Overview
Background
Professor Karen Healy AM is Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Queensland. A leading social work academic, she is deeply committed to health equity, family inclusion, and social justice. Her research centres on community-based integrated care for people facing adversity, with a particular focus on maternity, mental health, and housing insecurity.
Karen has led award-winning initiatives such as Young Mothers for Young Women, a midwifery-social work-peer support program for young parents. She has also contributed to integrated care models for people experiencing homelessness, combining physical, mental, and maternal health services.
She is the author of several influential books on social work theory, family inclusion, and health equity. Karen serves as Research Advisor to Micah Projects, a pioneering community and health service, and she chairs Clinical Care and Governance for Anglicare Southern Queensland, which provides health and community services across the life-course.
In 2016, Karen received an Order of Australia (AM) for her contribution to social work in child protection, higher education, and research. In September 2018, Higher Education Academy (UK) appointed her as a Principal Fellow.
Availability
- Professor Karen Healy is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours), The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Graduate Certificate of Applied Statistics, Swinburne University of Technology
Research impacts
Karen is skilled in research co-design with people with lived experience of health and human service systems and with government and non-government service agencies. Karen collaborates with these partners to co-design and conduct research, and to translate findings into accessible resources for policymakers, practitioners, and communities. Her outcomes include novel approaches to integrated midwifery and family support with young parents, community-based mental health support and homelessness prevention, and improving family participation in child protection decision-making.
Professor Healy is an experienced research supervisor. She has supervised 31 Research Higher Degree students to completion of their projects in wide range of health and community service concerns.
She holds senior advisory positions in industry and in her professional community. She is Community Services Commissioner and Chair of Clinical Care and Governance for Anglicare Southern Queensland. She has a well-established partnership with Micah Projects, an innovative health and commuity service agency dedicated to supporting people and families experiencing severe and persistent disadvantage. In her partnerships with Micah, Karen has contributed to major social health initiatives, particularly the establishment of Young Mothers for Young Women (an integrated midwifery, family and peer support program), and supported parents to work with the Child Safety Minister and Executive to develop a Parents' Rights Charter, founded on Human Rights Principles.
Karen's track record of leadership includes as: National President of the Australian Association of Social Workers (2011-2017); National Director of The Benevolent Society (2011-2019); National President for the Australian Association of Social Work and Welfare Education (2005-2009).
Works
Search Professor Karen Healy’s works on UQ eSpace
2019
Journal Article
Review of Doing Critical Social Work: Transforming Practices for Social Justice, edited by Bob Pease, Sophie Goldingay, Norah Hosken, and Sharlene Nipperess, Crows Nest, NSW, Allen & Unwin publishers, 2016
Healy, Karen (2019). Review of Doing Critical Social Work: Transforming Practices for Social Justice, edited by Bob Pease, Sophie Goldingay, Norah Hosken, and Sharlene Nipperess, Crows Nest, NSW, Allen & Unwin publishers, 2016. Australian Social Work, 73 (3), 1-2. doi: 10.1080/0312407x.2018.1521305
2019
Journal Article
Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice
Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2019). Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice. Child & Family Social Work, 24 (1), 33-41. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12578
2019
Book Chapter
Regulating for quality social work education: who owns the curriculum?
Healy, Karen (2019). Regulating for quality social work education: who owns the curriculum?. Strategic leadership in social work education. (pp. 53-66) edited by Marie Connolly, Darla Spence Coffey and Charlotte Williams. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-25052-2_5
2019
Book
Writing skills for social workers
Healy, Karen and Mulholland, Joan (2019). Writing skills for social workers. 3rd ed. London, United Kingdom: Sage.
