking notes throughout training) was effective and
efficient to my learning. This is a skill I have learnt throughout my studies at
AUT. Taking notes while someone is talking helps me absorb what is being
said. It enhances my memory and comprehension. Note taking is encouraged
as it is an effective learning technique. More specifically, notetaking with pen
and paper is effective as it enhances physical memory as well as visual
memory (Kobayashi, 2005). However, when comparing note-taking with
group discussion, I found that partaking in group discussion was even more
effective to my learning than note taking. Usually I have a fear of public
speaking but as I said earlier, it became quite natural with the particular
environment and set of people I was surrounded by. I didnt realise how
effective group discussions were until then. Moreover, I was very interested
in what we were learning which may have increased the effectivity of my
learning. The efficacy of interest as a learning technique has been studied for
decades. It is well known that passionate interest increases learning
capabilities; moreover, interest has been found to allow people to overcome
learning difficulties and perceptual difficulties (Dunlosky et al., 2013). Thus,
researchers argue that teachers should increase their focus on increasing
interest in students. Note taking was found to be as effective as it always has
PAGE 9
been for me. But after self-reflection, I found that the group discussions were
more effective because I learnt about the topic by answering peoples
questions, asking questions, and learning through teaching.
The fourth and fifth strategies tied together. They both revolved
around completing my exam and putting my learning to the test. The notes
I recorded were very useful when sitting the exam as it was a take-home, open
book test. I studied that course book for 2 days before I felt that I was ready
to start the exam. Studying the course book was arguably not necessary to
complete the exam because it was open book. However, it may have allowed
me to retain information better. The exam question was example of a real
case study of a victim that had been referred to Victim Support. The exam
tested how we first engaged contact with the victim, how we assessed their
needs, how we attended to their needs, and how we continued support. This
was an effective way to learn because I was able to imagine myself in the
situation and evaluate the situation in my own way. Because I am a visual and
practical learner, I believe that this case study was effective to my learning.
After receiving feedback, I was able to learn what I did correctly, and what I
needed to improve on in a real life situation. However, I imagine that a real
life situation would be much more effective to my learning.
It was not necessary to modify any of the strategies for my first learning aim.
They were all effective to my learning in different ways. I found that partaking
in group discussions was by far the most effective strategy to my learning. I
never realized that the social aspect of learning was so effective for me.
However, it is arguably different in a classroom setting. I was in a room with
others with similar values and interests to me. Moreover, to be a support
worker, you need a sense of empathy. I sensed an atmosphere of openness
and non-judgment. I believe this aided me in overcoming my fear of public
speaking and enhanced my learning through discussion.
The Outcome
PAGE 10
The outcome I intended to achieve through this aim was to attend and
actively partake in both training courses which will allow me to successfully
pass the exam. I was able to successfully achieve this outcome. The ITP was
an incredible and memorable experience. I noticed that the particular
learning environment and type of people I was surrounded by aided my
learning. Achieving this outcome means that I have attained the necessary
training to begin my placement as a support worker. Though I successfully
completed this training, there is still a lot that I dont know about my work.
As my placement with Victim Support continues, my knowledge will increase
through practical experience and OTP (optional training programs) provided
by Victim Support every few months.
The tangible evidence that will be appended as proof of completing
this aim include the completed case study as proof of exam completion, and
photos of the ITP course book contents pages as proof of learning.
Additionally, I have appended my acceptance email after completing the case
study.
PAGE 11
Appendix 1a
Learning aim 1 evidence Acceptance email

CASE STUDY 1
Victim Support x
Maria Benschop <maria.benschop@victimsupport.org.nz>
to me, Wilson, Nikky, Nige
May 19 2016
Hi Stephanie,
Well done on completing all the ITP requirements. I have attached my comments having marked your
excellent case study. I have just updated your personal profile status to Intern in VIVA. This will now
activate the roster system at the Contact Service. Check in with Nikky so she can get you buddied and
on the roster.
Awesome work. Welcome aboard!
Warm regards
Maria
Nga mihi
Maria Benschop
Learning & Development Advisor Central & South, Victim Support
PAGE 12
Appendix 1b
Learning aim 1 evidence Completed case study
Introductory Training Programme (ITP) Case Study One

Tena koe
Congratulations on successfully completing the training weekends. Please find attached the Case
Study, as discussed as part of your assessment process.
Instructions:
Step 1: Carefully read the following instructions for both sections.
Step 2: Complete each section ensuring you meet the assessment guide requirements below.
Step 3: Return your case study to your respective Learning and Development Advisor (LDA), by 16
May 2016 preferably online and returned by email, or posted (address below).
Allow two weeks for marking.
Assessment Guide
Section Case Study Evidence Assessor Judgement (requirements)
1 Describe the eight core actions At least one sentence for each core action is supplied
of Psychological First Aid
All actions reflect Victim Support policies and procedures
All actions taken are related to an identified victim need
Actions described demonstrate knowledge and

application of Te Whare Tapa Wha
2 Answer 6 questions All 6 questions are fully answered and reflect Victim
Support best practice
PAGE 13
Introductory Training Programme (ITP) Case Study

Name: Stephanie Tan
Area Office: Glen Innes
Date: 03/05/16
__________________________________________________________________________________
__
Case Study Scenario
You were referred by the Contact Service to attend an incident. The victim was 45 year old mother
Cynthia, whose only son, 18 year old Mark had been killed in a car crash. You first met her at her
address with a Police Officer, who notified Cynthia of her sons death. You have visited Cynthia
twice.
Section 1
Under each core action of Psychological First Aid, list what needs you identified and what actions
you carried out to support Cynthia. Write as if you are there.
e.g. 1. Achieve Contact and Engagement
I met Cynthia at her home. The OC introduced me to her in the lounge where she was sitting on the sofa
sobbing quietly. I introduced myself and asked if it was ok for me to sit down. I asked if there was
anything she needed right now. She said she needed to call her husband. I found the phone and sat with
her while she made the call.
Te Whare Tapa Wha
Write this section as per the case notes guidelines. There are examples in Module 14 Case Notes as well
as the Module 7 Te Whare Tapa Wha Module in your first resource book from weekend 1.
e.g. Te taha hinengaro
PAGE 14
The first thing Cynthia wanted to do was see her son, so I arranged for the Police to take her to the
hospital/mortuary to view and identify him. I followed them there and stayed with her while she
identified her son and then went home again with her until her sister arrived.
Section 2
Complete all questions.
Note: If completing online, delete the lines on the document and then type directly onto the page.
Section 1: Psychological First Aid
1. Achieve Contact and Engagement
For my third meeting with Cynthia, I arrived at her home and greeted her politely. I then
respectfully asked her if I could enter her home. She offered that I take a seat once I entered
her home so I took a seat opposite her to respect her personal space. I then asked her how
she was feeling. She replied that she felt overwhelmed with the necessary processes
following her sons death. I assured her that she was not alone. I then asked her if there was
someone who she knew, who could help her organise everything. She mentioned her husband
was out of the country but he would be on the next flight home. So I took out some pamphlets
from my bag and gave them to her. I then asked her if she would like to look through the
pamphlets with me.
2. Enhance Safety and Comfort
After handing Cynthia the pamphlets, I asked her if she was feeling comfortable at the moment.
She said she was actually feeling a bit thirsty and cold. So I asked her if she would like to get
the water and I would find a blanket.
3. Calm Overwhelmed, Agitated and Distraught People
Cynthia was fairly calm up until she started reading about making funeral arrangements in
the death without warning book that I gave her. She started sobbing and apologised for it. I
reassured her that there was no need to apologise and that she should take all the time she
needs, and that I wasnt going anywhere. She took my hand and held it tight and continued to
cry. I then asked her what she needed in that moment. She said desperately that she wished
her husband was with her. I clasped my hand over hers and asked her if she could call him and
talk to him before his flight. She nodded so I grabbed her phone off the table and handed it to
her. I stayed by her side while she talked to him as she gestured for me to stay. After only
2 minutes of talking to her husband, she started to calm down even smiled after hearing his
voice. I waited for her for 10 minutes while she talked to her husband. When she got off the phone I
PAGE 15
asked her how she was feeling. She said she felt much more relaxed and ready to go through to book
with me and sort out the next step in the process.
4. Identify Immediate Needs and Concerns (using Te Whare Tapa Wha)
Te taha hinengaro
After sorting out funeral arrangements with Cynthia I asked her if she could tell me how she
was feeling mentally. She said she felt like there was less pressure on her now that she had
sussed out the funeral arrangements.
Te taha tinana
I asked Cynthia again, what feelings were happening for her at that moment. She said she was
feeling a bit hungry as she hadnt eaten in a while. I told her it was important that she take
care of herself. I asked her if she had any take out menus lying around the house. She said
there were a couple on the fridge door so I got them out for her and she ordered herself
some food.
Te taha whanau
After finishing her meal, Cynthia began to get upset again. So I asked her if there was something
specific which was upsetting her at the moment. She said she felt very lonely with her husband
being away. I reassured her that he would be home in a few hours then asked her if there was
anyone else close to her that she could invite over to keep her company until then. She said
she would be expecting her mother in a few hours but then thought it would be a good idea
to call her to come over sooner. She called her mother, and I let Cynthia know I would wait
with her until her mother arrived.
Te taha wairua
While we waited for her mother to arrive, I asked Cynthia respectfully if she practices any
religion and if so, was there a spiritual/religious leader she needed to talk to or get guidance
from at the moment. She informed me that she actually wasnt a very religious person but
lighting a candle for her son might be nice. She fetched a candle and I stayed by her side while
she lit a candle for her son.
5. Provide Practical Assistance and Information
After lighting a candle for Cynthias son I asked her if there was anything else concerning her
right now. She said that even though the funeral has been arranged, there was still so much to
do. So I asked Cynthia what she might be able to do to get things organised. She said she is
PAGE 16
good following lists. So I offered to help her make a list prioritising things that she needs to
get done and when. Once she saw the plan laid out, she told me she felt a bit more relieved
and can track her tasks better now.
6. Connect with Social Supports
When Cynthias mother arrived, I let her know that there were still a couple of things to go
over, but if she would like to be alone with her mother I would understand and meet with her
another time. She said she would like me to stay and go over these things with her and her
mother. I told her it was great that she had her mother with her, and her primary support
person (husband) would also be here soon. I informed her how important it was to have
support people around. I also let her know that whenever she feels lonely or needs support
and has no friends or family around, she can always contact community support groups. I
encouraged her to seek support when she needs it and remember to give her husband support
as he is also affected.
7. Provide Information on Coping Strategies
I informed Cynthia that the event will affect her in different ways, as she may have noticed
during our meeting today. I told her she may feel vulnerable, isolated or powerless, and that
these feelings may come over her at any given moment, but that it was completely normal. I
then told her that if she ever notices that her reactions ever begin to impair her functioning,
there is additional help that can be arranged. I then reminded her of her support system,
and that whenever she feels unsettling feelings to seek out one of her support people, remind herself
that her feelings are normal, and go somewhere she feels safe. I then informed her of a few positive and
negative coping strategies. I asked her if there was any feeling she struggles with which would benefit
from the use of a specific coping strategy. She said she often gets overwhelmed and needed help
figuring out a strategy that might help. So I told her that she could use relaxation techniques such as a
mindfulness breathing exercise when she is feeling overwhelmed and to seek professional help
if she her overwhelmed feelings get out of her control.
8. Connect to Collaborative Professional Services
After going over coping strategies with Cynthia I asked her if there are any concerns I have
not addressed about her coping strategies. She said she feels anxiety from time to time. So I
told her that anxiety is completely normal, especially after a distressing event, however, if she
ever feels that her anxiety is out of her control that there are professionals she can talk to
about this such as Anxiety New Zealand Trust. I reiterated that if she cannot handle a situation
due to anxiety, she can call Anxiety New Zealand Trust on their 24 hour support line at any
time and then start seeing one of their professionals if needed.
Section 2: Other Considerations
PAGE 17
1. In what way could you help Cynthia understand the Coroners process?
I could offer her the information booklet When somebody dies suddenly and offer to go
through it with her and answer any questions she has about it.
2. What are some cultural considerations you should take into account if Cynthia and
Mark were of a different culture/ethnicity from yourself?
If Cynthia and Mark were of a different culture/ethnicity from myself, I would express more
cultural sensitivity. And I would ask Cynthia if there were any practices informed by her culture
that she needed to go through regarding Marks body and funeral.
3. What procedure would you follow if you felt Cynthia was eligible for financial
assistance?
If Cynthia was eligible for financial assistance I would offer her the financial assistance
pamphlet and offer to go through it with her and answer any questions.
4. If you had difficulty dealing with this incident, what process would you follow?
If I had difficulty dealing with this incident, I would excuse myself from the area then call my
service coordinator of my situation and ask that they find someone else to deal with this
incident.
5. Who would you contact if you were unsure of how to proceed next?
If I was unsure of how to proceed next I would contact my service coordinator.
6. What actions do you need to perform after the visit has concluded?
After the visit has concluded I must leave the victim with all appropriate and
necessary information booklets and inform them of our next meeting or call. Also, I would
tell the victim to call Victim Support if they find they are in need of support before my
next visit/call. Once I have left the scene and feel safe, I need to contact my service
coordinator to de-brief and let them know that I am safe. I would then complete my VIVO
case notes entry about the victim as soon as possible, and within 48 hours of the visit. I
can then carry out any tasks or follow-up agreed to with the victim and checking for
emerging needs.
Thank you and well done. Please return the case study to your LDA who will mark and return to
you.
PAGE 18
Appendix 1c
Learning aim 1 evidence ITP course book contents pages

