Rebecca M Gray

UNSW Sydney | UNSW · Centre for Social Research in Health

In this article, we investigate young people's involvement with residential alcohol and other drug (AOD) services as part of their broader engagement with hope. This study draws on qualitative interviews conducted with 20 young people aged 17-23 from Victoria, Australia, who were either in, or had recently left, residential AOD services. Interviews...

A virus has a social history. In the case of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV, this history is one involving stigma and discrimination, advocacy and activism, and recent dramatic improvements in treatment. These social histories influence the experience of people who live with the viruses, and those who work with them. One aspect of this is the...

It is generally recognised that engaging consumers to participate in policy making, programming, and practice is fundamental to effective alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, however, literature continues to document challenges and barriers to its implementation in AOD settings. This study reports on an evaluation of the Consumer Participation P...

Background: Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) has been implemented across a range of addiction treatment services, settings and organisations. Mutual support groups are a notable exception. Innovative solutions are needed. SMART Track is a purpose built smartphone app designed to capture ROM data and provide tailored feedback to adults attending Aus...

The clinical management of blood borne viruses has changed rapidly in recent years. Yet social stigma remains a persistent issue. Families which include people with mixed viral status (also known as ‘serodiscordance’) play a critical role in supporting those who have been diagnosed with HIV, hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C. However, little is known...

Youth justice policies in Australia feature an overall welfare-oriented approach and an emphasis on diverting young people away from the justice system. Nevertheless, some young people, particularly those with complex needs, are incarcerated at a young age and are at greater risk of poor outcomes. This paper explores barriers to the use of diversio...

Previous research has reported on the benefits of mutual support groups. However, such groups do not routinely collect data on participant outcomes. Moreover, the effect of collecting outcomes measures on these groups is unknown. The objective of this mixed methods study was to elicit participant views on using a novel, purpose built digital platfo...

Background Despite the importance and popularity of mutual support groups, there have been no systematic attempts to implement and evaluate routine outcome monitoring (ROM) in these settings. Unlike other mutual support groups for addiction, trained facilitators lead all Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) groups, thereby providi...

BACKGROUND Despite the importance and popularity of mutual support groups, there have been no systematic attempts to implement and evaluate routine outcome monitoring (ROM) in these settings. Unlike other mutual support groups for addiction, trained facilitators lead all Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) groups, thereby providi...

The needs of refugees are of crucial concern internationally. Relational trauma is an area that is particularly under‐emphasised and under‐researched. The Strength to Strength program (STS) was a relationship and family counselling service for recently arrived refugees in Sydney, Australia. The service model built on post‐Milan systemic family ther...

Domestic and family violence (DFV) and child maltreatment have been widely identified as co-occurring social phenomena. It has been well established that children living in an environment of DFV are at significant risk of either directly experiencing violence themselves, or being neglected due to their parents’ reduced caregiving capacity. In order...

There are particular complexities faced by people attempting to tell their stories in the context of social stigma, such as the hostility which often surrounds injecting drug use. In this article, we identify some of the distinct advantages of taking a narrative approach to understanding these complexities by exploring a single case study, across t...

Emerging evidence suggests a bi-directional dynamic between chronic illness and intimate relationships. Moreover, the quality of this relationship affects the capacity of the affected person to manage their illness. Literature directed towards health professionals encourages them to incorporate interventions which account for such factors, so that...

This article describes findings from an Australian mixed method study, and explores young people’s perceptions of police. We focus on the nature of positive experiences, and the potential for positive encounters to improve outcomes for young offenders affected by problematic alcohol and other drug use. Buber’s concept of dialogical interaction is u...

Literature widely reports the negative impacts of domestic violence at individual, family, and societal levels. Intervention programs that effectively assist violent men to develop alternate ways of relating, and thus enhance the safety of women and children, are of significant value to governments and the community. This study evaluates the effect...

Introduction The needs of refugees are of pivotal concern internationally. Relational trauma, in particular, is an area that is under-emphasised and under-researched. The strength to strength program (STS) was a rare, innovative relationship and family counselling service for recently-arrived refugees in Sydney, Australia during 2006–2014. The serv...

Changes to the Family Law Act (2006) triggered the establishment of Family Relationship Centres (FRCs) throughout Australia. Tasked with supporting the local community, these centres provide an entry point for people experiencing relationship distress, family dysfunction and parental separation. For the most part, centres provide referrals and dire...

Since 2006, parties to post-separation parenting disputes have been required to attempt family dispute resolution (‘FDR’) before proceeding to court. While exemptions are available for cases involving family violence, research indicates that many parties to FDR have experienced violence in their relationships. Considerable effort has gone into deve...

While the need for psychotherapeutic services for refugees is well documented, little is known about the acceptability and validity of these approaches, especially from refugee and sta¡ perspectives. Qualitative studies of user experience provide critical insight into the utility of current service approaches, and is both clinically and ethically i...

Research in Australia has examined factors associated with filicide in order to more accurately instigate points of intervention. Factors include parental separation/divorce, depression in the perpetrator and domestic violence. Therefore, services that facilitate men's behaviour change programmes provide one such point of intervention. Relationship...