2018
Book Chapter
The Skilled Communicator in Social Work
Healy, Karen (2018). The Skilled Communicator in Social Work. The Skilled Communicator in Social Work. (pp. 1-11) London, United Kingdom: Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-56347-7_1
2018
Book Chapter
Will she be right, mate? Standards and diversity in Australian social work
Healy, Karen (2018). Will she be right, mate? Standards and diversity in Australian social work. Transnational social work: opportunities and challenges of a global profession. (pp. 205-221) Bristol, United Kingdom: Policy Press. doi: 10.1332/policypress/9781447333364.003.0013
2018
Conference Publication
Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice
Venables, Jemma and Healy, Karen (2018). Collaborating with parents during intervention with parental agreement: practitioner perspectives on procedural justice. Social Work, Education and Social Development Conference (SWSD 2018), Dublin, Ireland, 4-7 July 2018.
2018
Book
The Skilled Communicator in Social Work
Healy, Karen (2018). The Skilled Communicator in Social Work. London United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1057/978-1-137-56347-7
2017
Journal Article
The Case for an Australian Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare
Healy, Karen (2017). The Case for an Australian Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. Australian Social Work, 71 (1), 1-5. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2017.1397180
2017
Journal Article
Decision making in child and family welfare: the role of tools and practice frameworks
Gillingham, Philip, Harnett, Paul , Healy, Karen , Lynch, Debby and Tower, Marion (2017). Decision making in child and family welfare: the role of tools and practice frameworks. Children Australia, 42 (1), 49-56. doi: 10.1017/cha.2016.51
2016
Journal Article
After the biomedical technology revolution: where to now for a bio-psycho-social approach to social work?
Healy, Karen (2016). After the biomedical technology revolution: where to now for a bio-psycho-social approach to social work?. British Journal of Social Work, 46 (5), 1446-1462. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcv051
2016
Other Outputs
Intervention with Parent Agreement: An Investigation of collaboration in child safety practice
Healy, Karen , Venables, Jemma and Harrison, Gai (2016). Intervention with Parent Agreement: An Investigation of collaboration in child safety practice.
2016
Journal Article
A social identity approach to understanding responses to child sexual abuse allegations
Minto, Kiara, Hornsey, Matthew J., Gillespie, Nicole, Healy, Karen and Jetten, Jolanda (2016). A social identity approach to understanding responses to child sexual abuse allegations. PLoS One, 11 (4) e0153205, e0153205. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153205
2016
Book Chapter
Social work education and regulation in Australia
Healy, Karen (2016). Social work education and regulation in Australia. Encyclopedia of social work. (pp. 1-1) Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1169
2016
Journal Article
2015 Norma Parker Address: being a self-regulating profession in the 21st Century: problems and prospects
Healy, Karen (2016). 2015 Norma Parker Address: being a self-regulating profession in the 21st Century: problems and prospects. Australian Social Work, 69 (1), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2016.1103391
2015
Journal Article
From investigation to collaboration: Practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements
Venables, Jemma, Healy , Karen and Harrison, Gai (2015). From investigation to collaboration: Practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements. Children and Youth Services Review, 52, 9-16. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.02.007
2015
Journal Article
Forging an Identity as a Newly Qualified Worker in the Non-government Community Services Sector
Harrison, Gai and Healy, Karen (2015). Forging an Identity as a Newly Qualified Worker in the Non-government Community Services Sector. Australian Social Work, 69 (1), 80-91. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2015.1026913
2015
Journal Article
Becoming a trustworthy profession: doing better than doing good
Healy, Karen (2015). Becoming a trustworthy profession: doing better than doing good. Australian Social Work, 70 (sup1), 1-10. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2014.973550
2014
Journal Article
Collaborating with families in differential responses: practitioners' views
Healy, Karen, Harrison, Gai, Venables, Jemma and Bosly, Fiona (2014). Collaborating with families in differential responses: practitioners' views. Child and Family Social Work, 21 (3), 1-11. doi: 10.1111/cfs.12149
2014
Book Chapter
Social sustainability and social work: problems and prospects
Healy, Karen (2014). Social sustainability and social work: problems and prospects. Global Social Transformation and Social Action: The Role of Social Workers. (pp. 161-164) edited by Sven Hessle. Surrey, United Kingdom: Ashgate Publishing.
