JENNA MEIKSANS

Child wellbeing specialist with 15+ years of experience in designing and evaluating programs for vulnerable children and families in South Australia. Strong research background leading to transformative changes in child protection and youth justice practice across the country. Currently focused on the reform of school-based responses for children and young people with mental health concerns. Passionate about designing systems that support families to experience safety and wellbeing.

• Octoman, O., Arney F., Chong, A., O’Donnell, M., Meiksans, J., Hawkes, M., Ward, F., & Taylor, C. (2022) Tailoring service and system design for families known to child protection: A rapid exploratory analysis of the characteristics of families. Child Abuse Review
• Meiksans, J., Arney, F., Flaherty, R., Octoman, O., Chong, A., Ward, F., & Taylor, C. (2021) Risk factors identified in prenatal child protection reports. Children and Youth Services Review.
• Meiksans, J., McDougall, S., Arney, F., Flaherty, R., Chong, A., Ward, F. & Taylor, C. (2020) The nature of domestic and family violence in child protection reports made prenatally. Children and Youth Services Review.
• Flaherty, R., McDougall, S. Arney, F., Meiksans, J., & Hawkes, M. (2020) Review of the literature on child protection and domestic violence electronic medical record (eMR) alerts. Child Abuse Review.
• Moore, T., Arney, F., Buchanan, F., Chung, D., Chong, A., Fernandes, C., Hawkes, M., Meiksans, J., Moulding, N., Martin, R. and Schulze, D. (2020). Enhancing safety in work with families affected by family and domestic violence: findings from practitioner focus groups. Adelaide: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
• Moore, T., Arney, F., Buchanan, F., Chung, D., Chong, A., Fernandes, C., Hawkes, M., Meiksans, J., Moulding, N., Martin, R. and Schulze, D. (2020). Fostering safety in families reunifying after violence: Findings from a participatory study with young people and families. Adelaide: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
• Moore, T., Arney, F., Buchanan, F., Chung, D., Chong, A., Fernandes, C., Hawkes, M., Meiksans, J., Moulding, N., Martin, R. and Schulze, D. (2020) Practice Brief - Slow down and listen: Improving children’s and young people’s safety during periods of violence, separation and reunification. Adelaide: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
• Blacklock, S., Meiksans, J., Bonser, G., Hayden, P., Menzies, K., & Arney F., (2018) Acceptability of the Winangay Kinship Carer Assessment Tools, Child Abuse Review.
• Flaherty, R., Meiksans, J., McDougall, S. & Arney, F. (2018) Examining the power of the eMR to share interpersonal violence, abuse and neglect concerns: do child protection alerts help? Research report for Australia’s National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety (ANROWS).
• Meiksans, J., Bromfield, L., & Ey, L-a. (2018) A Continuum of Responses for Harmful Sexual Behaviours: Issues Paper, prepared for the Commissioner for Children and Young People, Western Australia.
• Meiksans, J. (2018). Children for sale: The unintended consequences of purchasing temporary out of home care placements in Australia [Paper presentation]. EUSARF Conference. Porto, Portugal.