Volume 2 Number 1 SEPTEMBER 2003

The

UWA Social WorkerDISCIPLINE CHAIR

Dr Thomas Barrett

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

Mike Clare

SENIOR LECTURERSDr Maria HarriesDr Ranjit Kumar

LECTURERSMs Violet Bacon

Mrs Brenda ClareDr Paul MurphyDr Susan Young

HONORARY SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOWS

Emeritus ProfessorLaksiri Jayasuriya

HONORARY RESEARCH FELLOWS

Dr Christine ChooMs Heather Deighan

Adjunct ProfessorDenis Ladbrook

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY

Ms Rosa Catalano

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Mrs Judy Grimshaw

FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES PHONE:9380 2996

SOCIAL WORK OFFICE: 9380 2996

FAX: 9380 1070

POSTAL ADDRESS:Discipline of Social Work

and Social PolicyThe University of Western Australia

35 Stirling HighwayCrawley 6009

EMAIL ADDRESS: SOCIAL WORK OFFICE:social.work@uwa.edu.au

HOME PAGE:www.arts.edu.au/SocWkWWW/

EDITOR: Ms Philippa Whitepipwhite@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

NEWSLETTER INQUIRIES/CONTRIBUTIONS:pipwhite@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

Another academic year is rapidly drawing to a close as this second edition of The

UWA Social Worker for 2003 rolls off the presses. In two months’ time another50 or so graduates will be joining their professional colleagues in a range of practicefields. We hope you welcome them and assist them in settling in to their new positions.

This year, our third year student numbers are smaller than in 2002, which may inpart reflect the raising of the entry requirements for the BSW by the University, butthe enthusiasm of the students remains high. We are showing increases in enrolmentsin the first and second year levels of the course as well. The concurrent honoursprogramme continues to be popular, and at present 18 third year students haveindicated their intentions in becoming honours students. Of the fourth years, eightare proceeding towards an honours degree.

In the postgraduate programmes we have a total of 26 students of whom 14 areundertaking PhDs. This year saw two postgraduate students reach their goals – DrNeville Barber (PhD) and Ms Carolyn Johnson (MA). We applaud their achievementsand wish them well in their future careers. Congratulations are also in order for recentachievements by two of our Honorary Research Fellows: Emeritus Professor LaksiriJayasuriya, who was awarded a Centenary Medal; and Dr Christine Choo, who wasjoint winner of the inaugural Margaret Medcalf Award.

Personally, it has been an interesting and challenging year – discovering all the hiddenfacets that encompass the role of ‘Discipline Chair’. This experience has been mademore manageable by the continued support of both academic and administrative staff.

Since the last edition of this publication there have been some changes to staffingin the Discipline. Dr Ranjit Kumar joined the staff in April on a part-time basis for theremainder of 2003, and is a valued contributor to the research interests of staff andstudents. Associate Professor Mike Clare has returned from six months study leaveand is enjoying the change in pace from being Discipline Chair over the past threeyears. We welcome his return. In July this year, after 26 years with the Discipline, MsRae Lindsay officially set off on another career, in which she can choose what shewishes to do. Some refer to this as ‘the retirement phase’ and others as ‘newopportunities’. We wish Rae well in finding her new beginnings; her presence is missed.

Finally, it would be remiss of me not to mention our appreciation of all thosepeople who have contributed to the Discipline in the past year, whether as students,field supervisors, agency fieldwork coordinators, casual teachers, members of the Boardof Studies, other academic staff, or individuals. Our heartfelt thanks for your support.

Tom Barrett

AWordFromtheChair

Azlee Sultan, Sarah Michaels and Dr Tom Barrett

Rae Lindsay – ‘The Reluctant Academic’

With the retirement of Ms Rae Lindsay in July this year,the Discipline lost one of its most treasured members,

and also longest-serving and highly regarded members ofstaff. At a function held at University House, staff, studentsand friends gathered for Rae’s farewell – an occasion filledwith nostalgia, fond memories, laughter, and which was alsotinged with considerable sadness. During her 26 years withthe Discipline, Rae played an integral part in the myriadchanges and developments in Social Work and Social Policyat UWA, and we will miss her cheerful presence and signifi-cant contribution tothe Discipline.

Throughout thewhole of Rae’steaching career shelectured on the topics ofhuman developmentand grief. At herfarewell function, Raecommented that in theweeks preceding herretirement she had beenacutely conscious ofboth the pain and ambi-valence associated withsignificant transitions.Following tributes andreminiscences by Pro-fessor Laki Jayasuriya and Dr Tom Barrett, Rae spoke to theassembled gathering:

“It is just over 26 years since I first joined the staff ofthe Social Work Department (by any other name – and it’shad a few over that time!). In 1975 I became a temporarysenior tutor, and two years later I resigned because I wantedmore practice experience. After two years at PMH I returnedto UWA, this time to a tenured lectureship and as Directorof the Family Service Centre. Grace Vaughan, a now famousmember of my student group, once referred to me as ‘thereluctant academic’. She was ‘spot on’! It was not that Ididn’t find academia challenging and fulfilling. Rather, Iloved the combination of teaching and practice; eachcomplementing and grounding the other. I was very fortunateto have been able to combine the two – for me, the best ofboth worlds – for at least half of my academic career.

I have always considered social work education avocation rather than just a job. Having consumed such a largepart of my life, it has helped to form and shape both mypersonal and social identity. For better or worse, who I amtoday is, in large part, a result of my experiences in thisdepartment. So much so, that both my family and friendswere stunned when I first announced that I was planning toretire from UWA.

