Getting it right: creating partnerships for change. Integrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in social work education and practice

Abstract

The 2012 Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards (ASWEAS) state that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing are one of four essential core curriculum content areas alongside Mental Health, Child Wellbeing and Protection and Cross-cultural knowledge and skills, that must now be included in all Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)-accredited social work programs (Australian Association of Social Workers, 2012a). By articulating this new requirement, the AASW is asserting that social workers need to be informed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges in all areas of practice.