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VOLUME 4 | NO. 3 DEcEMbEr 2015Social WorkConnectNewsletter of the AASW Victorian Branch
ISSN 1448-9503
Social WorkConnectNewsletter of the AASW Victorian Branch
ISSN 1448-9503
‘Supporting Future Social Workers: A critical Piece of the Puzzle’
Thriving in Your First Social Work role Workshop 2015
contacts editorial
dear colleagues
Welcome to the last edition of Social Work connect for 2015. It has been a busy year, and a year with many developments and changes. In politics, there has been a change in leadership and some significant ministerial changes on a federal level. On a state level, family violence has moved to the top of the agenda. The NDIS roll-out for Victoria has been announced and with this more changes will occur for service users as well as social workers in the disability field.
There have also been some changes within the AASW – and we welcome two new staff for the Victorian branch: rosanna Di Grazia in the role of branch Administration Officer, and Anneka Farrington in the role of branch Professional Officer. You will find more information on both of them in this edition. We congratulate Glenda Kerridge on being elected President of the Victorian branch, Olga Gountras on her election as Vice President and we welcome all new branch Management committee members.
In this issue, we look both at branch events, including the Victorian branch AGM, two recent events for new social work graduates and at social work roles more broadly.
corina Modderman, a social worker originally from The Netherlands, describes in her article “A single ticket to paradise” a very significant experience of change: her migration to Australia and the challenges many social workers in her situation face. Jonny Lovell and Zoe Peltekis contribute articles reflecting on different approaches in social work practice. colin bourke reflects on his journey to the battlefields of World War I and the connections to social work practice today.
We hope you enjoy this edition and we encourage you to contact the branch or one of the editors directly if you would like to contribute an article about what is happening in your area of social work.
Warm wishes
Maria Groner, Glenda Kerridge and Lisa Derham
aasW Victorian BrancH oFFice
Level 7 14-20 blackwood St NTH MELbOUrNE 3051
Tel: (03) 9320 1012 Fax: (03) 9328 5670
All mail to: PO box 2008 royal Melbourne Hospital Parkville VIc 3050
Open: Monday to Friday
Website: www.aasw.asn.au
BrancH ManageMent coMMittee
Glenda Kerridge (branch President) [email protected]
Olga Gountras (Vice-President) [email protected] 9949 8713
bernie chatley [email protected]
Peter Quin [email protected] 5154 6635
Virginia Mansel Lees [email protected]
IliaVurtel [email protected] 0425 750 044
Scott Williams [email protected]
Laurenza buglisi [email protected]
Johnson Mathew [email protected]
Alexandra bhathal [email protected]
christine barca [email protected]
Despina Filippaki [email protected]
PrESENTATION: All contributions must be presented by email to [email protected] as a Word document attachment by the published copy deadline.
cOPY DEADLINE: 29 February for the April edition.
Articles from Members – are welcome and the topic and word limit should be negotiated with the Editor for the particular edition.
Practice Group reports and articles: 500 maximum or by agreement with the Editor/s
Advertisements: 1/8 page maximum or by agreement with the Editor/s
PLEASE NOTE: While acceptance of a contribution to SWc does not imply that AASW supports or is promoting the views expressed therein, the Editorial
social Work connect (sWc) guidelines For autHors and contriButors
committee reserves the right to refuse to accept contributions at any time. If an advertisement is accepted by the Editor of the SWc Newsletter, every effort will be made to ensure its inclusion, but no guarantee is given.
DIScLAIMEr: The Editor/s wishes to remind readers that the views expressed in the Social Work connect do not necessarily reflect the views of the Association. Similarly, course and workshop advertisements, Letters to the Editor, enclosed within the Social Work connect should not be taken as necessarily having the endorsement of the Association unless explicitly stated. The advertisements, events are correct at date of publication. changes in dates, times or venues are beyond the control of the Editors.
3Victorian Social Work Connect
contents
Contacts 2
Editorial 2
Victorian Branch President’s Report 4
Victorian Branch AGM 2015 5
Introducing our New Victorian Branch Workers and Branch Management Committee Members 6
A Single Ticket to Paradise? 8
Connecting with a Mentor 10
Sharing Lived Experience in Mental Health Interventions 11
Reflections from the Western Front 12
The Client as a Volunteer 14
Thriving in Your First Social Work Role 16
New Horizons for Social Workers in the NDIS 17
Pre-AGM Workshops 18
School Social Workers Practice Group 18
Vale 19
Upcoming CPD Events 19
4
Victorian BrancH president’s report
It is a pleasure to be writing my first President’s report and to reflect on a busy and productive year for the Victorian branch.
I would first like to acknowledge my predecessor, David Maxwell, who has stepped down from the Presidency after a three-year term. David has led the branch Management committee through a number of significant projects, including the completion of the Oral History Project. The result is a legacy of historical significance to Victorian social workers, now available online as Spoken Memories. Thank you, David, for your commitment to the AASW and the Victorian branch.
I would also like to thank Kerril Williams, who has been a capable and personable branch Office Manager for the past two years. We now welcome rosanna Di Grazia in this role, and also our new Professional Officer, Anneka Farrington. both these new staff members are featured in detail elsewhere in this edition of Social Work connect.
Thank you to all members who attended our recent AGM and participated in the workshops on Family Violence. Following the AGM, we are now commencing a new year with a new committee and we are delighted to welcome two new bMc members. chris barca is re-joining the bMc after a hiatus of several years; Despina Filippaki is Victoria’s first student member, and we look forward to the contributions and perspective she can bring to this role. This has helped us to meet one of our aspirations for 2016, which was to have a student voice on our committee. both new members are also featured in this edition of Social Work connect.
Some members will be heading to Sydney for the National Symposium – I’m looking forward to seeing you there and to sharing in the exchange of ideas and wisdom which this event promotes. I consider this Symposium as “food for the soul” at the end of a busy year, and the Harbour city is a beautiful place to visit.
At the AGM on 29 October, the Victorian branch set out its goals for 2016, which include: promoting our engagement with Practice Groups, supporting students and new graduates, continuing to expand our cPD program for social workers and the goal of having a student representative in the committee. We hope you can all join with us in achieving these goals to support our members and the client groups we work with.
I look forward to the challenges of my new role and to hearing feedback from members about your ideas for the Victorian branch.
Kind regards
GLenDa KerriDGe President AASW Vctorian Branch
social Work connect – Volume 4 no 3 december 2015
Spoken Memories: Recollections of Victorian Social Workers webpage is now available. This webpage contains the biographies, transcripts and audio files of 31 social workers who were interviewed between 1996 and 1998 to mark 50 years of the AASW as a National organisation. You can visit the webpage at www.aasw.asn.au/victoria/spoken-memories/home
5Victorian Social Work Connect
Victorian BrancH agM
The Victorian branch of the AASW held its Annual General Meeting at the Aikenhead Wing conference centre at St Vincent’s Hospital on Thursday 29 October. Prior to the official proceedings, fifty-five members took advantage of the opportunity to attend one of two workshops focused on the topic of Family Violence and then enjoy some refreshments and mix informally with colleagues.
