Professor Sarah MacLean is a leading researcher in social work and social policy. Her work explores people’s experiences of alcohol consumption, inhalant use and gambling.
“Each of these can be done legally and enjoyably,” she explains. “But they can also produce harms to health and wellbeing that are often exacerbated by social inequalities.”
With a background in social work and sociology, Professor MacLean works collaboratively to identify health and social policy responses that improve outcomes for these individuals and communities. Her research is funded by grants from the ARC and NHMRC.
Her recent work explores how climate change is impacting people who use social services, with a focus on those experiencing substance use problems.
“As climate disasters become more frequent, it is imperative that the health and community care workforce is trained to support people who use alcohol and other drugs,” she says.
“This research will be used to develop recommendations for policy and practice, including how we might train social workers to support climate adaptation in structurally marginalised groups.”
Professor MacLean’s current research project is analysing interviews with alcohol and drug service staff about impacts of climate change.
“We've conducted interviews with workers across Australia in agencies that provide care and support for people whose use of alcohol and other drugs causes them problems. Our initial findings suggest that impacts are diverse and highly localised, indicating that both broad policy settings and local plans are required.”