Laki Jayasuriya arrived at UWA when I was in the finalyear of my social work course. He taught me psychology andsupervised my Masters thesis on Crisis Theory. It was he whoappointed me as a Senior Tutor and it was he who encouragedme to return as Director of the Family Service Centre. Laki

has been one of the most important mentors is my life.Certainly my formation as an academic has been morestrongly influenced by him than by any other person. Hesocialised me into academia, awakened in me a realappreciation and concern for multi-cultural issues; and sentme to Singapore on a seven-week teaching exchange – a kindof multicultural practicum. Even in retirement he hasprovided ongoing education via a never-ending stream ofcontemporary literature from journals, books, and variousweb sites. During my time at UWA I have had two books

published by UWAPress. Neither wouldhave been writtenwithout Laki’s prod-ding and encourage-ment. I would like totake this opportunityto formally thank youLaki for all you havegiven me over the last30 years.

I would also liketo thank Rohini,Laki’s wife, for hercare and encourage-ment. The studentsmay not realise thatthe staff in the social

work department have a caring mother figure in RohiniJayasuriya. She has fed us, taken an interest in our hobbiesand extended family, remembered our birthdays – etc. etc.etc. Throughout the whole 30 years she has always been there– encouraging, supporting, showing interest in all the staffof the department. No wonder this department is unique.

For the last 24 years I have also had a close workingrelationship with Tom Barrett, who joined the department theyear before I returned to take up a permanent position. Duringmy first 7 years in the department, Tom and I worked togetherat the Family Service Centre, supervising students on place-ment, seeing individual clients and often working conjointlywith families. This was a great opportunity to get to knowmany students more personally than is possible in the unisetting and I have many delightful memories (and funnystories) of those early years. Sometime when you feel like alaugh, ask Tom to tell you one of the ‘cat’ stories; or aboutthe infamous Curtin student who introduced himself to theclients as ‘The Director’.

Tom and I have taught prac labs, interpersonal helping,developmental psychology, and enhancing counselling skillstogether over many years, and seven years ago we travelledto Sweden for a joint teaching exchange. Before I decidedto retire, I asked Tom when he was thinking of going, as Ithought it would be quite appropriate for us to leave together.However, his time line was a little longer than mine. I can’treally imagine life without Laki and Tom being around.Perhaps it’s just as well that I cut back my hours over thepast few years, as it has provided me with the opportunity

Farewell function: Rae with two students

to gradually wean myself from thedepartment.

The staff in the social workdepartment have been a great teamto work with. We have differentinterests, different personalities anddiffering points of view. However,we have worked together reallywell as a team and, especially whenthings have become a bit tense orconflictual, we have been able touse our social work skills tonegotiate our way around seeming-ly impassable obstacles. The stafftook me out to dinner last week andI had the opportunity to express myappreciation of each and every oneof them. Thank you one and all foryour support over the years.

When Tom asked me what kindof farewell I wanted, I especiallyasked that the current students be invited. At a rough cal-culation, I have been involved in the education ofapproximately 1100 social work students. Some of these Ihave also supervised on one of their fieldwork placements.Obviously we could not locate and invite all of thesestudents, but the current students are representative of thepast graduated ones. I have learned so much from studentsover the years, that I am resigning from ongoing student

involvement very, very reluctantly. I will not miss theadministrative responsibilities nor the continual restructuringwhich seems to be an inevitable part of contemporaryorganizations. In fact, I shall delight in being free from them.

I shall miss the beautiful campus and I shall miss mysocial work colleagues. But I shall especially miss thestudents. As I said to a friend the other day, ‘How many

persons of my age are lucky enough to have a never-ending

stream of highly motivated, caring, compassionate young

people with whom to explore and share ideas about making

the world a better place in which to live”.

Working toward a more compassionate and just society

has been my vision since I first came to Social Work over30 years ago. Such a dream leaves you wide open to‘burnout’. My enthusiasm and energy for this seeminglyimpossible task has been energised and kept alive by a steadystream of students – passionate about justice issues – whohave both shared this dream and brought me new insights andunderstanding.

But to everything there is a season, and the time has cometo move on and to allow someone else to share these joys. Ido not intend to vegetate. Rather, I hope to enjoy a wide rangeof interests and to use my social work skills and knowledgein new and yet undetermined endeavours. Each of you wasinvited here today because you have made a special contri-bution to my teaching career. I would like to thank each ofyou personally for your support and inspiration over the past24+ years and to express my appreciation for your presencehere today, to help me mark this important transition in mylife. Thank you one and all”.

Footnote: Rae lost no time in making the most of her newhorizons. Chasing information for this article, and finding herincommunicado, an email finally arrived:

“I have been holidaying in the ‘Top End’ – Darwin,Kakadu, Kimberleys, Broome – with friends for thepast three weeks. Glorious weather and beautifulscenery. It was very relaxing and great fun”.

Rae withRohini

Jayasuriya

Rae (left) in 1990 at an end-of-year party

Sue Bailey

Mandatory Reporting Update

The UWA Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy

continues to play a significant role in the policy debate

surrounding mandatory reporting of child abuse. WA remains

the only state in Australia without mandatory reporting

legislation, and like the UK and most Scandinavian countries,

WA has held out against adopting the forensic approach to

child welfare. As outlined in our January 2003 edition, a

research team lead by Dr Maria Harries and Associate

Professor Mike Clare conducted a review of evidence on

child welfare outcomes under mandatory reporting systems.

