Biography

My research and scholarship activity has focused on providing research evidence that is useful and relevant for social work theorists, researchers and practitioners. I have made contributions, both nationally and internationally, to key debates in social work on inter alia social work ethics, evidence based practice and international and Indigenous social work. I have contributed to the body of practice evidence used by social workers through:

Publications in edited collections on social work theory, Indigenous social work and mindfulness.

Publications in highly regarded international and national journals on the topics of ethics, evidence-based practice, spirituality, Indigenous social work, international social work, social policy, and social work education and practice. The majority of my publications are in international journals or publications that have an international audience of readers.

Successful internal and external research grant applications including two ARC Discovery Projects awarded in 2009 entitled 'Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Factors that Influence the Use of Research Evidence by Human Service Professionals' and 'Changing modes: A study of the knowledge economy of human service research in Australia'.

Engagement with national community service organisations in collaborative research projects: The NSW Office of the Childrens Guardian (OCG), the Department of Community Services (DoCS) and the NSW Departments of Education and Housing.

Membership of the Board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work as well as the boards of several key social work journals: Sage Journal of Social Work (UK), the International Journal of Social Welfare (USA/Sweden), Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Human Services (USA), Journal of Immigration and Refugee Studies (USA), Social Development Issues (USA), and Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk (South Africa). I am also Joint Editor of the journal of Australian Social Work.

Establishing international academic links with colleagues in Canada, the USA, the UK, Europe and the Nordic countries, and South Africa. Most recently I have worked closely with colleagues in New Brunswick, Canada, Sussex in the UK and Wisconsin in the USA.

Supervision of one Masters and eight PhD higher degree student to completion and seven in progress (in the last five years).

Dissemination of research findings to practitioners and fellow researchers through a range of professional forums, including 20 conference presentations in the last five years.

As the second Professorial appointment in social work, I have provided academic leadership for social work colleagues and have been central to the publication of the unique pedagogy on which Newcastles Bachelor of Social Work program is based. Experience-based social work education has become a central focus for my research and scholarship since 1999 when I came to the University of Newcastle.

I have continued my research interest in social work theory, ethics and values which was the subject of my PhD completed in 1993. I am currently working on several books as follows:

Gray, M., Coates, J. & Yellow Bird, M. (Eds). Indigenous Social Work around the world: Towards culturally relevant theory and practice. Aldershot, Hants: Ashgate.

Gray, M. & Powell, W. The art of engagement: Rediscovering meaning in professional Life. Chicago, Il: Lyceum.

Gray, M. & Powell, W. Social Work Ethics. (contract in negotiation with Ashgate).

Gray, M. & Webb, S.A. (Eds).Thinking about Social Work: Theories and Methods for Practice.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Natal
• Master of Social Science, University of Natal
• Bachelor of Social Science (Honours), University of Natal
• Bachelor of Social Science, University of Natal

Research

Research keywords

• Australian human services
• Evidence-based practice
• Indigenous social work
• Knowledge production
• Knowledge translation
• Morals, values and ethics
• Neoliberalism
• Social work and art
• Theory and philosophy of social work
• Welfare reform

Research expertise

I have conducted research broadly in the area of 'social intervention' which involves the design, development and evaluation of intervention programs. While still in South Africa I was instrumental in putting together a multidisciplinary group of researchers and in gaining funding of R3.4m for the Crime Reduction in Schools Project (CRISP) which involved developing and evaluating a range of interventions implemented in six disadvanatged schools between 1999-2001. CRISP was so successful that it became a private company after the government funding period ended and still continues today. Since being in Australia I have continued to conduct research on and write about social policy in South Africa, specifically the progress of social development in South Africa and am currently editing a special issue of the International Journal of Social Welfare on this topic. I have conducted research to develop standards of out of home care for Indigenous child care agencies for the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian and have published in two international journals on this research. I also conducted research in partnership with the Family Action Centre (FAC) at Newcastle University for the Department of Children's Services (DoCS) on the development of an integrated service centre (ISC) in the Hunter and this research contributed directly to the FAC getting funding from the Communities for Children program in Raymond Terrace (the site we identified for the ISC). I have conducted research into culturally relevant social work education and practice which led to an international writers workshop and an edited book on 'Indigenous Social Work around the World: Towards the development of culturally relevant education and practice' to be published by Ashgate. My research in this area has contributed significantly to debates about local, culturally relevant versus international (universal) models of social work education and practice. I continue my research on social work values and ethics and most recently have collaborated with a colleague in education to explore Habermas's contribution to social work ethics. Together with several other colleagues working in this area, we are developing a new approach to social work ethics. I am also researching Francisco Varela's ethical know how and the relevance of a phenomenological perspective to social work ethics and to social work theory and practice generally. This relates too to my work on 'social work as art'. I recently completed two ARC Discovery Projects, which commenced in 2009. The first focused on 'Implementing Evidence-Based Practice: Factors that Influence the Use of Research Evidence by Human Service Professionals'. The second entitled 'Changing modes: A study of the knowledge economy of human service research in Australia', investigated how current systems of knowledge production contribute to the creation of relevant and effective human services.

Languages

• English

Fields of Research

Centres and Groups

Centre

• Research Institute of Social Inclusion & Wellbeing

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Member - Australian Association of Social Workers
• Member - Past member of Joint Universities Committee on Social Work Education (JUC)
• Member - Past member of Joint Universities Committee on Social Work Education (JUC)
• Member - Past member of the Board of the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) (1996-2000)
• Australian Association of Social Workers

Editorial Board.

• Editor - Australian Social Work
• Member - Families in Society: The Journal of the Contemporary Human Services
• Editor - International Journal of Social Welfare
• Member - Sage Journal of Social Work
• Member - Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk (South Africa)

Appointments

Awards

Recognition.

Invitations

Administrative

Administrative expertise

I have twelve years experience as a head of social work (1994-1999; 2000-2001) and head of the school of social sciences (2002-2005). I have served on numerous university committees and academic boards and have expereince in administration in most areas relating to social work teaching and research.

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Social Development
• Social Policy
• Social Work
• Social Work ethics
• Social work theory & philosophy

Teaching expertise

I have taught most areas of social work practice though more recently have focused on experience-based learning as the medium for teaching social work theory, values and ethics to final year social work students