Background: Although cancer in indigenous populations is receiving increased research attention, there is a gap in understanding the particular experiences of Aboriginal men. Objective: The aim of this study is to integrate a range of primary and secondary accounts of the experiences of Aboriginal men in engaging with a cancer diagnosis and trea...

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a stigmatised disease due, in part, to an association with injecting drug use. Aboriginal Australians, a stigmatised group, are over-represented in patterns of HCV infections. We examined the experience of Aboriginal Australians living with HCV using qualitative in-depth interviews, paying particular attention to instances wher...

Since 2010, Relationships Australia (NSW) has conducted a mixed methods evaluation of their domestic violence group program: Taking Responsibility. This article explores 21 interviews with women (the partners and former partners of clients) gathered at program completion. Key findings indicated the complex nature of change within ongoing relationsh...

This paper presents selected findings from a research‐based evaluation of a men's domestic violence intervention programme, which aims to assist men to develop alternative ways of relating to their partners, children and others. The qualitative component of this evaluation involved conducting interviews with 21 group participants after their comple...

Introduction. Despite Aboriginal Australians being over-represented in populations of people living with hepatitis C (HCV), there is a dearth of research to guide policy and programme development in the area of care and treatment, particularly relating to new HCV treatments. Method. In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 people identifying as A...

This article presents qualitative accounts from clients involved in the Parental Regard Pilot Project, undertaken at Blacktown Family Relationship Centre (FRC) between 2011 and 2013. All Family Advisors employed in the Centre were trained in the Parental Regard model of family dispute resolution, which focuses on helping separated parents to reduce...

Effective interagency collaboration is essential to safeguard children. Some, however, have questioned the extent to which service integration results in improved outcomes for children and families. Moreover, the area of child and family services has no single set of best-practice standards to guide professionals or networks. Despite the lack of re...

Until recently, the focus for child protection in NSW has been on risk assessment, supportive measures for parents, and ‘the best interests of the child’. The needs of the birth families, once their children have been removed have not received the same attention. An emerging body of research indicates a growing awareness of the importance of the li...

Relationships Australia NSW and Baptist Community Services NSW & ACT, through its BCS LifeCare Counselling & Family Services program, collaborated to explore client perceptions of men's domestic violence programs. Recruitment targeted male clients and their female partners, across six locations in New South Wales, Australia. In total, 63 qualitativ...

Introduction: There is growing interest in increasing uptake of hepatitis C (HCV) treatment. HCV is strongly associated with injecting drug use and is a stigmatised illness. People with HCV may be reluctant to engage with health care services. A community-based, nurse-led integrated care clinic was established in Christchurch, New Zealand with the...

Domestic violence is a significant social issue with serious implications for victims, families, and the wider community. The present research seeks to investigate specific characteristics that influence the propensity to behave violently. This first stage of a research-based evaluation identifies key differences between men attending a group work...

Although general practitioners (GPs) play a central role in responding to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Australia, the social history of their contribution in the early years has remained largely untold. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 GPs who provided HIV care between 1982 and 1996. De-identified transcripts were broadly coded i...

Cancer outcomes for Aboriginal Australians are poorer when compared with cancer outcomes for non-Aboriginal Australians despite overall improvements in cancer outcomes. One concept used to examine inequities in health outcomes between groups is health literacy. Recent research and advocacy have pointed to the importance of increasing health literac...

Objectives: Social inclusion theory has been used to understand how people at the margins of society engage with service provision. The aim of this paper was to explore the cancer care experiences of Aboriginal people in NSW using a social inclusion lens. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 Aboriginal people with cancer, 18 ca...

Objectives: Cancer is the second biggest killer of Aboriginal Australians. For some cancers, the mortality rate is more than three times higher in Aboriginal people than for non-Aboriginal people. The Aboriginal Patterns of Cancer Care Study explored barriers to and facilitators of cancer diagnosis and treatment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait...

People with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are a marginalised population that may experience discrimination in everyday contexts, including health-care, due to the association of HCV with injecting drug use. Stigma and discrimination are known to have a range of negative effects on people with HCV, including diminished quality of life and avoidance of hea...

Hepatitis C (HCV) is a disease of the liver with a range of potentially debilitating symptoms, the severity of which differ from person to person. HCV is a major public health challenge. Globally an estimated one in 12 persons is affected by the virus, and substantial new transmissions occur each year. The vast majority of new transmissions occur a...

General practitioners (GPs) identify that depression can be difficult to diagnose in populations with high rates of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use. This is a particular concern with gay men who are a population known to engage in high rates of AOD use and who are vulnerable to depression. This paper uses data from 563 gay men and their GPs to des...

This study explores the impact of perceptions of shame on counseling in alcohol and other drug (AOD) settings. While some recent research points to the potential treatment barriers that result from discrimination against AOD clients by health care professionals, there is a dearth of research on the impact of shame and stigma on the work of allied h...