Phone: +61 (02) 9385 7813
Email: Karen.Fisher@unsw.edu.au

CV [PDF]

Photo: MEDIAKOO

Biography:

Karen Fisher is a Senior Research Fellow at the Social Policy Research Centre and Acting Deputy Director of the Disability Studies and Research Centre, UNSW. She conducts complex research in Australia and China about the organisation of human services, particularly disability and mental health policy; project and service evaluation; and policy process. Karen applies participatory methods with people with disability, disability policy officials and service providers. She is an Official Visitor for NSW Mental Health and was a co-convenor of the NSW Australasian Evaluation Society, a foundation member of the Board of the Disability Studies and Research Institute and a Community Visitor for disability accommodation services.

HDR Supervision:

Supervision of Higher Degree Research students and visiting scholars in the organisation of social services with an interest in Australia and China, including disability and mental health services and community care; participatory evaluation methodology; and social policy process.

Research Areas:

Research areas include: Social policy, disability policy, Chinese social policy, organisation of human services, evaluation, participatory methodology, social policy process

Research:

Recent research projects include:

• two ARC Chinese disability policy grants (children and older people)
• individualised funding for disability support (FAHCSIA)
• mental health housing and support in Queensland
• cost of disability and community services in Queensland
• evaluation of disability and mental health integration and housing projects for federal, NSW, Victoria and Queensland governments (Integrated Services Project – ISP, Mental Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative – HASI, Integrated Rehabilitation and Recovery Care Services – IRRCP, Active Linking Initiative – ALI support in boarding houses)
• social policy and disability rights in Shanghai (postdoctoral research).

More information on Current research projects

Publications:

Fisher, K.R. (2009), Whose values shape social policy? Policy process limits to economic rationalism, VDM Verlag Dr Muller, Saabrucken, Germany.

Fisher, K.R. & Li, J. 2008, ‘Chinese disability independent living policy’, Disability & Society, 23(2): 171-85.

Purcal, C. & Fisher, K.R. 2007, ‘Balancing qualified staff requirements with shortage of recruits in child care – the NSW experience’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 42(3): 387-99.

Fisher, K.R., Thomson, C.M. & valentine, k. 2006, ‘Families First Area Review lessons’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(1): 11-19.

valentine, k, Fisher, K.R. & Thomson, C.M. 2006, ‘Making integration happen: the Families First policy experience’, Child Abuse Review, 15(6):414-428.

Purcal, C. & Fisher, K.R. 2006, ‘Affordability funding models for early childhood services’, Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 31(4): 49-58.

*Muir, K., Fisher, K.R., Dadich, A. & Abelló, D. (2008), ‘Challenging the exclusion of people with mental illness: the Mental Health Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative (HASI)’, Australian Journal of Social Issues, 43(2): 271-90.

Muir, K., Fisher, K.R., Dadich, A., Abelló, D. & Bleasdale, M. (2007), Housing and Accommodation Support Initiative Evaluation: Final Report, report prepared for the NSW Department of Health, September, SPRC Report Series 10/07 and www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2007/hasi_evaluation.html

Fisher, K.R. & Fine, M. 2002, ‘Care coordination, case management theory and the Coordinated Care Trials. Reconsidering the fundamentals’ in Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, The Australian Coordinated Care Trials: Recollections of an Evaluation, Publications Production Unit Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, Canberra, 23-38.

Fisher, K.R., Abelló, D., Robinson, S., Siminski, P. & Chenoweth, L. 2005, Resident Support Evaluation Final Report, report prepared for Disability Services Queensland, SPRC Report Series 2/05, Sydney.

Fisher, K.R., Kemp, L. & Tudball, J. 2002, Families First Outcomes Framework, report prepared for The Cabinet Office of NSW, Social Policy Research Centre, SPRC Report Series, 7/02, Sydney.

Other: Official Visitor, Ministerial Appointment NSW Mental Health 2006-2010