Other UNSW

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 45
  • (2009) Baldry, Eileen; Sotiri, Mindy; Swain, P; Rice, S
    Book Chapter
    Social justice, and its application as a key social work value, has a particular resonance in the institutions of the criminal justice system. Promoting equality of access and resources, doing case work, and advocating for the rights of those who are imprisoned, is a complex task. Australian prisons are filled overwhelmingly with the poor, the socially impoverished, the geographically disadvantaged, the alienated and the dispossessed. Whilst this population is characterised by the social and economic disadvantage that is familiar to many social work settings, there are two complicating factors for social workers in Corrective Services. The first is that this population has also committed crime or at least has been accused of committing crime. The second is that prisons are closed institutions, where the internal workings are largely invisible to the general public. The life circumstances of prisoners (both inside and outside of prisons), even if extremely difficult, tend not to elicit a great deal of sympathy. In popular discourse, the fact and impact of the crime committed understandably overshadows the fact of the offender’s personal disadvantage. Because prisoners are out of sight, a simplistic and frequently dehumanising image of the prisoner is able to flourish, but of course it is entirely possible for someone to be both a decent individual, for example helping people in need, volunteering in emergencies, being a good friend, and a criminal. As Sotiri observed: "When I worked at [agency name] (a post-release NGO) we used to joke about how often we, as workers would say about our clients ‘he’s such a nice guy’. Because of course at some point many of our clients were not ‘nice guys’. Many had committed horrible crimes, or had at least acted ruthlessly and selfishly in their quest to obtain money and drugs." Although the fact of the crime is relevant, especially for some targeted rehabilitative work, working with this population requires a critical and holistic approach. This ensures that a client’s criminal behaviour does not entirely define who that person is. This is particularly important when working with a person leaving prison. Depending upon their role, social workers may need to consider not only the crime, but also the reasons why someone has committed crime, as well as the whole range of needs the person might have.

  • (2006) Baldry, Eileen; Green, Susan; Thorpe, Katrina
    Journal Article
    Urban Aboriginal communities were asked about their experiences of human services. The misuse of Aboriginal liaison staff, the attitudes of staff and policy-makers, the invisibility of Aboriginal clients, poor communication, lack of access to services, client rights and lack of integration were raised. Respect for Aboriginal persons' social citizenship is discussed.

  • (1998) Nipperess, Joe; Baldry, Eileen
    Report
    The following report is a detailed description of the Indigenous Australian content of thirteen BSW courses offered at various Australian Universities. The content descriptions were collected and summarised by Joe Nipperess, a fourth year social work student, from information kindly sent by various staff members at those universities and was checked back with those staff members for accuracy. Most of the respondents returned the material with some changes which were incorporated; a small number did not reply. There may be some inaccuracies therefore in some segments. If so, please accept our apologies. Please inform us of any changes needed.

  • (2003) Baldry, Eileen; Maplestone, Peter
    Journal Article
    Poverty, being a ward of the state, Aboriginality, lack of secure home due to abuse or other negative factors, drug abuse, mental illness, intellectual and learning disabilities, debt, unemployment, lack of education and poor social skills and social isolation are all factors over-represented amongst those facing criminal court, those in juvenile detention and adult prisons and amongst partners and families of prisoners. (Baldry 2001) Policy responses to these very serious forms of cumulative disadvantages associated with a large number of those in prison and thus of those being released from prisons have been long on rhetoric but short on action. On the whole people in these situations have been treated as if their problems were entirely due to individual failings and pathologies and the remedies have been equally based on individual treatments and crisis interventions.

  • (2008) Green, Sue; Baldry, Eileen
    Journal Article
    An Indigenous social work guided by Indigenous Australians' participation and experience that has, at its heart, human rights and social justice is in its infancy in Australia. The present paper continues a discussion on Indigenous Australian social work theory and practice developments being generated by those working in this field. Aspects of this “praxis” include recognition of the effects of invasion, colonialism, and paternalistic social policies upon social work practice with Indigenous communities; recognition of the importance of self-determination; contemporary Indigenous and non-Indigenous colleagues working in partnership; the impact of contemporary racist and neocolonialist values; and rethinking contemporary social work values and practices. There is discussion of appropriation and reinterpretation of social work concepts, incorporation of international and local Indigenous theory, and the framing of social work by Indigenous Australians' views and values

  • (2004) Baldry, Eileen; McDonnell, Desmond; Maplestone, Peter; Peeters, Manu
    Journal Article
    Based on research by Dr Eileen Baldry, Dr Desmond McDonnell, Peter Maplestone and Manu Peeters. The project, conducted jointly by AHURI UNSW-UWS and RMIT-NATSZEM Research Centres, explored prisoners post-release housing circumstances and social integration and connections with re-offending. A sample of people being released from prison in NSW and Victoria over a 3 month period was interviewed and followed up at three, six and nine month intervals post-release.

  • (2005) Baldry, Eileen; Maplestone, Peter
    Book Chapter

  • (2002) Baldry, Eileen; Green, Susan
    Journal Article

  • (2012) Blackmore, Margaret; Freeland, Pam
    Conference Paper

  • (2014) Hopwood, Max; Newman, Christy; Persson, Asha; Watts, Ian; Reynolds, Robert; Canavan, Peter; Kippax, Susan; Kidd, Michael
    Journal Article
    Aim: This paper explores cultural and professional dynamics of HIV general practice nursing in Australia. It highlights specific contributions that HIV general practice nurses make to HIV medicine and considers how nurses’ clinical practice has been shaped by past experiences of the AIDS crisis and subsequent developments in HIV medicine. Background: In international contexts, nurses in HIV medicine commonly work as part of shared-care teams. In recent years, HIV general practice nursing has become a prioritised area for primary health care in Australia. Methods: Data for this analysis were drawn from 45 in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with nurses and general practitioners (GPs) who provide HIV care in general practice, and key informants who work in policy, advocacy or education and training of the HIV general practice workforce. Findings: Viewed through a socio-ecological framework of social capital, descriptive content analysis highlights a unique and strong HIV health professional identity, which emerged out of the adverse conditions experienced by nurses, GPs and allied health professionals during the 1980s AIDS crisis. Participants reported that today, HIV general practice nursing includes information provision, HIV treatment side-effect management, teaching patients methods to increase adherence to HIV treatments and capacity building with allied health professionals. Participants reported that HIV general practice nurses can reduce the clinical burden on GPs, ameliorate patients’ exposure to HIV health care-related stigma and discrimination and facilitate the emergence of a comprehensive and personalised model of shared primary health care based on trust and rapport, which is desired by people with HIV. This study’s findings support the future expansion of the role of HIV general practice nurses in Australia and internationally. General practice nursing will become increasingly important in the scaling up of HIV testing and in caring for increasing numbers of people living with HIV.