Rate My Professor Ainsley Doherty

Ainsley Doherty serves as a Lecturer in the School of Human Services and Social Work, part of the School of Allied Health, Sport and Social Work at Griffith University on the Gold Coast campus. She earned her Bachelor of Social Work from La Trobe University, Wodonga, Australia. In her role, Doherty acts as the lead social work supervisor in the university's Social Work Clinic, where she supports placement students within a multidisciplinary clinical environment. She convenes essential courses such as Social Work Field Placement 1 (7034HSV) and Social Work Field Placement 2 (7044HSV), which provide students with critical hands-on experience in field education, fostering professional competence and readiness for social work practice.

Doherty's contributions to social work education and research focus on field supervision, student well-being, and responses to crises affecting students. In 2019, she was a co-recipient of the Australia and New Zealand Social Work Education and Research (ANZSWWER) Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Grant, awarded $5,000 jointly with Lynne Briggs for the project titled 'Social Work Field Supervisors Processes and Outcomes: Evaluation of student well-being and field education outcomes.' This initiative evaluated processes in social work field supervision to enhance student outcomes. Her peer-reviewed publications include co-authorship on 'Australian Social Work Academics Respond to International Students in Crisis During COVID-19' (Frontiers in Education, 2021), which outlines a multi-pronged academic response at Griffith University, including the development of a COVID-19 Alternative Placement course and a field education student hub to support international students' academic success amid the pandemic. Additionally, she contributed to 'International student experiences in Queensland during COVID-19' (International Social Work, 2020), documenting the impacts on social work students. Doherty has also presented on topics such as experiences of school social work across Australia and New Zealand. Her work underscores practical innovations in social work pedagogy and support for vulnerable student cohorts during global disruptions.