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Professional Education
Social Work is a profession that encourages continous professional education. Staff at the Royal Children's Hospital Social Work department do this in a number of ways.
Social Work Student Unit
The Social Work Department provides clinical placements for qualifying social work students. The Department has a Student Unit with The University of Melbourne, while also accomodating students from other schools of Social Work. Placements are arranged through university Field Placement Officers.
The Social Work Department is unable to offer work experience or casual observation, to secondary school students or students from other disciplines. However, we are more than happy to discuss the profession with these students.
Kath Dawe Memorial Lecture
The Royal Children's Hospital Social Work department is the proud sponsor of the Biennial Kath Dawe Memorial Lecture.
Miss Kath Dawe was the head of the Social Work Department at the Royal Children's Hospital from 1962 to 1976. She left a legacy of innovation in many areas of hospital social work, however she will best be remembered for her outstanding contribution to the conceptualistion of the issues of child abuse.
Her death in 1999 led past and present social workers at RCH, and her collegues in the broader social work community to reflect on the contribution she had made and it was decided to honour her memory with a biennial lecture given by distinguished social workers.
Past Lectures:
2000 - "Looking Back to see ahead: enduring insights and emerging understandings in relation to vulnerable children and their families", Associate Professor Dorothy Scott, School of Social Work, The University of Melbourne
2002 - "Everyday terrorism:Domestic Violence and its affects on children", Assistant Professor Virginia Walther, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York
2004 - "Inspiration and innovation in the development of child abuse prevention: a practitioner speaks", Janet Dean, Community Infant Program, Boulder Colorado.
2006 - "Research into action: Collaborating with women and children to improve practice in responding to family violence", Professor Cathy Humphreys, Alfred Felton Professor, Child and Family Welfare, The University of Melbourne
2008-"Beyond the Chaos: Working with children and thier families after traumatic events", Professor Grace Christ, School of Social Work, Columbia University New York
Recent Conference Presentations
Bampfield, M (2008) The Use of Critical Incident Stress Debriefing with Parents with Infants in the Neonatal Unit who have Experienced an Unexpected Traumatic Event at/or shortly after Delivery. Australian Association for Infant Mental Health Conference & Queen Elizabeth Centre 5th Biennial International Conference.
Loughlin, E & Grover, S (2008) Disorders of Sex Development, 1st National Adolescent Gynaecology conference, Melbourne
Loughlin, E (2006) How do we Decide? Dilemmas for parents in making decisions around gender and genital surgery for their infant with uncertain sex. 5th International Conference on Social Work in Health and Mental Health
Loughlin, E (2006) Rumour and Discrimination,Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) Club, Annual seminar National Hospital Paediatrics
Loughlin, E (2004) A Social Guidance Program for families with an infant (0-3 years) of unclear sex, National Hospital Paediatrics Scientific meeting on Ambiguous Sex
Loughlin, E. (2004) Who is my Baby? A social work intervention program for infants of indeterminate sex and their families, World Congress Infant Mental Health
Loughlin, E (2000) Same or Different. Creative Interventions and the response of adolescent girls with Turner syndrome. International symposium on Turner Syndrome- Optimising care for the Turner patient in the 21st Century
Sullivan, J (2008) There's Something We Need to Talk about: Parents, Professionals and Discourses about autopsy examination. 8th International Conference on Grief and Bereavement in Contemporary Society.
Wigg, B (2008) Starting A Hospital Based Group Program for Adolescent Burn Patients. Australia and New Zealand Burn Association ASM
Wigg, B (2008) More than a Burn: Social Work Intervention in identifying and responding to Cumulative Harm in Paediatric Burn Care. Australia and New Zealand Burn Association ASM
Upcoming International Health Social Work Conference -
Recent Publications
Angelico D & Sullivan J, A Particular Love; A Double Hurt: Learning from a Grandparent Bereavement Support Group in Social Work in Helath and Mental Health: Issues, Developments and Actions, Heinonen, T & Metteri, A (ed) (2005)
O'Toole M & Sullivan J, Third Thursday Nights: An Exploration of the Experience of a Parents' Bereavement Support Group, Grief Matters, Summer 2003, vol 6, no. 3, pp. 52-55
Robb B & Sullivan J, The Past and the Present: Listening to Parental Experiences of Autopsy Practice, Grief Matters, Winter 2004, Vol 7, No.2. pp 39-43
Sullivan, J; B Robb; J,Hynson & P Monagle (ed) Helping Families Understand Autopsy (2003) - booklet for professional education.
Loughlin E, Infertility, An Unspoken presence in the lives of teens and young women with Turner Syndrome, in Sexuality and Fertility Issues in Ill health and Disability, Balen, R and Crawshaw, M. (2006) Eds
Loughlin, E with Staehli, S Dance Therapy, in Currency Companion to Music and Dance in Australia, Whiteoak, J & Scott-Maxewell, A. (ed) (2003)