SOCHLTH 732 : Working with Grief and Loss

Education and Social Work

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An in-depth examination of theoretical and cultural perspectives of grief and loss that includes loss associated with trauma, terminal and chronic illness and suicide. Personal experience of loss will also be explored. Content will include contemporary literature and the examination of evidence-informed interventions that can assist adults and children experiencing grief, loss and change.

Course Overview

This course will cover a range of loss and grief theories and cultural perspectives and apply these to a range of specific contexts.  The course is taught over four block course days.  The first is taught in a consecutive 3 day block that covers key loss and grief ideas, concepts, and models.  A particular focus is on application and beginning to think through how these ideas can be applied to practice.  While the course is situated in social work, it is open to any professional that is interested in incorporating this knowledge to their practice.  The course has generally had counsellors, general practitioners, teachers, nurses, disaster managers, midwives and a range of other professions represented and this provides a help multi-disciplinary perspective to inform practice.  The last day focuses on working with children and narrative approaches. 

Course Requirements

Restriction: SOCHLTH 432

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of of death and non-death related loss by examining various types of losses and associated professional responses to these. (Capability 1.3, 1.4, 3.2, 5.2, 6.2 and 8.1)
  2. Develop your awareness of the impact that loss experiences have on the development and functioning of individuals and families (Capability 3.1, 5.1, 6.2 and 8.1)
  3. Demonstrate your knowledge of various frameworks for understanding loss and grief and corresponding clinical interventions. (Capability 1.2, 3.1, 3.2 and 4.1)
  4. Demonstrate Demonstrate an ability to understand loss and grief experiences in their cultural, social and historical contexts (Capability 1.1 and 1.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Essay and Poster 50% Individual Coursework
Case Studies 50% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4
Essay and Poster
Case Studies

To pass this course you must submit all assessments and achieve an overall minimum course mark of 50%

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 15 hours of lectures, 6 hours tutorials/discussions/presentations, 40 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 40 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for the course.

The course will not include live online .
Attendance on campus is required.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a block delivery.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

I will align course assignments with the other courses better.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.