Subsequently, the Discipline hosted an interactive

Community Forum to continue the debate on child protection

strategies, and to further an appraisal of options. In this

edition, we report on recent developments in this important

debate.

In May this year, key

practitioners, policy-

makers, academics and

government leaders

gathered at the Child &

Family Wellbeing and

Mandatory Reporting

symposium, which was

co-sponsored by UWA

and the Department of

Community Develop-

ment, and held at Mercy

Community Services.

Symposium partici-

pants identified the risk

of reactionary policy

development, and

politically-motivated

pressure to introduce

mandatory reporting, in

the wake of the Gordon Inquiry findings. These issues are

seen as contributing to the simplistic notion that legislated

reporting will improve child protection services. “While

many people naturally think that mandatory reporting will

‘catch and punish perpetrators’, and help their victims, there

is no evidence that it does any of these things any better than

the comprehensive inter-agency reporting system that we

already have in WA. In fact, there is some evidence that

mandatory reporting makes it worse for children, families and

communities”, Dr Maria Harries said.

Research evidence indicates that mandatory reporting can

have particularly negative impacts on indigenous

communities, where it is likely to compound issues of

discrimination, inappropriate service delivery, and is of

dubious potential usefulness. For families who are already

penalized by structural inequalities, mandatory reporting

provides an investigatory and sanctioning system, rather than

a support system for children and families. It is recommended

that alternative systems of child welfare, in which the best

interests of the child are first considered at a local level, and

state intervention is a last resort, will provide a more effective

model of child protection. Critics of a culturally-sensitive

model of child welfare contend that it may lead to a double

standard of justice for indigenous and non-indigenous

Australians. It is important to note that this framework does

not advocate differential judicial penalties for any person

found to be responsible for the abuse of children.

Outcomes of the symposium included an on-going

commitment to the development of progressive and

enlightened approaches to child wellbeing, as against the

politically-appealing ‘quick fix’ of mandatory reporting

legislation. A number of participants requested a follow-up

meeting, which resulted in the Where to From Here

conversation, held at Centrecare in July this year.

The Where to from Here conversation was hosted by Dr

Maria Harries (UWA

Social Work and Social

Policy); Mr Tony

Pietropiccolo (WACOSS

and Centrecare); Mr

Shawn Boyle (Social

Policy Unit, Department

of Premier and Cabinet);

Ms Susan Diamond

(UWA Social Work and

Social Policy) and Ms

Jane Brazier (Depart-

ment of Community

Development).

Participants identi-

fied formalization of

existing inter-agency

networks as a priority

concern, in order to

increase effective com-

munication and colla-

boration. Community consultation and inclusiveness were

raised as important issues in forward planning, along with

recognition of the often under-valued ability of communities

to generate their own strategies and solutions.

Group discussion focussed on the disproportionate policy

and media emphasis on ‘stranger danger’, and the popular

misconception of child abuse as an external threat. The child

welfare system was characterised as a ‘satellite city’, whereby

the impact of structural inequities, systemic poverty and

inadequate income support for families are not currently

addressed. While this remains the case, child protection will

remain as a ‘bandaid’ remedy.

The Where to from Here conversation concluded with

tangible outcomes and a sense of progress. Participants

stressed the need to produce simple and coherent images of

an enlightened model of child welfare. It is important to

counter the populist, ‘quick fix’ appeal of mandatory

reporting. Smaller working groups undertook to implement

specific strategies, and will provide feedback later this month.

We look forward to hearing about future initiatives from this

innovative and committed group.

Ms Julie Roberts, Mr Tony Pietropiccolo and Dr Maria Harries

The Discipline congratulates Dr Neville Barber, who was

recently awarded his PhD. Neville’s thesis, entitled Civil

Commitment and Review: Tensions in Law and in Practice,

is a critical analysis of the concept of ‘mental health law’.

Focussing on statutory review of involuntary patients, the

thesis explores the frequently antithetical precepts used to

define ‘law’ and ‘mental illness’. Neville identifies an

inherent tension between the nebulous and disputed concept

of mental illness, and the traditionally

clear and precise definition of law. As

a lawyer, and current president of the

Mental Health Review Board of WA

(a position he has held since 1997),

Neville owns a healthy irreverence for

the ‘legal’ paradigm. He identifies

conceptual weaknesses in current

legislative frameworks, and the

traditional expectations placed on

mental health review bodies.

Neville and his wife Karen

celebrated his PhD achievement with

friends and colleagues from the

Discipline of Social Work and Social

Policy at a University House function

in June this year. We are pleased to

reproduce part of his speech: “I

started my thesis on 1 June 1997.

Within a few months, I became

president of the Board and, as it was

a new entity, I had my hands full. It wasn’t long before I

applied for and received a suspension in my enrolment. Over

the next few years, it is fair to say that I had ongoing doubts

about my thesis, and whether I could complete it, just as I

have had ongoing doubts about my ability to do my job.

However, My supervisor Maria Harries regularly encouraged

me to channel my thoughts into something productive, for

which I am very grateful.

As time went on, my thesis began to get a bit more shape

and I began to see ways in which I could incorporate many

of the experiences of my job into it. This was exciting,

thought provoking, and challenging I also benefited from

being able to access literally hundreds of relevant articles

through my work, which formed the basis of the literature

review in the thesis.

I want at this point to thank Maria for everything she did

to assist me. Maria has always understood the difficulties that

I have faced at work, and the environment in which I work.

