We are back again for another awesome conversation with a social worker using action research to make a big difference in the world. Introducing to you all… Associate Professor Tamara Blakemore from the University of Newcastle!

Tamara is a social worker and researcher who is (along with her research team) rapidly changing the face of family and domestic violence intervention for young people and their families in New South Wales and beyond, with action research project called Name. Narrate. Navigate pathways program (NNN).

Here’s what the UoN University News (2021) has to say about it:

“Taking a unique approach, Name. Narrate. Navigate acknowledges young people who use violence have often been victims/survivors of violence themselves. It uses trauma-informed practice to provide sensitive and culturally safe education, skill development and support to young people who have used or are at risk of using violence. NNN provides psychoeducation, skill development and support to young people and their caseworkers assisting them to a point-of-readiness for targeted recidivist focused interventions. With the support of Westpac, in 2022 the Name.Narrate.Navigate (NNN) Pathways Program will see scale-up of the program through specialist trauma-informed and culturally-safe training, mentoring and support for practitioners across regional, rural and remote Australia to delivery NNN in their own sites and settings. The program for young people will continue with targeted delivery for young women, young Aboriginal people and young people who display sexually harmful behaviours.”

(University of Newcastle, University News 2021)

Tamara and I have a great conversation together in this episode, and we’re so glad you get to hear it! Keep an ear out for the description of action research, along with how she (and her team) work towards creating a research project and intervention program that is trauma-informed and culturally-responsive.

Please, if you can, don’t forget share this episode among your networks, and definitely let Tamara and I know your thoughts on the episode by reaching out to us on twitter using the handle @swdiscoveries

I hope you enjoy the conversation and it spurs you on to do some cool things of your own. Cheers!

Ben.

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Tamara’s contact information:

Tamara Blakemore

Associate Professor in the discipline of Social Work, School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Science, Univeristy of Newcastle

Chief Investigator & Project Lead at Name. Narrate. Navigate Pathways Project (namenarratenavigate.com)

Email: tamara.blakemore@newcastle.edu.au

Website: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/profile/tamara-blakemore & namenarratenavigate.com

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Other people who Tamara recommends to check out and see what they’re up to:

Professor Fiona Arney – Arney Chong Consulting

Professor Darryl Higgins – https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daryl-Higgins

Professor Leah Bromfield – Leah Bromfield Home Page, University of South Australia (unisa.edu.au)

Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh – Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia (usc.edu.au)

Dr Wendy Fitzgibbon – Dr Wendy Fitzgibbon : WestminsterResearch

Louise Rak’s work can be accessed via the NNN website (Name.Narrate.Navigate – NNN (namenarratenavigate.com)