*NB: No contents pages for modules 1-3 as they covered housekeeping and practical
exercises only
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Learning Aim Two Academic

My Aim Increase knowledge of coping with trauma
My second aim was an academic aim. This aim was to increase my
knowledge of coping with trauma after being a victim of crime. The reason I
chose this aim is because I wanted to become the best support worker I could
be. I aspired to learn all that I could about the kind of trauma that victims of
crime experience, how they cope, what coping mechanisms are most popular,
and what coping mechanisms are most effective. I was fortunate to have
training provided by Victim Support, but I wanted to increase my knowledge
through my own research. I believed that if I conducted extensive research
about trauma, I could apply that knowledge when working with Victim
Support. Moreover, I wanted to understand the psychological side of trauma
through research. In abnormal psychology (a level 6 psychology paper), and
positive psychology (a level 7 psychology paper), I learnt about post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and post-traumatic growth (PTG). I found
both areas of knowledge very interesting. However, I learnt that PTSD and
general trauma are very different. Therefore, I decided to expand my learning
of the psychological effects of trauma after becoming a victim of crime, and
how people cope or should cope with such events. I created 4 strategies to
facilitate my learning and achieve this aim.
My Strategies
The strategies I created to facilitate my learning included 1)
completing the introductory training program (ITP), 2) read the chapter on
resilience, post0traumatic growth and positive ageing in my positive
psychology textbook (by Hefferon and Boniwell, 2011) to increase my
knowledge about trauma from a positive psychology perspective, 3) read
about theories relevant to trauma to further my understanding by reading
the e-book: posttraumatic growth: positive changes in the aftermath of crisis
PAGE 27
(Tedeschi, Park, & Calhoun, 1998), and 4) researching relevant theory on

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the e-book: the posttraumatic stress
disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery, and growth (Schriraldi,
2009).
I am pleased to say was able to complete all my strategies successfully.
However, some strategies were more effective to my learning than others.
Additionally, some strategies seemed more relevant to my learning than
others. Completing the introductory training program was essential to my
learning. More detail about my learning on this strategy is available in detail
in my first learning aim reflection. There are many reasons why my learning
was so effective during this training including good teachers, encouraging
peers, and a relaxed learning environment with enough challenge. I was also
extremely engaged during my training sessions, each session captured my
interest greatly. To be more specific, my learning during training taught me
about the emotional side of trauma, the emotions people may feel, the
behaviours they may engage in during this time, the various time-frames
trauma can take, and how I can help people overcome trauma as a support
worker. Because this learning was practical, classroom learning, I retained a
lot of information also. It was an enjoyable learning experience that formed
a base for my trauma related knowledge to form. Reading the chapter on
posttraumatic growth in my positive psychology textbook was something I
achieved last semester during my time studying positive psychology.
However, I re-read this chapter to refresh my memory and understanding of
trauma for the purposes of achieving my outcome. Reading this chapter
helped me understand what trauma is, what types of coping are most used,
and what types of coping are most effective according to recent research. It
also had a huge focus on posttraumatic growth (PTG). Therefore, I learnt a
lot about what PTG is, how prevalent PTG is in individuals who experienced
trauma, and also the different critiques surrounding the subject. Because I
PAGE 28
had read the chapter previously, my learning was very effective. However,
reading is not my preferred form of learning as I have always struggled with
reading comprehension and mild dyslexia. I often have to re-read sentences
so that I understand them and retain the information. However, when I have
the time to do this, my learning is effective. The information provided in this
chapter was very relevant to my learning. However, the focus on PTG was not
completely relevant to my aim as I wanted to understand trauma. PTG
focuses on personal growth after experience of posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) which was not the focus of my aim. It was very interesting. However,
during my research I learnt that most victims of trauma related to crime do
not develop PTSD and thus, do not experience PTG. My third and fourth
strategies included reading two e-books. Over the course of my placement, I
was able to complete these strategies. Early on while reading both books, I
noticed that they were not very relevant to my learning aim. They were both
very interesting. I did learn a lot about trauma from both books. However,
both books focused predominantly on the disorder PTSD. Therefore, it was
not very relevant to my aim. I believe that the information I accrued by
reading these books was effective academically and personally. I was
overwhelmed with knowledge. However, I do not believe that I learnt
extensively about how victims of crime cope with trauma, and how I as
support worker, can professionally support them. These strategies increased
my knowledge through reading. Both books were very interesting and quite
captivating. However, again my learning was slightly difficult as my reading
comprehension and mild dyslexia hindered my learning. Though both
strategies were achieved, it was a challenge that took quite some time.
However, I found the guide book for PTSD (the fourth strategy) especially
interesting. It was written for the purposes of self-help for individuals
struggling with PTSD. Something I found very interesting was the chapter on
moving on. This section was particularly effective to my learning. This
PAGE 29
chapter highlighted coping techniques which are helpful and normalizes

feelings. It dictates that it is a good idea for individuals who are struggling
with PTSD to create a plan to implement when in high-risk situations that
will allow the individual to move on from the situation and be in control of
their feelings. It tells the individual to ask themselves What would you do
to cope? What will you do to ensure that a setback does not become a full-
blown relapse? Who would you contact for help? What do you need to tell
yourself? What would you do rst? In what order would all these things
occur? (p. 368, para. 3). I found this very interesting as it gave me questions
I could ask my victims to help them cope with trauma. I found this book quite
effective for me as a support worker. However, researching the effectivity of
self-help books revealed that they rarely induce productive coping in
individuals struggling with trauma. I did suggest this book to victims
however. There is no research which states that self-help books are
unproductive for trauma victims. However, research dictates that there are
other more effective techniques to use to cope with trauma such as social
support. The most effective strategy to my learning aim was definitely the
introductory training program.
My Outcome
For this aim, my outcome was to increase my knowledge regarding
crime related trauma. However, I realised that I should have been more
specific about this outcome. I should have specified that my knowledge
regarding crime related trauma victims will be increased before and during
my placement with Victim Support. This is the goal I strived to attain
however, it was not clearly specified in my learning agreement. I was able to
successfully achieve this goal through use of my strategies. However, I
noticed that some strategies allowed me to achieve this outcome more
effectively than others. To be more specific, strategies 1, 2 and 4 allowed me
to increase my knowledge about trauma victims to a greater extent than
PAGE 30
strategy 3. The reason for this is that strategy 3 increased my knowledge

