Events Calendar

A 2 year nationally accredited post graduate training program in Family and Systemic Therapy. It is designed to equip participants with the core and specific competencies for systemic and family therapy practice.

*FPS Relevant Activity*

This contracted online version of the two full day workshop is designed to encompass Focused Psychological Strategies which can benefit the quality and efficacy of casework relationships by adding a deeper Psychological dimension to social work and other practices.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an online training on Family and Domestic Violence in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an webinar on DFV in the Gay, Lesbian, Bi sexual, Trans, Intersex and Queer Communities

This ever-popular webinar will explore the transition from social work student to professional, drawing on the insight and wisdom of a panel of experienced social workers from a diversity of fields of practice. An inspiring session that will help you consider how to prepare yourself to step out as a professional social worker and how to navigate the early stages of your career.

Hosted by the Victorian Branch, this event is open to social work students and new graduates throughout Australia.

This training workshop will give social workers the confidence and skills to use Prolonged Exposure therapy to help clients recover from posttraumatic stress disorder and related mental health issues. The training incorporates pre-training online learning, lecture, discussion, demonstration therapy videos, and skill development exercises with feedback.

*FPS Relevant Activity*

0.5 CPD hour

The role of social workers as human rights workers

Social workers are well placed to be advocates, campaigners and reformists. Social workers are at the coalface of human rights. This presentation explores through personal story and examples of my own work how social workers can use our advocacy role to overcome systemic problems, bring the community together for solutions that enable practical social change.

Presenter: Jack Whitney

Jack Whitney is NSW President-elect for the Australian Association of Social Workers and Chair of the Social Policy Committee. He is Co-Convenor of the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, having led substantial efforts in NSW and in Australia on LGBTIQ rights, from education reform, anti-discrimination protections, hate crimes, health access and equity, including the COVID-19 impacts in community. During the work day Jack is a Manager (Diversity Health) at the Sydney Children’s Hospital Network, an academic at the Australian Catholic University in social work field education, and honorary clinical research fellow with the University of Technology, Sydney.

This AASW NSW Connect:ED webinar is part of a series helping Social Workers to connect with new ideas and reflect on their own practice. We focus on bringing everyday social workers to talk about their practice, ideas and experiences of social work.

Webinars are 30 minutes (including short Q&A) and where agreed with the presenter, will be recorded for those who cannot participate in real time.

Registrations are open to everyone nationally.

Online

Date: Wednesday 28 October 2020

Time: 12noon (AEST)

Transitioning from a social work student to the work place

Emma Swanson and Likira Su will share information on their professional roles in education and rehabilitation and their journey from student to paid employment. We invite new and graduating students to join us for this Zoom session.

There will be opportunity for questions at the end of the session.

Professor Lisa Brophy will present and discuss the current drivers of reform in mental health services, especially the renewed focus on human rights, reducing coercive interventions and increased recognition of the role of social determinants. The presentation will consider how social workers can step up to meet these challenges and make a positive contribution to overdue transformation, now and into the future.

Presented by Maria Ganci and Chantel Kleiner, this webinar will highlight specific therapeutic techniques used in the treatment of adolescents and adults with an eating disorder. It will explore evidence based treatments recommended by the NICE guidelines. The goals of treatment, which are specific to eating disorders, will be discussed highlighting the need for therapists to focus on both the physical and psychological aspects of the illness in order to ensure recovery.

This webinar forms part of a series of four webinars looking at different aspects of understanding eating disorders.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an online training on Forced Marriage and Dowry Abuse.

The 2020 AASW National Symposium will be held on 6 November 2020 and this year’s theme will be “Promoting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Social Work”.

The one day event will bring together a wide range of professionals, key industry groups and stakeholders from across the health and human services to discuss and promote thoughts on the social work practices and ideas that shape Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social work culture, research and teaching.

With a high-profile selection of keynote speakers, abstract presentations, truth-telling sessions, networking and more, the National Symposium is a fantastic opportunity for those looking to broaden their knowledge and gain valuable insights into Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander social work.

For more information please visit our website.

*Please note: This event is free for AASW Members. Registration for Non-members is $99.

Welcome to Country Presenter:

Richard Fejo:



Richard “Richie” Fejo is a Larrakia Man from Darwin from his father, his grandfather and his great grandfather in what culture calls “Grandfather lore”. Richard is also Warumungu from Tennant Creek on his mother’s side and holds a great amount of cultural knowledge and experiences from both northern and central Australia across the Northern Territory.  
 
