UWA Logo
  Faculty Home | School of Social and Cultural Studies | Social Work Home   
           
School of Social and Cultural Studies
Information For
Future Students Future Students Future Students
Current Students Current Students Current Students
OBE Statements OBE Statements OBE Statements
UWA Social Work Alumni UWA Social Work Alumni Social Work Alumni
Information About
Courses Courses Courses
Research Research Research
Staff and Fellows Staff and Fellows Staff and Fellows
Current Postgraduates Current Postgraduates Current Postgraduates
Deborah DentonDeborah Denton Deborah Denton Deborah Denton
UWA Social Worker UWA Social Worker UWA Social Worker
Community Service Community Service Community Service
Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families Cntr. for Vulnerable Ch...
Contact Us

Alana Thompson

Qualifications:

B.Psych (Murdoch), MSW (NYU)

Research Interests:

I am currently a PhD candidate being supervised by A/Professor Maria Harries and Dr Tracey Summerfield from the Law School of the University of Western Australia.  My research is exploring aspects of the care proceeding process in the Children's Court context that are conducive or non-conducive to a therapeutic effect.  Specific therapeutic elements of the Court I am interested in exploring include Structural, Attitudinal and Physical elements.  A therapeutic jurisprudence framework will be used to examine the therapeutic and anti-therapeutic effects of the legal process on the parent(s) and family members involved in child welfare proceedings.

The Study emerges from a limited amount of scholarly investigation into the experience of parents involved in care proceedings in the Children's Court in the Australian context.  The significance of this investigation is that it will happen at a time when major challenges are being articulated about how we manage child welfare decision making in Australia.  It is anticipated that a number of factors will be highlighted as significant contributors to achieving a holistic outcome for parents involved in care proceedings in the Children's Court context.

Research work and Publications:

My primary involvement with the Discipline of Social Work and Social Policy is full-time doctoral research, however I am also working as a research associate with the Centre for Vulnerable Children and Families.

in 2006, I acted as a research associate on behalf of the Ngala Family Resource Centre Carers WA and Youth Focus.  In 2007, I have acted as a research associatie on behalf of Anglicare, Ngala Family Resource Centre, and have participated in a National Research Study on the Children's Court and Child and Youth Poverty.

Research Interests:

Child welfare and protoction

International permanency planning models for children in care

International social work practice

Foster Carer recruitment and retention

Inter-country adoption

Profile:

Completed the Bachelor of Psychology degree from Murdoch University in 2000, and a Master of Social Work degree from New York University in 2005.  Since graduating, I have worked in the private vocational rehabilitation sector in Western Australia and in the United States.  An independent study completed whilst in the US was a comparative policy analysis between US and Australian permanency planning policies for children in foster care.

In 2006, I was awarded a three year PhD scholarship by the University of Western Australia to complete my doctoral research.
Top of Page