greatly about PTSD, which however interesting and useful it was, it did not
facilitate my learning about crime related trauma victims. Whereas, I was at
least able to infer from context using the guide book (strategy 4). Strategies 1
and 2 specifically facilitated my learning, and I found that my learning was
almost always relevant to my aim.
The evidence I prepared to attach to this aim was a literature review about
victims of crime coping with trauma. To show that my learning aims were
achieved, I including some of the findings of my research from the two e-
books and my positive psychology textbook. However, my research was far
more extensive than the texts included in my strategies. When conducting
this research, I realized that writing a literature review is very effective to my
personal learning style. Writing literature reviews enables me to absorb
knowledge and retain information far better than I have found other learning
techniques such as sitting in a classroom for example. I have noticed this
while writing literature reviews in other papers also. I noticed that my 2nd
learning strategy was extremely helpful when conducting this literature
review. I used it throughout my review many times to help me define trauma,
critique findings, and analyze different perspectives. Again, the e-books were
both quite interesting, I did take away knowledge that aided me with my
work as a support worker, and they facilitated my academic learning.
However, I did not refer to the e-books very frequently throughout my review
as the content was simply not consistently relevant. I did enjoy writing the
literature review and I conquer that it was a productive learning experience
which not only facilitated my academic learning, but my learning as a support
worker.
PAGE 31
Appendix 2a
Learning aim 2 evidence Literature review
Critical Evaluation of the current state of knowledge regarding victims of crime
coping with trauma
That which does not kill us makes us stronger. This saying suggests that
when faced with adversity, each one of us has the opportunity to grow, and learn.
However, this is not always the case. Though stress is known to have some benefits
when occurring infrequently, significant trauma can occur when a stressful situation
is unexpected and out of the ordinary (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Moreover, trauma
can have long lasting and damaging physical and psychological effects. However,
the definition of trauma is widely argued, and a re-definition may be necessary
(Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Trauma is commonly experienced post-victimization of
crime, though trauma associated with victimization is less prevalent than other
traumas (Boccollari et al., 2007). However, individuals who experience violent crime
are most likely to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those who
experienced other trauma (Boccollari et al., 2007). PTSD has significantly
distressing symptoms and can affect an individuals health, occupation, and
relationships (Boccollari et al., 2007). Moreover, PTSD can lead to other psychiatric
disorders (Boccollari et al., 2007). This literature review will critically evaluate the
PAGE 32
current state of knowledge regarding the trauma which victims of crime experience,
and how they cope with the trauma. Firstly, it will be discussed why the definition
of trauma is so widely unachievable, thus evaluating the need for research. Secondly
NZ victim statistics will be presented, and crime related trauma will be discussed.
Thirdly, coping techniques will be analysed.
Successfully reaching a consensus definition of trauma is imperative for
advancement in the field of traumatic stress. However, this has proven to be
unachievable. Weathers and Keane (2007) discussed extensively the controversies
and challenges in defining and measuring psychological trauma. Not only has it
been an issue to create criterion for the stressor in posttraumatic stress disorder
(PTSD) but it has also proven difficult to operationally define what psychological
trauma really is. To date, PTSD has been the main focus of research in traumatic
stress studies (Weathers & Keane, 2007). Weathers and Keane (2007) outlined two
main issues with defining trauma how broadly or narrowly it should be defined,
and how well it can be reliably and validly measured. The stressors which promote
a traumatic experience can vary greatly in magnitude, complexity, frequency,
duration, predictability, and controllability (Weathers & Keane, 2007). Therefore,
the difference between ordinary stressors and traumatic stressors is not clear.
Moreover, trauma is an extremely subjective experience, making it difficult to
objectively define. Weathers and Keane (2007) scrutinized the Criterion A for what
PAGE 33
constitutes a traumatic stressor in the Diagnostic Statistical Manuals (DSM)
through the years. They argue that the DSM-III does not explain thoroughly how to
identify an event as traumatic. Additionally, they make a point that the DSM-III
dismisses the objectivity and subjectivity of a traumatic experience. However, they
discuss that more recent versions of the DSM have developed more specific
criterion. The DSM-IV created a two-part definition of what constitutes a traumatic
event including 1) the type of exposure and nature of event, and 2) a reaction
including feelings of helplessness, intense fear, or horror. The DSM-IV thus focuses
more on the subjective experience, and suggests that trauma could be defined as
any event an individual found intensely distressing (Weathers & Keane, 2007, p,
111). Further, the criterion is followed by a lengthy list of examples of posttraumatic
experiences. Lastly, the authors state that the DSM-IV includes that for some
individuals, PTSD symptoms may develop from a low magnitude stressor that does
not meet the criteria, and thus should be diagnosed as adjustment disorder not
PTSD. Weathers and Keane (2007) dictate that the new guidelines in the DSM-IV
address gaps in previous versions significantly. Moreover, it is made clear that a
diagnosis of PTSD is dependent on the individual experiencing stressors that meet
the criteria. Weathers and Keane (2007) conclude that the Criterion A in the DSM-
IV provides a reasonable definition of trauma as it includes relatively specific
guidelines for distinguishing traumatic and non-traumatic stressors and encourages
clinical judgment. Notwithstanding this review, other critics have argued that the
criteria are still too broad and this can hinder research (McNally, 2004). Moving on
PAGE 34
to the reliability and validity of PTSD, there has been considerable progress in this
field in the last 20 years (Weathers & Keane, 2007). However, the specific field of
trauma exposure is lacking, and slow developing. Some researchers argue that this
is due to the vague and constantly dynamic definition of trauma (Weathers & Keane,
2007). Additionally, there stand several challenges in developing adequate measures
of trauma. Weathers and Keane (2007) have suggested that investigators address the
following questions
What is the intended purpose of the instrument, i.e., is it a brief screener or a
more comprehensive measure? What is the intended content domain for the
instrument, i.e., will it measure aspects of a specific trauma type or measure
exposure to the full range of traumatic events? Will it assess Criterion A
explicitly or measure the core aspects of a given trauma type regardless of its
precise correspondence with Criterion A? How many event types will be
included and how will they be defined and distinguished? What dimensions of
exposure (e.g., life threat, physical injury) will be evaluated, and what response
formats (e.g., frequency, severity) will be used for each dimension? How will it
be administered, as a questionnaire or as an interview? How will it be scored
and what variables will it yield? (p. 118).
Due to a lack of measures addressing these questions, it has been unachievable thus
far to collect enough psychometric data to justify wider acceptance of the current
measures. This has led to a large number of inadequately constructed measures.
PAGE 35
Weathers and Keane (2007) dictate that the field of trauma needs carefully validated
measures which can be widely applied thus leading to more compatibility across
study findings. They propose that specific measures be created for different types of
trauma (e.g., sexual assault, motor vehicle accident, natural disaster etc.) and task
(e.g., screening, comprehensive assessment of lifetime trauma).
In the month of August 2016, approximately 23,000 people were recorded as
victims of crime in New Zealand (Statistics New Zealand, 2016). Almost half of those
victims were victims of theft and related offences. Large percentages of victims were
also found as victims of assault, and victims of unlawful entry with intent/burglary,
break and enter. According to Barlow and Durand (2015), a number of studies have
found that the prevalence of PTSD in victims of crime is remarkably low. Therefore,
it can be assumed that from the 23,000 victims across New Zealand, a small
percentage of them may actually develop PTSD. However, the risk of PTSD
associated with specific traumas associated with crime are as follows 20.9% in
victims of assault, 49% in victims of rape, 23.7% in victims of sexual assault that was
not rape, 53.8% in victims of kidnap/held captive/torture, 15.4% in victims who were
shot or stabbed, 8% in victims who were mugged or threatened with a victim, 31%
in victims who were badly beaten up, and a total of approximately 11% of people who
learned about others traumatic event (Barlow & Durand, 2015). It is important to be
aware that though some people do not develop PTSD, it does not mean that they
PAGE 36
are psychologically well and do not need assistance coping from the trauma
(McBreaty, 2011). Physical effects of trauma are tended to more so than psychological
effects or victimisation. However, psychological effects can have equally long if not
longer lasting effects. McBreaty (2011) found that the most common effects of
trauma victims included fear, shock and disbelief, guilt/self-blame, physical and
psychological scars, and lifestyle changes. Another study conducted by Boccellari et
al. (2007) found that trauma symptoms were highly prevalent in victims of crime.
They also found that 75% of the participants experienced extreme posttraumatic
distress. Moreover, significant traumatic stress symptoms were found within one
month of victimisation. In another study conducted by Tan and Haining (2016), 86%
of 392 victims of crime experienced at least one trauma related psychological
symptom including stress, insomnia, panic attacks, and depression. Victims of non-
violent or property crimes were not highly found to experience psychological
trauma. There were also a number of behavioural changes associated with trauma
victims including avoidance of going out alone, going to certain places, and going
out at night; along with skipping work (Tan & Haining, 2016). It is clear that more
research is necessary surrounding trauma and how emergency departments should
help people overcome trauma, as a huge amount of the population does not qualify
DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Victimization can have tremendous effects on health and
many researchers have made suggestions for how they should be taken care of.
Though research surrounding trauma is criticized for its lack of generalizability,
McBreaty (2011) argues that generalisability is not something that researchers should
PAGE 37
strive for when studying trauma, as generalisability should not be a goal in
phenomenological research it is to discover the meaning of the experience for the
participant (p. 23). Moreover, McBreaty (2011) makes the following
recommendations in-service education for all emergency healthcare professionals
on the impacts of violence including both long and short term effects found in a
large percentage of these victims, more literature on Victim Support directly
available in the emergency department, open communication channels between
emergency departments and Victim Support, follow-up calls to victims from a social
worker within 6 weeks post-incident, crisis intervention, support, and treatment to
victims of crime by a multi-agency group including medical personnel, the social
worker, and local police, and finally, a more comprehensive understanding of
common locations of crime in order to tackle crime more effectively. Boccellari et
al. (2007) also argues that comprehensive mental health and case management
services which actively engage victims are needed to tackle the issues pertaining to
this population. In addition, Boccollari et al., (2007) warrants more research
between the complex relationship between type of criminal victimisation and
posttraumatic distress.
As researchers have stated, many suffering from crime related trauma do not
get the help that they need, and it seems that coping with trauma is hugely a self-
managed process, unless diagnosed with PTSD. According to Lazarus and Folkman
PAGE 38
(1984), coping is defined as dynamic cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage
internal and/or external demands which are subjectively thought to exceed personal
resources. Hefferon and Boniwell (2011), state that there are two main strategies to
coping with trauma. These include problem-focused coping and emotion focused
coping. Problem-focused coping involves identifying the stressor and actively
tackling the present issues (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Emotion-focused coping on
the other hand is paying attention to emotions that have risen from the situation
rather than actively trying to overcome the issue. Those who engage in emotion-
focused coping also tend to seek more social support (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011).
However, this can lead to avoidance of dealing with the situation at hand.
Notwithstanding, recent research dictates that emotion-focused coping can have
positive effects (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Hefferon & Boniwell (2011), found that
avoidance is not always an anti-coping strategy. In fact, engaging in healthy
distractions for a short time can be productive for those who have experienced
significant trauma. The need for social support when coping with trauma has been
studied extensively. Stappenbeck, Hassija, Zimmerman, and Kaysen (2015), found
that women who have been sexually assaulted were less successful with coping when
social support was reduced. In addition, harmful coping behaviours such as drinking
alcohol increased when social support was reduced. Stappenbeck et al. (2015),
highlight the need for adequate social support to help women build coping skills
after sexual assault. Moreover, recent research analysing avoidance coping found
that avoidance coping strategies work as normative, self-reinforcing methods of
PAGE 39
reducing psychological effects of trauma in victims of intimate partner violence
(IPV) (Flanagan et al., 2014). Additionally, avoidance coping mediated psychological
symptoms such as depression (Flanagan et al., 2014). Conflicting research dictates
that avoidance coping could hinder daily functioning and treatment response
(Leiner et al., 2012). Intervention efforts to improve coping strategies must be
explored. A relatively new phenomenon in trauma coping research is the prevalence
of posttraumatic growth (PTG). PTG is defined as an experience in which positive
changes, growth from adversity, and psychological growth are facilitated by a
traumatic event (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). There has been rising levels of research
on the subject. However, some argue if it even exists (Herfferon & Boniwell, 2011).
Tedeschi, Park, and Calhoun (1998), found that many individuals value the growth
that was facilitated by the traumatic event and would not turn back time if they had
the option. Moreover, individuals have reported feelings of growth and the belief
that they are better off than even before the traumatic event (Hefferon & Boniwell,
2011). However, due to an abundance of criticism on the subject, more research is
widely warranted (Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Through research, it has been found
that coping with trauma associated with crime is highly self-helped. Moreover, self-
help books such as The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook is an example
of this phenomenon (Schiraldi, 2009). However, when observing individuals at risk
for developing PTSD, Bugg, Turpin, Mason, and Scholes (2009) found that though
anxiety, depression, and PTSD was improved over time through use of self-help in
the form of writing with a writing group, trauma related symptoms were not
PAGE 40
significantly lowered. Scholes et al. (2007) also found that patients provided with
self-help information did not see improvements in symptoms when compared to
groups with no treatment. Moreover, a number of studies had similar findings in
which psychological symptoms of trauma are not significantly reduced when
patients use self-help techniques of coping with trauma (Batten et al., 2002, Brown
and Heimberg, 2001, and Koopman et al., 2005). Therefore, problem focused coping
such as self-help books are not as effective as emotion focused coping such as
seeking social support in moderation.
In conclusion, trauma research remains difficult to validate and conduct
reliably. The term itself has attracted conflict in psychological research. However,
the DSM-IV has had more success over the years in creating appropriate criteria for
trauma. Moreover, methods of observing and measuring trauma are promising.
Further research is still warranted. The extremely personal aspect of trauma makes
it difficult to generalise research on a wider scale. However, some researchers
believe it should not be generalized. Coping with trauma should be a priority in
emergency departments, especially hospitals. Organizations such as victim support
are highly necessary to victims of crime dealing with trauma, as a majority of
individuals will not be diagnosed with PTSD and referred to get psychological help.
Finally, contrary to earlier research, it has been found that coping with mediated
social support is more productive than using self-help books and writing. More
PAGE 41
research is necessary to test the productivity of emotion focused coping techniques
such as seeking social support.
PAGE 42
References
Batten, S. V., Follette, V. M., Rasmussen, M. L., and Palm, K. M. (2002). Physical and
psychological effects of written disclosure. Behaviour Therapy, 33, 107-122
Boccellari, A., Alvidrez, J., Shumway, M., Kelly, V., Merrill, G., Gelb, M., Smart, S.,
and Okin, R. L. (2007). Characteristics and psychosocial needs of victims of
violent crime identified at a public-sector hospital: data from a large clinical
trial. General Hospital Psychiatry, 29(3), 236-243
Brown, E. J., and Heimburg, R. G. (2001). Effects of writing about rape: Evaluating
Pennebakers paradigm with a severe trauma. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 14,
781-790
Bugg, A., Turpin, G., Mason, S., and Scholes, C. (2009). A randomised controlled
trial of the effectiveness of writing as a self-help intervention for traumatic
injury patients at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder. Behaviour
Research and Therapy, 47(1), 6-12
Flanagan, J. C., Jaquier, V., Overstreet, N., Swan, S. C., and Sullivan, T. P. (2014). The
mediating role of avoidance coping between intimate partner violence (IPV)
victimization, mental health, and substance abuse among women
experiencing bidirectional IPV. Psychiatry Research, 220(1), 391-396
PAGE 43
Hefferon, K., and Boniwell, I. (2011). Positive psychology: Theory research and
applications. New York: McGraw Hill
Koopman, C., Ismailji, T., Holmes, D., Classen, C., Palesh, O., and Wales, T. The
effects of expressive writing on pain, depression, and posttaumatic stress
disorder symptoms in survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of
Health Psychology, 10, 211-221
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York:
Springer.
Leiner, A. S., Kearns, M. C., Jackson, J. L., Astin, M. C., and Rothbaum, B. O. (2012).
Avoidant coping and treatment outcome in rape-related posttraumatic stress
disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80, 317-321
McBreaty, P. (2011). The lived experience of victims of crime. International
Emergency Nursing, 19(1), 20-26
McNally, R. J. (2004). Conceptual problems with the DSM-IV criteria for
posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic stress disorder: Issues and
controversies, 1-14
Schiraldi, G. R. (2009). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to
healing, recovery, and growth [978-0-07-161495]. Retrieved from
file:///H:/UNI/Coop/EbboksForLearningAims/Post%20Traumatic%20Stress
%20Disorder%20Sourcebook.pdf
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Scholes, C., and Mason, T. S. (2007). A randomised controlled trial to sees the
effectiveness of providing self-help information to people with symptoms of
acute stress disorder following a traumatic injury. Behaviour Research and
Therapy, 45, 2527-2536
Stappenbeck, C. A., Hassija, C. M., Zimmerman, L., and Kaysen, D. (2015). Sexual
assault related distress and drinking: The influence of daily reports of social
support and coping control. Addictive Behaviours, 42, 108-113
Statistics New Zealand. (2016). Recorded crime victims statistics victimisations.
Retrieved from
http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE
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Tan, S., and Haining, R. (2016). Crime victimization and the implications for
individual health and wellbeing: A sheffield case study. Social Science &
Medicine, 167, 128-139
Weathers, F, W., and Keane, T. M. (2007). The criterion A problem revisited:
Controversies and challenges in defining and measuring psychological
trauma. Journal of Traumatic stress, 20(2), 107-121
PAGE 45
Learning Aim Three - Personal

My Aim Communicate effectively and professionally with clients and
colleagues
This aim is primarily personal, however, it has had an impact on my
professional life equally. I chose this aim because I believe that
miscommunication can hinder our connection and relationships with others
greatly. If we only learn how to attentively listen, we can communicate most
effectively. I dont believe that I struggle greatly with communication.
However, I believed that both my personal and professional life would have
a positive impact if I were to actively improve my communication skills.
Moreover, my role as a support worker requires excellent communication
skills. I have had many experiences in the past when miscommunication was
the culprit in an interpersonal conflict. Therefore, I would like to improve the
communication skills in which I am lacking, and that are specifically required
for my placement as a support worker.
My Strategies
To achieve this aim, I created five strategies that would be effective to
my learning, 1) study the communication skills module in the ITP resource
booklet and identify my target skills, 2) Establish a baseline for my target
skills, 3) identify a contingency schedule, 4) implement my contingency
schedule, and 5) write a report on my findings of the behaviour modification
programme. As I have had prior experience with behaviour modification
programmes, it was a fairly straight-forward process to plan and conduct. By
reading through my ITP booklet, I was able to identify my target skill.
Through informal self-observation, I concluded that my active listening skills
were the most lacking out of the necessary skills listed in the ITP book. For
two days, I paid close attention to my listening behaviour and noticed that I
tend to split my focus when listening to people I am having a conversation
PAGE 46
with. I therefore based my research on increasing active listening, and

decreasing listening blocking behaviour. Throughout the experience I was
able to observe behaviours I engage in which prevent me from actively
listening to people in one on one scenarios. This was a very educational
experience for me. Enforcing the contingency schedule was a very effective
part of my learning. Through self-discipline and a rewards system, I was able
to successfully modify my behaviour and engage in optimal levels of active
listening. What this meant was that I felt much more engaged when
communicating with victims. I felt more qualified just by being more focused
and present. However, as described in my report, there may have been
intervening variables which influenced the success of my programme such as
my own self-discipline and potential research biases. In saying that, my
learning was still effective and I was able to gain a clearer understanding of
what it means to be an active listener. Behaviour modification is widely
supported to increase desired behaviour or decrease unwanted behaviour.
For example, a meta-analysis conducted by Sangela (2016) showed the high
effectivity of behaviour modification to increase physical activity across a
number of studies. An older study conducted by Stajkovic and Luthans (1995)
also found that behaviour modification is effective to enhance performance
in employees.
I did have to modify my aim. The client support worker relationship is
completely different to the support-worker - colleague relationship. The role
of the support worker is to listen and support the client/victim. Whereas, the
relationship between the support worker and a colleague is to share
information and advice. I felt that the two relationships were too
fundamentally different to analyze in the same research. Therefore, to avoid
research bias, I conducted my research solely regarding the support-worker
- client relationship, rather than support-worker and colleague. In other
words, my 3rd learning aim became Communicate effectively and
PAGE 47
professionally with clients. However, a result of this programme was that my

