units

SWM5102

Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences

18 September 2017 22 December 2024

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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.

Monash University

12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

Postgraduate - 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)

Dr Uschi Bay

Offered

Caulfield

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

Synopsis

This unit covers child, adolescent and adult development with an emphasis on the development of resilience across the life course. A particular focus is on risk and protective factors at individual, family, community and societal levels that impede or enhance development. The unit has three parts:

  • a human development component that covers child, adolescent and adult development with an emphasis on the development of resilience across the life course. A particular focus is on the risk and protective factors at individual, family, community and societal levels that impede or enhance child, adolescent and adult development.
  • a social work practice theory section provides an orientation to the theory of direct social work practice with individuals and families focusing on one to one work with individuals and on working with family groups.
  • a skills component that provides the opportunity for students to learn, and apply the direct social work practice skills that include assessment, engagement and the development of intervention strategies through the use of role plays, case studies and problem based learning.

Outcomes

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

  1. Describe and identify the specific biopsychosocial developmental needs that arise in childhood, adolescence and adulthood to inform direct social work practice with individuals and families.
  2. Explain how risk and protective factors may enhance or impede the development of resilience in childhood, adolescence and adulthood and consider how to apply this knowledge in working with individuals and families.
  3. Assess the biopsychosocial development of a child, adolescent and adult using a social work framework and analyse the structural factors that have impacted on the client's biopsychosocial development.
  4. Critically evaluate the values and assumptions underpinning various theoretical approaches to human development, such as psychodynamic, ecological systems and cognitive behavioural theories.
  5. Synthesise the key evidence in relation to the effectiveness of different theories, frameworks and models applied approaches to direct social work practice.
  6. Analyse critically the elements of social work processes including assessment, engagement, the worker/client relationship and referral for the purpose of improving practice.
  7. Research and apply key principles in working with children and families from diverse and Indigenous cultures.
  8. Demonstrate appropriate and reflexive use of 'self' in the professional helping relationship, based on an awareness of self and others, including assessment of familial, social and cultural contexts.

Assessment

Critical reflection on the life-span (1,000 words)
Case study analysis that asks student to apply the theoretical knowledge learned to a typical social work client situation (2,000 words)
A biopyschosocial assessment of a child, adolescent or adult (2,000 words)
Completion of a role play assessment activity (1,000 words)

Workload requirements

This subject runs for 12 weeks. A twelve point unit requires twenty four hours per week or 312 hours per semester. On campus students will attend for five hours face to face contact per week that will include three hours of lectures and two hours of tutorials. Off-campus students participate in 20 hours residential workshops, four hours per week on online activities and 18 hours per week on private study. Week 12 will not introduce any new material but provide an opportunity for revision and completion of assignments.

See also Unit timetable information

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Uschi Bay

Off-campus attendance requirements

Off-campus students are required to attend a compulsory on-campus workshop for successful completion of this unit, where social work practice skills will be taught.

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Social work

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.med.monash.edu.au/socialwork/