Associate Professor Lorna Hallahan

Associate Professor

College of Education, Psychology and Social Work

place Social Science South (340)
GPO Box 2100, Adelaide 5001, South Australia

Lorna was appointed in September 2006. She holds a PhD from Flinders University (2005) having completed a B.Soc.Wk. from University of Queensland in 1982. Prior to coming to Flinders, Lorna practiced in a range of settings, including disability advocacy and the management of a loss and grief service. In 2015 Lorna was appointed Independent Reviewer of the South Australian Adoptions Act (1988). She was a member of the SA Premier's Council for Women for six years until July 2021. Lorna speaks and writes regularly on ethical issues for workers in complex human services.

Lorna was Chair Flinders Social and Behavioural Research Ethics Committee for 4.5 years from 2013 and Head, Flinders Social Work for 3 years until July 2019.She resumed this role in September 2021.

Lorna has been a significant and long term contributor to the development and analysis of disability policy incuding the development and evaluation of the Trial of The National Disability Insurance Scheme. From July 2019 until February 2021 Lorna was seconded as Senior Research Advisor to the Royal Commission on Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

Qualifications

B Soc Wk (University of Queensland, 1982)

PhD (Flinders University, 2005)

Honours, awards and grants
  • South Australian Women's Honour Roll, 2011
  • Joint winner Australian Book Review 2010 Calibre Prize for Outstanding Essay for an essay entitled 'On being odd'
  • Winner Best Abstract Award (Practitioner) Joint World Conference on Social Work and Social Development Hong Kong June 2010
  • Faculty of Social Sciences Teaching Award 2009
Key responsibilities

Topic Coordinator SOAD9207 Integrity in Social Work Practice in MSW

Member: Social Work Innovation Research Living Lab

Professional Accreditation Lead: Social Work

Teaching interests

Lorna contributes to teaching in the fields disability studies; human rights and ethics and integrity in social work practice.

Supervisory interests
Ageing
Child protection
Disability and policy
Social work practice and spirituality
Social work theory and practice
Higher degree by research supervision
Current
Principal supervisor: Child protection (2), Social work practice (3)
Associate supervisor: Disability and policy (1)
Completion
Principal supervisor: refugees and social work practice (1), ethics and social work practice (1)
Expert for media contact
Disability
Rights
Social Policy/Welfare
Social work
Disability Policy
Social Work
Available for contact via
Or contact the media team
+61 8 82012092
0427 398 713
Media expertise
  • Disability
  • Rights
  • Social Policy/Welfare
  • Social work
Interests
  • Disability Policy
  • Social Work