communication improved with my colleagues as well as with my victims.
As discussed in my report, I believe that with the self-discipline and the
learning I experienced through this experiment, I will be able to maintain my
active listening skills and minimize the presence of listening blocking
behaviour. However, my programme was both simple and effective.
Therefore, if my active listening begins to falter, it would be effective to
implement my program again. I could also make a few adjustments in order
to maintain longer term results.
The Outcome
What I hoped to achieve by completing this aim was to teach myself
how to communicate more effectively by targeting behaviours and improving
them by conducting a behaviour modification programme. Conducting this
experiment was an engaging experience. I found that self-discipline and
passion played dominant roles in the success of this program. I needed self-
discipline to stick to the program I formulated, and I needed passion to
motivate me to do my best, not just for myself, but for my clients also. I
noticed that my sheer passion to be the best support worker I could be was a
huge motivation to become a better active listener. However, as detailed by
my report, sheer passion and self-discipline would not have been enough to
modify my behaviour. Although, I did find those attributes to be essential
components to my learning.
PAGE 48
Appendix 3a
Learning aim 3 evidence Behaviour modification report
Self-Management Behavioural-Modification Program for Increasing
Active Listening
Stephanie Tan
AUT University
PAGE 49
Self-Administered behaviour modification to increase active listening.
Communication is a basic human need. However, effective communication

is a choice (DeVito, 2012). Effective communication allows us to build and deepen
interpersonal relationships, make connections, offer helpful advice, and resolve
conflict (DeVito, 2012). In order to communicate effectively we must be culturally
sensitive, ethically minded, open minded, good listeners, and mindful (DeVito,
2012). Effective communication is imperative in working relationships. There have
been a number of behaviour modification programs which have been conducted to
improve communication between the worker and the client in different institutions
(Sharma & Firth, 2012). The current behaviour modification program was self-
conducted to improve active listening towards victims of crime and trauma. As the
position of the support worker is primarily listening to victims and advising them
on the best course of action, active listening was suggested to be the most valuable
skill. Additionally, after self-reflection active listening was found to be the skill that
needed the most improvement. This self-experiment also serves as an example of
how the integrity of the intervention and the process of self-monitoring can be
enhanced when a contingency-based intervention is largely self-implemented and
conducted outside of a clinical or laboratory setting (Craig, 2010, p.38).
Disclosure: This study is uniquely constructed to fit my goals and my personality.

Therefore, it is not being conducted for the benefit of the wider community.
Method
Participant and Setting
This research was conducted when I was 24yo in my final year cooperative
education paper during my Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. Since my first
year doing this degree, I have had many experiences studying and applying
PAGE 50
behaviour-analytic principles. This report will discuss my experience reducing

listening-preventing behaviours and increasing listening-promoting behaviours. I
chose a program consisting of self-monitoring and DRA (differential reinforcement
of alternative behaviour).
Research Design
My research was designed in lieu with Victim Support. Target behaviour

chosen was active listening. This is stressed in the ITP resource. Active listening not
only means focusing fully on the speaker, but also actively showing verbal and non-
verbal signs of listening. The ITP booklet contains a number of listening-preventing
behaviours which threat active listening. These include the 12 blocks to listening
(comparing, mind-reading, rehearsing, filtering, judging, dreaming, identifying,
advising, sparring, being right, derailing, and placating. Implementation of active
listening was dependent on self-monitoring and DRA. The baseline period consisted
of only self-monitoring and lasted 10 working days. The entire study lasted 20
working days. This study was only conducted on work days to avoid research bias.
My contingency schedule consisted of being fully engaged in active listening when
in contact with a victim. When no listening blocks are observed throughout the day,
I was able to go to the gym. Punishment only consisted of removal of the positive
stimuli (going to the gym).
Data Collection and Response Definition
Behaviour was recorded throughout baseline and intervention period.

During both periods, target behaviour was observed, and listening blocking were
also recorded. Behaviour was recorded on a calendar. If I observed any listening
blocking while with a victim that day, the behaviour was recorded on my calendar.
Listening blocking behaviours observed included identifying (allowing the
dialogue to trigger your personal memory of experience and start talking about
yourself), dreaming (dialogue triggers your own private thoughts and you begin to
PAGE 51
focus on your thoughts), and advising (interjecting to give advice and not really
acknowledging or empathising with their situation), as per the ITP resource. In both
periods of the study (baseline and intervention) the same data were recorded (target
behaviour observed (BO) and listening blocks present). However, the contingency
schedule was implemented during the intervention phase only.
Procedure
Baseline
The baseline period of my behaviour modification program lasted 10 working

days from the 21st of June until the 1st of July. Every day, when I came into contact
with a victim I paid close attention to my active listening. When I paid full active
attention to victims for the full day, I noted BO (behaviour observed) on my
calendar. When any listening blocking behaviour from the ITP handbook was
observed, I recorded what listening blocking behaviour occurred on my calendar.
Additionally, because of the demanding nature of my role with victim support, it
was not professional to focus too much on my behaviour while attending to a victim.
Therefore, I was unable to record every listening blocking behaviour and so the
listening blocking behaviour which was most frequently self-observed during
contact with victims was recorded for the day.
Intervention
The intervention period of my behaviour modification program lasted 10

working days from the 5th of July to the 15th of July. During which I implemented my
contingency schedule. The reinforcer (gym attendance) was made available only
when active listening was prominent all day. In other words, when no listening
blocking behaviour occurred during all contact with victims throughout the day, I
was able to attend the gym. There was no time limit for attendance. However, I did
stay long enough to feel the positive effects of gym attendance. My rationale for
PAGE 52
choosing gym attendance was an informal judgement based on the belief that the
positive hormones released during/after my workouts could reinforce the target
behaviour, as the positive hormones that gym attendance induces is what made me
continue attending the gym. DRA was chosen to increase the appropriate/target
behaviour while decreasing the inappropriate/negative behaviour. Data recorded
was the same as during the baseline phase. However, behaviour was reinforced in
this stage.
Results
During the initial baseline phase, target behaviour was observed 4 out of 10
days. Listening was blocked by advising (3 days), dreaming (2 days) and identifying
(1 day). When the reinforcer was introduced, target behaviour was observed almost
doubly. Target behaviour was increased to 7 out of 10 days observed. During the
intervention phase, listening was only blocked by advising. Calendar observations
were converted into a chart on Microsoft Excel, and available below.
Frequency of Target behaviour

1.2 (n.b. 1 = presence of target
Prescence of obsevrvations
1
0.8 behaviour, 0 = target
0.6
behaviour blocked by
0.4
0.2 listening blocking
0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
behaviour)
Baseline Intervention
Discussion
The results of this self-administered behaviour modification program have

shown that the intervention was successful in minimising listening blocking
PAGE 53
behaviour and increasing target behaviour. The results of this experiment are similar
to those produced by Hodgins, Leigh, Milne, & Gerrish (1997) who successfully
found that self-management is efficient in treating problem behaviours. However,
this result may highlight the limitations found in self-experimentation. Other
factors may have determined or aided the results. Other factors such as self-
motivation could have had a greater effect than gym attendance. Additionally, the
learning facilitated by the baseline phase may have helped me engage in more active
listening in the following weeks. Moreover, each day that behaviour was observed,
the frequency and duration of contact with victims was not recorded. The form of
contact was not recorded either. Therefore, because the research was not conducted
as precisely as it should have been conducted, it is not possible to say that the
positive stimuli alone was successful in achieving the target behaviour. Misreporting
is a common research bias found in self-experimentation scenarios (Roberts, &
Neuringer, 1998).
Roberts and Neuringer (1998) discuss additional limitations to self-

experimentation such as intervention-expectation effects (i.e. normal behaviour
changes due to expectations of contingency effects). Intervention-expectations
could have influenced my motivation and response to the positive stimuli and thus
implicated the validity of my findings. Lack of blinding may also account for
research bias. Again, the fact that I was very aware of the experiment and anticipated
the effects of my behaviour, may have influenced the integrity of my results.
Additionally, the length of time that this experiment was conducted, though it
reaped positive results, does not promise long term success and presence of the
target behaviour. Moreover, because this experiment was very uniquely designed to
fit my personality, it is hard to say whether this type of study would be widely
applicable. However, this is not a problematic limitation of my study as it was strictly
disclosed that it was designed for myself specifically. Despite certain limitation, the
PAGE 54
present study was successful for me. I was able to achieve my professional goal and
become a better communicator and listener for my victims.
In order to maintain the results of my study, it is assumed that self-discipline

will be efficient. However, the behaviour modification program can be implemented
again if listening blocking behaviours become more frequently observed.
PAGE 55
References
Craig, A, R. (2010). Self-administered behaviour modification to reduce nail biting:

Incorporating simple technology to ensure treatment integrity. Self-
administered treatment for nail biting, 3(2), 38-41
DeVito, J, A. (2012). Human communication. Boston/Massachusetts: Pearson
Hodgins, D. C., Leigh, G., Milne, R., & Gerrish, R. (1997). Drinking goal selection in
behavioural management of chronic alcoholics. Addictive Behaviours, 22(2),
247-255
Roberts, S., and Neuringer, A. (1998). Self-experimentation. In: Lattal K. A, Perone

M, editors. Handbook of research methods in human operant behaviour.
New York: Plenum Press, 619- 655
Sharma, V., & Firth, G. (2012). Effective engagement through intensive interaction.
Learning Disability Practice, 15(9), 20-23
PAGE 56
Appendix 3b
2016 June Baseline and
Intervention
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
Data record
30 31 01 02 03 04 05
06 07 08 09 10 11 12
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
Began BMP Listening blocked Listening blocked BO Listening blocked
Behaviour by advising by dreaming by advising
observed (BO)
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
BO Listening blocked BO Listening blocked Listening blocked
by Identifying by dreaming by advising
04 05 Notes:
BO: Target behaviour observed
2016 July
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
27 28 29 30 01 02 03
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
Started Mod BO BO Listening blocked BO
Programme. by advising
Listening blocked
by advising
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
Listening blocked BO BO BO BO
by advising
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
01 02 Notes:
BO: Target behaviour observed
PAGE 57
Learning Aim Four - Professional

My Aim Successfully complete the QPR online program
This aim was a professional goal, to successfully complete the

question persuade and refer (QPR) suicide prevention program required to
begin my role with Victim Support. The reason this aim was chosen was
because it was a requirement to begin my role as a support worker with victim
support NZ.
Additionally, I chose this aim is because it is very personal to me. This is a

rising and pressing issue for New Zealanders. In New Zealand, suicide
accounts for 500 deaths annually across all ages (Ministry of Health, 2013).
Growing up, I developed friendships with several people experiencing
depression and/or having suicidal thoughts. Moreover, my partner has also
had depression and suicidal thoughts in the past. It was of personal interest
to me to earn my QPR certificate as I wanted to increase my knowledge
surrounding suicide in NZ and learn the most efficient and effective ways to
help those whom are feeling suicidal get the help that they need.
I consider emotional intelligence to be a strength of mine. I am often the

person people go to for support, a shoulder to cry on, or to vent their
frustrations. This is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because I have
the emotional intelligence and passion to help people. However, it is a curse
because I often find myself taking responsibility for other peoples troubles
which can have a negative effect on my own psychological health. My role at
Victim Support will therefore be a challenge. However, due to the extensive
training provided by victim support, additional training such as QPR, and
what I have learnt over the course of my studies at AUT, I believe I will be
able to avoid being negatively psychologically affected by my clients.
PAGE 58
I have definitely had experience with suicidal people in the past both in my
personal and professional life. During my time of work at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel Auckland while I was working as a wait-staff, a client in his room was
on the ledge of his window contemplating suicide. I did not have the
authority to intervene and medical professionals were on their way. However,
I felt an urgency to help him. Thankfully, he did not complete suicide. I found
myself consoling colleagues who were psychologically affected by this and I
was happy to help. Because I have had personal experience consoling people
regarding suicidal thoughts and behaviours, I was not psychologically
affected by this occurring at the workplace. I was able to stay calm and
rational. I created strategies to help me achieve this aim, and facilitate my
learning.
My Strategies
The strategies I planned to achieve my aim included (1) reading about

