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PUB HLTH 7033 - Trauma-informed counselling for CALD and Indigenous populations

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2025

Most current conceptualizations and treatments of trauma have not accounted for the unique circumstances faced by Indigenous people or CALD clients but have assumed there is a universal trauma response. This neglects the fact that trauma is not experienced independently of cultural context and is influenced by cultural and societal configurations. First Nations people and CALD groups (including refugees) face unique issues and stressors that impact their emotions, learning, behaviour, and psychosocial health. First Nations people?s experiences of ongoing colonisation, discrimination, lack of acceptance, racism, and stigma can significantly and negatively impact their mental health and wellbeing. In addition, many Indigenous people have experienced historical and ongoing trauma related to genocide, stolen generations and colonisation. People from CALD backgrounds, particularly those seeking asylum and refugees, experience greater stress and trauma compared to other groups. Refugees are likely to have faced traumatic experiences in the context of persecution, political conflict, organised violence, separation from family, forced displacement, and exposure to long periods of war. Understanding how culture and social position shape how trauma is experienced and healed is central to developing cultural responsiveness in the work with Indigenous people and CALD clients. This course will explore the unique challenges involved in supporting Indigenous people and CALD clients to heal from trauma as well as address issues that have relevance in their communities. Participants will gain an understanding of the impacts of the systemic and intergenerational trauma faced by these communities and learn to apply the principles of culturally responsive practice when working with these clients. By learning to apply Indigenous social, and emotional wellbeing principles, practices and healing frameworks, utilising Aboriginal and culturally sensitive concepts of trauma, graduates will gain specific skills that enable them to respond to trauma in individuals and communities.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code PUB HLTH 7033
    Course Trauma-informed counselling for CALD and Indigenous populations
    Coordinating Unit Public Health
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 3 Hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Restrictions Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy (MCP) or the Graduate Certificate in Trauma Counselling (the Program proposal for the latter is currently being developed for APEAC and Academic Board approval)
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Alexandra Bloch-Atefi

    Dr Alexandra Bloch-Atefi
    Phone: 8313 6228
    Email: alexandra.bloch-atefi@adelaide.edu.au 
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    1 Understand that impacts of systemic and intergenerational trauma are central to developing cultural responsiveness and to work effectively with Indigenous people and CALD clients
    2 Understand the impact of privilege, colonialism, oppression and racism on personal experiences and the need to consider these impacts when developing guidelines for trauma treatment.
    3 Critically appraise the role of Indigenous cultural healing modalities in trauma recovery and apply these in collaboration with the individual, family and community.
    4 Understand and apply principles of cultural responsiveness and cultural safety and how these relate to trauma recovery when working with Indigenous people and CALD clients
    5 Apply the principles of culturally responsive practice when working with diverse populations who have experienced trauma and understand how to create culturally safe environments
    6 Utilise culturally sensitive concepts of trauma such that graduates will gain specific skills that enables them to respond to trauma in individuals and communities.
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1, 4, 5

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    3, 5

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    6

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    N/A

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    1-6

    Attribute 6: Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural competency

    Graduates have an understanding of, and respect for, Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander values, culture and knowledge.

    1-6

    Attribute 7: Digital capabilities

    Graduates are well prepared for living, learning and working in a digital society.

    N/A

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    1, 2, 3
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Dudgeon, P., Milroy, H., & Walker, R. (Eds.). (2014).Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and wellbeing principles and practice. Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia
    Recommended Resources
    Brown, L. S. (2008). Cultural competence in trauma therapy: Beyond the flashback. American Psychological Association.

    Hinton, D. E., & Good, B. J. (Eds.). (2016). Culture and PTSD: Trauma in global and historical perspective. University of Pennsylvania Press.

    Selected online resources, including journal articles and reading lists will be disseminated via MyUni. Students may also be listed as a cohort within the Whole of Counselling Program MyUni site (PUB HLTH 003) which provides resources targeting and designed for academic writing in a counselling context.
    Online Learning
    MyUni
    MyUni is used extensively for announcements, discussion boards, recordings of seminar/workshops and practicals, external web-links, readings, details of assignments, as well as online quizzes and essay submission. Material will be sequentially released in line with the teaching and learning activities in each week. MyUni is accessible from the 成人大片’s home-page: www.adelaide.edu.au
    You will need your student login name and a password.

    If you do not have access, then either you are not enrolled or the administrators of MyUni do not know of your enrolment. Please call Ask Adelaide on 8313 5208 (University extension 35208) or the IT help desk on 8313 3000 (University extension 33000) for assistance with MyUni difficulties.

    Course materials will be placed on MyUni. Note also that Announcements about a course are often made on the relevant page of the MyUni site for the course. For example, notifications of a change in lecture venue, updates on availability of course material etc. will be made on the MyUni site.

    Computers
    General information about University computer laboratories is available at /technology/your-tools/academic/student-computer-suite 

    Email
    We assume that students access e-mail and that their address is the 成人大片 student address that was assigned on enrolment. This is of the form: firstname.lastname@student.adelaide.edu.au A notice to a student by e-mail is considered to have been received and read by the student unless there is a transmission error and the postmaster bounces the message back to us. As discussed above, the Announcements page of the MyUni site for this course will also display relevant notices from time to time, so it is essential that students check their student e-mail and to log on to MyUni
    regularly.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes

    No information currently available.

    Workload

    No information currently available.

    Learning Activities Summary

    No information currently available.

  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    No information currently available.

    Assessment Detail

    No information currently available.

    Submission

    No information currently available.

    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through .

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
  • Fraud Awareness

    Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 成人大片 is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 成人大片 therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.