Professional Practice in Context

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

A total of 170 hours: includes participation in online learning activities, reading course materials, independant study and completion of learning tasks and assessment.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Objectives, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject asks students to examine the assumptions, values, experiences, skills, forms of knowledge and broader influences on your work with young people. The subject is structured into four connected modules that build on each other across the semester:

• Reflective practice
• Working with resilience
• Working with other professionals
• Being resilient

Using experiences as a starting point, and building on this with topics notes and selected reading students will explore frameworks and interventions for working with young people to improve health outcomes. These include risk and resiliency, professional role boundaries, ethical practice and collaboration.

Students will draw on theoretical perspectives and ideas from contemporary literature as well as insights generated through critical reflection and sharing thoughts and experiences with their subject colleagues. Through this critical enquiry it is expected that they will further develop their understandings of their own practice and change and develop aspects of that practice.

This subject is designed to enable students to:

• examine professional practice in a variety of contexts using a critically reflective approach;
• describe different types of knowledge and how these are used in practice;
• recognize factors which enable and hinder workers with young people in various contexts;
• compare different professional settings and explore strategies to enhance inter-agency collaboration, communication and referral;
• analyze current practice against ethical, legal and confidentiality principles;
• apply the concept of resilience to inform decision making in working with young people in a range of contexts; and
• identify research literature and professional information to develop practice.

• 40% : Case Study including psychosocial assessment (1,500 words) - Due mid semester;
• 50% : Exploration of professional or discipline related issue (1,500 words) - Due end of semester; and
• 10% : 10x pieces of reflective writing (Max: 200 words each), submitted to online discussion topic - Weekly.

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

This subject also incorporates key generic skills and professional capabilities that can be applied across the course and into the future. On completion of this subject it is expected that students will be able to:

• apply the concepts of resilience, risk factors and protective factors to assessment and planning care and interventions;
• develop your capacity to reflect on your professional experiences to enhance your practice
• better communicate with other agencies and professionals who also have a stake in the young people you work with
• develop collaborative ways of working across different disciplines and sectors

This subject is closely linked to the Young People in Context subject which critiques the ‘adolescence’ and ‘health’ and explores frameworks for understanding adolescent development and the diversity of adolescent experience. Both subjects provide a foundation for learning and professional development throughout the Masters/Graduate Diploma/Certificate in Adolescent Health and Wellbeing course.

This subject requires access to the internet. Participants will received a printed Learner's Guide and key subject readings. A range of online resources, templates and collaborative learning tools are available via the Subject website.