The efficacy of the Family Wellbeing Program to support student wellbeing and develop essential social work skills

Abstract

Critical reflection, effective communication and self-awareness are essentials skills for effective social work and, consequently social work training. At La Trobe University, social work students engage in a Reflective Communication subject that integrates a First Nations Family Wellbeing Program (FWB). This program aims to develop these skills and promote wellbeing and mental health. This study used a qualitative research design with seventeen participants to explore whether students found the FWB component and subject as a whole effective in promoting wellbeing. Both students and tutors found the program effective in enhancing wellbeing, mental health, and student engagement. It effectively linked theoretical skills to practical application, encouraged active listening, and fostered a culture of acceptance. The subject’s content and processes contributed to these outcomes, emphasising the importance of a relational approach
to learning in social work education.