Capstone: Graduate Attribute 4 – Knowledge for Practice
Academic
It was social justice within an academic setting which first drew me towards studying social work. In the first few weeks of classes I recall realising that the Masters of Social Work was the right course for me. This has been confirmed throughout the various courses of the Masters. When I was a young man I completed a Bachelor of Theology as part of my (incomplete) training for the Catholic priesthood, and in a sense, the social work coursework has felt like a secular version of the “mission”-oriented parts of the seminary training. I found the courses related to oppression and discrimination to be insightful and challenging, allowing me to critique our modern social systems, particularly: Phillip Ablett's course examining sociology from a philosophical point of view; Raj Yadav’s course on social policy; and Vinathe Sharma-Brymer’s course on engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. These and other courses have also extended my understanding of the importance of evidence-based practice and its ability to deliver successful outcomes for the individuals and groups with whom social workers engage.
Field Education
My placements at the high school and the community-mental-health team gave me opportunities to gain a more practical understanding of the knowledge for practice that I had acquired through my studies. My goals in this domain were to develop a strong understanding of the model of care within each organisation and develop the ability to work within this model; to discuss with colleagues and my supervisor about the social-work frameworks and theories that they tended to use in their own practice and to understand how these relate to my praxis; and to develop an understanding of common systemic issues for older people and for young people that can lead to their presentation, including the development of practical strategies to address these issues. Working within the community-mental-health team in particular provided me with an incredibly supportive environment to explore the application of these ideas. I greatly benefitted from having a safety net of colleagues to get feedback from and to discuss clients and approaches with. I consider myself fortunate to have been a part of a strong, positive multidisciplinary team who were generous in sharing their own knowledge and experiences. The multidisciplinary team meetings for case review allowed me to develop a strong understanding of the services available to older people with mental-health problems, as well as some of the common systemic issues faced by our clients. The team meetings also allowed me to have better insight into the evidence-based practice for engaging with the diversity of bio-psycho-social issues commonly face by older people in the community. My most significant achievement I believe was the assessment process of a new client from beginning to end: being able to undertake the interview itself (with support and feedback); write the report (with discussions with other team members when I was uncertain); presenting verbally within a multidisciplinary team meeting to my colleagues; and visiting the client again with the result of the team decision and to explain further steps. I am very proud of this process.
Personal
This section refers back to the academic section. My desire as a young man to become a Catholic priest and my desire in middle age to become a social worker, stem from the same source: a strong urge to make the world a better place, and to enrich the lives of ordinary people. People of faith often speak of a ‘vocation’, and I genuinely feel that I have a vocation to be a social worker. I am aware of the potential dangers of approaching social work as a vocation, and I feel comfortable keeping to my professional boundaries and engaging in regular critical self-reflection while also working to improve our society and people’s lives. My experience as practice manager for psychiatrists and psychologists has also greatly influenced my understanding of mental-health problems such as anxiety, depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This role helped me to develop my strong sense of empathy, and an appreciation for what it means to be resilient in the face of trauma. I believe that my personal experience as someone with depression makes me a better practitioner by deepening my understanding of this domain. In addition, I consider scientific method is the most useful framework when it comes to knowledge for practice, and I will continue to value evidence-based practice by staying aware of current literature as part of a commitment to lifelong learning.