New Zealand suicide statistics on the QPR website, (2) reading about the
suicide prevention processes on the QPR website, (3) watching role plays on
YouTube about QPR suicide prevention and (4) finishing my QPR exam. All
of my strategies and learning was facilitated by the QPR training website
(http://www.qpr.org.nz/). Therefore, it was a fairly efficient process to
complete in one day. However, the education I have received with at AUT,
and the introductory training program (ITP) provided by Victim Support
undoubtedly aided my understanding about suicide, but are not included in
my list of strategies.
QPR online training cost $55.00 and was paid for by Victim Support. I found
that the QPR website and training was highly effective to my learning.
Training began by asking me 10 questions pertaining to suicide. After I
answered the questions, QPR provided me with the correct answers through
reading material about suicide statistics, suicide prevention processes, and
PAGE 59
finally, YouTube clips of how QPR should be implemented. The information

was captivating, which helped me retain the information for the test.
However, I also made notes throughout the training so I would be more
prepared for the test. When I was ready to sit the test, I completed it with
100%. I found that this style of learning was extremely effective for me.
Research regarding efficacy of online skills training is quite positive. One
study found that online training is effective and has potential for further
growth (Lehenbauer et al., 2012). Another study found that online training
for teachers was successful in skill building and confidence (Neghavati, 2016).
The YouTube clips were especially effective to my learning as I am quite a
visual learner. The YouTube clips were short videos displaying a potential
situation between a person engaging in suicidal behaviour, and a person
applying QPR to help them cope and get professional help. I was able to learn
exactly what should be said and done to help someone in this situation.
Frongia (2016) found that YouTube serves as a potential training resource.
The study found that YouTube is effective. However, they caution that
alternative video platforms could be more effective for professionals and
educational purposes.
Suicide is an area of knowledge which I have come across many times during
my studies at AUT. Abnormal Psychology was a paper I took in my second
year at AUT. This paper educated me about a variety of mental disorders,
how they are commonly perceived by the general public, how they are
medically defined, and how they actually affect people. More importantly, I
learnt about the subject of suicide. I learnt that suicide was highly associated
with panic/anxiety disorders and major depression (Barlow, & Durand, 2015).
Additionally, those experiencing both depression and an anxiety related
disorders have uniquely increased chances of having suicidal thoughts or
engaging in suicidal behaviour (Barlow, & Durand, 2015). Abnormal
PAGE 60
Psychology was a paper I enjoyed thoroughly. My learning was highly

effective during this paper even though I do not usually learn very well by the
lecture technique. However, I realise that when I am very interested in
something, my learning is increased highly.
In the Introductory Training Program (ITP) provided by Victim Support, I

learnt that suicidal behaviour is not only associated with those experiencing
a mental disorder(s). The IPT taught me about the history of suicide,
bereavement support roles and responsibilities, NZ suicide statistics,
understanding suicide, trauma following suicide, relationships around
suicide, and how to provide effective support (ITP Participants resource,
n.d.). My learning during this training was also highly effective. More
information about my learning at the ITP is provided in my reflection of my
first learning aim.
Though I could not include my previous study with AUT as a strategy in

achieving this aim, it was a major contributor to my learning around the
subject of suicide. The ITP could have been included as a strategy, as my
learning was effective and very relevant to this aim. However, the training
provided by the QPR program was much more specific to my learning for this
aim.
The Outcome
My outcome for this aim was to attach my QPR certificate to my

portfolio which I was able to achieve.
I believe this aim was not highly challenging, as I was given sufficient training
with Victim Support, have accrued knowledge surrounding suicide for my
last three years at AUT, and consider myself to be quite emotionally
intelligent. However, I still learnt a lot of new information through the QPR
PAGE 61
program. There is no further development necessary in attaining my

outcome. However, QPR NZ also offers an advanced course in QPR training.
This is definitely something I will consider going forward.
I have attached my QPR certificate as proof of my learning. Unfortunately, I

do not have access to my test results from the QPR online program.
Therefore, I am not able to provide any other proof of learning from my
strategies, as they were all facilitated by the program. The certificate is a
symbol of the learning I acquired via the program and that I was able to
successfully pass the exam which was the final step towards becoming a
support worker.
PAGE 62
Appendix 4a
Learning aim 2 evidence QPR Certificate (following page)
PAGE 63
QPR CERT TO GO HERE
Due to copyright reasons, I was not able to add my certificate to

my portfolio, you will have to open it using another program. The
link has been attached:
QPRCertificate.oxps
PAGE 64
Links to BA
I found that my learning throughout my degree was very relevant to my
overall placement. More specifically, by ranks of applicability to my placement, the
following are all the papers I have taken throughout my degree:
1. Positive Psychology (level 7)

2. Approaches to Psychological Intervention (level 7)
3. Abnormal Psychology (level 6)
4. Asian and Pacific Issues (level 7, minor paper)
5. Families and Communities (level 6, minor paper)
6. Understanding Crime (level 6, minor paper)
7. Research and Analysis (level 5)
8. Introduction to Sociology (level 5, minor paper)
9. Cooperative education (level 7)
10. Communication and Presentation Systems (level 5)
11. Individuals and Identities (level 6)
12. Introduction to Psychology A, and Introduction to Psychology B (level 5)
13. Papers ranked equally, as I did not find that they were applicable during my
placement with Victim Support (though potentially relevant to my
cooperative education assessments) included International Relations (level
7, minor paper), Critical Evaluation in Psychology (level 7), Social Psychology
(level 6), The Nature of Psychological Inquiry (level 6), Psychological
Assessment (level 6), Brain and Behaviour (level 6), Undergraduate Writing
for Academic Purposes (level 5), and Spanish 2b (level 6, minor paper).
Positive psychology, approaches to psychological intervention, and abnormal

psychology were important to my placement as I found them to be key components
during my key experience with Victim Support. They helped me understand my
anxiety, analyse my feelings and apply holistic therapies on myself which allowed
me to cope with my busy schedule and demanding personal life. Research and
PAGE 65
analysis (RnA) aided me in my behavioural modification programme, specially,

achieving my third learning aim. RnA was the first paper which taught me about
psychological research. Asian and Pacific issues was a paper I completed last year. I
was required to hold a seminar of 20 minutes on my own. This definitely helped me
overcome my fear of public speaking, without which, I may not have found the
confidence in presenting my co-op speech. Communicating is a paper I will always
remember. It taught me the basics of human behaviour. It also sparked my interest
in the study of human behaviour. I believe it has helped me become more perceptive
to my own and others non-verbal communication during my placement. I also
believe it has allowed me to become a better support worker. Understanding crime
was helpful as it allowed me to learn the basics of criminal justice. A key part about
being a support worker is providing practical information to victims, usually related
to court precedings. Therefore, I am grateful for the basic information I learnt about
the criminal justice through understanding crime. However, Understanding Crime
was more about research than criminal justice and the court systems. I believe this
was a gap in my learning as I found myself regularly asking questions regarding court
processes to my colleagues at Victim Support. Finally, Families and Communities
taught me about cultural consideration and how we can overcome our differences
and develop and stronger community. Being a support worker, we must be non-
judgemental and open minded. I believe that families and communities increased
my learning about how to be culturally sensitive, more understanding and more
open minded about cultural practices different from my own. Though I did not
reflect on this aspect of my placement during my oral presentation (due to the time
restriction), the cultural aspect of my placement was particularly significant, and I
am pleased that I took families and communities last year. From the ITP and all
through my placement, cultural consideration was significant. During my time with
Victim Support, I was put in very culturally different situations, and I had to exercise
the knowledge I learnt in families and communities and ITP. As mentioned earlier,
Maori and Pacific Island populations have a higher presence in crime and
PAGE 66
victimisation in Aotearoa. Therefore, I worked quite frequently with those

communities. It was important that I respected our differences and cultural
practices that I was not familiar with. For example, most of the Pacific Island
individuals I offered support to after a sudden death did not accept my support as
they had a huge support system of their own. Whereas, many non-Pacific Island
individuals were more accepting of support after a sudden death. I engaged with
victims who were different to me in ways other than culture also. For example, I
supported victims who frequently engaged in illegal drug use or had committed a
criminal offence in the past. This was a slight shock at first. However, in every
situation, I approached the victim with a non-judgemental attitude as their
wellbeing was more important. I feel like I became a different person when I put on
my support worker I.D badge. It was important to put all of my judgements,
opinions, and expectations behind me and focus solely on what the victims needs
are, and how to help them fulfil their needs in every contact. I feel like my minor
papers such as families and communities and introduction to sociology helped me
cope with our differences and become more culturally sensitive.
Key Experience
A key experience with Victim Support was trying to balance the demands of my
personal life and my role as a support worker. This was a key experience because it
was a huge challenge to overcome. When I started my placement with Victim
Support, Cristina (my coop supervisor) was quite apprehensive of me doing my
placement with Victim Support. Her concerns revolved around my psychological
wellbeing. She was concerned that the expectations of my role would become
psychologically damaging to me as one of her students who did her placement with
an organization like Victim Support had experienced before. However, I proved to
Cristina that I was resilient. Moreover, she devised terms for my contract which
would attempt to ensure my wellbeing. My work place supervisor, Cristina, and I
agreed that each face to face contact with a victim would be supervised by a senior
PAGE 67
support worker to ensure my physical and mental health. The first week of my
placement was fairly unemotional. I was more overjoyed to be part of such an
incredible organization. I was eager to make a difference and give back to the
community. I supported one victim who was very badly injured during a car accident
which was quite tragic, but I was able to remain focused and objective. My other
cases were quite light also. A couple of weeks into my placement, I started
supporting victims of domestic violence, assault, and home invasion. This is when
my job became very psychologically challenging. Additionally, because my partner
has depression and he was going through a hard time at the time, I was in quite a
fragile place emotionally. I soldiered on and continued my work as best as I could. I
believe that I was still doing a good job as my supervisors and victims gave me
positive feedback for the majority of the time. However, one day, I had a panic attack
and I just felt burnt out, overwhelmed, and I couldnt breathe. The new work load,
balancing my studies, going to my other jobs, making time for myself, balancing
other relationships. It all started to take a toll. In my life, Im the person people go
to for support and guidance. And now it was also part of my job. Being a support
worker felt fantastic, but I was spreading myself too thin. I didnt understand what
I was feeling or why, so I decided to get a better understanding of what I was going
through. I did some research through my Abnormal Psychology textbook about
panic attacks. What I found, was that panic attacks can be both expected and
unexpected. If you have a fear of heights for example, and you have a flight planned,
you might anticipate a panic attack. But unexpected panic attacks have a bigger role
in anxiety (Barlow & Durand, 2015). What I was experiencing, was unexpected panic
attacks. Anxiety comes from multiple sources, biological, psychological, and social
(Barlow & Durand, 2015). Anxiety can be inherited, in a sense that we inherit our
response to fear and vulnerabilities towards an anxiety disorder. Anxiety is also an
adaptive response to fear. However, the development of anxiety is interdependent
on psychological and social factors too. Barlow and Durand clearly state that anxiety
doesnt come from a single gene. But contributions from collections of genes in
PAGE 68
several areas on chromosomes make us vulnerable when the right psychological and
social factors are in place (2015, p. 125). In other words, stress or other factors in the
environment can turn on these genes and trigger anxiety (Barlow & Durand, 2015).
What became clear to me, was that the extra work load which was increasing my
stress levels, combined with the specific environment of my work with victim
support, was making me vulnerable to unproductive levels of anxiety, which were
destructive to my psychological wellbeing. This is also supported by psychological
theories of anxiety which dictate that extreme stress induces a strong fear response
which contributes to the development of anxiety and panic attacks. I also noticed a
number of physical symptoms that set off my panic attacks including head-aches,
stomach aches, heart racing and hyper ventilating. I didnt realise that these were
symptoms of anxiety until after increasing my knowledge around the subject.
Barlow and Durand (2015) state that stressful life events trigger our biological and
psychological vulnerabilities to anxiety (Barlow & Durand, 2015). Through research,
I gained a clear understanding of what I was feeling, and why I was experiencing
those feelings and symptoms. In order to learn from this experience, I recalled two
of the holistic therapies I learnt in approaches to psychological intervention last year
and positive psychology which I took last semester. I thought they might help me
overcome this challenge. The first therapy was ACT or acceptance and commitment
therapy. This is a therapy in which you train yourself to connect with the present
moment, know the values that matter most to you, and commit to an action that is
aligned with those values. According to Pull 2008, recent research has shown that
ACT is successful in treating a number of anxiety disorders, and lowering negative
symptoms in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized social anxiety
disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The results were also
maintained between a 4 week and 3-month period. The second therapeutic
technique I looked at was mindfulness. Mindfulness is a mental state, achieved by
focusing ones awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and
accepting ones feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. In reviewing a meta-
PAGE 69
analysis conducted by Vollestad and colleagues (2011), I found that mindfulness

based interventions are associated with substantial reductions in anxiety symptoms.
The results of these interventions were also maintained over time. Moreover,
researchers argue that mindfulness based interventions might be more attractive to
patients due to their emphasis on wider life concerns than simply the removal of
symptoms. This research gave me faith that I could minimize or gain better control
of my anxiety by applying mindfulness and ACT self-help therapies. I was thrilled to
find that after applying simple techniques of both therapies for 2 weeks allowed me
to be more present and accept my feelings. This definitely improved my coping with
being over worked, stressed, and emotionally burnt out. I was able to complete my
placement just after semester 2 began. This experience allowed me to become a
better support worker as I learnt how to take care of my psychological wellbeing
which is central to being a support worker. It also helped me with my own personal
development, as I learnt not to put too much pressure on myself and manage my
own anxiety. Since I finished my placement, I have paused my volunteer work.
However, I am eager to resume my work when the semester is over as I found my
work to be extremely meaningful and rewarding. I believe that without the
commitment of being a full time student, I will be able to manage my work much
better, and also make time for myself.
PAGE 70
Feedback
I have received consistent feedback throughout my placement from my Victim

