SEARCH RESULTS

I have been on my placement for over two weeks now, and things are starting to fall into place. I am placed in the Aboriginal homelessness/housing crisis sector and spent the first few days trying to understand the policies, legislation and complexity of the housing system. Homelessness is much more than people sleeping rough, it has a background involving trauma, mental health concerns, domestic violence, isolation and at times, policies that largely suit the dominant population in Australia. In many Aboriginal communities, the concept of kinship and family unit is vastly different from the definition of the western family unit. People can come down to visit and stay with each other for months. For e.g. An Aboriginal family coming down from Northern Territory to their relatives in Adelaide during the summer months. This means that Aboriginal people are often at risk of losing their homes, or rentals because of overcrowding. I find this definition to be insensitive and biased against the Aboriginal communities because we have a similar system back in my home country, where a house extends its support to the extended family and community. When we say that colonisation continues to take place in Australia, it is referring to these policies which discriminate against Aboriginal communities. In my observation, I find that these matters are often hidden from the general public, who are still to learn so much more about the Aboriginal way of life. So, when the opportunity came up, I asked my supervisor whether I could attend “Closing the Gap Day” on 16th March 2023. The event was held at the Jubilee Pavilion at Adelaide Showgrounds, a space large enough to accommodate thousands of patrons. When I reached there, I was delighted to see a large number of Aboriginal and Non-Indigenous people waiting in line to experience and support the event. When I went inside, there were hundreds of stalls with infographics, statistics and brochures on health care, aged care, disability, employment, homelessness, youth services etc. Native geckos, snakes and other reptiles were showcased to make the event interesting to a large number of school students. That view instilled hope in me for future generations as they learn more about the land on which they live in. There were also many food stalls and freebies on offer, making it a complete carnival. I would recommend every social work student to attend such events, as it opens our eyes to the scale of work left to be done. For eg., One of the most common issues faced by the Aboriginal community today is the lack of access to adequate dental and eye care. This may sound completely unrelated to the work we do. But the more I learn, the more I find how interconnected so many of the issues are. Links for more information - https://www.facebook.com/closethegapcampaign/ https://closethegap.org.au/close-the-gap-day/ https://www.niaa.gov.au/resource-centre/indigenous-affairs/commonwealth-closing- gap-implementation-plan-2023 Aakaash Chiramal MSW Student @ Flinders University

We thought the best way to start the ball rolling was to include the range of Study Support Options available directly from Flinders. The information below is all available from the Student Support page located on https://students.flinders.edu.au/support. Brought to you by FUSWA

Congratulations on becoming a Social Work Student at Flinders University! The first year at Flinders can bring with it a mix of emotions. The excitement and jubilation of receiving your confirmation, knowing that you have been accepted as a university student, is often followed by the daunting reality that there is so much to do, before you even start your first lecture. It's usually at this point, many new students at the beginning of their academic journey can become overwhelmed. First year students may even start freaking out with the feeling that they have so much to do, have absolutely no idea what needs to be done, or even where to start. Whilst others may believe they are across everything, only to find a few weeks into the semester that they've missed something, only to find themselves in catch-up mode. Either way, as a student of Flinders University, you are not alone and you'll soon discover that 2nd, 3rd and even 4th year students can sometimes feel the same way at the beginning of a new year, as you do right now. But.....it's not all that scary! You will soon discover that university brings with it a whole world of support, be it from the College (including staff), your FUSWA Team, FUSA, or the student community (your peers). As a new student (or even if you are a returning student who just needs some guidance), we have put together a few things below to aid you in your academic journey. CEPSW Firstly, the best place to start is to reach out to the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work (CEPSW) and chat with the enrollments team about Study Plans. Study Plans are the road map to topics and what direction to take should you need to change you course structure, or just know what you need to do each semester. We highly recommend students send through an email at the end of each semester to get their Study Plan updated. Reach out to CEPSW and organise a meeting in person, or over the phone. They will be able to answer the majority of your questions and provide amazing support throughout your academic journey. CEPSW contact information - Email: ​courseadvice.epsw@flinders.edu.au ​Telephone: (08) 8201 7800 FUSWA Reach out to the Flinders University Social Work Association (FUSWA) and ask for help. The FUSWA Team are made up of students at different stages of their degree, and pathways (BSW & MSW), and have been exactly where you are right now. Connect with FUSWA - fuswa.team@gmail.com O'WEEK Come along to O'Week and make sure you visit the various stalls, and events. This fun week, starting at the beginning of every semester, provides you an opportunity to meet other students, the FUSWA Team, and attend events that give you a great kick start to your year. O'Week @ Flinders FUSA The Flinders University Student Association (FUSA) provides a range of support to all students. The Committee, made up of students from different disciplines, are always on hand to help. Connect with FUSWA STUDENT SOCIAL MEDIA You have a range of Facebook Pages, Messenger and Chats to join that can help you connect with other Social Work Students. FUSWA Facebook Page Flinders University Social Work Students Join the Social Work Students Messenger Community Chat Masters of Social Work at Flinders External Students BSW Online Discussion Forum Overheard At Flinders University FUSA Flinders University Student Association If you discover other things that help you, let the FUSWA Team know and we can include them on this Blog. But for now, we hope this helps, and you have an awesome experience at Flinders! The FUSWA Team

