Dr Graeme Stuart
Team Leader Community Research and Practice

Graeme Stuart has extensive experience as a community worker and has recently been increasing his focus on research and teaching. He has been at the Family Action Centre since May 2003, where he worked with the Caravan Project for nearly 5 years before becoming more focussed on research and teaching.

Graeme has over 20 years experience in community work including roles as a peace worker, an adolescent support worker with homeless young people and a community youth development officer. For ten years he was actively involved with the Alternatives to Violence Project, which ran workshops on nonviolence with young people, service providers, people experiencing domestic violence, prisoners, teachers and the general community.

His wide training experience includes workshops with the Alternatives to Violence Project, father workshops with Indigenous prison inmates, workshops on strengths based practice for practitioners and teaching in a variety of course at both the University and TAFE. Graeme is actively involved in the local community through Transition Newcastle and his daughtersÕ school. In 2003 he completed a PhD exploring the implications of a philosophy of nonviolence for youth workers.

At the Family Action Centre, he is involved in a range of activities including:

• Teaching postgraduate and undergraduate courses on community engagement and community capacity building. More information.

• Evaluating the SNUG camps for children with disabilities and their families.

• Working with Dee Brooks to provide workshops and ongoing mentoring to the Defence Community Organisation in adopting asset-based community development and other community capacity building tools.

• Supporting an engaging Aboriginal fathers project funded by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation. The project, coordinated by Craig Hammond is working with Thou Walla School as Community Centre and Nar-un-bah School as Community Centre toengage Aboriginal fathers in a range of local informal and formal healing activities, events, and workshops with a focus on reconnecting to culture and the role of fathers in growing their children strong. Graeme will particularly focus on action research associated with the project.

• Providing training and support to local community organisations, particular in relation to strengths-based community work, community engagement and facilitation.

GraemeÕs research focuses on practice based and applied research in relation to community engagement, engaging Aboriginal fathers and strength based practice.

List of publications

Books and book chapters

Stuart, G. (2009). Conflict resolution and nonviolence workshops with young people. In R. White (Ed.), Concepts and methods of youth work. Hobart: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies.

Stuart, G. (2009). Nonviolence as a framework for youth work practice. In R. White (Ed.), Concepts and methods of youth work. Hobart: Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies.

Stuart, G. (2008). Youth work and nonviolence: Nonviolence as a foundation for youth work practice. SaarbrŸcken VDM Verlag Dr. MŸller.

Journal articles (* = refereed)

*Grace, E., Mathisen, B., Stuart, G., & Hawes, H. (2010). StudentsÕ experiences of family-centred strength-based practice in a non-traditional clinical setting. ACQuiring Knowledge in Speech, Language and Hearing, 12(2), 78-81.

Stuart, G. (2009). Stepping Stones: Building relationships between caravan park residents and schools. The Boys in School Bulletin, 12(1).

Stuart, G., Brooks, D., & Stephens, C. (2009). ItÕs nearly time to go: Asset Based Community Development with transient caravan park communities. Parity, 22(2), 27-28.

Stuart, G. (2008). Families with children living in caravan parks. Parity, 21(8), 31-32.

Stuart, G, Giles, R & Hamilton, J 2007, "Homelessness: Stories from the street. The experience of service provision", Parity, 20 (5), pp. 39-40.

*Stuart, G 2006, "What does Gandhi have to say about youth work?" Youth & Policy 93, pp. 77-89.

Stuart, G 2005, "Exclusion and behaviour management in youth work", Newsletter of the Youth Action and Policy Association 15, pp. 8-11.

Stuart, G 2005, "It beats living in a tent: A survey of residents in eight Lower Hunter caravan parks", Parity, 18 (5), pp. 17-18.

Brooks, D, Hernandez, K, & Stuart, G 2005, "Beyond the boom gate: Supporting park residents", Parity, 18 (5), p. 24.

*Stuart, G 2004, "Nonviolence as a Framework for Youth Work Practice", Youth Studies Australia, 23 (3), pp. 26-32.

*Stuart, G 2004, "Youth work and managing behaviour", Youth and Policy, 85, pp. 19-36.

*Stuart, G 2001, "Are you old enough? Research ethics and young people", Youth Studies Australia, 20 (4), pp. 34-9.

Conference presentations (* = refereed)

Altmann, J., Burgman, I., & Stuart, G. (2010). The parental experience of raising a child with a disability in rural NSW. Paper presented at the The 6th National Australian & Family Community Strengths Conference.