The workshops both prompted broad and informed discussion. We would like to thank carolyn Worth and Paul carrick for facilitating Workshop 1– Criminalising Family Violence: Development of a New Statute; and thanks to Virginia Mansel Lees and Laurenza buglisi for facilitating Workshop 2 – Silenced and Invisible: Giving Children a Voice on the Court System. For more information about the workshops, please see the report on page 18.
The guest speaker, the Honourable Marsha Thomson, MP and Member for Footscray presented an informed speech that was well received by her audience. Ms Thomson demonstrated a strong understanding of the complex issues related to Family Violence and her passion and commitment to this area was clear. Ms Thomson spoke about gender inequality, the limited services for women and children and about work she has been involved with in her own electorate, developing resources specifically for culturally and Linguistically Diverse (cALD) women. She also referenced the royal commission into Family Violence, and the Victorian Government’s plans for further supporting women and children who face harm as a result of this family violence. Ms Thomson responded to many questions and comments from AASW members, who engaged in a lively discussion.
Glenda Kerridge, the new Victorian branch President reported back on the achievements of the branch in the last year and proudly announced that the Victorian branch now numbers 2,413 members and is the biggest branch in Australia. Since the last AGM, the branch has been involved in a range of endeavours including: representing the AASW on the Local Organising committee of the Joint World conference on Social Work, Education and Social Development held in Melbourne in July, 2014; hosting a breakfast event for World Social Work Day; developing position papers on a range of issues in conjunction with our Practice Groups; partnering to hold a range of cPD events; conducting a review into how to better support our Practice Groups; leading a series of events to support social work students and new graduates; engaging with the Schools of Social Work; and awarding $7,500 to support research and education in Victoria through the Lyra Taylor Fund.
The two new Victorian branch workers were warmly welcomed – rosanna Di Grazia (branch Administration Officer) and Anneka Farrington (Social Work Professional Officer.) Glenda also took this opportunity to thank Kerril Williams for her outstanding work as branch Office Manager over the last two years and to wish her well in her new role.
New branch Management committee members were elected to take over from retiring members, David Maxwell and ravi Lulla. chris barca was elected to fill one space. congratulations, chris! The other vacancy was promoted as an opportunity for a student representative, which prompted a contested election between three enthusiastic student members. congratulations to Despina Filippaki from rMIT,
who is the inaugural student member on the bMc.
Helen Murray presented the completion of the Oral History Project. Spoken Memories – recollections of Victorian Social Workers can be found on the Victorian branch section of the AASW website https://www.aasw.asn.au/victoria/spoken-memories/home
Lisa Derham runs a private practice specialising in clinical supervision both face-to-face and via Skype. She is also a Co-editor of Social Work Connect.
Caroyln Worth
Virginia Mansell-Lees
Bernie Chatley
Victorian BrancH agM 2015
By Lisa DerhaM
Glenda Kerridge and Hon. Marsha Thomson MP
6 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
Victorian BrancH
introducing our neW Victorian BrancH Workers and BrancH ManageMent coMMittee MeMBers
anneka Farrington
proFessional oFFicer
Anneka completed a bachelor of Social Work at the University of Melbourne in 2003 and after a brief stint as a cross-cultural Family Support Worker with the city of Moonee Valley, Anneka has used her social work skills in an international context having spent much of the last fifteen years living and working in South East Asia.
Anneka has been engaged in a number of regional and cross-border child protection initiatives funded primarily by AusAID and USAID. Her work has been concerned with engagement with governments, non-government organisations and the private sector to address the trafficking of vulnerable women and children, and the sexual exploitation of children in travel and tourism.
Anneka spent number of years working for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) in cambodia on projects concerning the return, reintegration and long-term recovery of trafficked women and children. She was also engaged by IOM to undertake emergency relief in banda Aceh, Indonesia folllowing the South Asian Earthquake and Tsunami of 2006.
Anneka has been involved in the delivery of training and capacity building activities for a range of stakeholders, the establishment of regional and national networks, the design and the implementation of regional education campaigns, along with a range of activities including research and evaluation.
More recently Anneka has been balancing parenthood with her work as an independent consultant engaged in research, evaluation and writing projects with a focus on child protection and family violence.
Anneka also holds a bachelor of Applied Science (rMIT) and a Masters Degree in International Development (Deakin). She is also currently undertaking a Diploma of Languages in French (rMIT).
despina Fillippaki
BrancH ManageMent coMMittee MeMBer
Despina has been an active member at the AASW since she moved to Australia in 2011. She has a background in teaching and has been heavily involved in the out-of-home care sector and doing project work with culturally and Linguistically Diverse (cALD) communities.
She is originally from Greece and has been involved in numerous environmental campaigns and projects. Despina coordinates the Green Social Work Network at AASW and is currently documenting ‘incidental’ green social work field placements in Victoria (those which are not explicitly labelled as green social work practice) and is a strong advocate of the essential need to embed sustainability within social work curricula.
She has been the secretary of the Social Work Alliance Project at rMIT for the past three years and has a keen interest in the role of civil societies, social media usage and notions of active citizenship. She is interested in unschooling, unconferencing and earthing.
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Victorian BrancH
cHristine Barca
BrancH ManageMent coMMittee MeMBer
christine barca , bSW, MA (Social Work), Grad Dip Family Therapy, cert IV Training and Assessment, MAAFT, has over 25 years’ experience in a variety of settings including: child Protection, community health, local government, hospitals, AOD, family services, HIV and GLbTI services, early childhood education, disability and specialised children’s services within a post- separation legal context. She is also a family dispute resolution practitioner. christine works as a therapist at a medical clinic and is currently employed as the Director of the craig Family centre in Ashburton. A previous member of the branch Management committee, christine is pleased to once again be a member of the bMc.
rosanna di grazia
adMinistration oFFicer
rosanna is very pleased to be joining the AASW and is looking forward to using her several years of knowledge as a Membership consultant to support AASW Victorian Members.
She has seventeen years of administration experience and has worked extensively in community services in an early childhood setting, although she has also worked in the IT and recruitment industries.
She is already relishing her role coordinating and managing the branch office, events and cPD and is enjoying supporting the branch Management committee and Practice Group convenors, who are a delight to work with.
call For expressions oF interest continuing proFessional deVelopMent coMMittee
The Victorian cPD committee is calling for expressions of interest from members who have an interest in assisting the Victorian branch to enhance and expand our cPD program. The cPD committee is a sub-committee of the branch Management committee.
The cPD Program Framework rests on a number of key aims including: -
• Hosting cPD activities which specifically cater for all our members;• Ensuring that members are provided with a wide range of training opportunities that are relevant to current
practice across all fields of Social Work;• Promoting quality cPD activities in conjunction with practice groups & academic institutions;• Providing opportunities for members to network with other professionals and industry experts;• Initiating new projects addressing the identified cPD needs of members; and• Acting as a catalyst in the development of programs to address unmet cPD needs of members.
The cPD committee meets via teleconference every two months for a duration of one hour.
Please send your expression of interest with a brief cV to: -ilia Vurtel – Convenor, CPD Committee, [email protected], M: 0425 750 044
in appreciation – JuditH sloan
The Victorian branch would like acknowledge the invaluable contribution of Ms. Judith Sloan during her eight year engagement with the continuing Professional Development (cPD) committee. In partnership with her cPD committee colleagues, Judith has been instrumental in nurturing a range of new and exciting developments in cPD arena. We would like to express our appreciation for her dedicated service and we wish her well for her retirement.
8 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
oVerseas social Workers in australia
recruitment and retention can be challenging for Australia’s child protection workforce. One strategy to fill frontline positions is recruitment of social workers from overseas. Australia, being a popular destination, attracts many social workers with a desire to “live the dream” and seeking an opportunity to work abroad. Little is known about the experiences and stories of transnational social workers who are trying to adapt to a new environment and local social work practice. This article reflects on my journey as a Dutch social worker, recruited from the United Kingdom, trying to adjust to social work practice in a rural child protection office. I explore the impact of my migration whilst trying to adapt to a new culture and an unfamiliar practice context far away from home.
In 1998 I completed my honours degree in Social Work in the Netherlands. My final placement was undertaken in child protection and paved the way for a career path in statutory child protection around the world. After eight years of experience in child protection in the Netherlands, I applied for a position in Wales as a child protection social worker. The paperwork to register as a Dutch qualified social worker, a requirement to practice, took some more time. Improving my English language skills and understanding child protection in Wales was difficult but I welcomed it as a challenge. Five fabulous years followed but a desire to explore new places grew. When I started searching for jobs in Australia there appeared to be many across the continent.
Australia is a popular tourist destination and the climate and so called “lifestyle” makes it an attractive country for migration. I had visited Australia only
a single ticket to paradise?
stories oF oVerseas social Work recruits practicing in australia’s Frontline cHild protection serVices
By Corina MoDDerMan
once before our decision was made to migrate and as a tourist I mainly visited the beautiful beaches in Queensland. A number of phone interviews and skype calls followed, most of them in the middle of the night. At that time I was a senior practitioner and managing a busy long-term case management team. I did not want to go back to sole frontline practice so targeted specific team leader positions. In January 2009, I was the successful applicant for a team leader position in a rural child protection office. Things moved fast – visas were sorted, the house was packed, tickets were booked and by late July 2009 I arrived, together with my husband and then two and a half year old son.
My images of Australia were all optimistic and full of wildlife, sun, bush and sea; however when we arrived it was cold, very cold at the end of winter. The fact that I had not done my research temperature wise was of less concern than not having an understanding of child protection in Australia. Of course I had googled, researched and read – after all I was offered the job. However, did I understand the children Youth and Family Act? No. Did I know that a position as team leader or team manager in Australia is very different? No. Did I know that there is not one child protection system in Australia? No. Had I ever heard and used the term “substantiation”? No. Did I have any clue how to move an investigation through the system? No. Did I know that I might be the only social worker in a busy child protection office? No. Was I offered any tailored training or induction? No. For me, it was swim or sink. Luckily I was able to rely on my solid social work experience, my common sense and my ongoing desire to learn and increase my knowledge.
9Victorian Social Work Connect
oVerseas social Workers in australia
However, was it easy? Far from it.
I remember sitting in the office and being offered “beginning practice”, a specialised three-day tailored training for new child protection workers. This made me furious; I had over thirteen years of social work experience in child protection! I aired my annoyance
through my Dutch directness. With the benefit of hindsight, this was not the best move ever. I now wish I had swallowed my pride and attended the training. Even without the additional differences between child protection in Australia and child protection overseas, understanding Australian culture, practice and the complexity of the rural setting was challenging.
So my swimming became very close to sinking in those first two years and I was not the only one. Other british recruits arrived, also asserting that everything was better “at home”. They lasted eight months before packing their suitcase and exiting the country. However, I straightened my back and plodded on. My professional identity drifted and I often felt misunderstood and professionally challenged during my first two years in Australia. Then I somehow shifted and I slowly
grounded myself onto the Australian soil. I could act up in other roles, I slowly became part of the culture and local practice and we settled in. We bought a house on what we considered a lot of land, one acre - nothing big for rural Australia of course! Overtime our little Australian daughter was born here and we started to grow roots. New opportunities arose and I am now a lecturer at La Trobe University and a PhD candidate.
It is no surprise that the topic of my PhD is transnational social work in child protection practice. Along the way I met many other overseas recruited social workers who all had different experiences, struggles and individual challenges. I became curious about the dynamics of overseas social work recruitment, a practice that is common across Australia in contemporary statutory child protection services. I aim to investigate where personal and professional experiences interweave, where they differ or where they act as a catalyst when talking about migration, social work identity and the statutory child protection system.
My interest in this topic is multi-faceted; there are narratives to gather and share around the personal experience of migration. beyond that are accounts about emotional
My proFessional identity driFted and i oFten Felt Misunderstood and proFessionally cHallenged during My First tWo years in australia
resilience connected to working in the statutory field of child protection, a field which is, worldwide, under tremendous pressure. child protection workers come face to face with that which many of us cannot even bear to think of; children that are victims of abuse. There are many professional narratives that reflect on the professional social work identity and ethics and I believe this is even more so when operating in a (work) culture that might be different to “home”. I am interested to learn how these personal and professional stories resonate within the organisations that welcome transnational social workers.
My research journey has only just begun and although I still do not always understand the nuances of living in rural Australia, we have found our perfect spot in paradise!
Corina Modderman is a lecturer in Social Work and Social Policy at the La Trobe Rural Health School, Albury/Wodonga campus. Corina has over 18 years of experience in child protection having worked in a variety of roles and management functions across the world and is now undertaking her PhD in the topic of transnational social work practice and experience.
10 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
sHaring WisdoM
Elyce Sandri is a final year social work student studying at RMIT, and is currently on placement with the AASW Victorian Branch.
connecting WitH a Mentor
By eLyCe sanDri
‘Connecting with a Mentor’ was an event co-facilitated by Laurenza Buglisi and Johnson Mathew on 9 July as part of the five-part seminar series delivered by the Victorian Branch aimed to support students and new graduates as they enter the social work profession. This event was an exciting opportunity for social workers who had graduated in the past two years to be paired with a senior social worker during an informal gathering, allowing senior social workers to share their wisdom, experience, and insight with new graduates.
The ‘connecting with a Mentor’ event was highly successful, with thirty participants attending, including both mentors and mentees. In preparation for the event, mentees were asked to specify what practice areas they are currently working in or interested in working in, and were then matched an appropriate mentor. Twelve mentors participated in the event from a range of different practice areas including mental health, family violence, sexual assault, chronic illness, and substance misuse. A majority of mentors had experience in numerous areas of practice, providing mentees with a wide breadth of knowledge and information.
Participant Feedback
The event received positive feedback from mentees and mentors alike and provided an excellent opportunity for active participation, which was incredibly important for promoting networking and fostering a sense of connectedness. The event was also mutually beneficial, allowing experienced social workers to reflect on their own journey, whilst also facilitating the exchange of ideas and support. There was also substantial interest in a
year-long mentoring program, which is being taken into consideration for 2016. A longer-term mentoring program would provide further opportunities for networking, professional development and support, all of which are pertinent for new graduates.
The following quotes from workshop participants demonstrate the success and benefits of the event:
Attending the 'Connecting with a Mentor' workshop was a great experience on several levels. It afforded me the opportunity to talk informally with several experienced and wise social workers in addition to be assigned a social mentor experienced in my areas of interest to participate in a formal discussion. This discussion offered me a chance to ask questions to my mentor, talk about my strengths, challenges and fears, and be guided and provided with future possibilities in regards to my career trajectory. It was inspiring to see, hear and feel the collective wisdom in the room. I left holding several possible ideas to work towards in regards my career. David Eckel
"Connecting with a Mentor" session taught me the value of learning from
another's experience and understanding that in time I too will gain the necessary skills and expertise within the area I work. It is overwhelming thinking about being a "job ready" individual but after speaking with my mentor I felt at ease that the skills I have are enough because the rest just takes time. Tara Paterson
As a final year social work student it was excellent to see the support the AASW provides new graduates. The event, despite being aimed at new graduates, attracted both current social work students and job seekers, who highlighted the stress and anxiety of graduating and finding work. This further demonstrates the importance of student and new graduate events for providing valuable knowledge and guidance to assist the transition from university to the workplace, as well as the need for student or job seeker-focused events. I welcome the development of a longer-term mentoring program to provide valuable opportunities to promote professional social work practice, mutual support and social connectedness.
Above: Johnson Mathew (BMC member), Kerril Williams (past Vic Branch Manager), Laurenza Buglisi (BMC member and holder of Student and New Graduate portfolio)
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Mental HealtH
Jonny Lovell is a registered social worker, qualifying in 2013 with a Masters in Social Work from the University of York. Earlier in his career, he worked for 15 years in the voluntary sector in community development, health promotion, project management, and with young people at risk. He is currently a PhD student at the International Centre for Mental Health Social Research, in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of York, UK.
sHaring liVed experience in Mental HealtH interVentions
By Jonny LoVeLL
helpful, gains could be greater where clinicians had higher professional status (psychiatrists, for example.) but greater status might also increase risks of disclosure because of greater power differentials between clinicians and consumers, increased potential for conflict regarding treatment decisions, and because disclosure might contradict expectations of clinicians’ mental wellbeing and professional status, or contravene their codes of conduct and professional registrations. because it is part of their role, it had been expected that disclosure by peer workers would be uncontroversial, but both clinicians and consumers also reported observing clinician resistance to the peer support role and sharing of lived experience.
Potential risk that disclosure might pose to clinicians and consumers was an important issue emerging from the UK surveys, echoed in both the UK and Australian focus groups, where participants felt that disclosures might be used against clinicians by disgruntled consumers, shift therapeutic focus away from the consumer, lead to boundary violations, and alienate consumers. In a risk averse culture, any action to reduce potential risks might seem like a good idea, but non-disclosure appeared to carry its own risks. This includes alienating consumers, creating barriers to interaction, causing consumer disengagement, and increasing mental health stigma. Importantly, most identified risks were hypothetical: what might go wrong if clinicians disclose their personal experiences. Despite potential risks, consumers and clinicians also gave many real life examples of actual clinician disclosures and, where they did, they were almost exclusively
positive and helpful. This may suggest that fear about risk is out of proportion to actual risk and that, in real life, most clinicians who disclose are getting it right.
Statistically, mental health experience is likely to be fairly common among clinicians, but implicit and unspoken pressure from colleagues, managers, and educators against disclosure was felt to silence both consumers and staff alike, and participants felt that organisational cultures need to shift to give mental health professionals, including social workers, permission and autonomy to share. Hand in hand with this, more information is needed to enable clinicians to make informed decisions about what, why, when, and how to share personal experiences. Post-research activity will concentrate on producing training and guidance materials to support clinicians to make their own choices about disclosure, based on the evidence.
Updates on the research will be posted on the project blog: www.jonnylovellblg.wordpress.com
Peer support has existed in voluntary and community organisations for decades, and has relatively recently become an increasing feature of statutory mental health services. Sharing lived experience (also termed “self-disclosure”) is central to peer support roles because, among other things, it can provide hope for recovery, reduce stigma, enable consumers to feel understood, normalise experiences, and reduce feelings of isolation. It may be presumed that this aspect of peer support is non-controversial and inherently beneficial and, if this is the case, might it also be beneficial for clinicians to share their experiences too?
There is a vast body of research on self-disclosure, from Jourard’s work in the 1950s to the present day, suggesting various gains and costs associated with disclosure, but to date the research has not looked specifically at the sharing of personal mental health experiences by mental health clinicians with mental health consumers. In response to an identified need for research on this subject, I recently worked with colleagues from Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (UK) and NorthWestern Mental Health (Melbourne, Australia), through surveys and focus groups, to investigate clinician and consumer perceptions regarding the helpfulness and unhelpfulness of clinician disclosure within statutory mental health organisations.
Generally, consumers in Australia, like those in the UK, greatly valued the sharing of lived experience, as it helped build relationships, remove barriers, and reduce stigma. While disclosure by peer support workers was seen as
12 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
Mental HealtH
reFlections FroM tHe Western Front
By CoLin BourKe
I have recently returned from a pilgrimage to the battlefields on the Western Front; it was a moving experience, deepening my understanding of the Great War.
My grandfather (38th battalion) and great uncle (58th battalion) enlisted in February 1916. Grandfather received shrapnel wounds to the head, fracturing his skull in August 1918 and he went to a hospital in England before being sent home. My great uncle was not so lucky and was killed in action in February 1917, receiving shrapnel wounds to the stomach from an exploding shell. He had spent only nine days at the front lines before dying of his wounds.
My uncle was buried at the frontlines but the location of the burial site was lost because the war continued to be fought all round the site. In many of the cemeteries dotted in and around the WWI battlefields of France and belgium are headstones for those soldiers whose remains were not found and identified. The headstone says simply: “An Australian Soldier of the Great War.” It was in front of one of these headstones, at Delville Wood cemetery, near where he died in a trench at the frontline, that I delivered a eulogy for my great uncle.
There are about 30,000 Australian soldiers whose remains were never found and identified. At Villers bretonneux is the Australian war memorial site and part of this is a huge wall with the names of all those 30,000 soldiers. It was moving to see my great uncle’s name on that wall. It felt that his contribution to the war effort had been acknowledged, recognised and recorded. Villers bretonneux was a strange experience for me, like turning up for a funeral one hundred years after my uncle had died.
Having worked with consumers on a psychiatric inpatient unit for over six years, it’s not difficult to pick up the sense of loss that pervades many of those on the ward. Having a mental illness can be devastating and for many, this means the loss of relationships with family and friends, of home, work, self care, and self esteem and self respect. Despite their relapse many of these consumers leave the ward with the hope and desire to build a life for themselves. I am humbled by their courage and resilience.
Another group of people I admire are returned soldiers. Many return from the battlefields with mental health issues because of the trauma and hardship they have endured, and on return, they face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives.
13Victorian Social Work Connect
Mental HealtH
being able to grieve a loss is a normal, natural process. The feelings that arise because of the loss need to be recognized – sadness, guilt, anger, emptiness are a result of loss. My uncle spent a short time in battle. He came half way round the world and spent only nine days. I wonder at the point of it all. The feelings I had in delivering my eulogy were sadness for my uncle, that his life had been cut short but anger that there was even a war at all and that he enlisted, for whatever the reason to fight a war that was so ugly and brutal. However, there was also a sense of pride and gratitude that he was prepared to sacrifice his life for others.
The experience of loss in my own life helps me, as a social worker, to deal more effectively with the losses experienced by patients on the ward. My experiences of being vulnerable, exposed, needy, and shamed can position me to be better able to respond to patients with empathy and support. The pain and grief that a parent shares with me, regarding their son or daughter, always strikes a chord and drives me to provide whatever practical and emotional supports they require.
We have all experienced bereavement of a friend, colleague or family member, whether it is through sickness, accident or suicide. We may have experienced loss of a cherished home by bushfire or re-possession; the loss of employment and a meaningful role; the loss of health or of a dear relationship.
Dealing with loss is very individual, mostly private, and it may be a lonely experience. Many factors affect the severity of an individual’s reaction to loss. These include the importance of the loss in the life of the person, the circumstances surrounding the loss, supports available and the ability of the person to put coping mechanisms in place.
We may be going through a grieving process with a friend, family member or perhaps a client of ours. Whether caring for ourselves or others, we need to respect their world, come to an understanding of their situation and the effects of grief, as we help them to regain a sense of trust, confidence and control.
For me, caring for those affected by loss is a great honour. Sometimes we just need to listen, to allow the person to be sad, and to allow them to move on from their grieving in their own time, ensuring our discomfort does not push us to “help them to move on.”
While “companioning” someone through their grief, I sometimes assist them to express the inexpressible, to feel their emotions and inner thoughts, by inviting them to write, draw or work with clay. The use of music, song, symbols and rituals may also be important in working through the experience of any devastating loss.
rituals provide important ways of remembering, of honouring the person lost and can give the grieving person strength and support. The use of symbols in ceremonies can support the person grieving with a deeper level of meaning, from friends and family or from a Higher Power.
Ordinary men on the frontlines were required to cope with extremely stressful situations, where a wrong move, a poor choice or just bad luck could result in their death. Soldiers were tempted to flee rather than fight. One of the saddest moments of my pilgrimage was at a cemetery in France where it was revealed that the soldier we were
honouring was a deserter who had been so shell-shocked that he chose to go AWOL (absent without leave), which resulted in him being sent before a firing squad.
Soldiers in war paid a high price in terms of their physical and mental health. being at the front was an exhausting, nerve-wracking experience, and many soldiers would have suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in one form or another. Many returned WWI soldiers found it difficult to cope with the everyday, mundane routines of civilian life and the forming and keeping of relationships. The horrors of war had destroyed their equilibrium, mentally ravaged their minds, their peace of mind gone forever.
Today, the Defence Forces and society are more conscious of PTSD and the need to offer counselling and rehabilitation to soldiers returning from the battlefields. However, it is still difficult to admit to mental health deficiencies and work continues to support soldiers to accept that some form of PTSD counselling is essential to their recovery. Today’s war veterans are more willing to enter into therapy in the hope of getting peace of mind.
Lest we forget.
dealing WitH loss is Very indiVidual, Mostly
priVate, and it May Be a lonely experience.
Many Factors eFFect tHe seVerity oF an
indiVidual’s reaction to loss.
Colin Bourke is a Senior Social Worker at BIPU (Broadmeadows Acute Adult Psychiatric Inpatient Unit). He has been there for six years; Colin has worked on the community MH team, on Triage and also worked for the MIND recovery organization.
14 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
Volunteering
tHe client as a Volunteer
By Zoe PeLteKis
Having coordinated and developed volunteering programs in aged care, mental health, palliative care and of recent times, with refugees and asylum seekers, I have learned that the strategic and operational planning of such programs is complex, time consuming and the programs are often given minimal recognition for their significant therapeutic benefits. Despite this, much research supports that volunteering as a form of “helping others is as beneficial for the donor, as is the recipient.” (Law and contemporary Problems p. 142, Vol 62: No 4)
Volunteers’ own stories combined with volunteering research demonstrate the power of volunteering in supporting both volunteers’ objectives and their mental health. Therefore, in writing this article, I have focused on the words of my volunteers and the research, rather than placing the spotlight on myself and my role. My intention is to highlight the important role of a public health care volunteering program to support and assist in the healing process of displaced people.
Hospital volunteer Ali said “My life is not only for myself, but also to help others, it gives me a sense of satisfaction helping my fellow brothers and a sense of spiritual uplifting.”
The avalanche of research emphasising the significance to one’s ‘well-being’ when volunteering, “helping others”, cannot be ignored. La Trobe University’s survey (Motivations to Volunteer and Their Associations With Volunteers’ Well-Being 2014) of over 4,000 volunteers, attempted to measure self-esteem, well-being, self-efficacy, social connectedness and social trust. The survey found that the benefits identified by volunteers who are primarily motivated to help others, like Ali, were more likely to report higher levels of well-being, satisfaction and
intentions to continue volunteering than volunteers who were primarily “self-oriented”.
“Self oriented” volunteers were motivated by reasons such as career advancement or boosting self-esteem. researcher Dr Arthur Stukas said he suspects “other-oriented” motivations may simply be easier to fulfil – it is easier to make volunteers feel that they are contributing to a good cause than it may be to help them find a new job. Volunteers gain “a sense of satisfaction” in helping, and in turn this fuels the volunteers’ “sense of spiritual uplifting”.
Leaving his country and family behind in 2012, Ali’s journey, alongside many others has been hazardous and long, taking him through Malaysia and Indonesia. Once in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, he applied to the UN to register as an asylum seeker. When he arrived on christmas Island he was detained before being sent to the Darwin Immigration Detention centre. He finally arrived in Melbourne almost a year after he left Pakistan. With great optimism Ali said: “I hope every day my family will join me in the near future.” Ali continued. “I had no choices given to me, and there was no option but to flee and you keep on going and you must escape to a new life”. “If I can now help others, it satisfies me”. I have also witnessed that volunteering is an opportunity to inspire and support others, as Ali said, “to keep on going”.
Emergency Department (ED) volunteer Anton, a qualified medical practitioner, came from Sudan. currently completing his Diploma in community Development, and wanting to progress to Social Work he commented: “I like to help people… helping others is a very good thing to do, because the refugee situation is very bad now, I know how bad things can get.” The refugee
15Victorian Social Work Connect
Volunteering
experience can bring out personal qualities such as patience, tolerance and optimism which is then taken into the volunteering context in the community health setting or within a large public hospital.
carmela volunteered for an op shop for four years and is currently a social support volunteer in ED She said that in her country: “I worked in a hospital helping deliver newborns, I enjoy working in a hospital helping people.” carmela’s current household consists of seven children, five are hers and two are her deceased brother’s she brought out to live with her; “from the refugee camp, because they are my family”, she said. “They were alone, but now they are here with me,” she said smiling. Through volunteering, aspirations can be developed and direct involvement within the community fostered – reducing isolation and regenerating a new purpose to life and one’s future.
In my work, there are many volunteers’ stories like those of Ali, Anton and carmela. Training volunteers, supporting them through debriefing and liaising with primary health professionals to monitor their psychosocial well-being needs to be regular and ongoing. This supports the volunteering experience for the client as a volunteer and also ensures that clients/patients and staff of the health care organisation are not exposed to detrimental outcomes.
Not all volunteering stories however, result in the elevation of future optimism and a connection to the new community.
Twenty eight year old Shaquita volunteered in a hospital, to gain experience; “maybe study, become a nurse or a doctor”. We tried three areas for her to volunteer in, however, the stresses of her large family living in a small house and the ghosts of trauma she experienced fleeing her country, gave way to headaches, sleepless nights and family arguments over domestic responsibilities. Her career aspirations
were silenced and she had difficulties focusing on her volunteering tasks.
We had long conversations about her family, strategies on how to be on time and her plans. Proudly she showed me her detailed needle work and drawings. I listened, suggested possible AMES courses and advised her to write down her thoughts and feelings, if she could not sleep. However, one afternoon, Shaquita requested that her volunteering be put on hold. Three months later I visited her in the hospital‘s secure mental health unit. Shaquita sat up in bed, arranged her scarf and greeted me
with a surprised hug. She told me how she felt – confronted, overwhelmed and helpless. I gave her a colourful flower arranging book and get well card. She smiled at the gift and thanked me politely. “Is there anything I can assist you with?” I asked. With a big smile she said; “a job?” “Since stopping the volunteering I have become very sick”, she said. I optimistically reassured her that when she is ready and is feeling better, we will look to see what is available for her.
“The Australian Psychological Society’s position statement on the “Psychological well-being of refugees
and asylum seekers in Australia” (2011), expresses concern recognising the vulnerability of asylum seekers and the potential for mental health problems amongst refugees. Their limited avenues of accessing mainstream education, training and working opportunities, compounds their stress tolerances, increasing their vulnerability to mental health issues.
From the knowledge and insight gained within the context of my working experience, I have observed that volunteering offers opportunities to participate and connect with others, develop friendships, thus enhancing social and relationship skills. Volunteering can also provide career experience when access to the paid workforce is difficult. Overall, volunteering assists in the development of ‘a good mind’ that gives strength to optimism, to one’s future.
Organisational support is critical to any volunteering program – benefiting the organisation, its clients and the volunteers. For refugees and asylum seekers, volunteering can bring ‘hope’, commence the healing process and nurture and grow one’s capacity to build resilience, when the possibility of hope is gone. The role of the social worker is to support all involved, including the client as a volunteer.
About Zoe Peltekis: Pottery, cultivating a native garden and dog obedience classes is what Zoe enjoys best. A social worker, trainer and closeted social researcher is surpassed by her belief system in “Volunteering”.
“as soon as Healing takes place, go out and Heal soMeBody else.” said Maya angelou. Volunteering is like tHat, WHen Well Managed and Well supported, it is an opportunity For Healing.
16 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
supporting neW social Workers
tHriVing in your First social Work role
‘Thriving in Your First Social Work role’ was held on 11 November and was the fourth workshop in the Student and New Graduate Seminar Series organised by the Victorian branch. The workshop was facilitated by Laurenza buglisi and featured a panel of four experienced social workers: -
• Lisa Derham – Social Worker, Supervisor and counsellor in private practice
• Michael Splawa-Neyman – clinical Social Work Manager, Monash Health and representing the AASW Health Social Work Director’s Practice Group
• Penelope Vye – Social Work Manager, royal Women’s Hospital and representing the AASW Women’s Health Practice
• Aroon Naidoo – chief Social Worker, North Western Area Mental Health Service and representing the AASW Victorian
Mental Health Social Workers Practice Group.
As a soon-to-graduate social work student, I found the workshop an incredibly relevant and valuable experience. Each panellist provided an overview of their career, with an emphasis on their experiences during the first few years as a social worker. This discussion demonstrated the incredibly varied nature of social work careers and the process of career progression. The importance of supervision and self-care within social work practice was emphasised, particularly in the first few years of post-qualifying practice. The transition from study to the workplace can be a particularly challenging time, and many students, including myself, have experienced anxiety around writing job applications and preparing for job interviews. The workshop addressed these important topics well with panellists providing a number of job application tips, including the importance of cover letters; ensuring that the key selection criteria are appropriately addressed; and ways to demonstrate transferable skills drawn broadly on a range of experiences. In regard to job interviews, the panellists expressed the importance of effectively articulating social work theory and its applicability to the role; and likewise, the value of preparing a range of
examples of how such theories have influenced your practice.
Furthermore, the panellists offered insights into the critical nature of supervision, the value of continuing education, the role that mentors can play in the professional life of social workers and the importance of seeking out networking opportunities. Students and new graduates were also encouraged to take some risks and to be willing to move sideways in order to progress their social work careers.
The workshop received excellent feedback. The participants appreciated the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the skills required to gain employment, and also to engage, both formally and informally, with both experienced social workers and other social work students. This workshop served to highlight the invaluable experiences and insights the Student and New Graduate Seminar Series can provide. As I near the end of my placement and face the prospect of job applications and interviews, I left this workshop feeling both better informed and more confident to make the transition from study to the workplace.
By eLyCe sanDri
(AASW Victorian Branch Final Year Social Work Placement), with the assistance of Despina Filippaki (BMC Member and Convenor of the Green Social Work Online Practice Group)
17Victorian Social Work Connect
ndis
neW Horizons For social Workers in tHe ndis
By Maria Groner
On 4 November 2015 the Victorian branch offered a cPD session on the role of social workers in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This was the third session that was offered and might not be the last one.
