Social Work Practice: Mental Health (SCWK90038)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
Overview
| Availability | September |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
This subject focuses on social work practice in the mental health field and examines the variety of practice perspectives that inform mental health service delivery in Australia. Topics covered include the nature of mental illness and how consumers, their relatives and friends experience it, and contemporary approaches to treatment and recovery. Also, examined are the national and state policy context, how services are organised and the particular contributions of social work practitioners within the different settings that they operate. There is a focus on psychosocial understandings of mental health and the importance of lived experience perspectives. Students will develop skills in psychosocial and risk assessments, approaches to trauma-informed practice, and working with complex forms of distress. The elective will utilise guest speakers to provide practitioner and consumers perspectives.
Intended learning outcomes
Knowledge
On completion of the subject, students should be able to:
- Identify and describe competing practice perspectives and evidence bases, that inform social work practice in mental health settings;
- Describe different features of the consumer/lived experience perspective and how this can inform practice in mental health settings; and
- Identify and critique concepts of risk and risk management involved with mental health practice.
Skills
On completion of the subject, students should be able to:
- Analyse how social work theory and skills can be applied in mental health settings;
- Demonstrate a capacity to use psychosocial approaches to assessment that consider risk and risk management;
- Critically apply the consumer/lived experience perspective to decision making in mental health settings.
Application of Knowledge and Skills
On completion of the subject, students should be able to:
- Critically evaluate issues in mental health, by synthesizing and analysing the evidence for a variety of practice perspectives, risk perspectives, social work perspectives, and lived experience perspectives and applying them to a range of practice settings.
Generic skills
On completion of this subject students should be able to:
- critically analyse texts and practices;
- link theory to practice;
- competently communicate in ways relevant to both academic and practice contexts;
- undertake independent research.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Psychosocial and risk assessment based on practice scenario
| Mid term | 20% |
Critical reflection on assessment
| Mid term | 20% |
Recorded presentation
| During Assessment Period | 20% |
Justification of oral presentation
| During the assessment period | 40% |
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Dates & times
- September
Coordinator Kath Sellick Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 24 hours (8 x 3 hour lectures) Total time commitment 96 hours Teaching period 1 September 2025 to 31 October 2025 Last self-enrol date 12 September 2025 Census date 19 September 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 24 October 2025 Assessment period ends 21 November 2025 September contact information
Time commitment details
96 hours
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
- Links to additional information
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025