Richard worked in family violence and drug and alcohol programs across several remote communities before becoming a Cultural Educator with Northern Territory General Practice Education for eleven years. During his time with NTGPE, Richie also became the Senior Cultural Education and Co-Chair of the national Cultural Educators and Cultural Mentors Network for five years. Richie stood down from the national co-chair position in 2017 and became the current Chairman of the Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation (LNAC) and resigned from cultural education in 2020 to become the Flinders University Elders on Campus in Darwin

Keynote Speakers:

Stan Grant:



Stan Grant is the Indigenous Affairs Editor for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, a multi-award winning current affairs host, an author and an adventurer. 
 
Stan Grant's Aboriginal heritage has shaped his dynamic, resilient personality. Born in Griffith in south-west New South Wales, in 1963, Stan Grant's mother is from the Kamilaroi people and his father is of the Wiradjuri. 
 
After attending University, Stan won a cadetship with the Macquarie Radio Network, launching a career in journalism that has spanned more than 30 years and more than 70 countries. In that time Stan has travelled the world covering the major stories of our time from the release of Nelson Mandela, the troubles in Northern Island, the death of Princess Diana, war in Iraq, the second Palestinian intifada, the war on terror, the South Asia Tsunami, the Pakistan Earthquake and the rise of China. Stan has hosted major news and current affairs programs on Australian commercial and public television.

Dr Stephanie Gilbert:



Dr Stephanie Gilbert has predominantly worked in higher education since the 1990s bringing a high level of expertise to leadership, research and education with a key focus on Indigenous higher education. Her areas of passion and expertise encompass three key areas:

• Critical Indigenous studies including Aboriginal/Indigenous higher education; 
• Scholarship and theoretical innovation focused upon removed children from Aboriginal families; and 
• Exploring the social work practice of Indigenous social workers and engagement with Aboriginal communities 

Her publications and contributions to the field of social work have spanned several decades and include serving as the Hunter Branch President and Director, as well as her contributions to the development of social work in multiple Australian universities.

Her interest and passion for work in the Stolen Generations informed her honours, masters and phd studies and in 2018 lead to a year at University of California (Los Angeles) studying Inheritable memory and Body Dysphoria in Removed Children. 

Truth-telling Sessions:

*PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL TRUTH-TELLING SESSIONS HAVE REACHED CAPACITY. SHOULD FURTHER SESSIONS BECOME AVAILABLE WE WILL ADVISE VIA EMAIL

Once you have registered for the National Symposium, you will receive a confirmation email from Delegate Connect (Mailer@delegateconnect.co) that contains the information required to register for the Truth-telling sessions. If you would like to attend two sessions, you will be required to register for both sessions individually. Please ensure that you do not register for sessions that are taking place at the same time. To ensure that these sessions remain engaging, we have limited registrations for each session to 25 participants.

The AASW invites you to attend the 2020 Annual General Meeting, which will be held online at 5:00PM (AEDT) on Friday 6 November 2020.

0.5 CPD hour

‘Supporting the next generation of Aboriginal social workers’

Presenter: BJ Newton

This AASW NSW Connect:ED webinar is part of a series helping Social Workers to connect with new ideas and reflect on their own practice. We focus on bringing everyday social workers to talk about their practice, ideas and experiences of social work.

Webinars are 30 minutes (including short Q&A) and where agreed with the presenter, will be recorded for those who cannot participate in real time.

Registrations are open to everyone nationally.

Online

Date: Wednesday 11 November 2020

Time: 12noon (AEDT)

AASW WA Branch Great Southern Practice Group - A group for AASW social workers residing and working in the Great Southern region of WA.

“The aftermath of the U.S presidential election and the social justice and social work implications"

Host: Jack Whitney - Social Worker and Convenor of the NSW Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby, Policy Consultant in Social Policy and Indigenous Affairs, Chair of the AASW Social Policy Committee in NSW.

Presenter: Tanya Rhodes Smith, Director of the Institute of Political Social Work, University of Connecticut

When: Tuesday 17 November 2020

Time: 9.00am-10.00am

Where: Video Conference ONLY

Please register to obtain the Zoom link.

We know that the pandemic has significantly impacted social work students throughout 2020 and we also know the sector has been forced to adapt to meet this dynamic and evolving situation.

In this webinar, we explore how to draw on your virtual field placement to secure a professional social work role, how to approach virtual interviews, and how to position yourself to be successful in these unusual times.

Hosted by the Victorian Branch, this event is open to social work students and new graduates throughout Australia.

