Talking with Children: An overview for social workers

Member price: $99.00 including GST (member price will display once logged in)

Non-member price: $198.00 including GST

In many social work settings, including public organisations and private practice, workers find themselves needing to interact and engage with children and adolescents.

For many workers, particularly those who see adults as their primary client group, this prospect of talking with children can bring with it feelings of being unprepared, untrained and overwhelmed.

It can create anxieties not only about the technical skills involved, but about the content - how much do we share with children about their families complex and troubled circumstances. What should we say and how do we do it? What skills can be transferred from our work with adults to children? These are important questions.

This training has been developed to acknowledge these concerns and support the development of social workers’ skills in engaging and talking to children in a way that affirms their and the children’s needs.

Who is this course aimed at?

• Social work practitioners employed in organisations where they provide interventions for families which also includes contact with children and adolescents.
• Social Workers working in private practice including those registered with Medicare.

Content

This course will provide an opportunity to:

• Explore the key concerns workers experience and the common myths that exist about engaging with children and adolescents.
• Explore the reasons why it is important to talk and engage with children about their family situations – identifying the contribution this makes to strengthen their emotional development.
• Provide an overview of the key perspectives that inform an understanding of children’s development and capacities.
• Provide practice examples of the skills and strategies required for talking and engaging with children and the supports required for workers within their work setting

Learning objectives

• Consider key theories, frameworks, research and practice skills required for talking to and engaging with children across various social work settings.
• Understand key concerns and issues for workers in engaging with children and the developmental needs of children.
• Apply the theory and frameworks to your organisational setting or private practice.

AASW Credentials: Mental Health; Clinical