Unit rationale, description and aim
Mental health professionals engage with individuals with lived experience of mental ill health across a variety of contexts. Against this background is the often-complex environment in which individuals experience health and wellbeing, and in which mental health professionals provide holistic person-led services. It is imperative that mental health professionals strengthen their understanding of contemporary and complex mental health challenges and develop confidence in implementing a range of recovery-oriented interventions.
This unit builds on and extends foundational knowledge and understanding of recovery. Recovery theory, originally developed in relation to psychotic illness, will be examined as it applies to a range of contemporary mental health practice contexts such as involuntary treatment, criminal justice, life-span development, and as a framework for family work. The unit will explore research from diverse perspectives to consider the theoretical, policy and practice dimensions of recovery principles in these contested settings. It will focus on the development of skills in specific recovery-based interventions such as trauma informed practice, and recovery-based coaching.
The aim of this unit is to provide students with the opportunity to develop advanced knowledge of and ability to apply recovery-oriented interventions in a variety of practice contexts.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.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.
Critically analyse contemporary recovery theory, i...
Learning Outcome 01
Critically evaluate and apply recovery-oriented ap...
Learning Outcome 02
Demonstrate skills in relationship-based approache...
Learning Outcome 03
Synthesise and apply recovery theory across lifesp...
Learning Outcome 04
Content
Topics will include:
Contemporary recovery theory
- Overview of contemporary recovery theory development.
- Critiques of recovery theory.
- Competing perspectives in the application of recovery theory.
- Power and politics of recovery theory.
- Recovery theory as a framework for mental health research.
Recovery theory and involuntary treatment
- Establishing the evidence base for recovery-informed involuntary treatment.
- Competing perspectives of consumers, families and workers.
- Practice approaches to ensuring recovery-focused approaches to involuntary treatment.
Recovery theory and the criminal justice system
- Competing theories of services and treatment of offenders with mental illness.
- Structure and agency theories.
- Establishing an evidence base for application of recovery theory in criminal justice jurisdictions.
Recovery and physical health
- Critiques of recovery principles in life-stage theory.
- Physical health consequences of mental illness.
- Establishing an evidence base for application of recovery theory in contested areas such as youth and old age.
Working in partnership with consumers and families
- The politics and power of partnerships.
- Working with competing and contested perspectives.
- Families and recovery theory.
Advanced practice applications of recovery theory
- Trauma-informed approaches – theory and practice.
- Coaching approaches – theory and practice.
Assessment strategy and rationale
To pass this unit, students must attempt and submit both assessment tasks, demonstrate achievement of every unit learning outcome, and obtain a minimum mark of 50%.
The assessment strategy supports progressive development of advanced recovery knowledge, critical appraisal and applied practice. Assessment 1 (50%) is a portfolio comprising an applied analysis of an authentic practice scenario and a recorded seminar-style literature appraisal. This task assesses students’ capacity to critically analyse recovery theory and its social and political dimensions and apply recovery-oriented approaches in contested contexts (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4). Assessment 2 (50%) is a critical reflection and practice development plan that requires students to synthesise evidence to inform ongoing professional learning and to plan for the application of recovery-oriented, relationship-based interventions within a complex or contested area relevant to their context (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4). Together, the two assessments provide opportunities for students to demonstrate evidence-informed reasoning, professional communication and reflective practice.
Overview of assessments
Assessment 1: Applied analysis and seminar presen...
Assessment 1: Applied analysis and seminar presentation
Students complete an applied analysis of a practice scenario to demonstrate integration of recovery theory within complex and contested practice contexts, and prepare a short recorded seminar presentation that critically appraises the literature relating to recovery-oriented interventions and their theoretical, social and political context.
50%
Assessment 2: Critical reflection and practice de...
Assessment 2: Critical reflection and practice development plan
Students submit a critical reflection demonstrating how advanced recovery theory and evidence has informed their ongoing professional learning and practice. Students identify a complex or contested area relevant to their context (e.g., involuntary treatment, criminal justice, lifespan/physical health, or family work) and develop an evidence-informed plan for applying recovery-oriented, relationship-based interventions (including trauma-informed practice and/or recovery-based coaching) in a recovery-focused way.
50%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Learning and teaching strategies utilised in this unit will support students in meeting the aim and achieving the learning outcomes relevant to this unit, as well as to the broader course learning outcomes. This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of advanced recovery theory and practice. Delivered as fully online, asynchronous learning allows students to learn at their own pace within the parameters of the teaching term. Weekly modules are structured around an inquiry cycle (engage, explore, apply and reflect) that guides students from key concepts and evidence to analysis of authentic scenarios. Learning is further supported through facilitated asynchronous discussion forums, weekly online drop-in sessions, and an online assessment session for each assessment task with the unit's online facilitator. The discussion forums provide students with activities that encourage students to critically discuss concepts, share practice-based examples (including from their own professional contexts), and provide constructive peer feedback. These activities are designed to build a learning community and deepen critical reflection in a supported online environment. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress.