Unit rationale, description and aim
Skills in interpersonal communication, assessment and intervention are essential to human service practice to ensure quality service outcomes.
This unit will explore the theories underpinning practice and identify practice frameworks for engagement, assessment, planning, intervention and review when working with individuals. The ethical principles and values underpinning human service practice with individuals will be explored through examples of a range of ethical issues that confront practitioners. The unit includes a component of experiential learning which provides students with practice in interpersonal communication skills and opportunity to reflect of their developing practice skills and personal and professional values that inform their approach.
The aim of this unit is for students to develop knowledge and skills in effective interpersonal communication skills and sound ethical practice when working with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and in diverse contexts.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain frameworks, processes and theories for pra...
Learning Outcome 01
Demonstrate practice skills in engagement, assessm...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication ...
Learning Outcome 03
Critically reflect on the influence of personal an...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Professional processes for working with individuals
- anti-oppressive practice
- the influence of personal values
- cultural and diversity issues
- reflective practice
- self-care
Interpersonal communication skills
- understanding communication
- communication processes
- communication for survival, for healing, as power
- influences on our listening
Client engagement skills
- engaging with clients
- worker qualities that enhance engagement
- tasks of engagement
- rapport building
- empathy
- reflective listening
- deep listening
- working with involuntary clients
Different assessment approaches
- assessment tools
- genograms
- ecomaps
- cultragrams
- road maps
- Stay strong plans
- multi-dimensional assessment
- biopsychosocial assessment
- risk assessment
Intervention planning skills
- Understanding the change process
- Planning for endings
- Evaluation and termination
Practice Models
- strengths perspective
- solution focused therapy
- crisis intervention
- task centred approaches
- solution focused approach
- empowerment and advocacy approach
- cultural responsiveness
Values and Ethics in practice
- respect
- social justice and human rights
- practice competency
- social work service and propriety
- professional boundaries and dual relationships
- conflicts of interest
- ethical issues and ethical dilemmas in human service practice
- professionalism
- information recording and sharing
- professional development and supervision
Building safe and supportive environments for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults
Assessment strategy and rationale
A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. These include a Written Reflection on a videorecording case study that develops students’ critical reflection skills and ability to identify key practice skills for client engagement; a Case Study Analysis which enables students to apply knowledge to a case study and demonstrate their ability to formulate an assessment and intervention plan and a Roleplay Skills Assessment. The Roleplay Skills Assessment comprises 1) a prepared videorecording of a ‘worker – client interview using set case scenarios, and 2) oral and written reflections of student performance in the videorecording.
Intensive and multi-mode assessment of this unit will be transparently equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the relevant Course Implementation Committee.
Overview of assessments
Written Critical Reflection of a brief videorecor...
Written Critical Reflection of a brief videorecording demonstrating at least one interview skill – develops students critical reflection skills and ability to identify key practice skills for client engagement
30%
Case Analysis – enables students to apply knowled...
Case Analysis – enables students to apply knowledge to a case study and demonstrate their ability to formulate an assessment and intervention plan
30%
Role Play SW Practice Skill Assessment: enables s...
Role Play SW Practice Skill Assessment: enables student to demonstrate key skills in client engagement, initial assessment, goal setting and intervention planning
Review, reflection and discussion of submitted videorecording with lecturer
Part A: Skills assessment based on a submitted video recording of a role play client interview (20%)
Part B: Written reflection submitted with video recording (15%)
Part C: Written reflection, submitted post- review with Lecturer (5%)
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of learning with 36 hours of face-to-face lectures, and skills development tutorials. This unit prepares students for direct and face to face communication, relationship building, assessment and report writing with clients in human service practice settings. The unit encourages student development in self-awareness, written and verbal reflection on practice, assessment and synthesis and analysis of information. Teaching and learning strategies for this unit include lectures, small group discussions and skill development workshops, including case studies, roleplay and reflection on practice activities.
This unit may also be offered on or off campus in intensive mode or multi-mode for sponsored / special cohorts, with the learning and teaching strategies being equitable with on campus mode offerings as endorsed by the School Curriculum Implementation Committee.