Support superiors, colleagues, and clients/victims, my academic supervisor, family
and friends.
Before placement
Before I started my placement with Victim Support, I received various feedback from
a number of people. My academic supervisor expressed concern as she was worried
of the psychological damage this role could have on me. Family members were also
slightly worried of the same issue. I appreciated everyones concerns. However, I
assured them that I had enough support around me that I would be able to handle
any situation. I was very aware that due to the emotional demand of this work, I
could become emotionally desensitised (cynical to peoples emotions and not
empathetic enough), or emotionally unstable (allowing my emotions to interfere
with my work and allowing my work to negatively affect my own psychological
wellbeing). My partner was also quite worried, and expressed this to me deeply. I
was glad that people helped me become more aware of the psychological risk I
would be putting myself through, so that I could pay attention to these risks every
time I engaged with a victim.
During placement
I have received so much feedback during my placement and I feel blessed to have so
much support. My superiors at victim support regularly gave me feedback during
my placement. Additionally, as it is part of procedure, I received feedback after every
assignment was submitted so that my coordinators could offer me advice and
guidance. Moreover, they often expressed gratitude for my work and my time. When
necessary, I was given constructive feedback. There were occasions when my
supervisors thought that I could have done a better job and gave me feedback to
PAGE 71
improve. I gladly took the feedback and self-reflected in order to become a better
support worker. My colleagues were all very caring people. They often checked on
me and asked how I was handling my work. They regularly asked me how I was
doing and offered feedback after doing assisted visits. They would also ask me how
I was feeling, in case my visit was traumatic or shocking. It was nice to have people
openly offering me support and comfort. It was also very encouraging. My
clients/victims regularly offered feedback. This feedback was both positive and
negative. As our victims are often feeling overwhelmed support workers are
sometimes abused over the phone. When receiving negative feedback, I usually
allowed the victim to take some time to gather their thoughts before contacting
again. I know that their emotions are a side effect of the trauma, and sometimes
they are overwhelmed. Often I would make contact with the victim after I felt like
they have had enough time to cool down, and they would accept support. Victims
would also offer regular positive feedback in the form of verbal appreciation. This
was always incredible to receive and reminded me that my job was worth doing as I
really was helping people. The best part of my role was seeing a victim regain their
strength and say they dont need support.
I received a lot of feedback from my partner during my placement. As the job was
challenging at times, my partner regularly asked me how I was feeling, and offered
me support when needed. He is a great listener and reminded me that it was not my
job to save people. He also regularly told me to take care of myself.
Finally, Cristina offered me feedback throughout my placement and also asked me

if I was psychologically well.
After placement
Once I finished my placement, I was offered a chance to graduate from intern

support worker to active support worker. This feedback communicated to me that I
had done work that was up to standard, so I was quite honoured. Moreover, my
PAGE 72
workplace supervisor informally thanked me for my work and gave me positive

feedback for my work. Another of my superiors at Victim Support showed me
gratitude for my time with Victim Support and told me that my notes on VIVA (our
case-note computer system) were extremely concise and specific which was great to
hear. I also received formal feedback from Cristina (co-op supervisor) (see
appendix). I was unable to get formal feedback from my workplace supervisor Nikky
Eruera. I did send her an email (see appendix). However, Nikky has an extremely
demanding job and she was unable to reply to my email. Additionally, due to
confidentiality, I am unable to append other feedback from Nikky and other
supervisors at Victim Support as the website in which I receive my feedback includes
personal information of my colleagues and victims. Therefore, it is unethical to
provide this information, and I apologise for the lack of feedback evidence with
Victim Support.
Future Career
I began my psychology degree at AUT in 2013. Since I began my studies, I have always
strived towards a career as a sex therapist. Though I was not able to take specific
papers in human sexuality, I did learn about many areas of psychology. Each paper
contributed to my learning. Victim Support was an incredible experience as it
allowed me to gain a surface understanding of counselling. I have applied for several
postgraduate degrees in psychology to increase my knowledge and gain further
qualifications at Auckland University and AUT University next year. I hope to gain
a deeper understanding of human sexuality. I also intend to begin searching for a
psychology related job or internship come graduation this year. In addition, to
become a registered psychologist in the NZ association of psychologists, I need to
acquire further knowledge regarding clinical psychological practice. My placement
with Victim Support definitely reassured me that I have chosen the right career for
myself. Being a support worker made me feel fulfilled and gave my life meaning. I
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was happy to be a help to people. I am eager to help people through therapy, and I
will continue striving towards a career as a sex and relationship therapist.
To sum up the findings of my SWOT analyses, I found that I need to try harder to
overcome my social anxiety as it hinders my potential in many areas of my life.
Asking for help is my second weakness which I was unable to overcome during my
placement. I found that grit, resilience, passion, compassion, and empathy are
strengths which I and others see in me, and if I harness my strengths, I can allow
them to help me overcome adversity. Perhaps I can use my strengths to overcome
my weaknesses in future.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my entire co-op experience was a challenging, highly educational
experience. It facilitated my personal, professional, and academic learning. I learnt
about different skills I am capable of, and things that I can improve on. I learnt that
when I engage in group discussions, my learning increases. I also found that
behaviour modification is effective to increase my active listening. I learnt that social
anxiety and asking for help are huge weaknesses. However, I can try to overcome
them through using my own strengths such as compassion and resilience. Most of
all, I learnt about how to balance my professional and personal life. My experience
with Victim Support has been unforgettable. Though I have paused my
volunteering, I am eager to return to my work after the semester. It has been a long
and gruelling journey, but it has also been incredibly uplifting and empowering. I
have been in the work force for a decade, so I cannot say that this was my first
experience in a professional environment, or that my degree would not have been
as fulfilling without co-op. However, it was a learning experience, and I am pleased
with the personal growth I experienced through my experience with co-op more so
than the professional and academic growth.
PAGE 74
References
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applied examples to motivate university students during programming
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Personality disorders and neurosis, 22, 55-60
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(2016). The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to increase
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Stajkovic, A. D., and Luthans, F. (1995). A meta-analysis of the effects of
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Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis. New Jersey: USA, Lawrence
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Victim Support, (2014). Were here for you. Retrieved August 12, 2016, from the
Victim Support website: http://www.victimsupport.org.nz/
Vollestad, J., Nielsen, M. B., & Nielsen, G. H. (2011). Mindfulness-and acceptance-

based interventions for anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-
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PAGE 77
Appendices
Appendix 5a
CV
StephanieMaria Tan
27A Hartland Ave, Glendowie, Auckland
(09) 575-7680 Cell (021) 2506767
Email: s.m.tan1992@gmail.com
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Work Status NZ Citizen
Health Excellent
Drivers Licence NZ Restricted
PROFESSIONAL PROFILE
Team player who consistently strives for efficiency and collaboration.
Self-starter who can work independently and handle multiple priorities

and deadlines.
Productive, dependable worker with solid work ethics.
Computer-proficient performer with experience in Microsoft Windows

and Office Professional applications (Word, PowerPoint & Outlook).
PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE
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I am currently studying my third year at AUT towards a degree in

psychology with a minor in social sciences. My ultimate education goal is
Psychology PhD with specialty in Human Sexuality and Behavior. I consider myself
quite an empathetic person and have always had a passion for helping people. As part of
my third year cooperative education paper, I am seeking work in the
therapy/counselling field in which I hope to learn and experience more of what I am
studying in the real world.
EDUCATION
2013-PRESENT Auckland University of Technology

Auckland, NZ
Bachelor of Arts-Psychology and Sociology

2010
The Professional Bar and Restaurant School- Certificate in
Food And Beevrage Supervision and Management
Auckland, NZ
1st year student

Baradene College Auckland, NZ
2003-2009
NCEA Level 3
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
January 2015- After school Nanny Auckland,

present NZ
May 2014-August Multi-birth association

2014 Assistant
Opening and closing playgroup
Preparing coffee, tea, morning tea
General cleaning
Watching over children
November 2010- Crowne Plaza Hotel- Aria Restaurant Auckland,

December 2012 NZ
Senior Food and Beverage attendant
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Bartending-making cocktails, pairing wine with meals

Waitressing
Taking care of the passe (delegating food to tables) Commented [LA1]: Whats this?
Barista
Delegating tasks to team members- making sure we are on
schedule and being as efficient and productive as possible.
Making sure handover is done properly.
Room sevice
Cashier- using MICROS
May 2010 October

2010
Ottowoo Noodle Bar Auckland, NZ
Front of House Work part time/casual

Greeting customers, manage cash register, up selling.
Processing orders/phone order.
Kitchen hand work, cleaning, maintaining hygiene.
Sept-2009 May International Underwriting Agencies Ltd Auckland, NZ

2010
Office Clerk part time/casual
Proccessing claim payments Weekly process requiring
manual writing of cheques, entering accounting information
into MYOB.
Reception duties attending to calls, couriers and guests.
Photocopying, filing, scanning, banking & general office duties
Oct-2009 August Mara Young Auckland, NZ

2010
Baby sitting part time/casual
Referees Commented [LA2]: You need 2 or 3 referees to support your

CV
Viola Croad (Current employer) Basically need their name, job title, organization they work for
and contact number.
Referees can be from employment, academic and some with
021 726 908 community standing such lawyer, JP, Pastor etc
Sue Goh (Previous employer)
021783483
PAGE 80
Appendix 5b Learning agreement (following page)
PAGE 81
Social Sciences + Public Policy
Cooperative Education
Learning Agreement
This is a Cooperative Education agreement between the following parties:
The Student Stephanie Tan
The Academic Supervisor Cristina Parra &
The Cooperative Education Coordinator Judith Collins
(on behalf of the University)
The Workplace Mentor/Supervisor Nikky Eruera
(on behalf of the Host Organisation)
The purpose of this agreement is to describe the overall arrangement between the above parties
with regard to Cooperative Education.
Cooperative Education - what is it?

Cooperative Education is a strategy where work and learning are integrated through the
development of a partnership between the University, the student and the organisation accepting
the student on a placement.
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Cooperative Education students extend and apply learning beyond the classroom in a workplace
environment. The aim of this paper is to provide students with an opportunity to:
Develop aspects of their professional practice

Apply theory to practice
Critically analyse their effectiveness and development in the workplace
Identify any gaps in learning
Develop a future career plan
The rights and responsibilities of the parties
The AUT student agrees to:
Complete the activities and learning outcomes specified in the learning agreement.
Conduct himself/herself in a professional manner at all times during this placement with
the host organization.
Honour any confidentiality requests made by the host organisation
Maintain regular communication with industry and academic supervisor
Complete all academic assessment requirements
The Industry Supervisor/Mentor agrees to:
Negotiate work activities that will provide the student with an appropriate learning
experience.
Ensure that the student receives appropriate supervision.
Provide appropriate resources for the student.
Liaise with the University academic supervisor when appropriate.
Provide guidance and assistance during the development and completion of the project
and/or tasks.
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Provide formal feedback on the students performance
The University Academic Supervisor agrees to:
Assist the student in the development of the learning agreement.
Liaise with the Industry supervisor as necessary
Meet with the student on a regular basis to provide academic support and encourage
reflection and critical analysis of learning.
Provide guidance and assistance during the development and completion of project and/or
tasks.
Evaluate and provide feedback on academic assessments.
Part One: Contact details/administration
(A) Students name: Stephanie Tan
Address for correspondence: 27A Hartland Ave, Glendowie
Email: s.m.tan1992@gmail.com
Phone: 0212506767
(B) Work-based supervisors name: Nikky Eruera
Organisation: Victim Support
Address for correspondence: Glen Innes Police Station, PO Box 18032
Email: nikky.eruera@victimsupport.org.nz
Phone: (09) 5241955 Extension 94045
(C) Academic Supervisors name: Cristina Parra
(D) Address for correspondence: Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006
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Auckland
Email: cristina.parra@aut.ac.nz
Phone: 09 921 9999 Extension 8578
(E) Expected hours of attendance by student: 150 hours
(F) Starting date: 23 May 2016
(G) Finishing date: May 2017
(H) Weekly schedule for placement: 10 to 15 hours a week until required placement hours are
complete.
(I) Support for student:
Travel allowance only (amount depends on mileage used on call-outs). Additional

expenses for meals or victim related costs approved by service coordinator.
(J) Supervision Work-based Supervisor
Student will meet at least once a fortnight with co-op supervisor. Student is working
directly with workplace supervisor and will therefore have regular communication with
supervisor.
PAGE 85
Part Two: The Placement
The students role: As a support worker, the students role will involve phone and face to
face contact with victims of crime and trauma. This contact will be goal based. As a support worker,
the goal is to help victims regain their strength and power in their lives, and overcome any trauma
they have experienced due to being a victim of crime.
Relevance to studies: Studying at AUT has allowed the student to study trauma in mental
illness on a regular basis. Victim Support work is both relevant to the students studies in
Psychology as well as studies in Social Science. The student has regularly encountered assignments
regarding mental illness, its causes, and new holistic treatments in Psychology papers. In Social
Science papers the student has regularly come across the importance of cultural consideration and
behavioural science. The knowledge the student has accrued studying Psychology and Social
Science will undoubtedly help support victims of crime and trauma, and give them the strength
they need to get back on their feet again.
What the student hopes to achieve: By working with victim support, the student aims to
achieve a greater, more in depth understanding of the process which people go through after
experiencing trauma, and how to help people gain their inner strength back. The student also strives
to develop a more rational and non-judgmental attitude in order to give the most unbiased and
professional advice for victims. Lastly, the student hopes to strengthen the ability to be empathetic
enough to see someone suffering and be able to help, without letting it damage emotional
sensitivity. This work will definitely develop experience that will benefit the students future
desired career as a sexual therapist.
Part Three: The Learning process
Aim 1: Professional goal: Successfully complete the introductory training programme to

