Dr Kate Davies is the Policy and Research Manager at Homelessness NSW. She is also a Conjoint Senior Lecturer with the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences at the University of Newcastle. She is an experienced community development practitioner and her work considers the connections between community, industry, teaching and research. Her research focuses on mental health and wellbeing inequalities, especially the place of lived experience in human services practice and policy. Her recent work has explored the employment of people with disability in the disability workforce, lived experience research methods for exploring disability, mental illness and power, inclusion of families in child protection processes and young people’s experiences of debt. She has worked extensively in international development, particularly with the Red Cross Movement throughout the Asia Pacific region and is involved as a volunteer in local homelessness and disability groups.