Complexity Theory for Social Work Practice (PDF)

Fiona McDermott, BA., Dip Soc Studs., M. Urban Planning, PhD (Melb), has taught across the curriculum in the social work departments at The University of Melbourne and Monash University, where she is adjunct Associate Professor. From 2009 to 2018 she held a joint appointment in the social work departments of Monash University and Monash Health, her role being to establish and develop practitioner research. She was Editor of the journal Australian Social Work from 2017-2022. Her publications are in the fields of research development, health and mental health, and working with groups. Fiona has published several books, many book chapters and refereed articles. She has a particular interest in qualitative research approaches and practitioner research.



Kerry Brydon, B. Comm. BSW (Melbourne), MSW (research) (Monash), PhD (Monash), has always been a practitioner at heart. She commenced practice in statutory welfare where she remained for over two decades: as well as working as a stipendiary probation and parole officer she also worked with complex, multi-problem families in the then child welfare and later child protection fields. She had responsibilities at case work, supervisory, management and case planning levels. She then spent a decade in academia, at Monash University, teaching at both undergraduate and post graduate levels as well as co-ordinating the first Australian tertiary program to offer a qualification in an offshore setting. She also became a participant in the collaborative program with the University of Papua New Guinea striving to strengthen academic offerings from that university. More recently she has worked in the aged care sector where, once again, complexity permeates both client presentations and day-to-day interventions at all levels of service delivery.



Alex Haynes, PhD candidate (Monash); Grad Dip Business (RMIT); Grad Dip Environmental Studies (UA); BArch (UniSA), has a strong recordof achievement in a wide range of