Hazelwood, E., Mathisen, B., & Stuart, G. (2010). Students learning family-centred, strength-based practice in a non-traditional clinical setting. Paper presented at the The 6th National Australian & Family Community Strengths Conference.

Stapylton, K., Burgman, I., & Stuart, G. (2010). Experiences of a strengths based camp for rural and remote families who have a child with a disability. Paper presented at the The 6th National Australian & Family Community Strengths Conference.

Hammond, C & Stuart, G 2008, Brothers Inside: Fathering workshops with Indigenous prisoners, paper presented at the First National Indigenous Family and Community Strengths Conference, Newcastle.

Stuart, G 2008, Engagement: the first step towards social inclusion, paper presented at the Social inclusion: rhetoric or reality? Conference, Blacktown.

Stuart, G & Brooks, D 2008, Stepping Stones: From Caravan Park to School, paper presented at the 5th National Family and Community Strengths Conference, Newcastle.

Stuart, G, Brooks, D & Hammond, C 2008, Developing strengths-based domestic and family violence resources: Potential and challenges, paper presented at the 5th National Family and Community Strengths Conference, Newcastle.

Stuart, G, Brooks, D, Stephens, C & Howard, J 2008, Supporting caravan park residents: Principles of promising practice, paper presented at the 5th National Family and Community Strengths Conference, Newcastle.

Stuart, G 2006, Domestic Violence, paper presented at the Supporting caravan park residents - A national best practice forum, Port Stephens.

Stuart, G 2006, Advocacy, paper presented at the Supporting caravan park residents - A national best practice forum, Newcastle.

Stuart, G 2005, Exclusion and behaviour management in youth work, paper presented at the When is banning OK? How to keep staff, property and other service users safe: Youth Action and Policy Association Forum.

*Stuart, G 2004, "Community leadership: A tale of two residential parks", in R Flowers (ed.), Eduation and Social Action Conference Proceedings, University of Technology of Sydney, Sydney.

Gray, M, Crofts, P, Geggie, J, Gibbons, J & Stuart, G 2003, Putting families first - Towards the development of a one stop model of service provision for families of young children, paper presented at the Family and Community Strengths Conference, Newcastle.

*Stuart, G 2002, Youth work as informal education - issues of control, paper presented at the What Works!? Evidence based practice in child and family services, Association of Childrens Welfare Agencies Conference, Sydney.

*Stuart, G 2000, Developing cultures of nonviolence in youth services, paper presented at the First International Youth Service Models Conference, Adelaide.

Reports

Hammond, C., & Stuart, G. (2010). Kia Kia: Engaging Aboriginal Fathers Final Report. Newcastle: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle.

McBride, J., & Stuart, G. (2008). The Rocky Project: Child and Family Health Nurses role in supporting marginalised families. Newcastle: Child and Family Health Nursing.

Stuart, G., & Brooks, D. (2008). Stepping Stones: Supporting students in a caravan park. Newcastle: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle.

Stuart, G., Brown, J., & Crofts, P. (2008). 'Being a father gives you a different outlook': Fathers reflect on work and child-friendly communities. Newcastle: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle.

Stuart, G. (2007). Supporting residents of caravan parks: Principles of promising practice. Newcastle: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle. Available from http://www.newcastle.edu.au/centre/fac/caravanproject/bestpracticeforum.html.

Stuart, G., Brooks, D., & Hammond, C. (2007). What Can We Do? Communities responding to violence: Final report. Newcastle: Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle.

Stuart, G & B & Hammond, C 2006, Brothers Inside: Reflections on fathering workshops with Indigenous prisoners, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G & Brooks, D 2008, Stepping Stones: Supporting students in a caravan park, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G 2007, Supporting residents of caravan parks: Principles of promising practice, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G, Brooks, D & Hammond, C 2007, What Can We Do? Communities responding to violence: Final report, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G 2006, Building Healthy Caravan Park Communities: Final report, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G & Hammond, C 2006, Brothers Inside: Reflections on fathering workshops with Indigenous prisoners, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G, Silberberg, S & Hughes, L 2005, A snapshot of residents in eight Lower Hunter caravan parks, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.

Stuart, G & Eddy, G 2004, Community Leadership Project Ð Hunter Caravan Parks: Evaluation report, Family Action Centre, University of Newcastle, Newcastle.