Unit rationale, description and aim

Acknowledging, collaborating, and learning from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' knowledges and leadership is a priority in social work practice. The AASW recognises that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing contribute to ethical social work practices. Social workers are responsible for ensuring culturally responsive, safe and anti-racist practice. In this unit, students experience transformative learning that builds skills for creating more just and culturally responsive social work practice. This unit recognises that decolonising social work is foundational to contemporary social work and the professions commitment to social justice. Through engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives, this unit aims to develop students' capacity to recognise and disrupt colonial continuities in contemporary social work practice across diverse contexts.

Students will learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge holders to develop professional and culturally responsive practice capabilities for working effectively alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. They will explore ethical responsibilities to engage in ongoing critical self-reflection, truth-telling, and authentic partnership that centres sovereignty and rights.

This unit is one of four social work professional skills units. To meet AASW accreditation criteria, 100% attendance is required

2026 10

Campus offering

Find out more about study modes.

Unit offerings may be subject to minimum enrolment numbers.

Please select your preferred campus.

  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 2Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 2Online Unscheduled
  • Term Mode
  • ACU Term 2Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

Nil

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ...

Learning Outcome 01

Explain how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing can transform social work to advance social justice, challenge systemic inequities, and generate decolonising frameworks for action across diverse practice contexts.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC12

Analyse the impact of colonial, historical, social...

Learning Outcome 02

Analyse the impact of colonial, historical, social policy issues and social work practice on contemporary experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC6, GC7, GC8, GC11

Critically reflect on intersections of personal an...

Learning Outcome 03

Critically reflect on intersections of personal and professional identities, values, and ethical considerations when working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge holders and communities.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2, GC4, GC5, GC6, GC9, GC10

Critically evaluate culturally responsive and anti...

Learning Outcome 04

Critically evaluate culturally responsive and anti-racist approaches when working alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to honour First Nations sovereignty and embody decolonising practice.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC3, GC6, GC7

Content

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doin

  • Connection to Country
  • Kinship and connection to community

Historical and political overview

  • Pre-invasion - Dreamtime
  • Political and social history - resistance and activism

Human rights and social justice issues 

  • Privilege and power 
  • Racism  
  • Self-determination and sovereignty

Social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB)

  • Identity and intersectionality
  • Transgenerational trauma  
  • SEWB Practice frameworks
  • Trauma informed practices

Theoretical, practice frameworks and skills 

  • Critical race and whiteness theories 
  • Anti-racist practice 
  • Anti-oppressive practice 
  • Cultural responsiveness and cultural safety
  • Yarning
  • Deep listening and use of silence

Community practice 

  • Cultural protocols, inclusive engagement, consultation and relationship building
  • Collaborative practice 
  • Allyship

Professional and personal identity 

  • Critical use of self  
  • Social work values and ethics and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander way of being and doing 
  • Being a culturally responsive practitioner

Assessment strategy and rationale

This unit uses authentic assessment prioritising processes consistent with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of learning, including collaborative, experiential and critically reflective approaches. The assessment structure comprises three components.

Assessment Task 1 uses short essays to assess students' knowledge of key concepts and critical reflection of self and profession, providing feedback for subsequent assessments and transformational learning.

Assessment Task 2 is a group presentation where students are provided with the opportunity to learn collaboratively to demonstrate their understanding of the impact of colonisation and the activism and resistance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, within a human rights framework. Students will present how this informs contemporary social work practices with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. 

Assessment Task 3 is a graded hurdle which requires students to demonstrate culturally responsive and anti-racist approaches through a comprehensive written case analysis, showcasing their capacity for decolonising practice. Students must move beyond culturally responsive practice as an "add-on" to critically transform practice approaches that actively challenge colonial continuities and centre Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' human rights. This is a hurdle task as it is the only assessment task to assess achievement of the Unit Learning Outcome 4.

Overview of assessments

In order to pass this unit students must:

·        Demonstrate achievement of each learning outcome, and

·        Obtain a minimum mark of 50% for the unit, and

·        Achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3 which is a graded hurdle, and

·        Meet the attendance requirements

Where students achieve a cumulative (overall) mark of 50% or more for the unit but do not achieve a mark of 50% or greater in Assessment 3, they will be offered one further attempt in Assessment 3. If students pass this further attempt, they will pass the unit and their original mark will be the final mark. If students fail the further assessment, they will fail the unit.

Assessment Task 1: Short answer questions – stude...

Assessment Task 1: Short answer questions – students will demonstrate their understanding of key concepts presented in the online activities relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing and cultural responsiveness.

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2: Group presentation Enables st...

Assessment Task 2: Group presentation

Enables students to demonstrate their collective understanding of the impact of colonisation and the activism and resistance by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, within a human rights framework and the implications for social work practice.

Weighting

30%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO3

Assessment Task 3: Case Study & Critical Cult...

Assessment Task 3: Case Study & Critical Cultural Reflection

Students will demonstrate their ability to apply culturally responsive practice approaches and knowledges to a case study in a field of practice with a focus on social and emotional wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples (Graded Hurdle - must pass).

Weighting

40%

Graded Hurdle

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO4

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

ON CAMPUS:

This unit involves 150 hours of a combination of lectures, online learning materials, tutorials and self-directed learning. Learning activities include reading, individual research, simulation, small group and class discussions. On-campus classes are designed to draw out understandings developed from learning materials to establish deeper and applied conceptual knowledge relevant to the unit

ONLINE:

This unit involves 150 hours comprising a combination of a five-day on-campus intensive, online learning materials, discussion boards, weekly interactive online exercises, online collaboration opportunities, reading, individual research and self-directed learning. Students will discuss their understanding of learning materials in an online environment and the intensives to establish deeper and applied conceptual knowledge relevant to the unit.

Both modes draw on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing to support the application of key learnings across a range of social work settings. Throughout the unit design and content, cultural governance has been central, ensuring ethical engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems and practices.


Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Atkinson, J. (2002). Trauma trails, recreating song lines : The transgenerational effects of trauma in Indigenous Australia. North Melbourne: Spinifex Press 

Bennett, B. (2021) Aboriginal Fields of Practice. Bloomsbury Publishing.

Bennett, B., & Green, S. (2019). Our Voices: Aboriginal social work (Second ed.). London: Red Globe Press 

Briskman, L. (2014). Social work with Indigenous communities : A human rights approach (2nd ed.). 

Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., Walker, R. (Eds.) (2014) Working Together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health and Wellbeing Principles and Practice. (2nd ed). Commonwealth of Australia. 

Green, S., & Bennett, B. (2018). Wayanha: A decolonised social work. Australian Social Work, 71(3), 261-264.

Muller, L., & Robertson, B. (2014). A theory for Indigenous Australian health and human service work : Connecting Indigenous knowledge and practice. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin 

Pascoe, B (2014) Dark Emu. Broome, WA: Magabala Books 

Tascon, S. & Ife, J (2020) Disrupting Whiteness in Social work (First Edition). London: Routledge. 

Waldegrave C., Tamasese T.K., Campbell W., Tuhaka F. (2018) Just Family Therapy. In: Lebow J., Chambers A., Breunlin D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer, Cham 

Locations
Credit points
Year

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs