ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7421-005X
Current Organisation
University of Sydney
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Social Policy | Social Work | Counselling, Welfare and Community Services | Social epidemiology | Clinical and health psychology | Epidemiology | Social work not elsewhere classified | Clinical psychology | Clinical social work practice | Child and adolescent development | Clinical Social Work Practice | Health and community services | Developmental Psychology and Ageing
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Ethnicity, Multiculturalism and Migrant Development and Welfare | Community Service (excl. Work) not elsewhere classified | Law, Politics and Community Services not elsewhere classified | Children's/Youth Services and Childcare |
Related Links
Publications
Telling visual stories of loss and hope: body mapping with mothers about contact after child removal
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 30-04-2021
DOI: 10.1177/14687941211004218
Abstract: Visual research methods reduce reliance on verbal communication and offer an avenue for non-verbal storytelling. Body mapping is a visual arts-based research method with its origins in art therapy and community development. It has been successfully used to explore embodied experiences of marginalised social groups. Participants engage in sensory and multimodal storytelling by tracing a life-size body outline and adorning it with fabrics, drawings and images to symbolise their views during a guided interview. This approach was used in research to explore birth family contact experiences in New South Wales, where children have ongoing direct contact with birth relatives in long-term care, guardianship and open adoption. Twelve mothers of children in permanent care took part in body mapping to explore their feelings about contact and the support they need to nurture a relationship with their children. Immersion in the artistic process of bringing a representational body to life granted these mothers access to hidden memories about their experience of child removal. They used evocative images to depict system violence and their fight against the erasure of their mother identity as well to envision a positive future relationship with their children. Body mapping potently revealed that traumatic loss resides in the body and resurfaces in encounters with child welfare systems. This has important policy and practice implications, highlighting a need for post-removal therapeutic services to process trauma and sensitive casework to rebuild parent trust and to help carers respond with empathy to their child’s mother at contact. This lends support to the usefulness of body mapping not only for research with vulnerable parents, but to its enormous potential as a creative engagement tool for child welfare practitioners.
Digital Relationality, Rights, Resilience: Conceptualising a Digital Social Ecology for Children’s Birth Family Relationships When in Care or Adopted
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 29-07-2022
DOI: 10.1093/BJSW/BCAC140
Abstract: The use of digital communication technology by children residing in out-of-home care or adopted from foster care has mainly been approached hesitantly and from a risk paradigm. The Covid-19 pandemic catalysed many digital and social work intersections, including practices used for birth family contact where in-person visits were supplemented or replaced with ‘virtual’ contact via digital devices. Whilst technology-mediated contact is characterised as ‘virtual’, the relationships it facilitates and emotions it generates are very real within children’s social ecology. Digital ubiquity in social life and the rapid pace of technological change presents significant ethical and practical tensions. To help social workers navigate this complexity of ‘contact-in-reality’ and facilitate safe, ethical use of digital communication technology for birth family contact, we connect an understanding of the dynamics of birth family contact with literature on children’s use of digital technology and ecological concepts of person-in-environment to offer a digital social ecology heuristic for social work practice. Three key aspects cut across all systems and levels, referred to here as the three Digital R’s: digital relationality digital rights and digital resilience. Future research is needed to understand how these dynamics play out.
Childcare: welfare or investment?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-02-2010
Disperse-and-Collect Approach for the Type-Selective Detection of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Porous Silicon Resonant Microcavities
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 07-12-2017
Dense arrays of uniform submicron pores in silicon and their applications
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 09-01-2015
DOI: 10.1021/AM506891D
Policy Capacity Is Necessary but Not Sufficient Comment on Health Reform Requires Policy Capacity
Publisher: Maad Rayan Publishing Company
Date: 02-08-2015
Two families joined by a child: the role of direct contact in fostering relationships between birth and carer families in permanent care
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-04-2022
Changing nature of adoption and need for post-adoption services: Intercountry adoption practice in Taiwan and Australia
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 07-04-2021
Abstract: This study explores issues on post-adoption services in intercountry adoptions based on the perspectives of adoption professionals from Taiwan and Australia. Findings revealed that both birth and adoptive families identify service needs for material and emotional support and connection after the adoption process is finalized. However, the current lack of government funding for post-adoption services result in gaps in service delivery. Adoption agencies experience challenges in funding and balancing the interests of the child and the two families. Implications for practice and policy are discussed to enhance the quality of post-adoption services and improve the well-being of the adoption triad.