She has provided me with much feedback during my thesis,

and certainly a lot of encouragement. A personal

characteristic is to operate within a somewhat pressured

environment. As my job has been under threat, I really

wanted to complete my thesis before my job ran out. This

desire sometimes placed Maria in an unfair position, because

she wanted to ensure proper supervision but at the same time

wanted me to complete the thesis too. I apologise to Maria

for putting her in this position. The death of my father last

September was an added impetus for me to finish the thesis,

and so I submitted it in late September last year, in arguably

an overly hasty fashion.

Perhaps characteristically (in the sense that my pathways

are usually not smooth sailing) I received interesting and

contentious feedback from my examiners: Two thought the

thesis was good and recommended only minor changes. The

third, a lawyer who is a true believer in law (and I am not)

stated at the beginning and near the

end that the thesis was a lucid and

thoroughly researched analysis of its

content area. However, he then spent

the other 14 pages bagging it, which

I found deeply hurtful. Again, I was

in a position of nearly giving up, but

didn’t. Incidentally, I think a legacy

of that lawyer’s criticism that future

candidates will bear is the strong

advice that their thesis should or must

be proof-read prior to submission –

this I think is no bad thing. I had mine

proof-read after I submitted it and this

too resulted in many positive changes.

After receiving feedback, the race was

on again – this time to complete the

thesis prior to having a holiday so

that, if SARS or war intervened, at

least the thesis would be complete.

Amongst other things, this entailed

me doing 16 hours work in the day before I left on holiday.

I would like to add a couple of other things. First, because

of the background to my thesis, and the values that I hold

about the relative irrelevance of the legal paradigm, I really

wanted to avoid fancy legalese in the thesis. Thus, I

deliberately changed the title changed from its earlier more

complicated form to Civil Commitment and Review: tensions

in law and in practice. Similarly, and much to the chagrin

of some observers, my chapter titles include such gems as

“Chapter 3” (Literature) and “Chapter 5” (Data). For me, it

was really important that the thesis be simply written and be

in simple terms.

Secondly, I want to thank Karen, who has been so

supportive as I have progressed with the thesis – even to the

extent of reading parts of it regularly, and all of it twice. A

friend of mine who has a PhD suggests that partners should

also be awarded them, and I think there is merit in this idea.

Finally, I would like to thank all of you for the support

you too have provided to me in the sessions that I attended.

I have appreciated being on the same journey as you. I would

like to conclude by quoting from a book that I have recently

read, written by Daniel Lachenmeyer about his father’s life

journey with schizophrenia. This quote is actually from

Daniel’s father, whose name is Charles.

No matter how adverse the circumstances – and mine have

been adverse – there is never any reason to give up”.

PhD for Neville Barber

Dr Neville Barber

dological considerations in relation to the practice of nativetitle history and important issues about the nature andbackground of the archival records and other documentarysources which form the mainstay of historical research in thenative title claim process.

Both books are available through the UWA Press:08 9380 3670 or at http://www.uwapress.edu.au

Hon Sheila McHale presenting Dr Christine Choo with the Margaret Medcalf Award

Congratulations to DR CHRISTINE CHOO, on herachievement as joint winner of the inaugural MargaretMedcalf Award, presented by the Hon. Sheila McHale inAugust this year. The Margaret Medcalf Award honoursexcellence in the use and application of archival records heldat the WA State Records Office. It was awarded to Christinein recognition of her book, Mission Girls: Aboriginal women

on Catholic Missions in the Kimberley, Western Australia,

1900 – 1950, which was published in 2001.Another well-regarded work which Christine co-edited

with Shawn Hollbach, was also launched this year. This work,History and Native Title, Volume 23, 2003 of Studies in

Western Australian History published by the UWA Centre forWestern Australian History, provides a unique forum fordiscussion of native title perspectives. History and Native Title

provides the opportunity for voices of Directors of NativeTitle Representative Bodies and other Aboriginal leadersinvolved in the native title claims process in WA to be heardwithin the context of academic and ‘professional’ researchon Aboriginal communities and their native title interests.

Christine describes the book as a collection of significantscholarship that is uniquely Western Australian, yet relevantto the historiography of native title and dispossessionthroughout Australia. It explores theoretical and metho-

Crime Research Centre meeting

2003 Margaret Medcalf Award Winner

Exploring Collaborative Partnerships By Nicola FarrayIn June this year Social Work and Social Policy academicsand researchers met with a number of representatives fromUWA’s Crime Research Centre. The aim of the lunchtimemeeting was to discuss possible research collaborationbetween the two ‘schools’.

The substantial commonalities between Social Work andthe Crime Research Centre were first discussed at a meetingbetween Associate Professor Mike Clare and Professor AnneWorrall in January this year. Mike and Anne identifiedcommon interests in teaching and research and exploredpossibilities for future partnerships. Potential collaborativeendeavours include reciprocal teaching and supervisionarrangements and joint applications for research funding. Themeeting established that the joint expertise of researchersfrom the Crime Research Centre and Social Work couldprovide unique and beneficial insights into many subject

areas. Examples included: substance use/misuse; childprotection; violent offending and sexual offending. Thesubsequent informal meeting between interested parties fromboth departments and the recent get-together proved to be avery successful starting point.

Present at the meeting from the Discipline of Social Workwere: Ms Violet Bacon, Dr Tom Barrett, Ms Sue Diamond,Ms Nicola Farray, Dr Maria Harries, Dr Ranjit Kumar, MsRae Lindsay, Ms Pip White and Dr Sue Young. Present fromthe Crime Research Centre were: Dr Harry Blagg, Mr JohnFernandez, Dr David Indermaur, Dr Lynne Roberts and MsGiulietta Valuri.

