John Drayton
University of Queensland
Rate Professor John Drayton
Makes even dry topics interesting.
Encourages open-minded and thoughtful discussions.
Passionate about student development.
Always approachable and supportive.
Great Professor!
About John
Dr. John Drayton is a Lecturer and Program Lead for the Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) in the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work at the University of Queensland, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences. He holds a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Sydney and a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland, awarded in 2014 for his thesis 'Governing loss: Dead bodies and bereavement', which explores social work's engagement with loss, dead bodies, and bereavement processes.
Dr. Drayton's research specializations include bereavement and coronial practices, ethics in organ retention and family counselling, faith and belief in social work, mental health practice, recovery support for NDIS participants with psychosocial disability, trauma-informed education, and writing skills in social work simulations. His key publications feature 'Organ retention and bereavement: Family counselling and the ethics of consultation' (Ethics and Social Welfare, 2011), 'Bodies-in-life/bodies-in-death: social work, coronial autopsies and the bonds of identity' (British Journal of Social Work, 2013), 'Social work, contradiction and belief: the liminal space between faith and fact' (Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work, 2016), 'Mind the gap: incorporating writing skills into practice simulations' co-authored with Karen Healy (Social Work Education, 2021), 'Social work practice in mental health: an introduction' as co-editor with Robert Bland and Gabrielle Drake (2021), 'Understanding and responsiveness in the trauma-informed adult ESL classroom' (The Australian Educational Researcher, 2024), and 'Supporting the recovery of NDIS participants with psychosocial disability: a narrative literature review' co-authored with Johnny Choi and Kathy Ellem (Australian Journal of Social Issues, 2025). He has also presented conference papers, including 'Undergraduate students with caregiving responsibilities relying on substance use to cope with stress' (2021). In his appointments, he leads the honours social work program and lectures in social work courses, contributing to inter-professional bereavement education projects.
Professional Email: j.drayton1@uq.edu.au