Biography and expertise
Biography
Liz has over 20 years’ experience in the child protection-related research, policy and practice regarding family work and parenting programs. Recent employment experience includes Senior Research Officer at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, and Senior Policy and Research Officer for the Inquiry into the Child Protection System in the Northern Territory.
Liz's work contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals
Research
Liz’s research interests include family work, relational practice in family work and men’s behavior change programs, prevention and early intervention dimensions of the child wellbeing continuum (including community development approaches to child protection, creating communities in which children can thrive, and social capital and child welfare.
Community engagement
Liz collaborates with It Takes a Town (ITAT), a community development project operating within the 2484 postal code area of northern-NSW based around Murwillumbah. The purpose of the collaboration is to support It Takes a Town to develop an approach to community development work that is informed by evidence-based practice for working with families, social science research, asset-based community development, and social capital theory, amongst other approaches.
Teaching
- Unit Assessor - Introduction to Social Welfare
- Unit Assessor - Youth Work
- Tutor - Community Development
Other
- Board Member - NSW Family Services
- Board Member - The Family Centre
- Impact Group member - It Takes a Town (Northern NSW)
- Advisory Group member – Communities for Children (Murwillumbah)