be eligible for victim support
Strategies:
1 Attend both training sessions provided by Victim Support. These training

sessions cover Te Rautaki Maori o Manaaki Tangata Aoteroa (Maori Strategy and
significance in Visctim Support), the Support worker (role, safety, assistance, debriefing,
confidentiality) victims and their rights, the service pathway, Te Whare Tapa Wha (The
PAGE 86
four corners of the house which represent the delicate balance of physical, mental,
spiritual, and social wellbeing, culturally sensitive practice, communication skills, grief
and Trauma, sudden and traumatic death, and Psychological First Aid (PFA).
2 Actively partake in group discussions during the training courses to enhance

learning
3 Actively take notes during training sessions
4 Study the training course books before and throughout sitting the exam
5 Sit the exam (case study)
Outcome: The student will attend and actively partake in both training courses which will
allow her to successfully pass the exam.
Evidence includes the completed case study as proof of passing the introductory
training programme and photos of the ITP course book contents pages.
Aim 2: Academic goal: Increase knowledge of coping with trauma after being a victim of
crime
Strategies:
1 Complete the introductory training programme
2 Read chapter on resilience, post-traumatic growth & positive ageing in positive

psychology textbook (by Hefferon and Boniwell) to increase knowledge about
trauma
3 Read about theories relevant to trauma to further understanding (E-book:

Posttraumatic growth positive changes in the aftermath of crisis).
4 Research relevant theory on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (E-book: The

posttraumatic stress disorder sourcebook: a guide to healing, recovery, and growth).
Outcome: The students knowledge regarding crime related trauma will be increased.
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Evidence: The student will include a literature review on victims of crime coping
with trauma and include it in portfolio. This review will include findings of
research in the listed e-books.
Aim 3: Personal goal: Communicate effectively and professionally with clients and
colleagues.
Strategies:
1 Study the communications skills module in the Introductory Training Program

(ITP) booklet (identify target skills)
2 Establish a baseline for target skills
3 Identify a contingency schedule
4 Implement contingency schedule
5 Write report on the findings of behaviour modification programme
Outcome: The student will teach herself how to communicate more effectively by targeting
behaviours and modifying them by conducting a behaviour modification programme.
Evidence: The student will write a report of behaviour modification programme and attach
to portfolio
Aim 4: Professional goal: Successfully complete the Question Persuade and Refer (QPR)
online program required for the students position at victim support
Strategies:
1 Read about New Zealand suicide statistics
2 Read about suicide prevention processes
3 Watch role plays on Youtube of QPR suicide prevention
4 Finish QPR exam
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Outcome: Attach certificate of completed QPR to Portfolio
PAGE 89
Part Four: Summary of Tasks/Working Agreement
Provide an outline of the specific tasks to be undertaken by the student, and where applicable the
Learning Aims that the task will contribute to achieving
Provide personalised professional support to victims ensuring that timely and effective
advocacy, crisis support and information are made available
a) Providing priority frontline support to victims of serious crime and trauma.

b) Assessing the referred victim and / or their immediate familys needs, organise and
provide support in accordance with Victim Supports service delivery guidelines.
c) Providing time intensive support i.e. Court support, Family Group Conference
support
d) Carrying out the necessary tasks to meet the needs of the victim and their family
in
accordance with best practice and Victim Support standards.
e) Ensuring the victim is provided with appropriate information, including Victim
Supports contact details and range of services.
f) Developing support plans with victims as required, in accordance with the Case
Management
Policy and Procedures and Best Practice guidelines.
g) Debriefing with the Service Coordinator or After Hours Service Advisor
immediately after contact with victims of serious crime and trauma to give an
update on action taken and ensure best practice has been followed; and
h) Successfully completing the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Online Programme.
Work to empower victims assisting them to implement their own programme for
recovery
a) Following up at an appropriate time to assess the ongoing needs of the victim(s).
b) Regularly updating the support plan with the victim to ensure support at each stage
of the criminal justice process and/or of recovery.
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c) Providing information and referral advice as appropriate for the victims

circumstances and stage in recovery.
d) Ensuring knowledge of specialised agencies is up to date in order to access and
utilise all available resources within the community.
e) Coordinating services as identified in the victims support plan by working
alongside other agencies.
f) Providing advocacy, practical and emotional support to the victim when requested
in their dealings with other agencies, government departments and the judicial
system.
g) Ensuring timely and accurate documentation of the support provided through the
completion of case notes.
Maintain safe work practices and professional development
a. Working as part of a team with the Service Coordinator/s and fellow Support
Workers.
b. Monitoring the frequency and duration of visits to victims to ensure
boundaries of professionalism are maintained.
c. Monitoring cultural appropriateness of information provided and actions taken.
d. Completing all case notes online within the prescribed time frames.
e. Participating in mandatory debriefing meetings following all crisis call outs or
contacts with victims of serious crime and trauma with the Service Coordinator or the
After Hours Service Advisor (AHSA).
f. Maximizing support and learning opportunities by attending a minimum
of 80% of supervision and ongoing training as directed by the Service Coordinator.
g. Requesting clinical supervision when working on or completing challenging
cases and/ or undertaking clinical supervision when recommended by the Service
Coordinator.
h. Identifying and attending relevant training as opportunities arise or as identified by the
Service Coordinator.
Liaise with Police and other agencies
a. Establishing good working relationships with local Police, Court personnel,
referral agencies, local Iwi, and relevant community agencies.
b. Working in close partnership with Police on specific cases when required.
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c. Having a sound knowledge of the roles of community services e.g. Womens Refuge,
Rape Crisis.
Specify what the student should learn for optimal performance of tasks and optimal learning in
the workplace
About the tasks: identify instruction manuals, Standard Operating Procedures (or similar) issued
by the workplace which the student may need to read or benefit from being aware of in relation to
tasks.
The Introductory Training Program (ITP) provided the student with two resource booklets
regarding the role and procedures of support workers.
Additionally, there are pamphlets informing of helpful organisations at the police station where
the student will be based. These pamphlets include but are not limited to how to cope after an
unexpected death, a guide to coronial services in New Zealand, and a practical reference to
religious diversity.
About the workplace: specify any induction/orientation programmes for new staff the student
might be allowed to join, any relevant information material, meetings the student might be
allowed to attend, staff they may interview etc.
Victim Support training will be held on the 16th and 17th of April and then on the 30th of April and
1st of May from 9am to 5pm. Additionally, VS workers will be required to attend monthly
meetings for support and communication opportunities.
About the context of the workplace and its stakeholders: specify any reports on the industry
(client organisations, stakeholders, competitors) that might be made available to the student by
the workplace. Specify all public sources available to the student where such information might
be gained)
(a) Developing an understanding of the organisation:
Which people will you talk to? Student will interact with victims of crime and trauma, the
service coordinator, and colleagues.
PAGE 92
What written material will be useful to read? Student will be provided with useful booklets
and resources during the training period which they can then refer to during the placement
for help.
How do the other sections of the organisation work together? Volunteers occasionally work
directly with the police, and should become aware of other organisations such as womens
refuge and rape crisis etc.
Which meetings might you be able to attend? The student will regularly meet with the
service coordinator to debrief on cases. Additionally, there will be peer meetings once a
fortnight. Supervision with workplace supervisor will be provided on an agreed date and
time with the student for an hour each week which will be recorded in the Support Workers
profile and office file.
(b) Learning about the context in which the organisation operates:
Are there any reports or data related to the industry? Yes, this information is provided in the
Introductory Training Program booklet given to the student.
Health and Safety Protocols
AUT regulations ask that we include the following information:
AUT has policies so that students have a safe place to work and learn. These policies and
procedures are for the prevention of sexual, racial and other discrimination or harassment in
accordance with the Human Rights Act, 1993.
AUT recognises that these policies may have much in common with the host organisations
policies and principles.
AUT asks that the host organisation will work with us to extend the safe environment to your
workplace by:
Advising the student of your own anti-harassment policies and procedures
PAGE 93
Notifying us if there is a problem in this area during the students time with you. (Please
contact the Case Manager of the AUT Harassment Prevention Programme at 917-9999).
Intellectual Property
This Agreement is to recognise the relationship between the three Parties to this Agreement and
sets out the scope and limitations of the arrangement.
The Agreement does not create any legal continuing relationship.
The student and the academic supervisor agree to honour any confidentiality requests made by the
host organisation.
The host organisation accepts that the student will work on activities and tasks outlined in the
agreement.
It is recognised that during the course of the Co-operative Learning placement there could be
development of Intellectual Property. To avoid later conflict the following clause is agreed by all
Parties.
Select the appropriate clause and strike out or remove the other two:
All Intellectual Property generated by the student during the Co-operative Learning period will
belong to the Work-based supervisor who is then free to use as they see fit.
Intellectual Property developed by the student during the Co-operative Learning period will be
owned by the Work-based supervisor. Any commercial returns will recognise and reward the
contributions of the student
All Intellectual Property generated by the student during the Co-operative Learning period will
belong to the student who is then free to use as they desire.
If there are any other matters that the host organisation wishes to be legally binding on the
Student, then they must enter into a separate legal agreement with the student.
PAGE 94
Student's Signature: Date:
Academic Supervisor's Signature: Date:
Work-based supervisors Signature Date:
Coop Coordinators signature Date:
PAGE 95
SWOT (before & after)

First SWOT - 02/04
Strengths
What advantages do you have that others don't have (eg skills, certifications,
education, connections)?
Personal experience with very emotional situations so I feel like I am stronger
because of it and can handle situations a lot of others couldnt.
What do you do better than anyone else?
I am more empathetic than many people I think. I that gives me the strength
and motivation to stand up and act on what I believe in.
What personal resources can you access?
My knowledge of different therapeutic techniques. My fake it till you make it
attitude. My optimism.
What do other people see as your strengths?
My confidence around those I am familiar with, being opinionated,
empathetic, and strong willed.
Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
Becoming and sticking to vegetarianism. Being a dancer. Finishing
hospitality management school. Being as strong as possible through life
struggles.
What values do you believe in that others dont exhibit?
Integrity, I try hard to practice integrity rather than reacting unproductively
like I see from a lot of people.
Compassion, I see many people claiming to be compassionate but failing to
show it when it counts.
Patience, being a nanny I need to learn when to be a disciplinarian and when
to be patient, I see it as a very valuable life skill.
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Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so, what connections do
you have with influential people?
I consider my mom quite an influential person. My close friends and family
provide me with a personal network with plenty of resources.
Weaknesses
What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
Cardiovascular exercise, public speaking, asking for help.
What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
Being shy in large social settings.
Are you completely confident in your education & skills training? If not, where are
you weakest?
No, I lack understanding in statistical analysis and the brain. I did
surprisingly well in those papers, but they were very difficult and I passed
without gaining a proper, in-depth understanding of what I studied.
What are your negative work habits
Being easily distracted, allowing myself to be more stressed than I need to be.
Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field?
Sporadic anxiety attacks, and the habit of being too stressed, fear of public
speaking.
Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see?
I have recently learnt that I try too hard to hold myself together so I dont
realise when I need help. Then I have a hard time accepting help.
Do co-workers consistently outperform you in key areas?
I do not have co-workers. But in the past I have found them to be more
dedicated than me.
Opportunities
What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people
via the Internet?
PAGE 97
I often use my smartphone and laptop to get in contact with people, network,
and find work.
Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
I am unsure.
Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
Yes. My strategic contacts include my VS supervisor, followed by my co-op
supervisor, and co-op peer group, followed by my family and friends.
What trends do you see in your future employment area, & how can you take
advantage of them?
I see many holistic therapies becoming trends in many psychological fields
today. Though they may not be empirically supported to cure many mental
illnesses, they provide a way forward post medication and allow people to
thrive in life.
Are any of the competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take
advantage of their mistakes?
Medications are often over prescribed. Which allow people to believe they
will never be cured. Rather than accepting mental illness as a part of them
and overcoming it and becoming stronger with holistic help.
Is there a need in your field that no one is filling?
Yes. Because crime rates are increasing, the need for support workers is also
in demand.
Are customers/clients complaining about something? If so, can you create an
opportunity by offering a solution?
I am unsure.
Threats
What obstacles do you (did you) face at the job?
I have not started the job yet. However, my current obstacle is time. I am
striving to start my training in April. Additionally, the concern that people
PAGE 98
around me and my co-op supervisor has in particular, regarding my

emotional capabilities, may become more of an obstacle in future.
Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
I am unsure at this point.
Does changing technology threaten your future intentions?
No.
Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Yes. Being empathetic is both a strength and a weakness for me. I will try my
best not to allow it to influence my professional attitude when on the field.
SECOND SWOT - 03/09

