Core Skills in Forensic Practice
36 hours
One Semester
Hawthorn
Overview
This unit raises students’ awareness of a range of systemic and interpersonal dynamics that can interfere with therapeutic relationships in forensic contexts and increase the likelihood of ethical dilemmas arising. The unit will allow students to develop knowledge and skills to both understand their clients’ actions more effectively, and be conscious of their own roles and power as practitioners in a forensic setting.
Requisites
Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
26-February-2024
26-May-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
10-March-2024
Census date
31-March-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
12-April-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the key theories explaining the ‘change’ process
- Define the therapeutic alliance (working alliance) and analyse its significance to forensic work
- Appraise the different forms of boundary violation common in the forensic context
- Identify heuristic biases and evaluate how these influence clinical reasoning processes
- Critically discuss common ethical dilemmas in the forensic context and how these can be managed
Teaching methods
Hawthorn Online
Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
---|---|---|---|
On-campus Workshop | 12.00 | 1 week | 12 |
Online Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning | 11.50 | 12 weeks | 138 |
TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
---|---|---|---|
Assessment | Individual | 30% | 2,4,5 |
Case Review | Individual | 35% | 3,5 |
Case Review | Individual | 35% | 1 |
Content
- Introduction to the forensic paradigm
- Understanding behaviour
- How people make change
- Working alliance
- Boundaries and challenges in the forensic context
- Assumptions in thinking and self-awareness
- Record keeping
- Ethics
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.