Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
NilUnit rationale, description and aim
A knowledge of mental health, illness and wellbeing is considered essential for social work practice across a wide range of health and welfare settings. This unit provides students with foundational knowledge of contemporary concepts in mental health, illness and wellbeing, acknowledging that these concepts are ubiquitous to all social work service settings, but have particular significance in mental health service systems. The aim of this unit is provide students with the opportunity to explore and critically analyse practice approaches relevant to the field of mental health and wellbeing, preparing graduates for person centred, evidence based social work practice.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Analyse the role of social movements in mental health for promoting consumer rights, relating selected theories to the development of policies, programs and services in mental health practice | GC1, GC3, GC6, GC7, GC8 |
| LO2 | Differentiate the roles and responsibilities of social workers in mental health practice, analysing ethical issues and critically reflecting on ethical dilemmas in mental health practice | GC1, GC4, GC5, GC7, GC9, GC11 |
| LO3 | Interpret and apply research skills to explore the evidence base for social work assessment and to develop appropriate evidence based intervention plans | GC2, GC3, GC9, GC10 |
| LO4 | Apply relevant assessment and intervention skills for mental health practice with individuals, families, groups and communities with diverse backgrounds, experiences and identities | GC2, GC4, GC8, GC11, GC12 |
AASW Practice Standards
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
1.Values and ethics |
2.Professionalism |
3.Culturally responsive and inclusive practice |
4.Knowledge for practice |
5.Applying knowledge to practice |
6.Communication and Interpersonal skills |
7.Information recording and sharing |
8.Professional development and supervision |
ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes
This Unit has been mapped to the ACU Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes. The following table sets out the broad relationship between the Learning Outcomes, Graduate Attributes and the ASWEAS Profession-Specific Graduate Attributes provided in the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards: https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/13565
| Standard/Attributes/Criteria | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|
4.1 Understand higher level systemic influences on people with respect to an area of practice. 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice | LO1 |
1.1 Practice in accordance with the AASW Code of Ethics 1.2 Manage ethical dilemmas and issues arising in practice 2.1 Represent the social work profession with integrity and professionalism 2.2 Behave in a professional manner and be accountable for all actions and decisions 4.2 Understand and articulate social work and other relevant theories and concepts 4.4 Understand and articulate how and when theories, knowledge bases and knowledge sources inform practice 5.3 Use a range of social work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice 5.4 Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice | LO2 |
4.3 Understand the role of research and evaluation in obtaining and generating new knowledge for practice | LO3 |
3.1 Work inclusively and respectfully with cultural difference and diversity 3.2 Respect and strive to understand and promote the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures 5.3 Use a range of social work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice | LO4 |
Content
Topics will include:
Understandings of mental health and well being
- conceptions of mental health
- historical narratives of mental illness
- cultural perspectives on wellbeing and illness
- social determinants of well being
- national and state mental health policy and legislation
- critical analysis of current policies and implications for practice
Diagnosis, classification systems and treatment modalities
- ‘low’ and ‘high’ prevalence disorders such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder
- cognitive behaviour therapy
- dialectical behaviour therapy
The lived experience of mental health
- stigma
- powerlessness
- marginality and disadvantage
- recovery
Socio-political influences on mental health and wellbeing
- age
- gender
- ethnicity
- socioeconomic status
- geographical location
Mental health and wellbeing in specific populations
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- culturally and linguistically diverse people
- migrants and refugees
- young people
- older people
Contemporary approaches to mental health care
- recovery
- working in partnership with consumers and families
- prevention and early intervention
Social work with people with mental health problems
- evidence based practice
- recovery and relapse
- consumer rights and perspectives
- trauma informed approaches
Skills and values in assessment
- social work assessment (bio-psycho-social)
- assessing risk
- reflection on personal and professional values
- ethical dilemmas in practice
Social work interventions
- recovery orientated approaches
- crisis intervention
- case management
- family work
Service provision
- multi, inter and transdisciplinary teamwork
- mental health care system in Australia
- e-mental health and telehealth
- Lived Experience workforce
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
CAMPUS ATTENDANCE:
This unit involves 150 hours of learning with a combination of online material and interactive workshops.
