090025 Trauma Informed Mental Health Care and Practice
Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a
particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source
of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.
Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 92073 Trauma-Informed Care and Practice
Description
This co-designed subject aims to develop students' knowledge of trauma informed care and practice across all areas of health service delivery, including services for mental health and well-being, alcohol and other drug use, emergency services, and community-based health and human services. It draws on lived experience perspectives, contemporary research, and clinical knowledge to facilitate students’ capacity to critically reflect on the socio-political and historical dimensions of trauma and the consequences of traumatisation for individuals, families, and communities, including complex, interpersonal, and intergenerational trauma. The subject explores principles and practices of trauma informed care and recovery-oriented practice, including the specific needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for culturally safe practice. This subject will also facilitate students’ understanding of the institutional barriers and enablers to trauma informed care and practice, including vicarious trauma and the collective responsibility for support in health and community settings.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Critically reflect on the socio-political and historical dimensions of trauma and the different ways trauma is understood and described |
|---|---|
| B. | Critically discuss the defining attributes of trauma, and the consequences for individuals, families and communities |
| C. | Examine the foundations and principles of trauma informed care and practice in Australian health services and community settings |
| D. | Critically appraise trauma informed practices that enhance safety, choice, and collaboration, minimise re-traumatisation and vicarious trauma and promote recovery across health and community settings |
| E. | Demonstrate an understanding of strength based and culturally capable trauma informed practices in specific populations who have experienced marginalisation and violence, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Are reflective critical thinkers who examine and contribute to practice, policy, and research to achieve clinical excellence and enhance health outcomes (1.0)
- Demonstrates ability to collaborate to achieve evidence-based change and transformation for optimal health care outcomes (2.1)
- Synthesise evidence-based principles of quality and safety to achieve optimal health outcomes (3.2)
- Evaluate and select contextually appropriate communication approaches, giving agency to a diverse range of healthcare consumers to make informed decisions about their own health (4.1)
- Practice safe and effective person and family centred care which embodies relevant professional codes and standards (5.1)
- Demonstrate compassionate, empathic, ethical and collaborative clinical practice (5.2)
- Critically reflect on Indigenous Australian contexts to inform professional cultural capability to work effectively with and for, Indigenous Australians within the health and social care profession (6.1)
- Critically reflect on ethical Indigenous research practices to work with and for Indigenous peoples within the health and social care professions (6.2)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
Critical thinking: Are reflective critical thinkers who examine and contribute to practice, policy and research to achieve clinical excellence and enhance health outcomes (1.0)
Leadership: Are visionary, innovative and responsive leaders (2.0)
Accountability: Are socially, culturally and ethically aware and accountable when engaging with health care consumers, families/significant others, interdisciplinary teams, communities, organisations and authorities (3.0)
Communication: Communicate effectively and professionally in diverse and dynamic situations (4.0)
Professional qualities: Embody the professional qualities appropriate to the scope of their role (5.0)
Indigenous cultural respect: Demonstrate professional capabilities to work effectively with and for Indigenous peoples and communities across the health profession (6.0)
Teaching and learning strategies
Orientation activities
Preparation for the session - You are expected to undertake activities during orientation week. These activities are designed to introduce you to the subject and your peers, and will assist you to prepare for the subject's assessment tasks.
Independent learning activities
Relevant readings, videos and activities will be made available online relevant to the topic of the week. This will support your ability to progress successfully throughout the subject and complete assessment items effectively. The online material aims to enhance your understanding of the topic or delve deeper into a more specific area, compare experiences and ideas with others and gain feedback. Information and links to all these learning activities can be accessed via Canvas as well as the subject outline.
Zoom meetings
You are strongly encouraged to attend all scheduled Zoom meetings as they will prepare you for the subject’s assessment tasks. Additionally, they provide opportunities for group activities, discussion, self-assessment, peer review and formative feedback from the subject coordinator and your teaching team. The schedule for this subject’s zoom meetings is below in the program section.
Feedback
Feedback in this subject takes several forms including self-assessment, peer review, automatic feedback from interactive activities and from the teaching team. Formative feedback throughout the subject aims to increase your performance in summative assessments.
Feedback and changes from previous subject offering
This is the fifth offering of this subject. Changes from the previous subject offering include a change to assessments to support students to build understanding of the requirements for the final assessment. We will be collecting feedback from you in several forms to evaluate the design, relevance and depth of the content and its delivery. We appreciate you taking part in this process to ensure we are delivering subjects that are contemporary and meet your needs.