Toni Van Hamond, Director community Strategy and Engagement at the NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) gave a presentation about the roll-out of the Scheme and some of the learnings of the barwon trial site and nationally. Toni reported on participant outcome data and high levels of participant satisfaction. She also outlined the process from planning to approval and highlighted where there are potential roles for social workers to take on tasks for support coordination or provide other services under the Scheme.
Toni’s presentation was followed by a presentation of a case study by David Maxwell, case Manager at Independence Australia. David explored with a very practical example what the role of a social worker can be within the Scheme. Through David’s presentation and the following discussion it became evident, how our basic social work skills and interventions continue to be relevant within support coordination in the Scheme as we assist clients with navigating the bureaucracy of the Scheme and empower them to achieve their own personal goals.
Discussions within the group of participants were lively, and highlighted the frustrations many social workers, their organisations and clients experience with the lack of clarity and information about specifics of the Scheme and its roll-out.
There is a need to do further work to highlight the role social workers can play in the NDIS internally and externally. Ideas on the night were for the AASW to put together a position paper, establish a Practice Group and have further sessions on the topic. If you would like to have input in any of these, please contact the Victorian branch on [email protected].
tHe lyra taylor Fund
call For 2016 grant proposals
The Lyra Taylor Fund was established by the Victorian branch of the Australian Association of Social Workers and is administered for the following purposes: -
• To advance education in relation to Social Work by: -
» Promoting, improving and maintaining standards of professional practice, education and research;
» Establishing and maintaining continuing professional education opportunities for members;
» Educating and informing the public and community institutions as to the aims and objectives of professional Social Work.
• To encourage and financially support special projects that will benefit the community.
Grants
The Lyra Taylor Fund committee is appointed by the Victorian branch Management committee and is authorised to administer the Fund and make all decisions in relation to applications for grants.
Grants from the fund may be made to Members of the AASW (Vic branch) for projects consistent with the Fund purposes.
The Lyra Taylor Fund committee will make up to $9,000 available for distribution and is now calling for proposals for Grants to be utilised in 2016.
Please contact rosanna Di Grazia at the Victorian Branch office on 03 9320 1012 for more information, guidelines for applicants and a proposal form.
The closing date for receipt of applications to this office will be Friday 26 February 2016.
Maria Groner is an overseas trained social worker, currently in the role of Operations Manager at Travellers Aid Australia.
18 Social Work Connect – Volume 4 No 3 December 2015
Victorian BrancH eVents
The Victorian branch AGM was preceded by two well attended workshops on family violence issues.
The first workshop, led by carolyn Worth from SEcASA and Paul carrick, Post Graduate Social Work Student from La Trobe University, was on criminalising family violence and the development of a new statute by way of social action. While currently family violence is not a criminal offence per se, the breach of an intervention order is. However, many breaches are currently not investigated and prosecuted. A call for a national AASW campaign financially supported by crowd-funding was discussed at the workshop. Further actions were discussed including investment in and research and evaluation of behaviour change programs, increased education in
pre-agM WorksHops
scHool social Workers practice group
By Chris Barrett School Social Workers Practice Group Co-Convenor
schools about respectful relationships and partnerships with primary health providers.
The second workshop, facilitated by Virginia Mansel Lees from the Social Work Department of La Trobe University, Wodonga campus and Laurenza buglisi from the Gatehouse, royal children’s Hospital, looked at giving children a voice in the court system. This is not an easy objective to achieve as many factors need to
be considered. While the best interest of the child should be the guiding principle, other interests might be disguised as the child’s best interest. When considering the autonomy of a child, capacity, culture and kinship need to be considered. To ensure a child’s safety, physically, emotionally and spiritually and prevent re-traumatising consistent trauma-focused responses across systems and at all levels of decision making are required.
The Victorian branch would like to thank all those who gave their time and expertise to present these workshops.
Note: This summary of the Pre-AGM Workshops has been drawn from the workshop notes available on the Victorian Branch website https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/815
The AASW (Victorian branch) School Social Work Practice Group celebrated its 21st anniversary at the 9 November meeting in the Victorian branch training room. The Practice Group has operated continuously since the inaugural meeting of a Special Interest Group in October, 1994, chaired by Heather McLeod. Attendees included Kristel Thorpe, John Frederick, Andonnia Gotsi, barbara Sturmfels, Janelle Wilson, chris King, carol blackett Smith, Lorraine Stabey, Kim Lisle, Trish McNamara, Pam Kemeys, and Marty Grace. Their goals were: networking and support for state and private school social workers; strengthening the profile of school social work; professional development; implementing professional practice standards in school social work; and linking industrial and professional concerns.
School social workers are driven to pursue social justice through
education, and the right of every child and young person to access schooling and achieve their potential. Education Department school social workers had written the first Practice Standards for School Social Workers in 1991, under the leadership of Lyn Hayes and with the Victorian branch Ethics committee. but a new Liberal Government in 1992 had led to concerns about the reduction of school social work positions; and proposed out-sourcing to individuals or agencies without specialist school social work understanding or experience. In 1994, barbara Sturmfels stressed the importance of affiliation with the AASW to give the school social workers “legitimacy, credibility and potency”. The Victorian group was responsible for writing the practice Standards 2008, and have now made links across Australia internationally.
At the recent celebration, the Peer Supervision group was joined by chris King who had attended the first meeting. He was able to add his reflections to the current day case studies, demonstrating that school social workers have both maintained and developed the continuity of their practice. chris barrett presented some of the history and achievements of the Practice Group. Josie Howie, school social worker and now school principal, inspired the group with stories of the Pavilion School philosophy and practices to keep young people in school, irrespective of difficulties within their life or school experiences.
19Victorian Social Work Connect
Vale
elery HaMilton-sMitH
In our July/August issue we noted the passing of Elery Hamilton-Smith on 27 June, 2015. Elery was an early Victorian Life Member of the AASW. He was actively involved in many aspects of the Victorian
branch over a long period of time and he will be missed by his social worker colleagues and friends. The last National Bulletin (National Bulletin 25 – 3 Spring) featured an extensive article about Elery, based on the eulogy given by his friend, Dennis Williamson. This copy of the National Bulletin can be found at https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/8009. A full copy of Dennis Williamson’s eulogy can be obtained by emailing him on: [email protected]
9 Dec 2015
Preparing for your Career in Social Work – Graduate Peer Support Group
AASW CPD Activity AASW Melbourne Office
Preparing for your Career In Social Work
The Victorian branch is proud to present a series of five workshops to be offered throughout 2015, aimed at assisting students and new graduates to transition from university to the workplace. It is anticipated that these workshops will provide students and new graduates with the necessary information, resources, and support to better equip them to commence their social work careers and will also provide an opportunity to network with their peers and senior social workers in the hope of creating a sense of connection and belonging to the profession.
Graduate Peer Support Group
An informal workshop for final year students whose graduation is pending or whom have recently graduated, with a focus on discussing any shared concerns or experiences in a group environment.