This unit will be offered in multi-mode, using a blended approach of online material and intensive workshops. Online material will include weekly mini-lecture recordings exploring each concept or topic as well as synchronous and non-synchronous online activities. Online material will provide students with foundational knowledge about mental health, wellbeing and mental illness, exploring contemporary approaches to social work practice in diverse mental health and wellbeing contexts. Three intensive sessions of six hours each, offered across the teaching semester will provide students collaborative learning opportunities, with a focus on case-based learning and practice of relevant skills.
ACU ONLINE:
This unit involves 150 hours of study delivered online using an active learning approach. Students are expected to complete readings, reflect and engage with peers over the study period. Students will have access to self-paced learning modules, readings, webinars, discussion forums and assessment tasks. Online forums and chat rooms will facilitate learning by sharing critical reflections with a focus on cased-based learning. This learning approach is flexible and inclusive, allowing students the opportunity to analyse, critically evaluate and reflect on contemporary approaches to social work practice delivered in mental health and wellbeing settings.
Assessment strategy and rationale
ON CAMPUS:
The unit has three assessable tasks, designed to test different learning outcomes for the unit. There is a focus on engaging with the research literature, and applying knowledge for practice situations.
The first assessment task is a quiz covering basic core concepts required for social work in mental health.
The second assessment is a student presentation to be delivered in class time, on a topic chosen by the student. This allows students a wide range of choice and a capacity to share ideas and knowledge from the broader mental health research literature. In the past some students have chosen to focus on their own “lived experience”, or chosen a topic because of its relevance to themselves or family member.
The final assessment task asks students to demonstrate their capacity to gather and organise information into a standardised assessment framework. This tests their skills in observation, analysis, and professional writing. Students are then required to connect their assessment with theoretical concepts in mental health, particularly recovery theory.
ACU ONLINE:
The unit has three assessable tasks, designed to test different learning outcomes for the unit. There is a focus on engaging with the research literature, and applying knowledge for practice situations.
The first assessment task is a quiz covering basic core concepts required for social work in mental health.
The second assessment is a student presentation on a topic chosen by the student. This allows students a wide range of choice and a capacity to share ideas and knowledge from the broader mental health research literature. In the past some students have chosen to focus on their own “lived experience”, or chosen a topic because of its relevance to themselves or family member.
The final assessment task asks students to demonstrate their capacity to gather and organise information into a standardised assessment framework. This tests their skills in observation, analysis, and professional writing. Students are then required to connect their assessment with theoretical concepts in mental health, particularly recovery theory.
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Online Quiz: To assess students’ knowledge of core concepts for social work in mental health. | 20% | LO1, LO2 |
Presentation: Articulation of social work approaches to mental health practice. 10 minutes duration, plus reference list.
| 30% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Case study report and analysis: Identify and develop the key social work skills necessary for conducting social work mental health assessments and interventions with individuals and families. 2000 words.
| 50% | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
For On Campus: A2 Presentation to be scheduled during Workshop 2
For ACUO: Multi media/e-presentation choice of a recording, annotated PowerPoint or video (as stipulated in the EUO each year) due to asynchronous nature of delivery,
Representative texts and references
AASW. (2015). Scope of social work practice: Social work in mental health. Retrieved from https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/8309
Bland, Drake, G., & Drayton, J. (2021). Social work practice in mental health: an introduction (Third edition). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Corcoran, J., & Walsh, J. (2020). Mental health in social work: A casebook on diagnosis and strengths-based assessment (3rd Edition)
Hungerford, C., Hodgson, D., Clancy, R., Murphy, G., & Doyle, K. (2021). Mental health care: an Introduction for health professionals (Fourth edition). John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd.