Professor Karen Healy
Professor

Karen Healy

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+61 7 336 52507

Background

Professor Karen Healy AM is the Head of the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. Professor Healy's work examines and develops community-based approaches to improving health, wellbeing and safety with people and families across the life-course. She is committed to improving outcomes with people and families experiencing disadvantage and marginalisation.

Professor Healy's research themes are family and community-led practice, child protection, research co-design, health equity, and social inclusion. Karen, and her research group, lead a large research program on community-based and family inclusive approaches to child protection. This includes a national project on empowering parents and families as partners in child protection. Together with Micah Projects and Professor Diane Depanfilis from City University New York, Karen's team is conducting a trial of ‘Family Connections.’ This is a family inclusive approach to promoting children's safety and family wellbeing in families at increased risk of child removal by child protection authorities.

Karen collaborates with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to support culturally responsive practices across health and human services sectors and to continue to build recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, doing and being. Karen has supervised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research higher degree students to complete projects on community-led approaches to health, safety, and wellbeing.

Karen is an experienced university educator. Her teaching practice focuses on developing health and social work professionals’ capacity to collaborate with people receiving services and their families. She has led initiatives in simulated learning on foundational and advanced communication skills, family group meetings and mediation, and teamwork.

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

Human Society Policy and administration Social work

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).

Search Professor Karen Healy’s works on UQ eSpace

125 works between 1995 and 2025
All (125) Journal Article (69) Book Chapter (22) Conference Publication (13) Book (13) Other Outputs (8)

61 - 80 of 125 works

2014

Book

Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice

Healy, Karen (2014). Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice. 2nd ed. Basingstoke, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan.

Social Work Theories in Context: Creating Frameworks for Practice

2013

Conference Publication

From investigation to collaboration: practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements

Venables, Jemma, Healy, Karen and Harrison, Gai (2013). From investigation to collaboration: practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements. Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Melbourne / Melbourne Convention Centre, 10 - 13 November 2013.

From investigation to collaboration: practitioner perspectives on the transition phase of parental agreements

2012

Journal Article

Parents’ perceptions of their participation in mandated family group meetings.

Darlington, Yvonne, Healy, Karen, Yellowlees, Josephine and Bosly, Fiona (2012). Parents’ perceptions of their participation in mandated family group meetings.. Children and Youth Services Review, 34 (2), 331-337. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.10.030

Parents’ perceptions of their participation in mandated family group meetings.

2012

Journal Article

Family participation in child protection practice: an observational study of family group meetings

Healy, Karen, Darlington, Yvonne and Yellowlees, Josephine (2012). Family participation in child protection practice: an observational study of family group meetings. Child and Family Social Work, 17 (1), 1-12. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2206.2011.00767.x

Family participation in child protection practice: an observational study of family group meetings

2012

Book

Social work methods and skills : the essential foundations of practice

Healy, Karen (2012). Social work methods and skills : the essential foundations of practice. Basingstoke , United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan.

Social work methods and skills : the essential foundations of practice

2012

Journal Article

Remembering, apologies, and truth: challenges for social work today

Healy, Karen (2012). Remembering, apologies, and truth: challenges for social work today. Australian Social Work, 65 (3), 288-294. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2012.705308

Remembering, apologies, and truth: challenges for social work today

2012

Book

Writing skills for social workers

Healy, Karen and Mulholland, Joan (2012). Writing skills for social workers. 2nd ed. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications.

Writing skills for social workers

2012

Book

Social Work Methods and Skills

Healy, Karen (2012). Social Work Methods and Skills. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave Macmillan. doi: 10.1007/978-0-230-36199-7

Social Work Methods and Skills

2012

Book Chapter

Critical perspectives

Healy, Karen (2012). Critical perspectives. The Sage handbook of social work. (pp. 191-206) edited by Mel Gray, James Midgley and Stephen A. Webb. London , U.K.: Sage. doi: 10.4135/9781446247648.n13

Critical perspectives

2011

Other Outputs

A study of crisis intervention and planned family support with vulnerable families: a national homelessness research project

Healy, Karen (2011). A study of crisis intervention and planned family support with vulnerable families: a national homelessness research project. Greenway, ACT, Australia: Australian Homelessness Clearinghouse.

A study of crisis intervention and planned family support with vulnerable families: a national homelessness research project

2011

Journal Article

A comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?

Healy, Karen, Lundström, Tommy and Sallnas, Marie (2011). A comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?. Australian Social Work, 64 (4), 416-431. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2011.603092

A comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?

2011

Journal Article

Parents’ participation in child protection practice: toward respect and inclusion

Healy, Karen, Darlington, Yvonne and Feeney, Judith A. (2011). Parents’ participation in child protection practice: toward respect and inclusion. Families in Society, 92 (3), 282-288. doi: 10.1606/1044-3894.4126

Parents’ participation in child protection practice: toward respect and inclusion

2011

Journal Article

Shifting the focus from expert-centred to student-centred learning resources: Creating student-centred learning resources for direct practice

Harrison, Gai, Walsh, Deborah and Healy, Karen (2011). Shifting the focus from expert-centred to student-centred learning resources: Creating student-centred learning resources for direct practice. Advances in Social Work and Welfare Education, 13 (1), 91-110.

Shifting the focus from expert-centred to student-centred learning resources: Creating student-centred learning resources for direct practice

2011

Journal Article

Response to Katz's comment on “Comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?”

Healy, Karen, Lundstrom, Tommy and Sallnas, Marie (2011). Response to Katz's comment on “Comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?”. Australian Social Work, 64 (4), 437-442. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2011.619269

Response to Katz's comment on “Comparison of out-of-home care for children and young people in Australia and Sweden: worlds apart?”

2010

Journal Article

Recognising and enabling social workers to promote child welfare and protection

Healy, Karen (2010). Recognising and enabling social workers to promote child welfare and protection. Australian Social Work, 63 (2), 141-144. doi: 10.1080/0312407X.2010.485629

Recognising and enabling social workers to promote child welfare and protection

2010

Journal Article

Challenges in implementing participatory practice in child protection: A contingency approach

Darlington, Yvonne, Healy, Karen and Feeney, Judith A. (2010). Challenges in implementing participatory practice in child protection: A contingency approach. Children and Youth Services Review, 32 (7), 1020-1027. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.03.030

Challenges in implementing participatory practice in child protection: A contingency approach

2010

Book

The social work & human services workforce : Report from a national study of education, training and workforce needs

Healy, Karen and Lonne, Bob (2010). The social work & human services workforce : Report from a national study of education, training and workforce needs. Australia: Australian Council of Learning and Teaching.

The social work & human services workforce : Report from a national study of education, training and workforce needs

2010

Journal Article

An institutional comparison of child protection systems in Australia and Norway focused on workforce retention

Healy, Karen and Oltedal, Siv (2010). An institutional comparison of child protection systems in Australia and Norway focused on workforce retention. Journal of Social Policy, 39 (2), 255-274. doi: 10.1017/S004727940999047X

An institutional comparison of child protection systems in Australia and Norway focused on workforce retention

2010

Journal Article

Approaches to assessment and intervention across four types of child and family welfare services

Darlington, Yvonne, Healy, Karen and Feeney, Judith (2010). Approaches to assessment and intervention across four types of child and family welfare services. Children and Youth Services Review, 32 (3), 356-364. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.10.005

Approaches to assessment and intervention across four types of child and family welfare services

2010

Book

Practice methods in context for social work and the human services [kit]

Harrison, Gai, Healy, K., Walsh, D., Bosly, F. and Caniglia, F. (2010). Practice methods in context for social work and the human services [kit]. [St. Lucia, Qld.]: School of Social Work and Human Services, University of Queensland.

Practice methods in context for social work and the human services [kit]

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2028
    Empowering peer-parent and family advocacy in Australian child protection
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2027
    Enhancing outcomes for young people in out-of-home care who self-place
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2028
    Supporting Healthy Lifestyle Choices to Promote Mental Health & Wellbeing of Indigenous Youth Aging-Out-of-Care in Urban Settings
    NHMRC-Canadian Institutes of Health Research Healthy Cities Implementation Science Team Grants
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    Enhancing Children's Journey in Out-of-Home Care: A Multi-perspective Study
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2024 - 2025
    Child and Youth Policy Priorities
    Queensland Council of Social Services
    Open grant
  • 2023 - 2024
    Evaluation of Home and Healthy
    Micah Projects Inc
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Enhancing outcomes for young people in out-of-home care who 'self-place': optimising practice and policy responses
    UQ Knowledge Exchange & Translation Fund
    Open grant
  • 2020
    Defining Red Flags
    Queensland Family and Child Commission
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2020
    Establishing a longitudinal study of health and social care for young families in the Caboolture region
    Micah Projects Inc
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Intensive Family Support (IFS) Implementation and Impact Evaluation
    Parenting Research Centre Inc
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2020
    Behind a moral shield: Responses to trust breaches in mission-based groups
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015
    Trust breaches in the not-for-profit sector: Causes, consequences and solutions
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund - Seed Research Grant
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2014
    Analysis of Child Protection Operating Model
    KPMG
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    A Study of Best Practice in Intervention with Parental Agreement: Creating Change with Families in Statutory Child Protection Services
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2013
    A study of best practice in workplace support and development of newly qualified community services workers
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Developing an integrated national curriculum for the education of the social work and human services workforce
    Carrick Discipline Studies
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2009
    Participatory Decision Making and Policy Production in Child Welfare
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2008
    Families on the Fringe: Promoting the Social Inclusion of Young Families who have Relocated to Non-Metropolitan Areas
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005
    Citizen Engagement in Decision-Making and Policy Development in Child and Family Welfare
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Enhancing volunteer capacity to maximise the volunteer resources for contextually diverse community organisations
    Australian Catholic University
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Practical Policy Responses to the Social Relocation of Young Families with High Needs to the Coastal and Regional Areas of Qld and NSW
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    Enhancing services to Australian children and families: linking workforce characteristics, job quality, and quality and outcomes in social services
    University of Sydney
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Karen Healy is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Enhancing Children's Journey in Out-of-Home Care:A Multi-perspective Study (a focus on kinship care among Indigenous families)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jemma Venables

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Decision-making in an Adults Emergency Department regarding protection concerns.

    Principal Advisor

  • 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

  • Master Philosophy

    Decision-making in an Adults Emergency Department regarding child protection concerns

    Principal Advisor

  • 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

    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

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Assessment Models for Differential Diagnosis in Child Development: Understanding Neurodevelopment in the Context of Childhood Trauma

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Robyne Le Brocque

  • 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

  • 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

    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

  • 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

    The impact of out-of-home care on children's social-emotional wellbeing: A life course approach

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Janeen Baxter, Dr Maca San Martin Porter, Associate Professor Jenny Povey

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The impact of out-of-home care on children's social-emotional wellbeing: A life course approach

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Janeen Baxter, Dr Maca San Martin Porter, Associate Professor Jenny Povey

Completed supervision

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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