Contact and Adoption Plans for Children Adopted from Out-of-home Care in New South Wales
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-06-2019
Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention: Outcomes Associated With a Differential Response Program in California
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 20-07-2010
Abstract: Traditionally, the American child welfare system intervenes in cases of evident and severe maltreatment. Families in need of help, but who have not reached a crisis, are excluded from typical services. Some suggest that if these families were served, few would be rereferred to the child welfare system. California’s Differential Response (DR) has three tracks, of which ‘‘Track 1’’ targets families screened out of child protective services (CPS) and refers them to agencies that provide voluntary, home-based services and referrals. This study examined child-welfare trajectories for families receiving Track 1 DR services in one California county. Using survival analysis, treatment group children (N = 134) were compared to children eligible for services but denied due to program capacity (comparison group N = 511). Findings suggest no statistically significant differences between groups on the likelihood of a re-report following program participation, timing of maltreatment reports, or report investigations. The ability to draw strong conclusions from this study, however, is limited by selection bias because prior child maltreatment reports were more common in the treatment group. The intervention may provide families with important supports, but evidence for maltreatment prevention may not be supported. Future studies should examine potential effects on a range of family domains.
Policy Advocacy Organizations: A Framework Linking Theory and Practice
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 07-2013
Porous silicon membrane-modified electrodes for label-free voltammetric detection of MS2 bacteriophage
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Powerful parenting and enabling contexts: lessons to support academic success
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2015
General public perceptions and motivations to adopt children from out-of-home care in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: The Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare
Date: 19-08-2019
DOI: 10.1017/CHA.2019.33
Abstract: Recent reforms in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, prioritise adoption over long-term foster care. While previous research has examined motivation to foster, less is known about the interest by the general public in adoption from out-of-home care. A general s le of the NSW public ( N = 1030) completed an online survey about adoption practices and their willingness to consider adopting from out-of-home care, with background questions on perceived social support and life satisfaction. Barriers to pursuing adoption were identified, including concerns about the characteristics of the child related to their experiences of care and personal impacts including financial costs. Availability of post-adoption supports was viewed positively as increasing interest in adoption. General Linear Model univariate analyses identified that likelihood of considering adoption was primarily predicted by younger age, knowing someone who had been adopted as a child, actively practicing religion, living in the city rather than a regional area and higher life satisfaction. Customised marketing c aigns can target people more likely to consider adoption, with messages that resonate with their social and psychological characteristics. There is also a need for policy changes to ensure adequate provision of post-adoption support.
Label-Free Bacterial Toxin Detection in Water Supplies Using Porous Silicon Nanochannel Sensors
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 29-05-2019
Microwave Heating of Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide)-Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles for Temperature-Controlled Display of Concanavalin A
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 14-12-2015
Comparative analysis of third‐party permanency orders legislation in Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-09-2023
DOI: 10.1002/AJS4.237
Social work and social development: Theories and skills for developmental social work
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Date: 20-04-2010
Novel peptidylated surfaces for interference-free electrochemical detection of cardiac troponin I
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2018
Identity Formation in Children and Young People in Open Adoptions from Out-of-home Care in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2018
‘I’m the centre part of a Venn diagram’: belonging and identity for Taiwanese-Australian intercountry adoptees
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-2021
Abstract: Intercountry adoptees face many challenges in developing their identity and achieving a sense of belonging in post-assimilation Australia. This study uses a constructivist approach to analyse narrative interviews with a s le of Taiwanese intercountry adoptees in Australia ranging in age from early to middle adulthood. Social identity theory and postcolonial theory are used to frame thematic findings about the impact of micro, meso and macro influences on identity development and belonging. The article concludes with discussion of the importance of analysing the impact of colonisation and broader societal discourse in social work practice when working within the adoption sector.