PAST STUDENT COUNCIL Students who have served as Council Members within the Flinders University Social Work Association (FUSWA). These students have dedicated their time to represent the voices of students at Flinders University, whilst they themselves studied either the Bachelor, or Masters of Social Work. JOIN FUSWA Lucas Clayton President Anna Kennett Vic President / Treasurer Richa Agarwal Education Officer Xiaoxue Ma (Jackie) Secretary Nanjia Gong (Arthur) General Council Member Emma Winship General Council Member Aakaash Chiramal General Council Member Keshiya Rayla Kaavyashri Kamaladasa General Council Member Hai Zhang General Council Member Mercedes Matters-hedges General Council Member Shubham Nanda General Council Member Mandy Wang General Council Member Nan Xi General Council Member Yifan Xu General Council Member Alanna Argudo Discord Champion 2023 Lucas Clayton President Anna Kennett Vic President / Treasurer Frankie Barker Social Welfare Officer / Secretary Emma Winship General Council Member Nanjia (Arthur) Gong General Council Member Mercedes Matters-hedges General Council Member Aakaash Chiramal General Council Member Keshiya Rayla Kaavyashri Kamaladasa General Council Member Sephra Dsilva General Council Member Emily Hopkins Disabilities Representative Mansour Araghi International Students Representative 2022 Natasha Stevens President Sam Lane Vic President Anna Kennett Treasurer Lucas Clayton Education Officer Atoosa Ghaziani Social Activities Officer 2021 Markus Samson President ​ Tash Stevens Vic President Jozef Kaftalli ​ Secretary Andrew Chan Treasurer ​ Chris Zhang Education Officer 2020 Markus Samson President Thu Tra Nguyen Vic President Ka Man Chan ​ Secretary Chengyu Zhang Treasurer ​ Tingting Zhou Education Officer 2019 Shazia Sagheer Choudhry President Jun Ma Vic President Wenqi Wang ​ Secretary Luz Adriana Avella Latorre Treasurer Yukiya Wake Education Officer 2018 In 2018, the Flinders Uni Social Work Association was established by social work students wishing to enhance the lives of their fellow peers. This tradition has been carried on by students ever since, and without these BSW / MSW students, FUSWA would not exist. Join the Team and continue a legacy provided to all Flinders Social Work Students! FUSWA COUNCIL MEMBER ROLES EXPLORE

Your FUSWA Team Get to know who your Flinders Uni Social Work Association Council Our Team are made up of BSW & MSW students who volunteer their time to support and aid Flinders Social Work Students in their academic journey. When you see us on campus, feel free to come up and say 'hello'. fuswa.team@gmail.com JOIN THE TEAM Lucas Clayton President Bachelor Social Work Read More Xiaoxue Ma (Jackie) Secretary Masters of Social Work Read More Aakaash Chiramal General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Hai Zhang General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Nan Xi General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Anna Matusiewicz General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Anna Kennett Vice President & Treasurer Masters of Social Work Read More Emma Winship General Council Member & First Years Student Rep Bachelor of Social Work Read More Keshiya Kamaladasa General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Shubham Nanda General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Yifan Xu General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More We Want YOU Join the FUSWA Team Applications Open Read More Richa Agarwal Education Officer Masters of Social Work Read More Nanjia Gong (Arthur) General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Mercedes Matters-hedges General Council Member Bachelor of Social Work Read More Zhe Wang (Mandy) General Council Member Masters of Social Work Read More Alanna Argudo Discord Champion Masters of Social Work Read More PAST FUSWA COMMITTEE MEMBERS PAST COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Student Committee Member Students who serve as Council Members within the Flinders University Social Work Association (FUSWA), dedicate their time to be the voice of social work students at Flinders University, whilst they themselves study either the Bachelor or Masters of Social Work. FUSWA - Run by Students, For Students. SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION < Back Next > Yifan Xu General Council Member Hi everyone! My name is Yifan and I am an international student of Master of Social Work. I did my bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting, had marketing experiences and now I am having my social work study at Flinders. I am enjoying it. I am really looking forward having this learning journey in FUSWA with our awesome members! Contact - fuswa.team@gmail.com