SWB222 Communication for Social Work and Human Services

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

This unit compares a range of practice approaches used in individual and community work when responding to trauma, bereavement, and crisis. The implications of using these contrasting practice approaches for counselling and community development practice will be explored in relation to a range of different presenting concerns including grief and loss, domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health issues, cultural violence and substance abuse. Gender sensitive and anti-racist practices will also be considered in responding to people experiencing grief, trauma and crisis. Application through simulated role-play and critical evaluation of your own practice using knowledge and skills associated with client centred, narrative (response based) and feminist approaches will be emphasised. Because the development of core practice knowledge and skills is required for professional placement, your full participation in all learning activities is expected and required.

This is a designated unit which is essential to your course progression. Designated units include professional experience units, units requiring the development of particular skills, and units requiring demonstration of certain personal qualities. If you fail to achieve a satisfactory level of performance in a designated unit, you may be excluded from enrolment or will be put on academic probation. If you fail a designated unit twice within your course, you may be excluded. Supplementary assessment is not available on designated units.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Apply a range of practice approaches and skills underpinned by core social work theories to respond to trauma, bereavement and crisis in a diverse range of practice contexts.
2. Analyse and critically evaluate the 'differential use-of-self' and how your personal history, values, beliefs, gender, social and cultural perspectives influence your practice responses related to trauma, bereavement and crisis.
3. Critically apply relevant knowledge and skills for interpersonal work, including communication skills, and critical analysis skills for social work and human service practice in a simulated environment with peer to peer engagement.
4. Analyse and evaluate practice responses identifying anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches as applied to a range of contexts.
5. Critically evaluate own performance noting personal history, values, beliefs, social and cultural perspectives and the impact on professional practice styles.

Content

Learning Approaches

The unit will involve lecture and tutorial delivery modes using experiential learning in facilitated structured exercises designed to develop critically oriented social work interpersonal communication skills and which examine relevant theory and practice frameworks.
This approach is designed to provide you with opportunities to develop practice knowledge and skills and self-awareness so it is expected that all students will actively participate in all learning activities. Teaching and learning activities contribute toward the development of your critical practice framework grounded in anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

There is ongoing formative assessment on your participation in role-play exercises and simulations. The  tutorials offer a range of activities to demonstrate knowledge and skills conducive to critical clinical practice. In these exercises you will provide and receive feedback on the practice approaches you will need to demonstrate in the tutorial based role-play and critical evaluation written piece.

Assessment

Overview

There are two assessments for this unit:

In the first assessment, you will perform a role-play simulation that demonstrates your use of practice approaches in social work related to trauma, bereavement or crisis, using anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches. You will be graded on your participation and engagement in the role-play, and demonstration of knowledge, values and practice skills in your role-play. 

The second assessment task is a critical evaluation of your role-play simulation where you critically evaluate your practice approach and how you performed in the simulated role-play.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Role-Play

You will be required to undertake a real-time, role-play simulation (either in person or via zoom) where you play the role of a social worker and respond to a service user scenario related to a topic of your choice (e.g., grief and bereavement, assessment, gender, gendered violence, homelessness, mental health or substance use). Adopting an anti-oppressive or empowerment approach, you will respond appropriately and ethically to the group/issue identified in the scenario and identify a practice strategy to redress the issue. More details are provided on Canvas unit homepage and in class tutorials.

This assessment task is authentic as it mirrors social work core knowledge, values and skills for communication and engagement applied in professional practice contexts on a daily basis.

Assessment: Critical Evaluation

You are required to critically evaluate your role-play performance and provide a written critique of your practice approach demonstrating knowledge of theories, approaches and skills used, or that might have been used in the role-play. You will evaluate how well you performed in the simulation and consider how you applied anti-oppressive and empowerment approaches.

In addition, detail reflexive insights about your experience of this process, e.g. evaluating the 'differential use-of-self' and how your personal history, values, beliefs, gender, social and cultural perspectives influence your practice responses related to trauma, bereavement and crisis. You will outline how these insights would support your emerging critically oriented social work practice.

This assessment task is authentic as it mirrors social work core knowledge, values and skills for communication and engagement applied in professional practice contexts on a daily basis.

This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Resources

Resource Materials

Prescribed text(s)

Set Text: Brown, C. & MacDonald, J. E. (2020). Critical Clinical Social Work: Counterstorying for Social Justice, Canadian Scholars Press.

Reference book(s)

A reading list will be provided in Library resources in Canvas

Risk Assessment Statement

Students are advised that some content and experiences may be distressing. Appropriate measures will be in place for debriefing and closure.

Course Learning Outcomes

SW04 Bachelor of Social Work

1. Access, evaluate, and utilise relevant social work information that informs and assists in intra- and inter-professional communication in a range of contexts, through effective oral, written and digital interactions. [Practice, Knowledge]
   Relates to: Role-Play , Critical Evaluation
2. Critically examine tenets of diversity and diverse perspectives in social work, and advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. [Values and Disposition, Knowledge, Practice]
   Relates to: Critical Evaluation

SW05 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)

1. Critically evaluate theoretical, practical and contextually relevant social work knowledge, skills and values and, as a change facilitator, meet diverse client and community needs that promote social justice
   Relates to: Critical Evaluation
2. Formulate and implement strategies using advanced knowledge and research skills to analyse, consolidate and synthesise social and practice evidence to generate solutions and to inform professional practice and decision-making
   Relates to: Role-Play , Critical Evaluation
3. Develop advanced knowledge, skills and values, to inform culturally safe communication and effective intra- and inter-professional collaboration and with a wide range of audiences and contexts, including accessing, evaluating and utlising digital health information.
   Relates to: Role-Play
4. Access, evaluate and utilise social work information to advocate for a socially just society and the promotion of human dignity and worth that reflect different social, political, cultural and historical circumstances, on the beliefs, values and aspirations of various groups, including Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations
   Relates to: Critical Evaluation