Aim 

In this assessment, you will use a critical theoretical framework to examine the story of Scout and her experience of navigating mental distress to understand how dominant discourses and knowledges oppressed Scout. Additionally, you will apply critical theories to reconstruct alternative discourses and knowledge about Scout, which are aligned with socially just and ethical social work practice. You will develop a strong understanding of critical social work approaches that challenge oppressive structures and advocate for systemic reform.
Instructions 

The lived experience narrative of Scout Tzofiya Bolton, will form the basis of the critical analysis. Scout’s story is available on the Moodle site in the Assessment Block.  
 
Referring to Scout's story, your critical analysis will examine the intersection of :  

• Mental health diagnosis and labelling.
• Systemic and institutional responses.
• Power, gender, and control. 
• Criminalisation of mental illness. 
• Lived experience, recovery, and resistance.

Using at least two theoretical frameworks, address the following key questions: 

How do mental health systems and models of care maintain power through psychiatric diagnosis and labelling? 

1. Consider Scout’s shift from a bipolar to Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) diagnosis. This diagnosis is based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10-CM 2025), which is used in Europe.  In Australia, this diagnosis is referred to as borderline personality disorder (BPD), which is based on the DSM-5 Diagnostic Manual.  
2. How is distress medicalised and individualised?  Consider the different mental health models examined in the unit content.   
3. In what ways does Scout’s experience reflect broader systemic failings in mental health care and justice?
4. Explore institutional neglect, exclusion, gatekeeping, and criminalisation.
5. How are gender, trauma, and social positioning implicated in how Scout was treated?
6. Analyse how responses to women in crisis may differ due to stereotypes, stigma, or structural patriarchy.
7. How can critical social work respond to and resist these systems of harm?
8. Discuss the role of advocacy, radical empathy, trauma-informed approaches, and systemic change. 

 
Theory Integration: 

• You must draw from at least two of the following theoretical frameworks: 
   
   
• Mad studies scholarship
• Critical psychiatry
• Lived experience scholarship
• Trauma-informed practice
• Feminist theory and mental health
• Intersectionality and theory
• Structural social work
• Anti-oppressive practice  

• You are encouraged to critically question dominant discourses in psychiatry, carceral systems (incarceration), and traditional mental health services, interventions and frameworks. 
   

Academic Integrity 

You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

Level of GenAI use allowed:    

Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.

Minimum Pass Criteria 

You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit. 
In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit. 
 

Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site in the Assessment Block for more detail on how marks will be assigned

Assessment 2: Part A

Group Oral Debate

Due Date:  Week 11 on Monday 29th September from 1100am - 400 or Tuesday 30th September from 1100am - 400pm (You need to attend one day only). 

The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment. 

Length: 50 minutes (25 minutes for each debate team)

Weighting: 30%

Mark:  You will receive an individual mark for the Group Work Oral Debate. 

Aim  

In this assessment, you will develop argumentative oral skills in relation to a contemporary mental health issue.  These skills provide the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills. Additionally, this assessment focuses on the development of group work skills required to collaborate and deliver an oral presentation effectively.  

Instructions

• You will be allocated to a group with a total of 4 students.  You can find the group you are allocated to on Moodle in the Assessment Block on Monday in Week 2.
• Two groups will be assigned the same debate topic to argue for and against the topic.   The argument topic assigned to your group can be located on Moodle in the Assessment Block in Week 2.  
• Each student will identify which speaker they will be when participating in the oral debate. The speaker roles include first speaker, second speaker, third speaker, and final speaker. The role description for each speaker can be found on Moodle in the Assessment Block.  
• Please refer to the structure of the debate on Moodle in the Assessment Block.
• Each team is allocated 25 minutes, between 4 speaks, inclusive of counter arguments,  to present their argument.
• The oral debate will take place online in Zoom and will be approximately 50 minutes in length to allow for both teams to present their argument and to provide a counter argument in relation to the topic.  
• You will research the debate topic comprehensively to inform your oral debate and develop an understanding of the counter argument so you are able to provide rebuttal to your opposition.  
•  It is expected that you present your oral debate via zoom to student peers, the Unit Coordinator and a Social Work academic.
•  You are expected to participate in the day oral debates and watch  several student peers present their debate.    
•  You will select your group's preferred time for the oral debate and must stay for the day you have selected.  
• The selection time will be available in the Assessment Block in Week 2.     The scheduled days are Monday 29th September and Tuesday 30th September at 1100am - 400pm.   The scheduled times ensure that students from Western Australia can participate.
• You must attend in person to present the debate and watch your other student peers for the duration of the day. 
• You will receive an individual mark for this assessment based on your oral debate.