Strengths
What advantages do you have that others don't have (eg skills, certifications,
education, connections)?
I believe that I am very passionate and that is one of my strengths. I am
dedicated to things that I do and I am always putting pressure on myself to
get things done. I am very self-disciplined.
What do you do better than anyone else?
I believe that I self-reflect more than other people do, this allows me to strive
to be the best I can be at all times. However, this is also a weakness as putting
pressure on myself is not always productive.
What personal resources can you access?
Grit. I push myself to overcome adversity and never give up. I fail and I take
it as an opportunity to do better.
What do other people see as your strengths?
According to my family, being opinionated, empathetic, and strong willed
are my strengths.
Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
PAGE 99
Becoming and sticking to vegetarianism. Doing well at uni and always

striving to do better.
What values do you believe in that others dont exhibit?
Compassion. I live by compassion. I am vegetarian because I believe it is
unethical on so many levels to eat meat.
Integrity. I always try my best to consider the circumstances before reacting.
Commitment. I believe that I commit to what I say I will commit to. I feel
that a lot of people give up on relationships and studies and dreams. I believe
that I dont give up as easily as other people do.
Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so, what connections do
you have with influential people?
I am part of the NZ vegetarian network and I am connected to a number of
activists through social media. This is empowering and allows me to always
have something to strive to.
Weaknesses
What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
Cardiovascular exercise, public speaking, asking for help.
What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
Being shy. My new job has reminded me that I need to try harder to get out
of my shell and be more proactive about openness.
Are you completely confident in your education & skills training? If not, where are
you weakest?
I am confident in my study techniques. However, after learning self-defence
for a few weeks, I gave up. This has proven to be a weakness. I was always the
least skilled in every class and this was not motivating. I seem to give up when
the challenge is too high.
What are your negative work habits?
I am too scared to voice my opinion at times. Sometimes I can be lazy and
not perform to my own high standards.
PAGE 100
Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field?
Being shy. I feel that I could do so much better if I wasnt so socially anxious.
Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see?
I try too hard to hold myself together so I dont realise when I need help.
Then I have a hard time accepting help.
Do co-workers consistently outperform you in key areas?
Yes, they are usually more sociable than I am. This makes me feel inadequate.
Opportunities
What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people
via the Internet?
I dont know about new technology. But I use social media to reach out to
people and share my voice.
Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
I am unsure if the industry is growing as it is a not for profit organisation.
Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
Besides my family, I dont really have a network of contacts for help. This is
a direct result of me being socially anxious. Networking is not my strong suit.
What trends do you see in your future employment area, & how can you take
advantage of them?
Mindfulness is taking the world by storm. I seem to be excelling in papers
where focus is on holistic therapies such as mindfulness. This is definitely an
advantage for me. I believe that I can integrate ACT therapy and mindfulness
into sexual therapy which is what I am striving to do.
Are any of the competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take
advantage of their mistakes?
The biomedical model of illness which I have learnt about this semester, is
not productive for a number of illnesses. I believe that there must be focus
on more than symptom reduction. Quality of life must be focused on and
PAGE 101
more research needs to be in this area. I believe I can make the most out of
this as I have thoroughly studied holistic therapies.
Is there a need in your field that no one is filling?
Yes. There is a continued demand for support workers in New Zealand.
Are customers/clients complaining about something? If so, can you create an
opportunity by offering a solution?
Victims of crime need more support in my opinion. I believe that support
workers should be more qualified and should not be volunteers. I believe that
the job is demanding and victims need as much support as possible, which
volunteers are often unable to give. Additionally, the resources at Victim
Support for volunteers is minimal.
Threats
What obstacles do you (did you) face at the job?
Overcoming social anxiety and managing my emotions. Dealing with
growing anxiety. I put too much pressure on myself to do too many things
this semester. This made me develop anxiety.
Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
Yes, as the crime rates rise, the demand for support workers also rises.
However, it is difficult as volunteer support workers are time consuming to
train and often do not stick to the job for very long.
Does changing technology threaten your future intentions?
No. I do not believe that support workers can be outsourced by technology.
Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Yes, my social anxiety is a threat to my productivity and networking skills. It
is very important to build connections today, and even if I push myself to
not be socially anxious, I often find myself hiding away in large social
situations.
PAGE 102
Appendix 5d Co-op supervisor feedback form
ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR EVALUATION

COOP S2 2016
Student: Stephanie Tan
Academic Supervisor: Cristina Parra
Areas Comment/feedback
Communication with Supervisor Stephanie initiated contact and maintained me

informed about progress but did not raise many
Initiated discussion issues or initiate discussion.
Maintained regular contact
Reported on progress
Informed of any issues
Willingness to accept advice/guidance
Independent Learning Stephanie was highly self-reliant
Set own goals

Identified relevant theory
Demonstrated problem solving skills
Met deadlines
Regularly maintained a reflective
journal
Self-reliant
Professionalism Stephanie was highly motivated
Was punctual
Was well prepared for meetings
Was motivated
PAGE 103
Application of BA studies to the placement Her learning agreement focused on maximising

the learning from the training provided by the
Discussed theory in relation to practice workplace. She did not come to see me about
Discussed relevance of BA major, her oral presentation or the portfolio, and she
electives and core papers to the never raised any issues with regards to
placement
placement, so we never got a chance to discuss
application of theory learned in the BA
Summary comment Grade B+
Marks 11.5 /15
Signature:
4 Oct 2016
PAGE 104
Appendix 5f Workplace supervisor evidence of incomplete formal feedback
PAGE 105
Appendix 5c Example of COOP LOG
Entry 1 04/03
First lecture was very informative. Will be downloading the handbook tonight and
further studying what is required of me in this paper. I have been looking for a
placement for months. Unfortunately, my career aspirations are not an option for a
placement as I am not yet qualified. I will be searching for any work in psychology
of social sciences, preferably counselling assistance of some kind. Slightly worried
that I will not find the kind of work that will aid me in future or that I am passionate
about.
Entry 3 11/04
I am working on my learning agreement, specifically the learning process. Finding

it a bit difficult to come up with aims that I can monitor and provide tangible
evidence of. I feel like its slightly irrelevant to the course. You dont really know
what youll learn from work, its all experience. You could expect something but I
dont think you can go in knowing exactly what to expect and exactly what to get
out of it. I have my first training this Saturday. Getting quite nervous, not sure if Im
cut out for it. I hope Im just building it up in my head.
Entry 5 - 02/08
Second week of semester 2. Learning about the portfolio. Feeling slightly

overwhelmed and feel like I should start writing my behaviour modification
programme and trauma essay. Im a little annoyed that I had to do a behaviour mod
PAGE 106
programme. I just dont think they are necessary, I know I have learnt and absorbed
a lot of new information through my placement already.
PAGE 107
Bibliography
Barlow, D. H., & Durand, V. M. (2015). Abnormal Psychology: An interactive approach
(7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
Wearden, A., and French, D. (2016). British journal of Health Psychology, 21, 2,
Burton, L. (2010). An interactive approach to writing essays and research reports in
psychology (3rd edition). Milton, Australia: John Wiley and Sons.
Chile, L.M (2006). The historical context of community development in Aotearoa
New Zealand, Community Development Journal 41(4), 407-425.
Cohen, R. J & Swerdlik, M. E. (2010). Psychological Testing and Assessment. McGraw-
Hill, New York. (8th Edition.)
dArgemir, D.C. (2007). Family Today: Individuality and Public Policies Wellchi
Working Paper Series WP 7/2007 Childrens Well-being International
Documentation Centre www.ciimu.org/webs/wellchi/publications.htm
Davies, E., Wood, B., and Stephens, R. (2002). From Rhetoric to Action: A Case for
a Comprehensive Community-Based Initiative to Improve Developmental
Outcomes for Disadvantaged Children, Social Policy Journal of New Zealand
19, 22-47.
Edwards, S., McCreanor, T., & Moewaka Barnes, H. (2007). Maori family culture: a
context of youth development in Counties/Manukau, Kotuitui: New Zealand
Journal of Social Sciences Online, 2(1), 1-15.
Harland, B. (2000) Peace and Security in the New Milennium, NZ International Review,
Nov/Dec.
PAGE 108
Hefferon, K., & Bonniwelll, I. (2011). Positive psychology: Theory, research and
applications. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Heywood, Andrew (2011) Global Politics, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke & New
York.
Howell, D. C. (2011). Fundamental statistics for the behavioral sciences. Belmont,
CA : Thomson-Brooks/Cole
Jackson, S. L. (2009). Research methods and statistics - A Critical Thinking
Approach. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Larner, W. and Craig, D. (2005). After Neoliberalism? Community Activism and
Local Partnerships in Aotearoa New Zealand, Antipode 37(3), 402-424.
Levin, I., and Trost, J. (1992). Understanding the Concept of Family Family Relations,
41, 348-351.
McIntyre, L. J. (2005). Need to know: Social science research methods. New York,
NY: McGraw Hill.
Ministry of Justice (2014). Maori Social Structures
http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/publications-archived/2001/he-
hinatore-kite-ao-maori-a-glimpse-into-the-maori-world/part-1-traditional-
maori-concepts/maorisocial-structures
O'Shea, R., & McKenzie, W. (2013). Writing for psychology (6th edition). South
Melbourne, Australia: Cengage Learning.
Pool, D.I., Dharmalingam, A., and Sceats, J. (2013). The New Zealand family from
1840: a demographic history Auckland, Auckland University Press
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Pool, I., Sceat, J., and Jackson, N. (2013). The Welfare of New Zealand Familes and
Whanau: Demographic Underpinnings Chapter 2, pp20-50 in The Families
Commission (2013) Families and Whnau Status Report: Towards Measuring
the Status of Families and Whnau Wellington, The Families Commission
http://www.familiescommission.org.nz/sites/default/files/downloads/famili
eswhanau-status-report-2013_0.pdf
Shaw, M. (2008). Community development and the politics of community,
Community Development Journal, 43(1), 24-36.
PAGE 110

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1304325 Stephanie Tan Co-op Portfolio

Cooperative Education is a level 7 paper provided by AUT University. It

This portfolio will cover an overview of my placement at victim support, the

After starting the Cooperative Education paper in March 2016, it took me 2

Victim Support emerged in the early 1980s as a small number of the

My role as a Support Worker

Support over the phone:

Reflections on Learning Outcomes

Throughout my placement, I created 4 goals to facilitate my academic, professional,

Learning Aim One - Professional

worker. This training is an essential part of being a support worker. Some of

approach in which students listen several hours a day theoretically absorbing

Learning aim 1 evidence Acceptance email

Maria Benschop <maria.benschop@victimsupport.org.nz>

to me, Wilson, Nikky, Nige

Awesome work. Welcome aboard!

Learning & Development Advisor Central & South, Victim Support

Learning aim 1 evidence Completed case study

Introductory Training Programme (ITP) Case Study One

Section Case Study Evidence Assessor Judgement (requirements)

All actions taken are related to an identified victim need

Actions described demonstrate knowledge and

Introductory Training Programme (ITP) Case Study

e.g. 1. Achieve Contact and Engagement

Te Whare Tapa Wha

e.g. Te taha hinengaro

Complete all questions.

Section 1: Psychological First Aid

1. Achieve Contact and Engagement

2. Enhance Safety and Comfort

3. Calm Overwhelmed, Agitated and Distraught People

4. Identify Immediate Needs and Concerns (using Te Whare Tapa Wha)

5. Provide Practical Assistance and Information

6. Connect with Social Supports

7. Provide Information on Coping Strategies

8. Connect to Collaborative Professional Services

Section 2: Other Considerations

If I was unsure of how to proceed next I would contact my service coordinator.

Learning aim 1 evidence ITP course book contents pages

Learning Aim Two Academic

(Tedeschi, Park, & Calhoun, 1998), and 4) researching relevant theory on

chapter highlighted coping techniques which are helpful and normalizes

strategy 3. The reason for this is that strategy 3 increased my knowledge

Learning aim 2 evidence Literature review

Critical Evaluation of the current state of knowledge regarding victims of crime

coping with trauma

the definition of trauma is widely argued, and a re-definition may be necessary

(Hefferon & Boniwell, 2011). Trauma is commonly experienced post-victimization of

experienced other trauma (Boccollari et al., 2007). PTSD has significantly

distressing symptoms and can affect an individuals health, occupation, and

Thirdly, coping techniques will be analysed.

Successfully reaching a consensus definition of trauma is imperative for

advancement in the field of traumatic stress. However, this has proven to be

unachievable. Weathers and Keane (2007) discussed extensively the controversies

a traumatic experience can vary greatly in magnitude, complexity, frequency,

duration, predictability, and controllability (Weathers & Keane, 2007). Therefore,

Moreover, trauma is an extremely subjective experience, making it difficult to

constitutes a traumatic stressor in the Diagnostic Statistical Manuals (DSM)

dismisses the objectivity and subjectivity of a traumatic experience. However, they

criterion. The DSM-IV created a two-part definition of what constitutes a traumatic

111). Further, the criterion is followed by a lengthy list of examples of posttraumatic

address gaps in previous versions significantly. Moreover, it is made clear that a

diagnosis of PTSD is dependent on the individual experiencing stressors that meet