AASW Webinar Recording | Social Workers for Climate Action: Talking it through

Member price: $60.00 including GST (member price will display once logged in)

Non-member price: $120.00 including GST

The Social Workers for Climate Action webinar series looks at green or eco-social work practice as it relates to the present and future serious risks posed by uncontrolled climate change.

The series aims to give learners a broad understanding of the science underpinning the risk assessment of climate change impacts; and some of the possible implications of that risk assessment process for future social work service delivery.

This series will present some of the knowledge, skills and values required by still emerging green social work practice response to climate change impacts in Australia. There will be a facilitated discussion of climate change practice principles and challenges between participants; and an exploration of case study examples of the nascent Australian and international social work response to climate change in the field.

This webinar is a part of a series designed to support Social Workers to make a difference to climate change within their practice.

Part 1: ‘Setting the Scene’ presents a global and local overview of climate change from the perspective of social work practice.

Part 2: ‘Talking it Through’ gave participants the opportunity to ask questions to a panel of experts.

Part 3: ‘Making it Real’ showcases real-life case studies where social workers are making a difference and the lessons learned.

Learning Outcomes

1. To raise awareness of climate change amongst social workers
2. To provide a forum for social workers to discuss climate change and practice
3. To present case studies of social workers making a difference in role modelling and lessons learned
4. Support social workers to take action on climate change with their practice.

Presenter details

Fiona Armstrong

Fiona is Executive Director and Founder of Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) in Australia, the first national coalition of health groups formed (in 2010) to tackle the health impacts of climate change. She is the architect of the world’s first Framework for a National Strategy on Climate, Health and Well-being for Australia (2017), a lead author of the Queensland Health and Wellbeing Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2018), and author of many of CAHA’s reports. Fiona led the development of the Our Climate Our Health campaign in Australia, and CAHA’s Climate and Health Champions training program.

Dr Sebastian Cordoba (BSW (Hons), PhD) is a United Nations Representative for the International Federation of Social Workers in the Asia Pacific Region, representing social work within the UN System. He is also the Senior Policy Advisor for the Australian Association of Social Workers. Dr Cordoba is a lecturer, course coordinator and Industry Fellow at RMIT University, teaching social work and social policy courses. In his policy work he has advocated against government policies that breach Australia's human rights commitments with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals, climate action, social support systems and the rights of children. As a qualified social worker, he spent several years working with children, young people and families, specializing in trauma and crisis work in educational and health care settings.

Dr Heather Boetto

Heather is a senior lecturer in Social Work at Charles Sturt University. Heather’s relationship with the natural environment emerged in her childhood as a young farm girl growing up in regional New South Wales. Later, as a social worker, Heather became aware of the social impacts of climatic events on the lives of people and their communities in rural areas as imperative to practice, and began her studies on this issue when she entered academia in 2008. Heather’s current research focuses on transformative ecosocial change within the profession and disaster resilience in the community services sector.

Dr Peter Jones

Peter Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Social Work and Human Services at James Cook University with 30 years experience in social work education, research and practice. Peter has a particular interest in the application of transformative learning theory, and in bringing issues of the environment and climate change into social work education. A Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), Peter’s research and practice interests include social work education, eco-social work, sustainable community development, international social work, and international student exchange. He is involved with a range of community-based environmental groups and initiatives.