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Unit of Study SWRK6001 - Social Work across the Lifespan (2023)

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Unit Snapshot

  • Unit type

    PG Coursework Unit

  • Credit points

    12

  • Faculty/College

    Faculty of Health

  • Placement

    No

  • Enrolment information

    Full-time students are advised to take this unit at the same time as SWRK6002 Social Work in Groups and Communities. Students are required to meet participation requirements in this unit. Attendance is compulsory. All students must attend for a total of 24.5 hours. Online students are asked to attend a 3.5 day residential. Gold Coast students are asked to attend 7 × 3.5-hour seminars delivered as one day and ½ day workshops. Further details, including dates, will be advised via the Blackboard site. This unit should be completed after SWRK5001, SWRK5002 and SWRK5004.

Unit description

Develops an understanding of health and wellbeing across the lifespan particularly with reference to mental health. Explores the potential of social work practice with people of different ages, health conditions and disabilities. Focuses on social work practice with people experiencing mental health issues and strategies for promoting mental health in diverse communities.  

Unit content

  1. Constructions of health and illness
  2. Explanatory frameworks of mental distress
  3. Fostering well-being
  4. Mental health social work
  5. Practising social work in this field I
  6. Practising social work in this field II

 

Availabilities

Location Domestic International
Gold Coast
Term2
Term2
Online
Term2
Term2

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

explain dominant discourses and constructions of health and illness, including mental distress, acknowledging the diverse lived experiences of people who live with mental distress and their families and friends

explain the mental health service system and identify how legislation and policy influence the theoretical frameworks and practices related to mental health practice

critically analyse the potential and scope of social work practice in building resilience and facilitating recovery with respect to health and wellbeing across the lifespan particularly with reference to mental health

demonstrate social work practice skills in assessing and working with people with mental health needs and their partners, family members and friends.

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts
  • Bland, R, Renouf, N & Tullgren, A, 2021, Social Work Practice in Mental Health, 3rd edn, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW. ISBN: 9781743314753.
Prescribed Resources/Equipment
  • No prescribed resources/equipment.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.