SWM5117 Assessment and Intervention: Working with groups and communities
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
SWM5117 Assessment and Intervention: Working with groups and communities is a level 5, 12-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, offered in 2024 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 12
- Offered in 2024
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 3 tasks
This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2026 entry.
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Overview
This unit extends your knowledge and understanding of social work assessment and intervention principles developed in the first year of your studies. The unit will provide you with a structured introduction to social work practice with groups and communities, including differences when working with other cultural groups.
You will learn how theory informs effective group and community focussed social work practice. The unit will explore social therapeutic, psychosocial educational group work and community level assessments and interventions.
Throughout the unit you will be provided with the opportunity to develop and practice group facilitation skills and to demonstrate critical thinking regarding the policy and political context of group and community work.
Offerings in 2024
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| First semester | Caulfield | Flx blk |
Assessment
- Group program proposal (3,000 words)35%
- Group work facilitation response (Video analysis of groupwork 20 mins, equivalent 2,000 words)35%
- Community development intervention plan (Response to case scenario - 3,000 words)30%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Articulate major concepts and theories informing group and community work in social work practice.
- 2
Differentiate between treatment and task-based group work, community development interventions and the implications for social work practice.
- 3
Use appropriate group facilitation methods in the context of social work intervention at treatment groups, task groups and community development level practice, taking into consideration the cultural make-up of the group.
- 4
Critically evaluate your role within group settings and activities, including how you manage group dynamics, power relations and conflict in groups.
- 5
Identify and discuss community development principles, practices, values and contemporary debates used to bring about social change.
- 6
Use core skills in community development practice to identify community strengths, enhance community empowerment, collective action and plan a community work intervention in ways that consider common community development challenges.
- 7
Evaluate the impacts of current policy and political context on group and community work.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures24 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Workshops21 hours
12 hours of teacher directed study per week, including a 2 hour seminar and 2 hour tutorial; remaining hours involve directed readings and class preparation, along with guided reflection and consolidation activities. 12 hours per week of self-directed study.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Philip Mendes
- Siobhan Hardiman
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Marcelo Maghidman
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for SWM5117?
SWM5117 has no prerequisites.
When is SWM5117 offered?
In 2024, SWM5117 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
Does SWM5117 have an exam?
No. SWM5117 has 3 assessment tasks and no exam.