About

Dr. Catherine Brasier

B.A., B.S.W (hons), Ph.D

Catherine is a Post-doctoral Research Fellow Social Work and Social Policy at La Trobe University and private academic consultant who draws on her lived experience of mental ill-health and recovery. She completed her PhD (competitive scholarship $90,000) in 2020, Bachelor of Social Work with honours (2014), Bachelor of Arts (2003). She is also a qualified drug and alcohol counsellor (2008) and educator (2019).

Catherine worked as a community mental health worker from 2007 to 2014 specialising in complex care and residential support.

Catherine leads projects that aim to increase the participation of consumers in research and service development, especially in leadership and decision making roles.

She has been invited to complete work for the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, University of Melbourne, Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, Department of Health and Human Services, NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne Health, Australian Social Workers Association, Victorian Interprofessional Leadership Network. She concluded her role as Consumer Academic (2019-20) in the Recovery and Social Justice Unit, Centre for Mental Health at the University of Melbourne.

Catherine remains closely connected to industry and provides peer supervision and research/academic consulting to organisations. She recently completed a consulting project for Barwon Health which sought to develop a peer support program for individuals who experience personality type/complex trauma for Barwon Health, as well as an evaluation plan.

Catherine has expertise in the design and completion of evaluations, including her PhD project in which she recruited 173 stroke survivors and carers to evaluate a psychosocial intervention to improve wellbeing.

Catherine has demonstrated that she can complete compelling pieces of social research using her unique combination of perspectives – lived experience, service delivery and research.