Conceptual meanings of permanency: Photovoice with care-experienced youth
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-09-2023
A systematic review of common elements of practice that support reunification
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
Collaboration between Australian peak bodies and governments in the context of the COVID 19 pandemic: new ways of interacting
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-02-2023
DOI: 10.1002/AJS4.260
Abstract: Peak bodies (“peaks”) are funded by Australian governments to fulfil a multifaceted role, including presenting a collective voice to government on behalf of their nongovernmental service provider members and the vulnerable client populations they serve. However, the relationship between peaks and governments has been fraught, with governments imposing contractual conditions in exchange for funding, thereby constraining advocacy. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the nongovernmental sector provided vital services, including care and support for children and families, and dispensed emergency funding through their service networks. This research investigates engagement between peak bodies and governments during the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020–2021. Nineteen CEOs and senior executives were interviewed from 16 peak bodies. Additionally, 27 surveys were completed by peak and nongovernmental sector representatives. Interview transcripts were coded using NVivo and thematically analysed. Four types of interactions between government and peak bodies were identified: collective leadership partnership advocacy to influence and advocacy designed for public pressure. These four types of interactions formed a public advocacy continuum. In some Australian jurisdictions, the study showed that collective and partnership mechanisms between peaks and government were strengthened or revived, yet sustained work will be needed to entrench these positive developments in a postcrisis environment.
Action research with caseworkers: Responding to and reflecting on the impacts of COVID‐19 on birth family contact
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-05-2022
DOI: 10.1111/CFS.12935
Abstract: Social distancing due to COVID‐19 forced changes to contact with birth relatives for children in out‐of‐home care. This required a shift to using technologies, which was previously underutilized and viewed as risky. In an action research study, 33 caseworkers in New South Wales, Australia, reflected upon adapting their practices. Three key themes characterized the changes in caseworker practices and how these impacted upon social interactions between children and their birth and carer families: communication, not location shared not separate spaces and spontaneous not restricted interaction. First, caseworkers described how contact via technologies involved fewer logistical arrangements, shifting the focus on interactions among children and their two families and encouraging these to be flexible and child‐centred. Second, caseworkers discussed how spending time together virtually could build trust, as carers and birth relatives could forge relationships around shared commitment to the child's wellbeing. Third, caseworkers noted that technology‐facilitated communication enabled greater choice and control for children while requiring renegotiating boundaries. The findings reflect a shift in caseworker perceptions of technology‐facilitated contact from a risk to opportunity framework as a result of COVID‐19 conditions, consistent with social shaping of technology theory. Beyond the pandemic, contact with birth relatives can be enhanced through technology.
FROM MAID TO MOTHER: TRANSFORMING FACILITIES, STAFF TRAINING, AND CAREGIVER DIGNITY IN AN INSTITUTIONAL FACILITY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN NEPAL
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-01-2014
DOI: 10.1002/IMHJ.21429
Abstract: This article provides a case study of a project to improve the health, safety, and development of children birth to 6 years old in a large orphanage in Nepal. Two interventions were conducted: improvement of physical infrastructure and training, mentoring, and support for caregiving staff. As a result of these interventions, positive outcomes in terms of children's health and development have been observed, including reduction of communicable diseases and increased social interactions with caregivers. As part of the new training initiative, the caregivers began to meet regularly to share their ideas and experiences, and came to realize their vital role in the holistic development of the children in their care. One important change was a greater sense of dignity for the caregivers. The caregivers were formerly called Maids (Aaya), but asked to be called Mothers (Aama). The project also faced challenges, including communication barriers related to organizational structure.
How foster carers experience agency support for birth family contact
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/CFS.12656
Three variations on the Australian supported playgroup model
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-11-2019
DOI: 10.1111/IJSW.12361
Development of L-lactate dehydrogenase biosensor based on porous silicon resonant microcavities as fluorescence enhancers
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
Narrating connection in intercountry adoption: Complexities of openness in Taiwan‒Australia adoptions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-11-2020
DOI: 10.1111/IJSW.12468
Abstract: Connection and reunion is central to adoption, though complicated by geographical, cultural and linguistic differences in the intercountry adoption space. Drawing from narrative interviews, this study investigated perspectives on connection from the perspectives of adult adopted persons and adoptive parents in Australia, from families of origin in Taiwan and from professionals in both countries. Two primary themes characterising perspectives were found: openness to the possibilities of connection was the predominant theme among adoptees and adoptive parents, and concerns about disrupting the status quo was most common among birth mothers. These two perspectives are both distinct and at times simultaneously held. While connection in adoption is inherently personal and relational, due to the complex, sensitive and evolving nature of connections in adoption, developing and negotiating connections relies strongly on statutory and institutional policies and practices. The article concludes by discussing implications for policies and practices related to openness in intercountry adoption. Key practitioner message: • The study identified how connection is narrated and openness practiced by adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents and professionals in Taiwan–Australia adoptions • Adoption practice should take account of different narratives of connection and life changes that may impact upon openness and interest in reunion • The study underscores how statutory and institutional policies and practices affect the narration of connection beyond the personal and relational.
