HCS503 Social Work Theory and Practice 3 (16)
CSU Discipline Area: Human Services (HUSER)
Duration: One session
Abstract:
This subject uses a case-based approach to address methods of intervention in human services. It develops students' intervention skills in working with vulnerable groups and involuntary clients with a focus on disbility and child protection issues. This subject develops casework practice, groupwork and community work skills.
+ Subject Availability Modes and Locations
| Session 1 | |
|---|---|
| Distance * | Wagga Wagga |
*This subject offering contains a residential school. Please view following information for further details.
Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: HCS503
Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.
Prerequisite(s):
Enrolment restrictions:
Students must be enrolled in the MSW (Professional Qualifying) Not for students who have successfully completed HCS304
Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
- be able to demonstrate their capacity to critically apply a range of counselling frameworks to specific casework contexts, including identifying their developing practice model and areas for future development
- be able to demonstrate consistent critical reflection on their own casework practice, incorporating new knowledge and skills into their practice
- be able to demonstrate an ability to lead and evaluate a task-focussed group, including reflecting on their own behaviour and self-management in groups
- be able to demonstrate an ability to solve problems and deal with difficult issues in group process
- be able to demonstrate an ability to plan, implement and evaluate a community development strategy from beginning to end, being able to articulate the theoretical base from which this strategy is developed
- be able to demonstrate competence in the community work skills of lobbying, budgeting, submission writing, community capacity building, awareness of social capital and sustainability issues and working with informal care networks
- be able to identify the role of the worker as change agent within an organisation, including understanding change management processes and roles
- be able to demonstrate an understanding of and capacity to articulate the role of organisational partnerships in the current welfare context
- be able to design, implement and evaluate a multi-dimensional project within an organisational and/or community setting, including resource and constraint identification and budget management
Syllabus:
The subject will cover the following topics:
- Developing the application of casework and case-management theory and practice: critiquing casework and case management responses to client needs and circumstances - Leading and managing groups: developing, leading, managing and evaluating task focussed group-work including process issues - Building community networks: establishing purposeful relationships within a community - Developing communities: planning, implementation and evaluation of community development strategies - Resources for community development work: skills in support of community programs - Challenging organisational practice: strategies for working and managing organisational change - Working collaboratively or in conflict: understanding and improving inter-sectorial relationships with other services and disciplines - Working across different levels at the same time: understanding project and service management in the context of two case studies: Case Study 1: (Target Population: eg children and parents) (Target Problem: eg. child maltreatment.) (Target Service Context: eg. child protection and out of home care). Case Study 2: (Target Population: independent adults) (Target Problem: eg. disabilities) (Target Service Context: eg. involuntary services and care).
Residential School
This subject contains a compulsory 5 day residential school.
The residential school will involve the students in interactive experiential learning, developing skills in a safe environment. It will provide specific lectures and opportunities for discussion and clarification of key concepts and processes. There will be individual and group activities to ensure that students have a clear understanding of the assessment process in preparation for their second practicum.
The information contained in the 2013 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 24 April 2013. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.