Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Counselling)

As our number of relationships expands, so too does the potential for conflict. This subject looks at the nature of interpersonal conflict, and explores strategies for resolution such as mediation, conferencing and restorative justice. It begins by considering the nature of conflict, theories about its causes, and how conflict manifests in relationships, groups, communities and internationally. It then introduces students to key conflict management strategies and gives steps as to how we might reduce unhealthy forms of conflict and arrive at positive, healthy relationships based on empathy and understanding. The subject also considers anger management strategies in addressing entrenched, high conflict situations.

This subject introduces students to ethics from a variety of perspectives, including deontology and consequentialism, principlist and virtue ethics, narrative and communitarian ethics, and the ethics of self-care. Students learn how ethical and legal frameworks are applied to community services, and in the clinical, public health, and research contexts. They learn to reflect on what are legal or ethical dilemmas in health and community care provision, and practice the use of the conceptual and legal tools available to health and community services workers, as well as to the public, for making decisions in relation to health, community care and counselling.

Topics include ethics theories, codes of ethics for professionalization, and ethics for research, public health, disability and vulnerable groups, internal reporting and whistleblowing, and the ethics of self-care. All practitioners must know how their work is regulated by legal frameworks; students thus learn about tort and negligence law, professional responsibility, duties, and misconduct, mandatory reporting, the protection of vulnerable groups, and privacy and confidentiality at work.

This subject builds on the knowledge and skills developed in Applied Counselling 1. It helps students develop a greater understanding of the various therapeutic approaches that draw on psychodynamic theories, person-centred therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, family therapy, feminist therapy, solution-focused therapy and narrative therapy. The subject also examines the influence of the counsellor on the counselling process, and counselling practice with children, adolescents and families, drawing on the developmental knowledge acquired in the subject Human Development Across the Lifespan. Students develop a greater understanding of the skills needed for various modalities and reflect on their own development as a therapist.

This subject is designed for students to gain basic understanding of mental health. It includes definitions of mental health, mental health theories, risk factors and disorders. The impact of mental illness in the community, and particularly on individual people’s lives is explored along with approaches to health care, and the role of advocacy by community care workers and services.

Myths and stigma surrounding mental health are critically examined, with special focus on how social and cultural perceptions shape both the experience of mental illness and service provision. The subject includes definitions and classification systems in mental health.

Students undertake placements comprising 200 hours in the community sector with the aim of building skills with a variety of client groups and presentations. The organizations can include community counselling agencies, government counselling or welfare centres, child/youth service or aged care facilities, neighbourhood centres, correctional facilities, or hospital pastoral care settings. They gain further practical experience in working with individuals and groups and are supported with supervision in a variety of formats such as weekly debriefing and case conferences.

This provides the opportunity for students to learn from contact with other community services workers, critical incidents, ethical dilemmas, tensions, questions and insights. This subject uses an experiential learning process that is based on theory, and group participation with peers and supervisors. Students are required to attend two 3-hour workshops in weeks 1 and 5 to prepare them for their fieldwork. Students also receive a total of 5 hours supervision by the placement supervisor.

This subject provides an overview of the principles of substance‐related addictions and the processes and mechanisms that underlie addiction. Students are introduced to the developmental course of addiction, risk and protective influences, and the effects of addiction on health and well-being. The subject covers different forms of addictive behaviours that present in the community, including substance dependency (alcohol, tobacco, prescription and illicit drugs), problem gambling, and compulsive sexual and eating behaviour. A critical examination of the concept of addiction will consider why the use of some substances or behaviours is socially problematic and culturally contingent. The subject adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to examine the biological, psychological and social factors that are associated with addictive behaviours. Students learn to critically appraise and reflect on the shift from the disease model to approaches that draw on behavioural and social scientific theories.

This subject examines human rights and governments’ responsibility to uphold them. Topics include: theories of power and oppression, the concept of empowerment, the human rights movement, the establishment and significance of institutions such as the United Nations and the World Health Organization, and their role in developing and implementing international agreements on the fundamental principles of human rights such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition, students examine the link between human rights and health and well-being, the protection of the rights of citizens, workers, and vulnerable groups.

This subject examines the practice and skills required for case management and program development in the community services sector, by drawing on examples from a range of client groups such as the elderly, people living with disabilities and chronic illness, homeless people, ex-offenders, refugees and migrants with settlement issues. The subject includes an overview of the theory and practice of program planning, development and evaluation using case studies that address the complex and varied needs of clients groups. In addition, attention is also given to the role of carers and the unpaid support given by relatives, friends and neighbours, which often constitute informal management and support to people in need.

Other topics include formative and summative methods of evaluation, insider/outsider debates about evaluation programs, and working with stakeholders to identify the needs and the programs required to address them, and how to evaluate the programs. Various methods of evaluation are examined, including interviews with key informants, client satisfaction surveys and focus groups, and students also learn how evaluation data are analysed and presented.