Content (topics)
This Subject will cover the following topics:
Module 1: Recognising the prevalence and impacts of trauma
- Knowing how trauma is understood and described
- Critically reflecting on the socio-political and historical dimensions of trauma in specific populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
- Recognising the consequences of traumatisation on individuals, families, and communities
- Understanding how people with lived experience embody, enact, and/or make sense of traumatic experiences
Module 2: Trauma-Informed Care and Practice
- Understanding the various frameworks for responding to trauma
- Critically reflecting on lived experience perspectives on frameworks for care
- Foundations and principles of trauma informed care and practice
- Putting the relationship first
Module 3: Trauma-informed practices that promote recovery
- Promoting safety and recovery-oriented relationships
- Valuing choice, autonomy and culture
- Trauma informed practices for working with culturally diverse communities
- Collaborative and strengths-based approaches that promote self-determination
- Recognising and sharing power
Module 4: Barriers and Enablers to Trauma-Informed Care and Practice in real-world settings
- System barriers and enablers to Trauma-Informed Care and Practice
- Ensuring diverse models of care and preventing re-traumatisation
- Creating trauma informed systems, organisations and services
- Attending to vicarious trauma, and the benefits and limits of self-care
- Resisting tokenism and collaborating with people with lived experience
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Quiz/test
| Intent: | This assessment involves understanding lived experience perspectives of trauma, including experiences, consequences, and meaning of trauma and recovery to the person |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, B and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.0 and 4.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Weight: | 15% |
| Length: | 13 questions in 30 minutes |
Assessment task 2: Critical Summary
| Intent: | This assessment will assist you in preparing for your final assessment. This assessment enables you to explore a barrier to trauma informed practice that is of interest. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 3.2, 5.1 and 6.2 |
| Type: | Literature review |
| Weight: | 35% |
| Length: | Table summary of literature, and critical written summary of 250-300 words +/- 10% |
Assessment task 3: Critical Reflection
| Intent: | This assessment builds on Assessment 2 and provides an opportunity to consolidate the content of this subject. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A, C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 2.1, 3.2, 5.2 and 6.1 |
| Type: | Essay |
| Weight: | 50% |
| Length: | 1500 words +/-10% |
Other resources
UTS Student Centre
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Monday to Friday: 9am - 5pm
Tel: 1300 ASK UTS (1300 275 887)
Details for student centres: www.uts.edu.au/current-students/contacts/general-contacts
For other resources/ information refer to the Faculty of Health website (www.uts.edu.au/about/faculty-health) and Canvas at: https://canvas.uts.edu.au/.
UTS Library
The Library has a wide range of resources, facilities and services to support you including textbooks, subject readings, health literature databases, workshops and bookable study rooms. There is also a team of librarians to help you with your questions available via online chat, phone and in person. W: https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/, Facebook: utslibrary, Twitter: @utslibrary Tel: (02) 9514 3666.
Improve your academic and English language skills
Marks for all assessment tasks such as assignments and examinations are given not only for what you write but also for how you write. If you would like the opportunity to improve your academic and English language skills, make an appointment with the HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support) Service in Student Services.
HELPS (Higher Education Language & Presentation Support)
HELPS provides assistance with English language proficiency and academic language. Students who need to develop their written and/or spoken English should make use of the free services offered by HELPS, including academic language workshops, vacation intensive courses, drop-in consultations, individual appointments and Conversations@UTS (www.ssu.uts.edu.au/helps). HELPS staff are also available for drop-in consultations at the UTS Library. Phone (02) 9514 9733.
Please see www.uts.edu.au for additional information on other resources provided to students by UTS.
The Accessibility and Financial Assistance Service
The Accessibility Service can support students with disabilities, medical or mental health conditions, including temporary injuries (e.g., broken limbs). The Accessibility Service works with Academic Liaison Officers in each Faculty to provide ‘reasonable adjustments’ such as exam provisions, assistive technology, requests and strategies for managing your studies alongside your health condition. If you’re unsure whether you need assistance, we recommend getting in touch early and we can provide advice on how our service can assist you. Make an appointment with an Accessibility Consultant (AC) on +61 2 9514 1177 or Accessibility@uts.edu.au.
The Financial Assistance Service can assist you with financial aspects of life at university, including Centrelink information, tax returns and budgeting, interest-free student loans and grants to assist with course-related costs. Check eligibility and apply online and make an appointment on +61 2 9514 1177 or Financial.assistance@uts.edu.au.