SWM5102 - Critical social work 1: Frameworks for practice with children and families - 2017

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.

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.

• Critical reflection (1,500 words) (20%)
• Case study analysis (2,000 words) (30%)
• Biopyschosocial assessment (1,500 words) (30%)
• Role play assessment activity (1,000 words) (20%)

This subject runs for 11 weeks. A twelve point unit requires twenty four hours per week or

312 hours per semester. On campus students will attend for four and a half hours face to face contact per week that will include two and a half hours of lectures and two hours of tutorials. Off-campus students participate in 25 hours residential workshops, four hours per week on online activities and 18 hours per week on private study.

See also Unit timetable information

Professor Margaret Alston

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.

Social work

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