MSF-SUSS Family Counselling Certification Programme (FCCP)
The well-being of families has always been a fundamental concern for the government. With an increasing trend in the cases of family issues, there is a pressing need to hire and train more family counsellors to look into family development and well-being. It is also important to continuously upskill family counsellors so that they are well-equipped to deal with family issues.
On 14 August 2020, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build a pipeline of family counsellors and to equip the family counsellors with the knowledge and skills to address family relationship issues in the community. This will open up more job opportunities for individuals who are passionate about making a difference in families and serving the community.
Although the MSF-SUSS FCCP is designed for counsellors hired by agencies under the Strengthening Families Programme@Family Service Centre (FAM@FSC), the programme courses are available to members of public for their professional development or personal interest. These programme courses will be offered as Continuing Education and Training (CET) courses which are non-credit bearing and non-accredited.
MSF-SUSS FCCP
The MSF-SUSS FCCP consists of 10 courses, namely 5 foundational courses and 5 core courses.
The duration of each course is 28 hours, with the exception of course CET332 Practicum: Specialised Counselling Skills which is conducted over 4 months.
Please see the table below for the synopses of the courses. (You may click on the course title to access the individual course webpage.)
| S/N | Course | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | This course focuses on the application of counselling skills. Lessons will be conducted in the training laboratory and classroom. Participants will have the opportunity to practise their micro-counselling skills through role-plays under live supervision. Participants are also required to reflect on their experiences to demonstrate self-awareness and develop qualities of an effective counsellor through therapeutic presence. Participants will learn how their culture, personal values and beliefs can impact the counselling process. | |
| 2 | This course gives an overview of major theories and techniques in counselling. It focuses on the application of psychotherapy approaches and theories in various settings, especially in the community. This course will also equip participants with the knowledge and skills to apply integrative approaches in counselling when dealing with clients from diverse backgrounds and presenting issues. Ethical and professional issues relating to participants’ work in family counselling will also be discussed. | |
| 3 | This course aims to strengthen the practical skills of the participants and to help them develop their own individualised style in counselling. It aims to help participants specialise in counselling models. Experienced practitioners in family counselling will supervise participants individually. | |
| 4 | This course focuses on the theories and practice of psychosocial developments from infancy to old age. Understanding the psychosocial aspects of life span development and their implications for counselling will enhance participants’ skills and effectiveness in relating to clients from various age groups. | |
| 5 | The aim of this course is to provide awareness and understanding of multicultural counselling and therapy. Participants will learn how to handle ethical dilemmas with reference to the Code of Ethics. This course also equips participants with the skills to identify the factors in the multicultural contexts that influence their client’s behaviour. Participants will also explore the impact of these factors on the client’s behaviour and reflect on their own practice. |
Synopses of MSF-SUSS FCCP Core Courses
| S/N | Course | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | This course takes a practice-based approach to counselling children and adolescents using theories on development, family, culture and ethics. Participants will learn and apply both theoretical and technical components of child and adolescent psychotherapeutic work across a common structural-procedural psychotherapeutic process. | |
| 2 | This course focuses on couple counselling based on the clinical work and research done by Drs John and Julie Gottman over the past 30 years. The Gottman Method is an approach to couple counselling that includes a thorough assessment of the couple’s relationship and integrates research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory. The course aims to equip participants with knowledge and skills for assessment and intervention in couple counselling, based on the Gottman Approach which is developed by Eagles Mediation & Counselling Centre Ltd (‘EMCC”) with consent from The Gottman Institute, USA. EMCC is the exclusive institutional partner of The Gottman Institute in Singapore. | |
| 3 | (CET337) Narrative Therapy in Family Counselling | This course focuses on building the skills of narrative practices with individual(s) and couples in family counselling. Participants will hone their skills in Narrative Therapy through role-plays and group activities in class. The course will feature key narrative ideas and practices, including recent developments in narrative therapy: externalising conversations, re-authoring conversations, outsider-witness practices, remembering conversations, listening for alternative storylines, and documenting change. |
| 4 | (CET338) Structural Family Therapy | This course focuses on the application of practical counselling skills and techniques on families using the Structural Family Therapy (SFT) model. Participants will learn the theoretical concepts and framework of the SFT model developed by Salvador Minuchin. Participants will analyse the SFT model to determine how the model can be used to guide their approach to working with families. Participants will also learn clinical practice issues central to a systemic approach to family counselling through videos of family interviews. This course encourages participants to draw on their previous experiences and to apply the course materials through role-plays. |
| 5 | (CET339) Couple Counselling: Emotionally-Focused Therapy | This course provides participants with theories on love relationship and attachment between adults, as well as the process of addressing and healing distressed relationships. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an experiential/systemic therapy which focuses on helping spouses/partners restructure the emotional responses that maintain their negative interaction patterns. Participants will learn the nine therapeutic steps in EFT. The course will also equip participants with basic EFT skills to direct couples away from conflict deadlocks into forming new bonding interactions in their relationships. |
The SUSS Certificate of Completion will be awarded to participants upon completion of each course.
