Engaging with Families

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2015:

170 hours

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 courses. Students who feel their disability will impact on meeting this requirement are encouraged to discuss this matter with the Course Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit.

This subject critically examines the relationship between contemporary social work practice with families and family therapy. It explores the benefits and limitations of a selected range of theoretical frameworks and practice tools relevant to assisting families with their various problems in living across the family life course. Emphasis will be placed upon students’ capacity to critically evaluate these theoretical approaches and to examine their relevance for varied organisational contexts and diverse presenting issues in family social work.

On successful completion of this series of lectures and seminars, participants should be able to:

• Identify the key elements and logic of several theoretical approaches to social work with families.
• Take a critical and inquiring approach to selecting, evaluating and applying these models of family intervention within contemporary social work practice, in the light of family diversity, gender issues, and presenting psycho-social issues.
• Select practice approaches appropriate to particular practice settings with attention to the mandate for intervention and issues of consumer choice.
• Independently and competently make a written differential psycho-social family assessment from given data and informed by theory.
• Independently and competently make a feasible plan of family intervention, which flows logically from the psycho-social assessment and which is sufficiently operationalised to permit outcome evaluation.
• Critically reflect on and discuss the implications of theoretical stances for worker–client relationships, working arrangements and ethical practice.
• As part of a team focussing on a particular method of practice, make a competent demonstration of particular practice strategies, and engage peers in active learning with respect to the theory and practice of the strategies.

1. Written assignment totalling 1,500 words (due mid semester) 40%

2. Case study of 3,5000 words (due end of semester) 60%

Nichols, M. (2014). The Essentials of Family Therapy, 6 th Ed. Boston: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students who complete this subject should be able to:

• critically analyse texts and practices;
• understand recent developments in social work contexts of practice;
• link theory to practice;
• competently communicate in ways relevant to both academic and practice contexts.