Discussion centred on previous research studies under-taken by each group and identified key areas for potentialpartnership. One particularly promising area for collaborationis the combination of the Crime Research Centre’s access to

statistical databases and cutting-edge quantitative analysistechniques, married with the Social Work Discipline’sexpertise in wider social issues, treatment, practice and policydevelopment. Dr David Indermaur from the Crime ResearchCentre commented that partnering these understandings couldshed light on the notion that “society gets the crime it

deserves” and that many categories of offending arereflections of wider, and often, endemic social problems.

All participants at the meeting expressed a willingnessto discuss further avenues for joint projects and it isenvisaged that a fledgling research alliance between bothparties will be established in the near future.

Professor Jayasuriya Awarded Centenary MedalCongratulations to EMERITUS PRO-

FESSOR LAKSIRI JAYASURIYA,AM, PhD (Lond), FBPsS, FASSA,HonDLitt (Col) who, along with severalother well-known UWA academics, wasawarded a 2003 Centenary Medal. Profes-sor Jayasuriya has had a long associationwith the UWA Discipline of Social Workand Social Policy, and is currently anHonorary Senior Research Fellow.

Described as “the man who put socialwork on the map in WA”, ProfessorJayasuriya is recognized as a pioneer inAustralian multiculturalism. In the early1950s he was one of the first Asian peopleto be offered a teaching position atSydney University. Two decades later, atthe time he was appointed Head of SocialWork at UWA, the White Australia Policywas yet to be abolished. His distinguished career ischaracterised by on-going participation in many public bodies,and by numerous awards – including the Order of Australia.

In 1971, when Professor Jayasuriya was appointed Head ofthe Department of Social Work, there were less than ten students,

and the ‘Department’ was housed intemporary wooden huts in Irwin Street.Social work was a marginalised field ofstudy and located outside the Facultystructure. Professor Jayasuriya cam-paigned tirelessly for the recognition ofsocial work as an applied social science,for the appointment of more social workstaff, and for improved facilities and betterresources. He was instrumental in theestablishment of social work as a well-regarded professional academic degree.

An entertaining public speaker, witha wicked sense of humour, ‘Laki’ is amuch-beloved member of our Discipline.In his typically self-effacing manner,Professor Jayasuriya claims he nowbelongs to the ‘archives’, and requestedthat this article be kept ‘brief’. The Disci-

pline is indeed fortunate to be enriched by the supportivepresence and on-going contribution of Professor Jayasuriya.

Thanks to the following people whose work providedmaterial used in the preparation of this article: JenniferGardner, Trea Wiltshire, Maria Harries and Greg Swensen.

Developments in the DisciplineDISCIPLINE CHAIR, Dr Tom Barrett, provides an update on matters pertaining to Social Work and Social Policy at UWA:

Some interesting findings: The 2003 Good Universities Guide, released in July this year, reveals that UWA graduates find iteasier to find employment than graduates of the other WA universities and have a higher starting salary. The findings of the2002 Course Experience Questionnaire sent to all university graduates in Australia indicates that the BSW course at UWA isNo. 1 out of 27 social work courses across Australia, when it comes to overall satisfaction as reported by the graduates whoresponded to the survey. Close runners-up were the University of Melbourne and Deakin University. This is the secondconsecutive year we have been in this position. In the absence of clear indicators of how many students from each universityresponded to the survey, the findings need to be treated with some caution. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to find UWASocial Work in the position stated.

Not content to sit on our laurels, in 2004 we are introducing two new units in first and second year of the BSW course toafford better links with the Discipline for these students as well as providing an earlier experience with social work as aprofession. A unit on social policy SW 101 will be introduced into year 1 semester 1 and a course in communications skillsSW 203 will commence in semester 2 of year 2. Corresponding changes in current 3rd year social policy and interpersonalhelping courses will be introduced commencing in 2005.

At the postgraduate level we are presently examining the feasibility of introducing a professional doctorate, the DSW(Doctor of Social Work). This degree will include coursework plus a dissertation. Further details will become available atlater date. If the possibility of undertaking a DSW appeals to you we would appreciate hearing from you as to your interest.This would assist us in gauging the demand for such a degree.

Thanks to the generosity of the late Ms Jean Teasdale and her family, we have added another prize to those available tosocial work students. This prize will be awarded to the student who has shown the most individual/personal growth duringthe BSW course.

We have recently upgraded our website to be found at www.arts.edu.au/SocWkWWW/ We invite you to visit the websiteand would welcome any feedback you may have to offer.

Professor Laki Jayasuriya

AS MANY of us are aware, the WA Branch of the AASW

has recently undergone radical change. In an unprece-dented move, the WA Committee of Management resigned

en masse, effective 4th June this year. Resignees cited

“diminished control of Branch funds ... and attempts tolimit proper debate”, amongst their grievances and as

rationale for their collective resignation.

For your information, we provide a summary ofdevelopments:

• 4th June: Resignation of the WA AASW Committee of

Management and the WA National Director. This wasannounced to a surprised membership in the June 2003

newsletter.

• 10th June: Outgoing CoM host We’ve Come to a Cross-

road, to respond to questions from Branch members.

Approximately 50 members attend.

• 2nd July: National President and AASW CEO meet withWA AASW members to discuss the future of the WA

Branch. Approximately 85 members attend the meeting;

a 10-person working group volunteer to develop optionsfor a way forward and to consider concerns raised. The

working group undertake to meet and report back within

a three-month timeframe.• 8th July: 22nd WA Annual State Conference is cancelled

as there is no State infrastructure to support it.

