Who We Are
Karen Healy
50 word statement (as provided by Karen Healy)
I stand for maintaining professional educational standards for social workers in Australia. I will promote values of democracy and social justice in the AASW and in society. I will work to protect the title ‘social worker’ and to promote service quality. For more information visit: itsouraasw.org.au
500 word statement (as provided by Karen Healy)
I am standing for the position of President of the AASW. I am part of a team standing for the AASW board. The team are Christine Craik, Maria Merle, Cindy Smith and me. We commit to building professional recognition and maintaining professional educational standards for social workers in Australia.
I am passionate about professional social work. I graduated with first class honours in social work in 1986. In 1997 I was awarded a PhD in social work and social policy. I have worked in professional or academic posts in four States of Australia and in a variety of fields including child protection, community work and health services. I have been a member of the AASW for the majority of my professional career and I have served on Australian Social Work editorial board and committees related to education and workplace issues.
I am Professor in the School of Social Work and Human Services at the University of Queensland. Many of you will know me through my text books on social work theory and practice, which are used in many social work programs across Australia and internationally. In collaboration with several authors I have also published research monographs and papers on industrial rights, professional recognition strategies, and workforce preparation and support especially for newly qualified social workers.
I have the leadership experience needed to guide the AASW through this challenging time. Between 2005 and 2009, I was President of the Australian Association of Social Work and Welfare Education (for the maximum term allowable) and I continue as an executive member of that Association. I am also a national director of The Benevolent Society, Australia’s oldest not-for-profit community service, and I am a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
My team understands the financial and professional pressures facing social workers. We will seek to improve the affordability and value of AASW membership. We will collaborate with industry representative bodies such as unions and peak bodies to achieve recognition of the shared, as well as the different, capacities of social work and other human service workers. We will work with service user associations to advocate for the disadvantaged and to achieve social change.
My team and I commit to:
- maintaining and building the educational standards of the profession;
- protecting the title “social worker”;
- promoting quality in social work services through supporting and extending professional development opportunities among AASW members;
- values of democracy, transparency and social justice;
- to being an active voice for social change;
- well considered and evidence informed responses to the challenges facing the profession and the people we serve.
We will always respect that the AASW is an association of its members.
If you want a board that will make a positive difference for professional social work in Australia, vote for me and my team. Visit our website at: www.itsouraasw.org.au or email me at: oursocialworkprofession@gmail.com