Human Services at a Watershed Dr Fredrik Velander, BScSW, PhD Dr Cate Thomas, BA(SocWel), BSW, GradCertLearn&TeachHigherEd, GradDipPA, MPAdmin, PhD

Changing landscape Climate change, resulting in: Increasingly violent weather events Increased mortality and morbidity rates Food insecurity Increase in climate refugees Increased stress on infrastructure and critical services Social work and social welfare sector lacking in preparedness

Review University sector (social work and human services) Government reports, Australia and overseas Journal articles Results: Little indication in the university scan that social work and human services are focusing on climate change and its implications for humanity. Evidence of the importance has to be sought in documentation from various government agencies (e.g., defence, emergency services). Growing interest in journal articles over the last 10 years. Indisputable evidence that climate change will affect humanity in a range of ways, particularly the most vulnerable in society.

Plan of action CSU’s social work/human services degrees needs to prepare our graduates to work in this changing environment. A new subject portfolio needs to be developed with adequate content to address these issues. Subject portfolio needs to be designed so that its appeal stretches beyond social work and social welfare. The changing landscape affects all professions that broadly can be encapsulated into the human services sphere. It is also a matter of ecological justice and fundamental human rights.

What happened - Step 1 We acknowledged that we need to bring humans into a closer relationship with nature. We, as in white middle class society (WMCS), does not have all the answers. We should learn from those that have lived in harmony with nature for centuries, Indigenous peoples, particularly Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. From an Australian Indigenous framework we began looking at a number of areas of importance for the human service sector. Ecological sustainable development Vulnerable populations Policy and global governance Disaster recovery and community resilience Indigenous Australian practice for human service workers

What happened – Step 2 Implement a holistic Australian Aboriginal Framework and redefine our vocabulary Acknowledge what is done locally can impact globally as they are interconnected with each other. Establishment of Courses Committee Collaborating with Indigenous Aboriginal scholars and CSU’s Indigenous Board of Studies.

Where are we now? All subjects have been approved and will be used as core or elective subjects. Subject writing process has begun. Flow-on effect has been a greater awareness across the discipline about the importance of climate change as well as the use of an Indigenous Australian framework in our subject content overall. All staff has completed CSU’s Individual Cultural Competency Program

References (for this presentation) Department of Defence, (2016), 2016 Defence White Paper. Commonwealth of Australia Fragar, L., Henderson, A., Morton, C. & Pollock, K., (2008), The mental health of people on Australian farms – the facts. Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety. Gough, I., (2013). Climate change, social policy and global governance. Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. 29(3): 185-203. Gutierrez, A.P., Ponti, L., Herren, H.R., Baumgärtner, J. & Kenmor, P.E., (2015). Deconstructing Indian cotton: weather, yields, and suicides. 27: 1-17. National Rural Health Alliance Inc., (2014). Rural health impacts of climate change. Polain, J.D., Berry, H.L. & Hoskins, J.O., (2011). Rapid change, climate adversity and the next ‘big dry’: older farmers’ mental health. Australian Journal of Rural Health. 19: 239-243 Ringgenberg, W., Peek-Asa, C., Donham, K. & Ramirez, M., (2017). Trends and characteristics of occupational suicide and homicide in farmers and agriculture workers, 1992-2010. The Journal of Rural Health, pp.1-8. Sturrock, R. & Ferguson, P., (2015). The longest conflict: Australia’s climate security challenge. Centre for Policy Development. Twigger-Ross, C., Brooks, K., Papadopoulou, L., Orr, P., Rolands Sadauskis, P.O., Coke, A., Simcock, N., Stirling, S. & Walker, G. (2015)., Community resilience to climate change: an evidence review. Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Contact: Insert Name name@csu.edu.au Tel: +61 2 123 456 Fax: +61 2 123 456