• 12th July 2003, the National Board call for expressionsof interest for Branch administrators, to enable actioning

of by-laws to meet requirements of the AASW

Constitution.• 4th August: Survey posted to canvas views of WA mem-

bers. Respondents are requested to provide individual

perspectives and respond to key issues raised at the 2nd

July meeting.

• 31st August: Members are mailed survey feedback; an

update on the progress of the working group, and invi-tation to a special meeting to be held on 6th October.

What does this mean forWA Branch members?

The AASW national entity confirms that WA membership

status is unaffected by the resignation of the WA CoM.

Members are still bound to practise according to the Codeof Ethics. Member accreditation, public liability insurance

and personal indemnity cover are still active, under the

auspices of the national office in Canberra. Sub-com-mittees of the WA AASW Branch are again operational,

following the appointment of an Administrator, but have

a limited reporting system. Most WA Branch activities arecurtailed until a new Committee of Management or an

alternative structure can be elected and/or organised. The

Grace Vaughan Lecture on the 1st October will proceed,with Margaret Stockton representing the AASW. In the

absence of a Branch CoM, Dr Maria Harries is acting as

Administrator, while the working group organizes a

Special Meeting to re-constitute a formal Branch structure.Options for a new structure will be developed during

extensive membership consultation.

A new WA Administration Officer, Jenny DiRisio, hasbeen appointed and can be contacted on (08)9332 0019

during office hours, or at aaswwa@highway1.com.au.

Jenny’s appointment is temporary pending a new Branchstructure. We would like to extend a formal welcome to

Jenny from all of us at UWA.

AASW WA Branch Resignation –One Member’s Perspective

I was very disturbed by the news of mass resignation by

the Western Australian AASW Committee of Management.

There had been no prior indication of problems in theAssociation, which added to the shock of the announce-

ment. I sought to find answers at the two meetings held

in the wake of the Committee’s resignation.Not surprisingly, the first meeting, held by the outgoing

CoM, was heated and highly emotive. It was difficult to

read the subtext and work out exactly what was going on.The opposing arguments were convincing and I was left

with the impression that there were valid grievances on

both sides. However, I also felt disillusioned and cynicalthat social work leadership had been unable to resolve

organizational conflict. Opposition between National- and

State-level entities; conflict between boards and commit-tees; disputes over autonomy and financial control – there

was nothing new about that. Perhaps this was just an

ordinary, garden-variety power struggle.Following closer examination of the dispute, I revised

my first supposition that this conflict was simply about

power and ego. I saw some irony in the local entity’s argu-ment, and I reviewed my perspective. The CoM’s rationale

for mass resignation included complaints about ‘lack of

consultation’ and ‘loss of autonomy’. Had I missed some-thing? Had WA members been consulted prior to the

resignation of our State representatives? Apparently not. I

also realized that a mass move to ‘abandon ship’ effectivelyended all potential negotiation and communication. It

would not protect our autonomy; and the loss of represen-

tation would silence the collective voice of WA Branchmembers. It seemed a bizarre way to go about empowering

the WA membership.

At the second meeting there was further heated debate,but also a sense of ‘moving forward’, and an apparent

willingness to compromise. Disbanding the CoM may have

left WA without the benefit of official representation, butit also had the desired effect of forcing the national body

to the negotiating table. It seems a shame to have lost so

many dedicated and experienced people in the process. Itis clear that WA members want to move forward, and to

WA AASW Branch – Latest Developments

re-establish a local AASW entity, but they don’t want

the same old story dressed up under a different name.A volunteer working party of about 10 individuals

accepted a mandate to address the unresolved issues

between the Board and the CoM. I was heartened towitness the dedication and selfless contribution of this

volunteer group. It seems like a promising start to the

development of new structures, and a positive steptowards State and National reconciliation.

For me, however, the most impressive moment of

this whole series of events occurred when this meetingwas drawing to a close. In room that was packed to over-

capacity with social work ‘heavyweights’, we had

already heard eloquent commentary from many well-respected, experienced public speakers. To me, they

formed a formidable crowd, and I was awed when a

brave young woman at the back of the room stood upand spoke. It was clearly not easy for her to do so, but

she spoke with passion and conviction. She gave her

name and said: “I am relatively new to the social workprofession – a young social worker and I work within a

WA regional area. I am really upset and disappointed

by the conversation that I have heard tonight and whatis happening within the AASW. I was taught by many

people in this room and look up to many of you as mycolleagues and people I aspire to practice like. I studied

hard for my social work degree and I work hard now as

a social worker and I believe that there are manyimportant issues that the AASW should be handling, for

example the ‘de-professionalisation’ of our profession.

I still believe in the profession and would like to see“us” move forward towards a resolution....”. She took

the words straight out of my (silent) mouth. The speaker

went on to volunteer her services as a member of thefledgling working party. She inspired me, and her

powerful contribution to that meeting reminded me that

our profession is blessed with some extraordinaryindividuals.

Continued from page 8

WA AASW Branch – Latest Developments

Masters Degree and Grace VaughanAward for Carolyn Johnson

CONGRATULATIONS to CAROLYN JOHNSON, whorecently achieved her Masters Degree through the UWADiscipline of Social Work and Social Policy. Followingcompletion of her thesis, Carolyn was awarded the 2002Grace Vaughan Award, which enabled her to travel to the 10th

Annual Family Law Conference in Melbourne to present herresearch on familicide.

