Graduate Attribute 5 – Applying knowledge to Practice
- Assess and analyse needs to inform practice
- Work collaboratively
- Use a range of social-work methods and techniques appropriate to the area of practice
- Apply critical and reflective thinking to practice
Academic
My academic learning provided the perfect launch pad and skill set for a transition into social work practice. I found a number of courses, including with Kaila White last semester, particularly informative and helpful, examining some of the theories used to work with families and children as a social worker, looking closely at various theories of practice and how to apply them in the social-work setting. In general throughout the coursework, I have found it useful to discuss case studies in an academic setting with peers and tutors who were able to share their experiences working in the field, which provided the opportunity to examine the knowledge for practice applies (or not) to particular cases. The collaborative approach to coursework has been enormously helpful in my work as a social worker.
Field Education
My placements at both the high school and the community-mental-health team gave me the perfect opportunity to develop my theoretical knowledge in practical settings. The school-based work gave me opportunities to apply my knowledge to a community setting, which was complemented by the mental-health focus of the community-mental-health team. As part of that placement, I worked as a member of the community team doing home visits to consumers, providing support and brief mental-health interventions, providing face-to-face bio-psycho-social assessments with a diverse variety of clients. I consider myself able to work inclusively and respectfully with clients from a variety of socio-economic statuses, and cultural and religious backgrounds and to tailor conversations and interventions to suit the needs and communication styles of the clients. As part of the community-mental-health team, I was required to contribute to treatment planning for clients, I believe that I am becoming more confident in my ability to identify appropriate intervention methods and that I am continuing to develop and fine-tune my insight and judgement as a social worker. I have experienced numerous examples of “tweaking” my academic understanding of issues such as diagnoses and client communication, as a result of on-the-ground discussion with my field educator, as well as team meetings and in-house training workshops. I have learnt the hard way that I need to be prepared for each home visit, particularly when the purpose is more formal, such as an assessment. I have felt comfortable refining my existing skills during regular, less formal, home visits; and feedback from my field educator has helped me learn valuable skills for assessments, which take place in an informal setting but require a clear structure and clear questions from me as the clinician.
Personal
I believe that in my personal experience as a parent, teacher, and even as a citizen, it is necessary for me to address, assess, and analyse the needs of the individuals and communities I interact with, and not solely in my work role as a social worker. One example is that I facilitate a face-to-face reading and discussion group on the topic of Stoic philosophy, and this has enabled me to apply my communication and organisational skills in a less formal setting, which is also a setting with lower responsibility. I think this dovetails well with effective and informed social-work practice. Collaboration – either in personal settings or in professional settings – allows me to harness the collective wisdom and resources of multidisciplinary teams and to tailor techniques to the unique context and challenges of our communities of practice. I also value continuous critical reflective thinking, engaging in self-examination to refine my practice and to cultivate empathy and cultural competence.