19 Feb 2016
Introduction to Women’s Health
Workshop AASW Melbourne Office
An introductory workshop to women’s health and social practice.
This workshop will provide participants with a broad overview of contemporary social work theory and practice in women’s health in Australia. Active learning will be provided across the following areas:
• The social model of health with a focus on gender
• Feminist intersectionality approaches to women’s health
• Theory & practice relating to violence against women
• Theory & practice relating to sexual & reproductive health including female genital cutting & unplanned pregnancy
• Theory & practice relating to women and mental health.
26 May 2016
5 day Supervision Course Presented by Dr Susan Lewis
Endorsed CPD: 5 day workshop
If you work in the Human Services or offer supervision in your private practice you will gain considerable consolidation of relevant theories and have the opportunity to experience supervision in this course.
The course brings together psychological and management theories within an experiential model. The content is grounded in evidenced based research and 40 years of practice wisdom.
* FPS relevant Activity *
seeking adVertisers
Social Work Connect is a tri-annual publication distributed to our 2400+ Victorian social workers and beyond via their networks across the state. We welcome advertisers who would like to promote their products and/or services amongst our active professional social work community.
Please contact rosanna at the
Victorian Branch on
(03) 9320 1012
or via [email protected]
upcoMing cpd eVents
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS VICTORIAN BRANCH PRACTICE GROUPS
Practice Groups Convener ContactCancer Social Work Denise Beovich [email protected] Social Work Online Forum Despina Filippaki [email protected] Social Workers Director’s Group Michael
Splawa-Neyman
Debra Leahy
[email protected] Committee Teorrah Kontos
Helen [email protected] [email protected]
Peninsula Social Work Network PENSWN Wendy Pieters 0403 266 989 [email protected]
Rural Social Workers Group Peter Quin Metaxia Tsoukatos
0419 591 356 / 5154 6666 5023 5966
Social Work Aged Service Group Wendy Dietman Jo Morris
9836 6293 9265 1276
School Social Workers Group Paul Jameson [email protected] Work Education Practice Group Inez Chambers 8805 4100
[email protected] West Victorian Branch Practice Group [email protected] Melbourne Health Social Work Network Carol Quayle [email protected] Geelong Counselling Social Work Network Suzanne Doorakkers
Kelly [email protected]
Victorian Mental Health Social Work (VMHSW) Aroon Naidoo [email protected]’s Health Practice Group Helen Makregiorgos [email protected]
AASW Victorian BranchP.O.Box 2008, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Vic 3050 Tel: 03 9320 1005 Fax: 03 9328 5670 Email: [email protected]
SUB-COMMITTEE CONVENERS & NATIONAL WORKING GROUP CONVENERS/REPRESENTATIVES
Lyra Taylor Fund Committee Ass Professor Margarita Frederico
9479 2407
Continuing Professional Education Ilia Vurtel [email protected] Membership Committee Jane Miller
Publication Dates 2015:
Closing Dates:
July Edition 29th May 2015
November Edition 25th September 2015
• Material for publication can be provided on
or by email.
• A layout service is available if required.
• A discount of 10% applies to advertisers pre-booking space in all 3 issues.•
An advertising schedule and booking form
from website.
Rates: (Inclusive of GST) Full page colour (inside covers) $725.00
Full page colour (back cover) $780.00
1/2 page colour (inside covers) $365.50
Full page $599.00
1/2 page $310.001/4 page $165.00
INFORMATION FOR ADVERTISERS
Practice Groups Convener Contactbarwon region Social Work Practice Group Zachary Demopoulos [email protected]
cancer Social Work Victoria Denise beovich [email protected]
Green Social Work Network Despina Filippaki [email protected]
Health Social Workers Director’s Group Michael Splawa- Michael.Splawa-Neyman@ Neyman monashhealth.org
rural remote Social Work Action Peter Quin [email protected] Practice Group 0419 591 356
Social Work Aged Services Practice Group Jo Morris [email protected] 9265 1159 Wendy Dietman [email protected] 9836 6293
School Social Work Practice Group Paul Jameson chris barrett [email protected]
Social Work Education Practice Group Inez chambers [email protected] Linette Hawkins 8805 4100
South West Victoria branch Practice Group Michael Harris [email protected] 0438 566 955
Victorian Mental Health Social Workers Aroon Naidoo [email protected]
Women’s Health Practice Group Helen Makregiorgos [email protected] 0407 689 599
SUb-cOMMITTEE cONVENErS & NATIONAL WOrKING GrOUP cONVENErS/rEPrESENTATIVEScontinuing Professional Education committee Ilia Vurtel [email protected]
Lyra Taylor Fund committee Assoc Professor [email protected] Margarita Frederico 9479 2407
IcEc committee Teorrah Kontos [email protected] Helen cleak [email protected]
AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS VICTORIAN BRANCH PRACTICE GROUPS
Practice Groups Convener ContactCancer Social Work Denise Beovich [email protected] Social Work Online Forum Despina Filippaki [email protected] Social Workers Director’s Group Michael
Splawa-Neyman
Debra Leahy
[email protected] Committee Teorrah Kontos
Helen [email protected] [email protected]
Peninsula Social Work Network PENSWN Wendy Pieters 0403 266 989 [email protected]
Rural Social Workers Group Peter Quin Metaxia Tsoukatos
0419 591 356 / 5154 6666 5023 5966
Social Work Aged Service Group Wendy Dietman Jo Morris
9836 6293 9265 1276
School Social Workers Group Paul Jameson [email protected] Work Education Practice Group Inez Chambers 8805 4100
[email protected] West Victorian Branch Practice Group [email protected] Melbourne Health Social Work Network Carol Quayle [email protected] Geelong Counselling Social Work Network Suzanne Doorakkers
Kelly [email protected]
Victorian Mental Health Social Work (VMHSW) Aroon Naidoo [email protected]’s Health Practice Group Helen Makregiorgos [email protected]
AASW Victorian BranchP.O.Box 2008, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Vic 3050 Tel: 03 9320 1012 Fax: 03 9328 5670 Email: [email protected]
SUB-COMMITTEE CONVENERS & NATIONAL WORKING GROUP CONVENERS/REPRESENTATIVES
Lyra Taylor Fund Committee Assoc Professor Margarita Frederico
9479 2407
Continuing Professional Education Ilia Vurtel [email protected] Membership Committee Jane Miller
Publication Dates 2016:
Closing Dates:
April Edition 29th February 2016
November Edition 23rd September 2016
July Edition 27th May 2016
• Material for publication can be provided on
or by email.
• A layout service is available if required.
• A discount of 10% applies to advertisers pre-booking space in all 3 issues.•
An advertising schedule and booking form
from website.
Rates: (Inclusive of GST) Full page colour (inside covers) $725.00
Full page colour (back cover) $780.00
1/2 page colour (inside covers) $365.50
Full page $599.00
1/2 page $310.001/4 page $165.00
INFORMATION FOR ADVERTISERS