Rate My Professor Clarissa Hitchcock

Dr. Clarissa Hitchcock is a Lecturer in Social Work within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSocWk) from the University of Queensland and a PhD from Southern Cross University, recently completed. Her doctoral research focused on the role of education in supporting social work students to develop and integrate professional resilience into their practice, culminating in the thesis "Developing and Maintaining Resilience in Social Work Education." Prior to academia, she worked over 20 years as a qualified social worker in direct practice with children and families, primarily in the Queensland statutory child protection system and private practice. Joining Southern Cross University in 2019 as an Associate Lecturer and advancing to Lecturer, Clarissa teaches courses in direct practice, working in organisations, and child protection, aiding students in translating theoretical knowledge into practical skills.

Clarissa Hitchcock's academic interests encompass professional resilience, social work education, practitioner well-being, and child welfare services. Her publications, cited over 110 times on Google Scholar, have advanced understanding in these areas. Lead-authored works include "The role of education in developing students’ professional resilience for social work practice: A systematic scoping review" (British Journal of Social Work, 2021, co-authored with M. Hughes, L. McPherson, L. Whitaker); "Social work students’ understanding of professional resilience" (Social Work Education, 2024, with L. McPherson, L. Whitaker, M. Hughes); "Developing and integrating professional resilience: Influencing factors for social workers as students and new practitioners" (European Journal of Social Work, 2024, with L. Whitaker, M. Hughes, L. McPherson); and "How social work education fosters professional resilience: Student and newly qualified practitioner perspectives" (Australian Social Work, 2024, with M. Hughes, L. McPherson, L. Whitaker). She co-authored "Approaches to Assessment and Intervention With Children and Young People Who Display Harmful Sexual Behaviors: Rapid Review" (Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 2024) and the report "Supporting Staff Wellbeing in Child Welfare Services" (Southern Cross University, 2024). Additionally, "Social work research culture in Australian university settings" (Journal of Social Work, 2025, with C. Tilbury, C. Bigby). Clarissa contributes to the field through committee roles on the ANZSWWER Committee of Management, ESWRA Social Work Workforce Research Special Interest Group membership, and as an eligible AASW member.