Dr. Rachel Goff
Lecturer
Details
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College: School of GUSS
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Department: School of GUSS
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Campus: City Campus Australia
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rachel.goff@rmit.edu.au
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ORCID: 0000-0003-2483-0191
Open to
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision
About
I am a social sciences and social work educator and researcher in the Social Work and Human Services cluster at the City Campus, RMIT University in Melbourne. I completed my industry-funded PhD in 2021 (Federation University), focusing on the experiences and aspirations of families with who have involvement with family services in community-based support. I bring my practice in design thinking to my research and prioritise projects that are participatory and community-driven.
My practice background includes working with children, young people and families, First Nations communities, with the LGBTIQA+ community and with people undergoing faith transitions resulting from conversion therapy and other religious trauma. Other industry experience that informs my work includes consulting in human-centered service design, equity and inclusion, supporting families through the right@home maternal child health pilot program, and board membership in a not-for-profit LGBTQIA+ organisation.
My practice background includes working with children, young people and families, First Nations communities, with the LGBTIQA+ community and with people undergoing faith transitions resulting from conversion therapy and other religious trauma. Other industry experience that informs my work includes consulting in human-centered service design, equity and inclusion, supporting families through the right@home maternal child health pilot program, and board membership in a not-for-profit LGBTQIA+ organisation.
Research fields
- 4409 Social work
- 441006 Sociological methodology and research methods
Academic positions
- GUSS Responsible Practice co-lead
- RMIT University
- Melbourne, Australia
- 31 May 2023 – Present
Teaching interests
I currently coordinate and teach courses in the Bachelor of Social Sciences/Psychology and Bachelor of Social Work undergraduate programs. My courses. My teaching is student-centered, inclusive and creative, with the intention of building student's confidence and capacity in applying critical perspectives, creativity, evidence and cultural humility in the human services context.
Research interests
My research is situated within social work, sociology and design disciplines. Within this, my research program is focused on two specific themes. The first is focused on understanding the effectiveness, experiences and outcomes of community participation and place-based approaches to health and wellbeing outcomes in diverse communities, including LGBTQIA+ and culturally diverse communities. The second relates to social work professional development, particularly examining the role of design thinking in social work and human services education, research and practice to enhance practitioner creativity, power literacy, positionality and reflexivity, and to improve socially just outcomes for communities. I consider research as a site of social work practice, and these themes highlight my aim to co-create more just futures for people within their social settings.
