SOAD9217 Social Work in the Disability Sector

2016

4.5

1 x 2-hour workshop weekly

1 Admission into MSWGE-Master of Social Work (Graduate Entry)
2 SOAD9109 - Social Development
2a SOAD9111 - Social Issues and Social Policy
3 Admission into MSWQS-Master of Social Work (Qualified Social Worker Entry)
Must Satisfy: ((1 and (2 or 2a)) or (3))

Master of Social Work

This topic provides opportunities to look closely at major changes occurring within the disability sector, both nationally and internationally since 1981, The International Year of Disabled Persons. It focuses on the many policy and related service design issues related to a determined shift into community living. By looking at the move from congregate care, the topic seeks an honest review of the policy shift to community and asks what it might take to ensure better outcomes for disabled people and their families. The topic takes a simultaneously informative and critical approach and students can expect to be more familiar with the difficult history of responses to those labelled as disabled and the considerable policy challenges alive within the field. Students will be invited to develop a considered response to a contemporary policy or practice issue consistent with expectations that a practicing social worker might face.

This topic aims to:

1. Introduce students to the discourses within the sector and offer a framework in which to think about disability in all its complexity.
2. Explore both global and local understandings of disability to develop nuanced understanding of how disability discourses have developed and interacted.
3. Examine a range of academic writings, policy documents, service frameworks and evaluations to develop perspectives and skills that will contribute to an advanced approach to social work practice in the disability sector.
4. Build links across the student's prior learnings in social work to issues facing social workers in this sector.
5. Experiment with some applications of their learnings.

Students successfully completing this topic can expect to be able to:

1. Deliberate with their colleagues on fundamanetal issues relating to building a decent life to people living with disability.
2. Identify and evaluate selection of resources relates to community/social work and disability.
3. Employ a range of mapping tools as reflective and analytical tools and guides to practice.
4. Demonstrate a capcity to build links from their growing knowledge and conceptual base into social work in the disability sector.
5. Reflect on their learning as they develop professional competencies in social work practice, especially inclusive team work and creative problem solving.