Carolyn’s thesis, Familicide and Disputed Residency and

Contact in WA: A Contemporary Picture, examines thephenomenon of family homicide, or ‘familicide’. Her studyhighlights current misconceptions in the community about the

causal factors attributed to familicide, such as mediarepresentations of these offences as ‘acts of love’, rather thanas acts of extreme and pre-meditated violence. Carolyn foundsignificant commonalities in cases of familicide, leading herto suggest ‘therapeutic jurisprudence’ as a model for FamilyCourt service delivery in cases where there is evidence offamily violence, child abuse, substance abuse or mentalillness. This mechanism could provide a valuable opportunityto develop early intervention services, with a preventativefocus. The WA Family Court is currently piloting the‘Columbus’ program to deal with cases of alleged familyviolence and/or child abuse. Carolyn hopes that suchprograms will eventually be expanded to incorporate otherareas of family dysfunction, as it is unlikely that a purelylegal solution is adequate or appropriate to assist thesefamilies. At the Grace Vaughan Award ceremony earlier thisyear, Carolyn spoke about her Masters research and herreaction to winning the award:

“I would like to thank the Australian Association of SocialWorkers and The University of Western Australia forbestowing this award upon me. It is a great and unexpectedhonour, which I accept with humility. I remember when I wasa mature-age social work student back in the seventies, manyof us viewed Grace Vaughan as an exemplary role model.She was a social activist, dedicated to the improvement ofthe human condition at all levels of society, both nationally,and internationally. She had a deep commitment to socialjustice, and an unflagging energy with which to pursue hervision of a more equitable society. This award serves toremind us of her endeavours, and to those of us who aspireto follow in her footsteps, it provides opportunities to assistin the realisation of that vision. Social Work is a professiondedicated to the achievement of social justice for all and toensuring that the needs of the disadvantaged are recognised.I am proud to be a Social Worker and to have had the oppor-tunity to make a positive contribution to society through myresearch.

My research project examines familicide, or familyhomicide, where a man kills his children, and then himself,following marital separation. This project really began manyyears ago, when I worked in the prison system. Whilstworking there, I provided therapy to a man who had killedhis two children – a particularly horrific and notorious crime– following separation from his wife, the mother of theirchildren. In spite of having killed his children, this manprofessed to have loved them dearly and was quite unableto explain his offence. I worked with this man for a numberof years, and through the therapeutic process I began to gainsome insight into the effects of his adverse early lifeexperiences, and of the events which preceded his crime. Isaw his shame and humiliation, but also his integrity andintelligence. I was forced to grapple with the paradox of hisprofessed love for his children and the fact that he hadmurdered them. Later, whilst working at the Family Court, Iwas again confronted with the issue of familicide, andremained puzzled about its aetiology.

The Research Masters Program at The University ofWestern Australia has enabled me to pursue the study of thismost baffling of crimes, and hopefully to expand the horizonsof our knowledge. I was able to examine all cases of

familicide in Western Australia over a ten-year period, wherethere were indications that a dispute in relation to residencyand contact had existed. I studied seven offence incidents,finding that only three of these cases had a current disputebefore the Family Court at the time of the offence. In spiteof this, I found that there were significant commonalitiesbetween these offences. These were: a history of violence;previous threats to harm; an apparent lack of individuation;and a deterioration in the mental health of the perpetrator.The familicide offence appeared to have been pre-meditatedin every case where the antecedents were available. Prior tothis research, little was known about the aetiology offamilicide. The work I have undertaken is just the beginning,and I sincerely hope that it will pave the way for futurestudies.

The Grace Vaughan Award has enabled me to travel toMelbourne to attend the 10th National Family Law Con-ference. I presented my research to a national and inter-national audience of judges, magistrates, lawyers and coun-sellors. It has now been published on the world wide web,as part of the conference proceedings. There was a great dealof interest expressed in this research at the conference, andI am hopeful that its presentation at that forum will increaseknowledge and awareness amongst the judiciary and legalprofession about risk factors, and the complex dynamics oflethal family violence. I believe knowledge is the key tounderstanding this offence, and that understanding is the keyto prevention.

I believe that legal solutions alone are not able to respondappropriately to families where a history of violence, or otherserious dysfunction, precedes separation. Whilst inMelbourne, I heard many lawyers and members of thejudiciary express the view that there needs to be a greaterdialogue between the social sciences and the legal profession,in order to find more effective ways of dealing with caseswhere complex family dynamics increase risk to children. Itis gratifying to see that the Family Court of Western Australiahas embraced the concept of therapeutic jurisprudence byfacilitating the piloting of the Columbus Project, whichprovides for differential case management, in families wherethere are allegations of family violence or child abuse. JusticeDessau recently announced that similar programs are to beimplemented, Australia wide, in the Family Court. In additionto obtaining better outcomes for children, it is anticipated thatsuch initiatives will reduce the negative effects of the courtprocess. I’m sure you will agree that these changes are mostwelcome.

I would like to formally thank the faculty and staff of theSchool of Social work at UWA for the support provided tome over the last five years. I am especially indebted to mytutor, Maria Harries, for her wisdom, patience and guidance.I would also like to thank my colleagues, friends and familyfor their encouragement throughout this endeavour. Finally,and most sincerely, I would like to thank the survivors offamilicide who, after experiencing, perhaps the biggestbreach of trust imaginable, found the courage to share theirtrauma with an unknown researcher, in the hope that thiswork would increase knowledge about the offence offamilicide, and help to provide a safer future for the childrenof other troubled families. Thank you.”

