Professor Helen McLaren

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My current employment is at the Australian Institute of Future Education (AIFE), where I am Associate Executive Dean of Education. I can be contacted at helen.mclaren@aife.edu.au

I also have status at Australian Catholic University, where I was National Head of Social Work until June 2026, now holding the title Honorary Professor of the Australian Catholic University (ACU).

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My Research (some examples of my research):

• Social Work placement, funded by WIL Australia
• Exploring Ageing in Prison, funded by Office of Ageing Well SA
• Developmental Evaluation, Co-Design and Prototyping of the Linker Service in SA to support women >50 years and sole parents experiencing poverty, funded by Wyatt Trust
• Eight studies on Australia’s first experiences of the Mockingbird Family^TM model of foster care: 1. Professional Quality of Life; 2. Social Network Analysis; 3. Being in a Mockingbird Family^TM; 4. South Australian Experience, 5. Children's experiences; 6. Building trust; 7. Revisiting Recognition Theory, 8. Keeping Siblings connected, funded by Life Without Barrie
• Four studies on Serious Mental Illness community supports: 1. Employment, 2. Meaningful Relationships; 3 IADLs; 4 Housing, funded by Flourish Australia
• Building Multicultural Relations at Adelaide Mosque, AMISA. funded by Stronger Together Grants, DPC SA.
• Women's public sector leadership: Learning from what works (Indonesia focus), funded by Australia-Indonesia Institute
• Defining survivors'' quality of life to measure perpetrator intervention effectiveness, funded by ANROWS.

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PhD Supervision - In 2020 I was awarded the Vice-Chancellor prize for Excellence in Higher Degree Research Supervision. I have continued to have successful PhD completions with superior examination grades. 

While we do not have PhD students at AIFE, I continue to supervise via ACU and Flinders universities.

Are you seeking a supervisor?

Email your Academic Transcripts, CV and Research Proposal. 

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Prior to joining Flinders University:

• Researcher, former South Australian Dept. Community Welfare; Australian Centre for Child Protection, UniSA; Ministerial Advisory Committee on Children with a Disability
• Forensic & psycho-social therapist, Child Protection Services, Adelaide Women’s and Children’s Hospital; Victim Support & Forensic Investigator, rape and sexual assault, SA's Justice Portfolio.