Social workers celebrate key role in boosting health
The important role that social workers play in boosting community health was celebrated at an exciting National Social Work Day forum at the University of the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday 7 May.
This inaugural forum was co-sponsored by Queensland Health (Sunshine Coast Health Services District) and the University and featured presentations of recent research into health-based social work practice on the Coast.
The forum’s 55 participants included Queensland Health social workers and USC social work staff and students and featured presentations about research, challenges and opportunities for social workers in health.
The forum emphasised the strong links being forged between social workers in the community and the University and included a presentation about USC’s Bachelor of Social Work program and its new Master of Social Work.
USC’s Social Work program leader Jan Foster outlined the social work study programs on offer at the University and invited social work practitioners to work closely with the University’s students and staff.
“The likely expansion of Queensland Health’s social work workforce in the region, particularly with the new hospital opening at Kawana, will provide great opportunities for students and graduates,” she said.
Guest speaker was Griffith University Social Work senior lecturer Dr Donna McAuliffe who is the convenor of the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) National Ethics group.
Dr McAuliffe discussed the history of ethics within the AASW and outlined the organisation’s new directions in dealing with complex ethical issues, from education, training and policy to establishing a new framework to deal with complaints.
Three Nambour Hospital social workers – Thelma McDougall, Anne O’Donoghue and Suzanne McGufficke – discussed their research into professional stress of social workers in the acute care setting.
Presentations also were made by: the Regional Director of Acute Social Work Services at Nambour Hospital, Vera Hempel, on professional supervision, the importance of accountability and life-long learning for social workers; Helen Bruderer on preventing child abuse; and Jan Foster on supporting family members when their loved ones are hospitalised.
For more details about the University’s Social Work programs, contact Jan Foster on 5459 4661 or at <jfoster@usc.edu.au>.