Ms Jenny Terry

Feedback from the InternationalFoster Care ConferenceMS JENNY TERRY, who is completing her M.A. in theDiscipline of Social Work and Social Policy, has recently

returned from a trip to Buenos Aires, Argentina where she

presented a workshop at the International Foster Care Con-

ference. With the assistance of interpreters, Jenny outlined

her postgraduate research on “Resilience in children in out-

of-home care”. Jenny’s operational definition of resilience is“a dynamic process encompassing positive adaptation within

the context of significant adversity” (Luthar, Cicceti &

Becker, 2000: 543). Jenny says attending the conferenceprovided a great opportunity to network with practitioners,

foster carers and academics from South America and other

parts of the world and to learn about new research and directpractice on a global level.

Participants at the conference included a variety of

practitioners, foster carers and children in care. One of themost interesting aspects of the conference for Jenny was an

opportunity to talk with Argentinian lawyers who have

embraced the construct of resilience to work effectively withchildren and young people within the legal system. She says

social workers and psychologists at the conference were

extremely interested in the concept of ‘family reunification’which is a rare occurrence in the South American context.

Comparing structural differences between the two

regions, Jenny commented that these foci represent thereverse of the Australian system, in which social work

organizations prioritise’‘family reunification’, and the legal

system is rarely involved with concepts such as ‘resilience’.After the conference Jenny took the opportunity to travel

for a further three weeks through Argentina and Chile,

including a trip to Easter Island.

Research Intensive WorkshopAS PART of the Discipline’s 2003 Winter School, Dr MariaHarries and Dr Ranjit Kumar co-convened a three-day

‘Research Intensive’ in July this year.

Workshop participants were invited to discuss potentialresearch ideas and familiarise themselves with research pro-

cesses. The group worked through the stages of developing

researchable ideas; analysis of data; and interpretation ofresearch findings. Practitioners and postgraduate students

attending the workshop were invited to consider the value

of intervention assessment in social work practice, and werefamiliarised with different models of evaluation.

Participants reported that the Research Intensive had been

an invaluable learning experience, and they felt fortunate tohave been treated to individualised consultation with two

such highly-experienced research experts. Group members

also commented on the opportunity to network with otherpractitioners and researchers with an interest in the practice/

policy nexus.

ColumbusProjectUpdate

C A R O L Y N

J O H N S O N ’ S

discussion of the

Columbus project

provides a timely

opportunity to update

our previous report

on this model of

‘therapeutic juris-

Some of the Research Intensive group

Dr Paul Murphy

prudence’. As we reported in the first edition

of The UWA Social Worker, DR PAUL

MURPHY was involved in the introduction

of the innovative Columbus project with the

Family Court of Western Australia.

Columbus is a differential case management

system for working with families in which

domestic violence and child abuse are

identified issues. Columbus cases are

managed through a series of informal

conferences which are jointly chaired by a

registrar and court counsellor with the aim of

achieving a safe, stable contact regime for the

children.

Following completion of the pilot project,

Paul has been seconded to the Family Court

for a further 12 months to evaluate the

project outcomes. The evaluation is based on

a number of different data sources, including

feedback from a wide range of stakeholders.

Paul has recently gained ‘seeding

funding’ to extend the evaluation, and the project will now

extend well into 2004. He also recently travelled to Canberra

for a meeting designed to establish a research agenda for the

Family Court (the first time that WA has been represented at

such a meeting). He also spoke at a National Forum to

discuss the implementation of the Federal Government’s

reform package: Pathways: Out of the Maze – designed to

establish an integrated family law system. He is currently

on standby to commute to Canberra each month to continue

this work as the Family Court of Australia seeks to implement

the Magellan project (a simpler version of Columbus) in the

19 registries throughout Australia. We wish him well in this

important work and look forward to hearing about future

developments.

New Initiatives forMental Health Services

THE WEST AUSTRALIAN Mental Health Information

Development Plan (WA MHIDP) website was launched by

the previous Health Minister Bob Kucera on the 18th June2003 along with the new Office of Mental Health website.

This new website has been designed to provide up-to-date

information on the WA MHIDP to all consumers, carers,clinicians, service providers, and other stakeholders.

Resources relating to the WA MHIDP, will be available to

download from the website.By linking to the Office of Mental Health website,

consumers will be able to find information about services

throughout the State with the ability to search for mentalhealth services closest to their home. They will also be able

to access contact details in a psychiatric emergency or find

out what to do if they have any issues of concern with mentalhealth services.

Take the tour > log on to: www.mental.health.wa.gov.au

www.mhidp.health.wa.gov.au

2003 UWA Expo3RD YEAR student social workers MS

SARAH MICHAELS and MR AZLEE

SULTAN were on hand to present ‘student

perspectives’ at information sessions during

this year’s UWA Expo. At the interactive

sessions, Dr Tom Barrett addressed pros-

pective students and provided information

about professional qualifications available

through the UWA Social Work and Social

Policy Discipline. Azlee and Sarah then co-

facilitated question-and-answer sessions,

and shared their personal experiences

regarding course work and field placements.

Also representing the Discipline was

doctoral candidate MS NADA ELTAIBA,

who organized and coordinated the Social

Work and Social Policy expo display. Nada

talked with prospective students and

provided information about course

requirements for the undergraduate and

postgraduate degrees. The UWA Expo was

well-attended, and there was plenty of

interest in the Discipline. Thank you to

Nada, Sarah and Azlee for your assistance

in making the day such a success.

LEFT: Ms Nada Eltaiba at Expo

LEFT:Tom withSarahMichaels