Presented by Maria Ganci and Chantel Kleiner, this webinar aims to focus on up-skilling school counsellors and wellbeing staff within the education system by highlighting the importance of early identification of eating disorders. Emphasis will be placed on appropriate ways to respond to young people displaying symptoms of an eating disorder and how to support the young person and their family within the school setting throughout treatment. Discussion will also include how to work collaboratively with an external treating team.

This webinar forms part of a series of four webinars looking at different aspects of understanding eating disorders.

0.5 CPD hour

It's OK to feel… How to honour your emotions as a social worker.

Presenter: Helen Gray

This AASW NSW Connect:ED webinar is part of a series helping Social Workers to connect with new ideas and reflect on their own practice. We focus on bringing everyday social workers to talk about their practice, ideas and experiences of social work.

Webinars are 30 minutes (including short Q&A) and where agreed with the presenter, will be recorded for those who cannot participate in real time.

Registrations are open to everyone nationally.

Online

Date: Wednesday 18 November 2020

Time: 12noon (AEDT)

Join Slater+Gordon's Maggie Poole for a lunchtime Webinar!

Understanding why we get stuck and how to achieve lasting improvements that are important to us to radically improve effectiveness and happiness.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an webinar on Grooming and Challenging Client Information (An Introduction) presented by Gail Green.

This introduction is most useful to those working in therapeutic programs or when specific change is an expected outcome for clients but it is also useful to general counsellors to ‘raise their level of curiosity about client stories’.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an online training Concepts of hope and commitment to change among Muslims which will explore some concepts related to perceptions of recovery and healing that informed by Islamic concepts.

As social workers we may learn the basics about trauma, development, attachment and the effects of neglect in these experiences during our degrees. However, the practical application of this knowledge and the subsequent skills are difficult to maintain or obtain if workers are not adequately supported through supervision and ongoing training. Other challenges may be an unsupportive or risk adverse team or be associated with organisational culture.

Trauma informed practice requires a high level understanding of your own practice framework, values and reactions to what can be difficult and stressful scenarios for clients, and requires ongoing training, supervision, support and a positive and trauma informed work environment/organisational framework.

This 3 hour interactive virtual workshop gives an opportunity for social workers to refresh and learn through experiential activities, case study reflections and delivery of knowledge.

FPS and Mental Health relevant for CPD purposes

This meeting is for Social Workers working in the disability field and/or with NDIS in their agency or private practice.

The AASW-WA Branch is pleased to be hosting a ‘Meet the Employer’ event for social work students, new graduates and those who want to know about WA employment opportunities. At this online event you will meet employers from the welfare, community and health services sector and learn first-hand about:

• Job opportunities for social workers and career pathways
• What to expect when going through the job application process
• Tips on how to get your application shortlisted and good interview techniques
• Stories from past recruitment processes, the good, the bad and mediocre.

The WA Branch is pleased to be hosting Get That Job - Applications, an event for social work students, new graduates and social workers who want to improve their employment opportunities.

The session will cover contemporary resume and cover letter writing techniques and applying the STAR technique for selection criteria.

The WA Branch is pleased to be hosting Get That Job - Interviews, an event for social work students, new graduates and social workers who want to improve their employment opportunities.

At this event you will find out about strategies and tips to improve your interview presence and technique.

Liz Forsyth will discuss and present on the challenges and opportunities that the social services sector faces, both before and stemming from the COVID pandemic.

How social workers can prepare? What will their jobs look like going forward and what skills will be most important in this context?

Presented by Maria Ganci and Chantel Kleiner.

The words we use in treating someone with an eating disorder can have a powerful effect on the way in which they perceive their illness and often, themselves as an individual. This webinar will explore the nuances of language within the field of eating disorders, and how people with an eating disorder often interpret and misinterpret words they hear from those around them. We will also explore how to use language in order to encourage a more recovery-focussed approach to treating the illness.

This webinar forms part of a series of four webinars looking at different aspects of understanding eating disorders.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an online training on Female genital Cutting/Mutilation. The content is relevant to social workers working in a health setting, in particulars OBS and GYNAE, but is relevant to all social workers.

The WA AASW is pleased to host an online training Counselling with refugees and Muslim communities which will provide guidelines concerning assessment and intervention when working with Muslim clients and families.

Sex, sexuality and relationships are areas of client identity that social workers often feel uncomfortable discussing. Drawing from the presenter’s own research and scholarship in this area, this workshop will equip practitioners to have conversations with clients about intimate relationships, sex and sexuality. Learning outcomes include:

• gaining knowledge about human sexual response, desire and sexual ‘problems’;
• learning how to have conversations with clients about sexuality, sex and their intimate relationships;
• learn about the key theoretical perspectives around human sexuality including sexual identity.