Handbook

Social workers and educators aim to empower others and to help create the conditions for people to thrive. This involves working for a socially just and equitable society and also helping people to better manage the day to day challenges they inevitably confront in their lives. Yet we all experience challenges in life and there will be times we need to deal with problems that seem overwhelming and outside our control. SWP1REF takes as its premise that working to help other people involves first understanding ourselves and building self-awareness and personal skills to deal with our own life situations. In this subject you are introduced to the concept of empowerment and the role this plays in enabling health and wellbeing even in the most challenging and difficult situations. The subject draws from an evidence based Aboriginal Family Wellbeing empowerment program that has been integrated within a wide range of health human services across Australia and internationally. Students will experience the program as both a participant and a facilitator.