Academic Integrity 

You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

 
Level of GenAI use allowed: 

Level 2: You may use Al for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas. 

Minimum Pass Criteria  

You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit. 
In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit. 

Assessment 2: Part B

Individual Written Assessment:  Critical Reflection 

Due Date:  Week 12, Friday 10th October at 1159PM

The 72-hour grace period does apply to this assessment. 

Length: 1500 words 

Weighting: 30%

Aim:  

Students can have various responses to this unit, both negative and positive. These reactions can be influenced by a range of factors, including personal and work experiences, beliefs and values, cultural perspectives, and knowledge and understanding of mental health. Reflexivity in social work involves engaging in critical reflection to ensure you do not allow personal biases or assumptions to influence your social work practice. You will use Fook’s critical reflection model to reflect on your own lived experience and the learning activities undertaken in the unit, and examine biases, assumptions, knowledge and power to ensure that your social work practice aligns with ethical social work practice.  

Instructions:

Use Fook’s critical reflection model (reflexivity, knowledge and power) to examine your personal reaction to Scout’s story or experiences, or your reactions to the debate topics, or your reaction to learning about mental distress in the unit.   

 
Fook’s Critical Reflection Model  

• You are critically reflecting on a reaction or response you had to a learning task in the unit. Identify an experience that you are prepared to deconstruct and reconstruct.  The experience should be of some significance/importance for you that you want to examine and learn more about it through critical reflection. Fook refers to these experiences as critical incidents (CI). 
• The CI does not have to be problematic or dramatic, but it needs to be personally or professionally meaningful to you.  It is critical because it triggers deeper questioning of your assumptions, values, and actions.   

The CI should include the following:

Reflexivity - Deconstructions 

• Describe the CI.  Explain why it is significant to you.  
• Describe the specific reaction or response you had. What thoughts, emotions and reactions did you notice? 
• Identify biases and assumptions that might have influenced that reaction or response. 

Knowledge - Deconstruction 

• Identify the experiences, beliefs and values that inform these biases and assumptions?
• Identify whose voices were privileged? 
• Identify who voices were missing or silenced? 
• How have these assumptions been influenced by dominant discourses in mental health?
• How do they align with social work values and knowledge?

Power 

• How do these assumptions or biases shape power dynamics in the CI?
• Using critical theory identify the dominant discourses and knowledge which were privileged and shaped the power dynamics in the CI. 

Reconstruction 

• As a result of critical reflective practice, how do you now understand your experience and the situation?
• What new learnings or insights have you gained from this process and how does it inform your future social work practice when working with  people experiencing mental distress? 

Academic Integrity 

You must abide by the principles of academic integrity (see Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure). Completion of this assessment with another party or sharing of responses is not permitted at any time. 

Level of GenAI use allowed: 

Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge related to critical reflection. 

Minimum Pass Criteria 

You must achieve a cumulative grade of at least 49.5% across all assessments to pass this unit. 
In order for a supplementary assessment to be considered, all assessment tasks must be reasonably attempted in this unit. 
 
 

Refer to the marking rubric on the Moodle site in the Assessment Bolck for more detail on how marks will be assigned for Part A and Part B of Assessment 2.