Differential response: A critical examination of a secondary prevention model
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2007
Electrochemical detection of N‐nitrosodimethylamine using a molecular imprinted polymer
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2016
“You are mum and then they are mum”: Negotiating roles, relationships, and contact in out‐of‐home care
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-01-2022
DOI: 10.1111/FARE.12649
Abstract: Birth family contact can be undermined by relationship difficulties between adults from children's two families, especially in relation to role ambiguity for mother figures. Research to understand relationships between birth mothers and female caregivers across all placement types is needed. In Australia, children in long‐term care, guardianship, and open adoption have direct contact with members of their birth families. The extent to which maternal figures work together is critical to children's ability to enjoy ongoing birth family connections, particularly First Nations children, who are overrepresented in out‐of‐home care. Qualitative methods were used to understand the personal attributes that influence relationships between five dyads of birth mothers and their child's female caregivers in New South Wales. Four were foster or kinship carers, two had adoptions underway, and one was a legal guardian. Three birth mothers identified as Aboriginal, and no caregivers did so. Analysis mapped birth mothers' acceptance and carers' communicative openness and interpreted influences of interpersonal skills, contact, and power dynamics on relationship quality. Positive and natural interactions between children’ mother figures can exist irrespective of legal arrangement when both are able to demonstrate emotional competence and learn relationship‐building skills and overcome power imbalances. The complexity of managing relationships in the context of permanent child removal is influenced by how well children's two mother figures renegotiate their roles. Families need support to discuss the goals and purpose of contact and identify relational resources and challenges. Professionals could use visit coaching to support children's two families in navigating contact.
Advocacy by Parents of Young Children With Special Needs: Activities, Processes, and Perceived Effectiveness
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-04-2014
Co-Design with People with Lived Experience: Designing Resources to Communicate with Children and Young People in Care about their Family Time Contact Visits
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-01-2023
DOI: 10.1093/BJSW/BCAC235
Abstract: Contact visits, or family time, enable children in out-of-home care to sustain relationships with their birth families. In Australia, direct contact including face-to-face visits is typical for children on long-term orders, including guardianship and open adoption. Caseworkers are charged with supporting relationships between children’s birth family members and carers and ensuring contact is safe and child-centred. This article describes how people with lived experience of family time in out-of-home care have collaborated with researchers to co-design practical resources, in the context of an action research study aimed at changing caseworker practice. These resources include a book for young children and a book for older children and adolescents, which both use trauma-informed language and empower their audiences to know their rights and ask for what they need. Additional resources include co-designed tip sheets for family members and carers. People who have personally experienced the care system have unique insights into the experience of family time in out-of-home care and how it can be improved. In partnership, researchers and people with lived experience can identify the gaps in knowledge and practice resources, and co-design resources that integrate lived experience and research findings, underpinned by theory.
Trauma-informed Family Contact Practice for Children in Out-of-home Care
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-2022
DOI: 10.1093/BJSW/BCAB147
Abstract: Trauma knowledge and skills are needed to support relational safety for children in out-of-home care and birth family contact is a particular area where trauma-informed approaches are critical. Mixed methods were used to understand the application of trauma-informed approaches to contact in New South Wales, Australia. A total of 118 caseworkers and 15 organisational leaders took part in an anonymous survey or semi-structured interview. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were completed. Results indicated that caseworkers were confident in their knowledge of trauma and ability to protect children at contact but not to explain trauma to carers or manage conflict between carers and birth relatives. Confusion about how to deliver trauma-informed practice h ered knowledge-to-practice translation. Staff training and supervision were used to build workforce skills but were not evaluated and no strategies to reduce vicarious trauma were identified. Strategies to promote psychological safety and improve cultural safety for Aboriginal children and families were in their infancy. The study demonstrates that the out-of-home-care sector needs a community of practice where it can test, implement and share promising strategies for improving relational safety and where adult and child trauma survivors are empowered to inform and lead new approaches to contact.
Related Organisations
University Of California, Berkeley
Location: United States of America
Related Funding Activities
Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP200100428
Start Date: 07-2020
End Date: 12-2024
Amount: $378,107.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityDiscovery Projects - Grant ID: DP230101758
Start Date: 2023
End Date: 12-2025
Amount: $548,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP180101332
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 06-2023
Amount: $612,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP220100006
Start Date: 02-2024
End Date: 02-2027
Amount: $319,981.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity