This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

SWK4031 - Working with complexity

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

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

Faculty

Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

Organisational Unit

Department of Social Work

Coordinator(s)

Professor Christopher Trotter

Offered

Caulfield

First semester 2016 (Day)
First semester 2016 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit uses a range of case studies to assist the student in working through the complex issues faced by many social work clients. The unit asks the students to reflect on their knowledge and theory to draw upon appropriate assessment and intervention techniques for a range of social work situation.

Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:

Develop the ability to critically reflect on their own values and how this impacts on social work practice.
Develop an understanding and appreciation of the depth and complexity of use of self in professional practice.
Develop an understanding of complexity in areas such as but not limited to ageing, cultural and linguistic diversity, class, family dysfunction, violence, poverty and disability.
Develop an understanding of theoretical approaches and models of practice to be able to respond to the complexity of diversity in social work practice.
Develop a framework for dealing with complexity in social work and the ability to develop appropriate strategies and interventions.

Assessment

Assignment 1 (1,500 words) (40%)
Assignment 2 (3,000 words) (60%)

Workload requirements

On-campus: 4-5.5 hours per week over 6 weeks, 20 hours self-directed study per week.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Christopher Trotter

Off-campus attendance requirements

Off-campus students are expected to undertake 144 hours per semester in private study, completing readings and other tasks as outlined on the Blackboard site in the off-campus Unit Guide, and to complete three assignment tasks.