Unit Outline

This unit examines the intersection between trauma and justice and is informed by a commitment to social justice, decolonising, and an ethic of care. At a macro level, you will learn how social workers can promote policy, legislation and practice that aim to acknowledge, address and prevent trauma by challenging social structures and advocating for vulnerable groups. At a micro level, you will learn skills for recognising and responding to trauma according to the needs of specific groups of people, integrating First Nations knowledges and intersectionality into a socially just approach. Group work is used in this unit to explore issues that commonly result in, or stem from experiences of trauma, including violence, discrimination, disaster, colonisation, and war. You will develop skills for working with groups both as facilitators and participants.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1.	Apply ethical methods of communicating with clients, colleagues and managers by being respectful, sharing information, demonstrating flexibility and working collaboratively.
2.	Formulate interventions using culturally relevant and adaptable communication strategies that maximise client engagement, input and involvement.
3.	Present complex information in a compelling way through highly effective written and public communication skills that are also culturally relevant.
4.	Debate the transformative potential of care ethics to promote equality and justice in social work services and social policy.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	HGW302, HGW303, HGW308, HGW312 and HGW327

Alterations as a result of student feedback

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma	Week 3	20 %	LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Written group work proposal	Week 5	30 %	LO2, LO3
Assessment Task 3:	Co-facilitation of 45-minute group and written assignment	Week 11	50 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma

Task Description:

Written reflection on values and beliefs on trauma

Task Length:

1000 words

Due Date:

Week 3 (13/Mar/2024)

Weight:

20 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Identify your values and beliefs about responding to people who have experienced trauma.	LO4
2	Critically examine your values and beliefs within the context of social work values and a political ethics of care.	LO4
3	Use of evidence, including reflection on your values and beliefs and literature to support and justify your arguments.	LO4
4	Self-evaluation is written clearly and concisely. Responses structured in a logical and articulate manner.	LO3

Assessment Task 2: Written group work proposal

Task Description:

Written assignment - group work proposal.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 5 (27/Mar/2024)

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Your group proposal clearly identifies the specific topic focus and overall aim for your group. You clarify how this is an important topic for social work to respond with care and justice and how your group will support participants developing skills	LO2
2	Your group content goals clearly explain the learning goals for your group and supports development of participants’ knowledge and skills related to the group aim and rationale.	LO2
3	Your group process goals clearly explain how you want group participants to learn that are culturally relevant and enhance collaboration.	LO3
4	The group structure is clear and logical, and activities support participants’ achievement of the learning goals. The timing estimates for activities are feasible to allow the group to be completed in 45 minutes.	LO3
5	Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards (i.e. reference your work accordingly, pay attention to your grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax; use headings where relevant).	LO3

Assessment Task 3: Co-facilitation of 45-minute group and written assignment

Task Description:

Co-facilitation of 45-minute group and written assignment, 1500 words

The group co-facilitation is an in-class direct observation during Weeks 7-10 of semester. Written reflection is due one week after your co-facilitation. Due date listed is for Week 10 groups.

Task Length:

1500 words

Due Date:

Week 11 (17/May/2024)

Weight:

50 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	Your group uses effective and creative learning activities to engage participants in developing skills for responding with care and justice to the topic focus for your group.	LO1
2	Your group content demonstrates knowledge of the course content by integrating concepts and skills into the group content and activities.	LO4
3	You demonstrate skills as a group cofacilitator that use and adapt culturally relevant communication strategies to enhance collaboration, maximise participants’ engagement, input, and involvement.	LO2, LO3
4	You critically evaluate your co-facilitation of the group and your individual contributions. You use evidence from your practice in the group and the literature to support your self-evaluation.	LO1, LO2, LO3
5	You critically evaluate your collaboration and contributions to the small group process of designing the group. You use evidence from your practice in the group and the literature to support your self-evaluation.	LO1, LO2, LO3
6	Communicate your ideas in writing with reference to professional, cultural and academic contexts and standards (i.e. reference your work accordingly, pay attention to your grammar, spelling, punctuation and syntax; use headings where relevant).	LO3

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.