EDAC301 Attitudes and Inclusion

10 cp

This unit is designed to give students a broad understanding of the impact that attitudes to disability have on the inclusion of people with disabilities in a range of social settings. Emphasis is given to identifying and examining societal attitudes to people with disabilities, their influence on our service structures (such as accommodation services, workplaces and schools), and the ways in which people are excluded from full participation in society. This unit encourages students to actively confront the barriers to inclusion that are faced by people with disabilities and to develop strategies to address those barriers.

EDAC305 Technology and Empowerment

10 cp

This unit will investigate a range of technologies and their application for people with disabilities as a tool to pursue varied lifestyles. The ways technology has and will continue to change our professional and social activities and environments will be explored. Benefits and limitations are discussed in relation to the acquisition and use of technology in a variety of environments and activities as well as individual experiences with technology. Students will look at available technology and evaluate a range of technological devices, as well as accessing current resources in the local, national and international environment.

EDAC307 Case Management and Mental Health Issues

10 cp
Prerequisites EDAC218 Supporting Social Relationships and EDFD122 Human Growth and Development

The unit is designed to enable participants to gain awareness and understanding of the key models of service delivery to people with mental health disability. An overview of classification systems and epidemiology is given with examples of contemporary service response. The etiological approach is supplemented with research and exploration of first- hand accounts of living with classifiable mental illnesses to analyse and reduce stereotypes and myths that may adversely affect case management practice. Factors that undermine mental health and how they may be located in service structures are examined, as well as the legislative frameworks, statutory mandates, and professional accountability that guide the development of case management strategies.

EDAC308 Education for Action Research in Professional Practice

10 cp
Prerequisites EDAC127 Planning Learning with Individuals and EDAC216 Facilitating and Evaluating Learning in Community Settings

This unit combines theory and practice related to working in community and human service-based organisations. It focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating action research in the field that builds on previous learning and encourages practitioners to take responsibility for research development as a process of change in their respective occupations/workplaces.

EDAC309 Strategic Management of Resources

10 cp

Management can be seen in terms of organisation and implementation. It is the manager’s responsibility to use resources, technology and operations effectively to achieve desired goals. Students will examine strategies for effective task management in the human service context to ensure quality outcomes, including the interface between the external environment and the organisation in terms of policies, planning and social / political change.

This unit aims to develop the knowledge and skills that will enable graduates to participate in the leading management of human and financial resources in disability services. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between effective resources management and desirable service outcomes for all stakeholders.

EDAC310 Advocacy, Power and Empowerment

10 cp

Many issues of concern related to human rights and social justice confront disadvantaged groups such as people with disabilities in Australian society. Motivated by the values and perspectives of social justice and human rights, the concept of empowerment is one of the ways people have sort to represent the values and interests of disadvantaged groups and enhance their position in society. Advocacy is a critical practice area for educators, community workers and activists. Students in this unit will develop knowledge and practical skills in advocacy and the application of empowering practices.

The concept of empowerment will be examined critically in relation to concepts of autonomy and independence, and the needs of the disabled. The course reflects on duty of care in relation to autonomy and dignity of risk. Complex issues of choice and informed consent will also be untangled. Different types of advocacy will be explored including their relevance to different disadvantaged groups.

EDAC311 Professional Communication and Guidance

10 cp

Building on knowledge of communication theory and practice developed in the Interpersonal Communication Skills and Attitudes and Inclusive Education units, this unit provides students with opportunities to refine and extend this knowledge, to acquire additional knowledge about techniques to support communication, and practice skills supportive of empowering client problem solving. The unit’s main emphasis is on solution centred counselling of people with disabilities and those involved with their care and wellbeing.

