WS3516 - Foundations for Social Work Practice

Credit points:	03
Year:	2008
Student Contribution Band:	Band 1
Administered by:	Discipline of Social Work & Community Welfare

Available to holders of a Bachelor degree who have been admitted to the Graduate BSW

The School of Social Work and Community Welfare is introducing a Graduate Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)degree. This subject is a new offering within the Graduate BSW. This subject introduces students to the key theoretical foundations, skills and ethical concerns of social work. As such, it prioritises key aspects of WS1004; WS2510; WS2511; WS3515. Subject content includes the sociological basis for understanding the ideological drivers of particular forms of social work practice; social justice as a primary impetus of Australian social work practice; active listening as a primary skill for social work intervention; case management as a key organising framework for social work practice; values, ethics and the use of the AASW professional code of ethics as a tool for unravelling ethical dilemmas in social work; and the contexts of social work practice in government, non-government and church-based organizations in relation to particular population groups facing particular issues.

Learning Outcomes

• the organisational contexts for social work practice and possible interventions with at least one population type around a specific psycho-social-political-material issue ideological drivers of professional helping practices social justice as a primary impetus of Australian social work practice skills of active listening and case management principles and practices articulating values dilemmas and planning for their ethical resolution.

Graduate Qualities

• The ability to adapt knowledge to new situations;
• The ability to define and to solve problems in at least one discipline area;
• The ability to think critically, to analyse and evaluate claims, evidence and arguments, and to reason and deploy evidence clearly and logically;
• The acquisition of coherent and disciplined sets of skills, knowledge, values and professional ethics from at least one discipline area;
• The ability to manage future career and personal development;
• The ability to speak and write clearly, coherently and creatively;
• The ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences;
• The ability to lead, manage and contribute effectively to teams.

Prerequisites:	Only available to Graduate entry BSW students
Inadmissible Subject Combinations:	WS1006 and WS3515 WS1004

Availabilities
Townsville, Limited, Study Period 1
Census Date 04-Apr-2008
Face to face teaching 07-Apr-2008 to 11-Apr-2008 (Compulsory on campus workshop)
Coordinator:	Dr Debra Miles
Assessment:	(60%); assignments (40%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.