Ms Susan Wilkins School of Human, Health and Social Sciences

Ms Sue Wilkins has been an Associate Lecturer in Social Work and Human Services since 2009 (Permanent 0.5 position).  Prior to this Sue was contracted by CQUniversity as an Academic Practitioner delivering supervision, faciliating residential workshops and course learning (2006 -2008).  Currently Sue is Course Co-ordinator of Advanced Professional Communication Skills (Year 4, Term 1) and Professional Communication Skills in Human Services (Year 1, Term 2).  Teaching into compulsory residentials for all four year levels is another teaching responsibility held by Sue.

Sue is currently completing a Masters of Social Work (Research).  Her Masters topic is "A Robust Professional Identity: The Role of Practice Frameworks".  This is a key interest area of Sue's and her research is being drawn on to inform her teaching and delivery throughout the Social Work program.

Sue is a keen swimmer and enjoys bike riding. Sue hopes to experience  the Rail Trails  in Victoria as part of her bike riding adventures.

• 2004 - 2008 Private Practitioner – Social Work 
  
  Facilitation of small group reviews with 3rd and 4th year social work students on practicum (CQUniversity 2008)  • Provide weekly external supervision to students on field practicum (CQUniversity 2008). • Mentoring Social Work practitioners supervising 3rd and 4th year social work students on practicum (CQUniversity Term 2 2006 and 2008). • Facilitating workshops to develop individual and family therapy skills and assisting students engaged in Community Focused Learning activities during compulsory residential attendance  ( CQUniversity 2007 – 2008). • Academic practitioner (CQUniversity) facilitating the delivery and assessment of first and second year Social Work subjects (CQUniversity 2007/2008).  • Marking assessment pieces submitted by welfare students (CQUniversity 2006). • Complete assessments for the Department of Child Safety. These assessments were for foster care or relative care applicants (2004 – 2006).
  
  

• 2000 - 2008 Relationship, Family and Youth Counsellor (Centacare, Rockhampton)
  
  Generalist counsellor providing therapeutic assessment and intervention to children and youth. Issues included grief and loss (parental separation/death); foster care placement; loss of significant relationship; significant changes; physical, sexual, emotional abuse; bullying; witness to domestic violence; trauma; stealing; peer and parental conflict; developmental issues; anxiety, etc. • Providing family therapy assessment and intervention. Issues included – parenting; parenting post separation; adolescent/parent conflict; family conflict and disharmony; parenting following child’s disclosure of abuse; preparation of child and family as witnesses in court, etc. • Providing adult personal counselling for sexual abuse/assault; life stage issues; depression; anxiety; work related issues; trauma; etc. • Providing relationship counselling to maintain relationships; facilitate separation; following affairs; domestic violence, etc. • Accepting referrals from Department of Child Safety in relation to abuse, placement of children in foster care and working therapeutically to facilitate reunification. • Providing peer supervision both formally through structured group supervision and informally to colleagues on a needs basis.

• 1993 - 1996 Relationship, Family and Youth Counsellor (Centacare, Rockhampton) 
  
  Generalist counsellor providing therapeutic assessment and intervention to children and youth. Issues included grief and loss (parental separation/death); foster care placement; loss of significant relationship; significant changes; physical, sexual, emotional abuse; bullying; witness to domestic violence; trauma; stealing; peer and parental conflict; developmental issues; anxiety, etc. • Providing family therapy assessment and intervention. Issues included – parenting; parenting post separation; adolescent/parent conflict; family conflict and disharmony; parenting following child’s disclosure of abuse; preparation of child and family as witnesses in court, etc. • Providing adult personal counselling for sexual abuse/assault; life stage issues; depression; anxiety; work related issues; trauma; etc. • Providing relationship counselling to maintain relationships; facilitate separation; following affairs; domestic violence, etc. • Development and facilitation of therapeutic workshops for children who had experienced grief/loss through parental separation/death; for children who have witnessed domestic violence and for women who have been sexually abused. • Co-facilitation of parenting program for men in prison. • Development of workshops to facilitate the formation of a ‘whole school approach’ bullying policy for implementation in secondary schools. • Development and implementation of educative workshops for secondary school students – stress management, time management, developmental issues, etc. • Group work with young people to resolve peer conflict, explore developmental concerns, etc. • Facilitating Centacare team development exercises. • Chairperson of ‘The Depot’ management committee – The Depot, a non-government organisation, funded by the Sisters of Mercy, provided accommodation to young women who were unable to live at home but wished to continue school in a safe and supportive environment. • Networking with Anglicare and Community Health, Yeppoon to establish and run therapeutic grief and loss program for children who have experienced parental separation/death. • Co-ordination of therapeutic workshops for children who have experienced grief/loss through parental separation/death. This involved enlisting volunteers to assist in the facilitation of these workshops; providing training to volunteers; providing parent information nights; evaluation and improving the delivery of the program. Seven week program delivered twice a year, with four groups running concurrently in Rockhampton and one in Yeppoon. • Supervision of volunteers assisting with the facilitation of a grief and loss program for children. • Participating in peer group supervision in both small and large groups ensuring practice continued to meet the standards of both the organisation and social work.

• 1997 - 2000 Relationship, Family and Youth Counsellor (Domestic Violence Service 1997 and Centacare 1998 – 2000, Emerald)
  
  Provide therapeutic assessment and intervention to children and young people who have/are experiencing domestic violence. • Establishing play therapy room to enable child-centred practice to occur. • Purchasing appropriate resources to deliver child-centred practice.• Developing administrative processes to ensure practice of privacy and confidentiality were upheld.• Generalist counselling providing therapeutic assessment and intervention to clients in a rural location i.e. Emerald, Gemfields. • Development and implementation of educative workshops (within a rural setting) for service providers who work with children e.g. childcare workers, family day care workers and teachers. Equipping participants to identify children who may be witnessing domestic violence and how they can support these children in their role. • Development and implementation of workshops for primary school aged children (in rural settings e.g. Emerald, Boulia, Middlemount) raising their awareness of domestic violence and what supports are available should they be witness to this. • Development and implementation of domestic violence workshop for indigenous women in a rural setting (Boulia). • Development of workshops educating service providers on elder abuse. • Supervising domestic violence workers ensuring their practice was professional, current and ethical. • Supervising social work students on practicum from Charles Sturt University and James Cook University.

• 1981 - 1984 Level 1 Accredited Swimming Coach
  
  Instructing parents in their baby’s development of water safety skills; teaching swimming and stroke correction to pre-school and primary school children; coaching swim squad and water therapy classes for intellectually disabled children and adults.

• 1985 - 1992 Student Nurse (3 Years) then Level 1 Registered Nurse
  
  Graduated from student nurse to Level 1 Registered Nurse January 1988 and commenced Bachelor of Social Work, University of Queensland February 1988.  Worked full-time and part-time nursing throughout the five years of study to pay for living expenses whilst studying at a tertiary level.  Experiences included intensive care, paediatrics, geriatric, medical, surgery, cardiac, oncology, orthopaedics and home nursing.

Australian Association of Social Work