Dr Karen Hart
Director of Research, Service Improvement and Partnerships
karen.hart@saints.vic.edu.auKaren has extensive career and leadership expertise in mental health, youth crime prevention, education, housing, and child protection. She is a qualified social worker, a Master of Research Methods, and an Australian-American Fulbright Scholar. Karen is excited to lead and support the transformation of practice, profile and partnerships.
Karen is a qualified researcher, evaluator and senior executive leader in strategy design, service implementation, and operations, who has spent almost 30 years, engaging and working with children, young people and their families, within government and non-government settings. Her extensive experience in applied research across the fields of social work, youth justice and crime prevention, education, mental health, and social purpose real estate, has provided her with insights and knowledge on the most effective engagement and intervention strategies to improve the lives of service users. Karen is a strong advocate for the safety, education, health and justice needs of children and young people and that continues in her current work, where she is instrumental in transforming flexible educational services through the Saints Knowledge Institute.