Associate Professor
Phil Crane

Biography

Background

Phil has an interest in human services policy and practice, with a particular focus on young people and practice with individuals and communities which responds to complexity. His major interests include

• early intervention into youth homelessness
• youth alcohol and other drug practice
• integrated and context responsive approaches to practice
• legal and ethical aspects of practice
• university- community engagement and innovation
• the more inclusive and socially sustainable development and management of urban areas.

His research is largely qualitative or mixed method, with a particular interest in action research as a practice development and evaluation tool.

Awards

• 2007: Vice-Chancellor's Performance Award, in recognition of a significant and superior contribution to the work of the University
• 2003: QUT Carseldine Staff Achievement Award in recognition of advancing understanding of young people and public space.

Research highlights

Characteristics of early intervention good practice identified through research adopted by the Australian Reconnect program.

The development of the first protocol specifying how an inclusive approach could be used by a shopping centre in respect of young people. This applied research resulted in the Myer Centre Youth Protocol, an approach that has since been adopted in many other centres around Australia and is supported by the Shopping Centre Council of Australia.

Use of participatory action research in human services. Co-Chair of the Australian Government FaHCSIA Reconnect Action Research Committee from 2000 till 2010.

Current research projects

• Youth services practice (Lead investigator)
• Cannabis and mental health in young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people (JCU Team Member)
• Health of truckies in Queensland study (Team member)
• Community engaged learning network (in development- Lead investigator)
• Leaving care practice in remote settings (in development- Lead Investigator)

Research interests

• membership of Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (Human Health and Wellbeing Domain)
• participatory action research and community based participatory research
• young people and public space issues
• transition from care practice
• youth homelessness, particularly early intervention
• human services practice with young people, particularly issues pertaining to systems complexity and the need for context responsiveness
• youth AOD practice
• Indigenous young people
• participatory approaches to enhancing Indigenous communities.

Project highlights

• Lead investigator for the Leaving care and homelessness study undertaken as part of the Australian Homelessness Research agenda.
• Lead author of the Action Research manual to be used by early intervention services, funded by the Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. Titled On PAR: Using participatory action research to improve early intervention (Crane and O'Regan 2010).
• Lead Investigator of various projects investigating social tensions in public spaces, Shopping Centres Protocol Projects for the Redland City Council and Brisbane City Council
• Lead author for three of the Dovetail Good Practice Guides for youth AOD practice funded through Queensland Health
• Provision of action research support and training to various agencies.