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Karen Healy is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Hepatitis C Nurse Practitioner led integrated model of care: An innovative response to a chronic health concern
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Cameron Parsell
-
Doctor Philosophy
The role of leaders in mitigating and responding to psychological injury risks in socio-legal services.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jemma Venables, Dr Dorothee Hölscher
-
Doctor Philosophy
A Trauma-Informed Clinical Approach to Supporting Peer-Parents and Family Advocates in the Child Protection System.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gabrielle Campbell
-
Doctor Philosophy
Decision-making in an Adults Emergency Department regarding protection concerns.
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Peer parent and family advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families within the child protection system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Tracey Bunda, Dr Jemma Venables, Dr Krystal Lockwood
-
Doctor Philosophy
The impact of out-of-home care on children's socio-emotional wellbeing: A life course approach
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Janeen Baxter, Dr Maca San Martin Porter, Associate Professor Jenny Povey
Completed supervision
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
A Qualitative Exploration of Child Development Clinical Practice: Conceptualising and Integrating Psychosocial Perspectives Within Assessments of Developmental and Behavioural Functioning in Children
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Carmel Fleming, Dr Robyne Le Brocque
-
2025
Doctor Philosophy
Carer and Key Stakeholder Perspectives on Cultural Identity and Connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children in Out-of-Home Care
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Jemma Venables
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Stability in Statutory Kinship Care : A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Placement Stability.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Debby Lynch
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Good Work, Decent Wages - A case study of the 2009 Pay Equity Campaign in Queensland's community services sector
Principal Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Sense of Coherence in Late Adolescence Following Involvement as a Child in Decision-Making During Parental Separation
Principal Advisor
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Valuing complex and diverse career pathways: The career trajectories and career-related choices of early career practitioners
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Master Philosophy
Life satisfaction in young immigrants and Australian young people: Change with socioeconomic status and time.
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
A study of non-government child welfare services in Taiwan focused on children in need of child welfare service intervention
Principal Advisor
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Collaborative practice in statutory child protection practice: Parental agreements and procedural justice
Principal Advisor
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Willing But Not Able? The experiences of mothers with intellectual disabilities in relation to the Queensland child protection system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Henman
-
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2013
Master Philosophy
Finding a Voice: The Fee-for-Service Social Work Experience: Insights from Practitioners.
Principal Advisor
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
`I wouldn't want my kids around him' : How men who use violence in their intimate relationships perceive themselves as fathers.
Principal Advisor
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
A systems science analysis of the context/s of child protection reform in Queensland, Australia
Principal Advisor
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
Unheard voices: A study of parent participation in statutory child protection policy processes in Queensland
Principal Advisor
-
2010
Doctor Philosophy
The Twisted Helix: a technology of "truth" A study of DNA paternity testing in child protection practice
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Paul Henman
-
2007
Master Philosophy
Frontline Service Workers' conceptualisation of their Client's Anger and how it shapes their Practice
Principal Advisor
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Implementing and Evaluating Family Inclusive Practice in Adult Eating Disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Robyne Le Brocque
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
It's Never Too Late. Older Women and Sexual Violence: The Search for Therapeutic Solutions
Associate Advisor
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Redress for the Forgotten Australians. Assessing the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Care.
Joint Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Brian Head
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Parent and Staff Perceptions of Bereavement Support Surrounding Loss of a Child
Associate Advisor
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Building Knowledge for Policy and Practice in Out-of-Home Care: Exploring the Boundaries of Systematic Mapping
Associate Advisor
-
2011
Doctor Philosophy
Attachment Theory and Family System Theory: Conceptualisation of the Relationship Between These Theories and An Application to Permanency Planning
Associate Advisor
-
2009
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the emergence, diffusion and continuance of intercountry adoption from South Korea to Queensland, Australia
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Karen Healy directly for media enquiries about:
- Child abuse
- Child protection systems - national and international practice
- Child protection work
- Education - social work
- Professional identity
- Social welfare organisations
- Social work
- Social work education
- Teaching social work
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