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Location Domestic International
Gold Coast Session 1 Session 1
Online Session 1 Session 1

Unit Summary

Unit type

PG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

9

Level of learning

Advanced

Former School/College

Former School of Arts and Social Sciences

Pre-requisites

WEL91002 - Social Policy and Law for Social Work WEL91003 - Social Work Foundations for Practice AND WEL91004 - Social Work Direct Practice I AND WEL91005 - Social Work Direct Practice II AND WEL91006 - Social Work Field Placement Ia AND WEL91007 - Social Work Field Placement Ib

Co-requisites

WEL92001 - Social Work across the Lifespan

Unit aim

Develops students' understanding of skills in social work practice in groups and communities. Encourages students to identify the potential of both community development and group work in addressing social justice and human rights issues as they impact on a range of different communities. Enables students to consider different modes of group work practice, including support groups and therapeutic groups.

Unit content

1. Understanding and theorising group work
2. Group development and group processes
3. Support, therapeutic and psycho-educational groups
4. Responding to conflict in groups and communities
5. Conceptualising community, including location-based and identity-based communities
6. Community development models and practices, including assets-based community development
7. Community education and community consultation
8. Linking the global and local: the potential of social work practice in groups and communities

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.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 explain different theoretical approaches to group work and community development practice in social work
2 analyse the potential for group work and community development strategies to address social justice and human rights concerns, particularly with respect to linking the local with the global
3 critically reflect on the characteristics of diverse communities, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and strategies to engage effectively with these communities
4 analyse different modes of group work practice in social work, including therapeutic groups and support groups
5 demonstrate skills in group work and community development.

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

  1. explain different theoretical approaches to group work and community development practice in social work
    • GA4:
  2. analyse the potential for group work and community development strategies to address social justice and human rights concerns, particularly with respect to linking the local with the global
    • GA4:
  3. critically reflect on the characteristics of diverse communities, including culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and strategies to engage effectively with these communities
    • GA6:
  4. analyse different modes of group work practice in social work, including therapeutic groups and support groups
    • GA4:
  5. demonstrate skills in group work and community development.
    • GA6:

Prescribed texts

  • Hardina, D, 2013, Interpersonal Social Work Skills for Community Practice, Springer, New York. ISBN: 978 8261 0811 1.
  • McDermott, F, 2002, Inside Group Work: A Guide to Reflective Practice, Allen & Unwin, Sydney. ISBN: 1 86508 892 7 (pbk).
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.