EDAC312 Physical and Mental Health Issues

10 cp

The unit is designed to provide students with an awareness and understanding of physical, medical and mental health issues relating to people with a disability. With the movement of people into the community and the move away from the Medical Model as the paradigm for understanding disability, many people have experienced worsening health status. This unit aims to equip the student with a general knowledge of major medical issues confronting people with a disability. This will enable the student to assist a person with a disability and their health professionals to provide good service and proper treatment for conditions specific to the disability or general medical conditions. An overview of types of disability will be provided. Classification systems and epidemiology will be presented. The common medical issues relating to specific disorders will be described. The unit also looks at the health and medical practices that would be considered necessary for all members of the community to maintain good health. Mental illness will be examined in detail, with attention to aetiology and treatment practices, and the incidence of mental illness in people with intellectual disability. The unit covers issues to do with the role of the human service in assisting people to obtain good health care and the role of the service worker in carrying this out in community living settings. Systems for documenting and maintaining health records will be examined.

EDAC313 Implementing Action Research in the Community/FBL

10 cp
Prerequisites EDAC138 Implementing Disability Competencies, EDAC227 Implementing Person Centred Supports

Practitioners working in community service settings and human services engage on a daily basis with people who experience social problems. This unit focuses on ways of analysing and understanding these problems and developing solutions in a participatory and collaborative way, known as ‘participatory action research’.

The unit follows the first and second field-based learning units and combines theory and practice related to working in human service organisations. It focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating action research that aims at promoting change in service practice.

Students will be guided through the process of developing a research question, identifying stakeholders and their concerns, data collection methods, analysis of findings and recommendations for change.

EDAC314 Positive Behaviour Approaches

10 cp

Contemporary approaches to understanding behaviour, recognises that behaviour is a result of the interaction with individual characteristics, environmental and social factors on an individual. Positive behaviour support is the term given to a wide range of practices that aim to understand and address the behaviour difficulties in a holistic manner. The goals of positive behaviour support are to improve both the behaviour and the quality of life of individuals who display challenging behaviour. It emphasises collaborative, assessment-based approaches which integrate behavioural science and a person-centred values framework and acknowledge the importance of community participation, system and environmental modifications and social relationships in addressing behaviour difficulties. Positive behaviour support builds on the principles of applied behaviour analysis and integrates this with principles from the normalization/Inclusive Education movement and person-centred values to deliver integrated, sustainable, and comprehensive systems for supporting individuals. This unit aims to assist students develop an advanced understanding of behaviour within the context of non-aversive approaches to understanding the functions of behaviour. Students will develop critical analysis skills in the assessment, implementation and review of behaviour support strategies. Focus on positive behaviour support will focus on both preventative and direct behaviour intervention strategies.

EDAC315 Lifelong Learning and Ageing

10 cp

This unit will build on key theoretical and philosophical concepts of community Inclusive Education, wellness and lifestyle building and maintenance, in regard to lifelong learning, recreation and leisure. There will be a focus in particular, on the impacts of activity or lack thereof, on health and wellness for people with disabilities and people aging.

Students will critically analyse the factors that influence participation in leisure and lifestyles and how they can facilitate individual and group access to wellness factors such as exercise, nutrition, lifelong learning and recreation in the community. Social and environmental factors that influence lifestyle, health and wellness will be investigated and linked to the identification of individual health and recreational needs and interests.

EDAC402 Nature of Community and Community Organisations

10 cp

This unit will focus on facets of community and adult education in informal and formal settings. Consideration will be given to the historical development of adult and community education within different environments. There will be an emphasis on critically analysing underlying cross-cultural theories and diverse conceptual frameworks of adult community education programs. A study will be made of selected offerings in community education in a variety of contexts to determine their design, objectives, processes, funding strategies and to examine their relationship to government policies, organisational goals and international movements.

EDAC424 Social Justice: Ethical and Legal Issues

10 cp

This unit provides students with a greater understanding of the philosophy and practice of social justice, particularly as it applies to the rights of Indigenous people. Also considered is the struggle for legislative change in the fight for human rights for Indigenous people. The constitutional and legal structures and the political contexts affecting Indigenous communities are analysed.

EDAC427 Case Studies in Diversity

10 cp

This unit will allow students to develop a case study in a specific area of Indigenous culture and/or history. Students will be developing a broad understanding of personal, social and political issues relating to particular issues in their own cultural and cross-cultural contexts.