Postgraduate - UnitSWM5103 - Supervised Professional Practice 1

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Synopsis

Supervised Professional Practice 1 enables students to operationalise the professional social work role. The unit comprises 70 days (480 hours) of supervised professional practice in the field and 20 hours of skills development and integration of theory and practice in the classroom and in the field. On campus students will attend placement briefings and integration sessions where their placement experiences will be critically reviewed in order to connect with social work knowledge and theory, while off-campus students will work attend skills and integration sessions at compulsory residential workshops. Liaison visits from University staff to the student and supervisor while on placement will also be opportunities to review skills and to facilitate the integration of theory and practice. The successful completion of a total of 1000 hours (clinical placements and skills) in the MSW (Qualifying) will enable graduates to seek social work positions overseas where the completion of 1000 hours of clinical practice placement is often an eligibility requirement.

Outcomes

At successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of how theory and practice can be integrated for effective direct service delivery
2. Demonstrate an ability to practice in accordance with professional social work ethics and familiarity with the AASW Code of Ethics
3. Demonstrate an ability to articulate and adhere to professional social work values, skills and attributes including an understanding of the nature of professional roles and responsibilities
4. Demonstrate an understanding of a range of social work intervention strategies applicable to work with individuals, families and communities
5. Demonstrate an ability to assess and plan appropriate intervention, including evaluation of outcomes, for a range of individual, family and community problems
6. Demonstrate an ability to appropriately and effectively utilise professional supervision to explore professional practice and to enhance competence and professional identity
7. Demonstrate an ability to reflectively and critically evaluate client situations and policy approaches

Assessment

Successful completion of skills component
Learning agreement completed by the student within 15 days of commencement of the placement
Mid-placement review completed by the student and field educator
Final evaluation report completed by the student and field educator
Written case study
Written critical incident report

Chief examiner(s)

Ms Marija Dragic

Contact hours

70 days placement
20 hours integration

Prerequisites

SWM5100, SWM5101, SWM5102.