MSF-SUSS FCCP for Counsellors hired by FAM@FSCs
MSF-SUSS FCCP Joint Certificates
For FAM@FSC counsellors who are required to attend the MSF-SUSS FCCP courses as part of their training roadmap, they will be awarded the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling when they complete the 5 foundational courses, and the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling when they complete the 5 core courses.
The overview of the MSF-SUSS FCCP for counsellors hired by FAM@FSCs is shown below.
Please note that the joint certificates would only be issued to counsellors from the FAM@FSCs and not to the members of public.
Workplace Learning
Workplace learning will be conducted on-site at the hiring agencies for newly hired counsellors. They will undergo 1-2 months of onboarding programme before enrolling for the MSF-SUSS FCCP.
On-site workplace supervisors will provide newly hired counsellors on-job-training (OJT) to familiarise them with the agency’s standard operating procedures and the job scope of a family counsellor. SUSS will support FAM@FSCs with an optional OJT blueprint to assist them in executing the OJT process in a structured and consistent manner.
MSF-SUSS FCCP Requirements
The MSF-SUSS FCCP consists of 2 tracks for counsellors hired by FAM@FSCs: Track A and Track B. Track A targets counselling graduates who will be required to complete the Specialist Certificate in Family and Couple Counselling. Track B targets mid-career professionals with qualifications in related fields, who will be required to complete the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion in Foundational Counselling and the MSF-SUSS Certificate of Completion for Specialisation in Family and Couple Counselling.
Please see the table below for the entry requirements for FAM@FSC counsellors.
Entry Requirements for FAM@FSC Counsellors
| Entry Requirements | Course Requirements |
|---|---|
Track A
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Track B
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Please check your eligibility for the MSF-SUSS FCCP if you wish to seek employment with one of the FAM@FSCs.
Applicants who are interested to be hired by FAM@FSCs or DSSAs may visit the career pages of the following agencies:
- FAM@FSC (AMKFSC–Ang Mo Kio) (AMKFSC Community Services Ltd)
- FAM@FSC (Care Corner–Tampines/Eunos) (Care Corner Singapore Ltd)
- FAM@FSC (Fei Yue–Choa Chu Kang) (Fei Yue Community Services)
- FAM@FSC (Thye Hua Kwan–Commonwealth) (Thye Hua Kwan Moral Charities)
- FAM@FSC (Montfort Care–Kreta Ayer) (Montfort Care) (You may email to [email protected])
- FAM@FSC (Methodist Welfare Services-Buangkok) (Methodist Welfare Services)
- FAM@FSC (Kampong Kapor-Jalan Besar) (Kampong Kapor Community Services)
- FAM@FSC (Lakeside Family Services-Jurong East) (Lakeside Family Services)
- FAM@FSC (TRANS-Bedok) (TRANS Family Services)
- FAM@FSC (Care Corner-Woodlands) (Care Corner Singapore Ltd)
DSSAs
Malay/Muslim ERM Centres
Schedule and Dates for the MSF-SUSS FCCP
Enquiries
For course registration and further enquiries on the certification programme, you may email to cet@suss.edu.sg.