Eco-social work in the health sector and the ‘People as Place’ metaphor

Eco-Social Work in Australia

GUEST: Dr. Ros Darracott - senior social work practitioner, trainer and researcher

Ros has nearly 30 years’ experience of providing services in rural, remote, and regional areas. In recent years, she has been particularly interested in exploring how social workers in the health sector can address climate disruption and its impacts on public health.

Introduction to this episode:

Within Australia over the last few years, the momentum to develop eco-social work (ESW) theory and on the ground, practice has begun to emerge, prominently, within the pre-qualification training of social work students, both within the academic institutions and on placement. Eco-social work ideas have also begun to gain ground in some social work settings within the health care sector. There is a growing realisation within the sector of the risk of future, serious, public health impacts of uncontrolled climate change on patients and hospital social work clients, and an increasing interest in how hospital-based social work practice could respond to that threat.

My guest on this episode of the Eco-Social Work in Australia series, Dr Ros Darracott, talks about how her growing interest in eco-social work ideas and how they have influenced her work and thinking in both health interventions and student training. Ros also talks about the influence of the social work concept of ‘People as Place’ on her thinking about eco-social work practice; and its potential to transform the existing, outmoded ‘person in social environment’ metaphor within mainstream social work.

INTERVIEW TALKING POINTS – approximate location in minutes elapsed within the audio file.

• Guest self-introduction - 2.04
• Definition of eco-social work practice in 2021 – 4.35
• The work of Prof Kim Zapf on people as place – 14.13
• The concept of living well in place – 19.28.
• Implications for social work in the health sector – 23.26
• Restraining influences slowing adoption of ESW – 28.14
• Guest vision for future ESW practice – 31.05
• Why should the social work mainstream adopt ESW – 34.45?
• Guest summary of arguments and take-home message – 37.38

RESOURCES OR REFERENCES MENTIONED IN THE DISCUSSION

• Work of Professor Kim Zapf
• Work of Prof Lena Dominelli
• Work of Prof Fred Besthorn
• Work of Prof John Coates
• Work of Prof Mel Gray

GUEST AND CONTACT DETAILS:

Guest: Dr. Ros Darracott

Householders’ Options to Protect the Environment (HOPE):

T 07 4639 2135 E [e-mail] WEB FACEBOOK

Production:

Produced for HOPE by Andrew Nicholson E: [e-mail]

T: [phone]

This episode recorded in Toowoomba, S.E. Queensland, Australia in March 2021

Artwork: Daniela Dal'Castel Incidental Music: James Nicholson