Social Work with Families course prepares you to work from a family sensitive framework, acknowledging the impact and influence of family, culture and location on people's lives. The course assumes and builds on your knowledge of theories from earlier in the social work program including critical, anti-oppressive, feminist, psychological - attachment, trauma and developmental and strength-based theories and extends and applies these to family-sensitive social work practice. There is an emphasis on promoting safety in families, including social work responses to racism, family violence, child abuse and neglect, disability, isolation, homelessness and ageing. You will critique 'the family' from local, global and systemic perspectives, and consider transgenerational, transcultural and family life cycle theories for understanding issues in families. You will explore and practise ways of engaging multiple members of a family system, including how to work with family members' different beliefs, setting goals, problem solving and constructing effective questions. Self-reflection and self-awareness will be constant themes. The subject matter will be considered in the context of current policy, and program and service delivery environments.

Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. (This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onwards. See the WAM information web page for more information.)