This course is designed for healthcare professionals in WC Primary Care settings, focusing on effective communication with youth. It covers adolescent brain development, communication strategies, family and caregiver engagement, as well as how to deliver effective health talks.

About the course

  • Course Design: Self-directed

  • Duration: It will take 6 hours to complete.

  • Eligibility for this course: The following professionals
    • Professional nurses and Enrolled nurses
    • Pharmacy Professionals
    • Medical & Dental Professionals
    • Allied Health Professionals
    • Social workers
    • Health promoters
    • Trainers, Lecturers and Programme Coordinators
    • Human resource and Administrative personnel
    Must be registered with the relevant professional council (SANC, HPCSA, SACSSP etc)
    Working in Western Cape

  • Accreditation: HPCSA: 6 Clinical CPD points - level 1. WCDHW Nursing accredited for 3 CPD points in Area of Practice.

  • Certification: Participants need 70% pass mark for final quiz.

  • Published: March 2024

Course curriculum

The following topics are covered in this course:

  • Chapter 1: Understanding youth development
    • Why focus on young people?
    • Adolescent and Youth Health Policy
    • Characteristics of youth friendly services, including the importance of privacy, confidentiality, and staff attitude.
    • Understand adolescent brain development
      • Key changes during adolescence
      • Risk taking behaviour
      • The adolescent brain
      • Understand the emotional and psychological development of an adolescent
    • LGBTQI+: What does it all mean?
  • Chapter 2: Communication skills
    • Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
    • Establishing trust and rapport
    • Considerations with younger adolescents
    • Communication through the developmental stages
    • Communication skills
    • Challenges in communicating with the adolescent
  • Chapter 3: Engaging with family and caregivers
    • Why see the parent or caregiver
    • How to engage with the family/caregiver
    • When to transition to seeing the adolescent on their own
      • Ethical considerations for autonomy
      • Ethical considerations on confidentiality and informed consent
    • How to counsel parents on how to navigate their relationship with their child
  • Chapter 4: Giving a health talk
    • The advantages of health talks
    • The limitations of health talks
    • Effectiveness of health talks
    • Tips for doing a health talk


Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness
People Development Centre

Acknowledgements:

  • Dr Estelle Lawrence
  • Knowledge Translation Unit