Associate Professor Lorna Hallahan has been appointed National Research Director for the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

A significant achievement for Associate Professor Hallahan, her selection is also a testament to the calibre of Social Work she leads at Flinders University and the new Social Work Innovation Research Living Space – SWIRLS – lab.

Associate Professor Hallahan will take leave from the University over the second half of this year to set up the Royal Commission’s research framework.

In addition to her academic achievements, Associate Professor Hallahan has an extensive background in social work practice and leadership. She has contributed to disability policy for many years, including helping to develop and evaluate the National Disability Insurance Scheme trial and was Independent Reviewer of the SA Adoptions Act (1988) in 2015.

Associate Professor Hallahan has just completed two terms on the Premier’s Council for Women and has taken leave from her role as President of the Australian Council of Heads of Schools of Social Work to focus on this new responsibility.

She has published extensively, particularly in the area of disability.

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability was established on 4 April 2019 to investigate what governments, institutions and the community should do to protect people with disability from abuse or neglect, and to achieve best practice in investigating and reporting incidents. It will also make recommendations towards building a more inclusive society that better supports people with disability.

An interim report will be submitted by 30 October 2020, with the final report due by 29 April 2022.