Abstract
Tigges, Lund, Kovac
International School Social Work - Supporting Mental Health and Wellbeing in Schools
This presentation showcases an innovative teaching approach in a team-teaching unit at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Dortmund, Germany. Together with two Australian colleagues, we have developed a hybrid teaching mode for final year social work students that emphasises self-learning and self-reflective teaching strategies with a focus on project and case study work.
The unit focuses on mental health and wellbeing within a school context. Students are encouraged to reflect on their own lives to develop their frameworks for practice.
The intention is to create an interactive and engaged learning environment with some real and raw conversations about what social work is.
This unit explores the impact of trauma on learning and behaviour, the role of educators in creating a safe and supportive environment for students who have experienced adversity, and the implementation of trauma-informed strategies in the school community. It explores evidence-based approaches to promoting mental health literacy among educators and students, the impact of mental health on student wellbeing, and the implementation of evidence-informed frameworks to support the mental health of children and young people. Additionally, the unit examines the association between mental health and wellbeing and the experiences of racism, discrimination and other forms of oppression.
In this presentation we will present two ‘tools’ that the students have developed and created to support school social workers to enhance awareness and sensitivity for trauma and mental health, and a safety device (digital app) for students in need of help during school days.