Moral Injury and the Paradox of Helping
In the helping professions, often people will not be helped despite the best efforts of those who would help them. Sometimes people get better on their own even against every attempt to drag them down. In helping professions navigating this moral minefield where good actions can have indiffirent or even disastrous consequences, and inaction or even apparently negative actions can result in positive outcomes exposes the helping profession to compassion fatigue, moral injury, vicarious trauma and PTSD.
This presentation is designed to counter the narrative often promoted by well intentioned people who insist if you do the following actions, use the approved pedagogy or follow best practice then good results will inevitably follow. We will examine and contrast two jobs from the author's work as a police Detective and open a conversation on how to help those who refuse to be helped, how to resolve the paradox of the helping professions and how to navigate the moral vacuum of a seemingly indifferent world and still find the happy ending.
*Trigger warning, while this presentation will seek to avoid gratuitous or exploitative detail, this presentation by the nature of the topic will canvas such subjects as child death, physical abuse and neglect issues. Every attempt by the presenter will be made to fully inform the audience of the expected direction this talk will take. Please take the nature of the topic in consideration when attending.
Mark Cartner & Paige Parker
he/him
Founder & Director | Walkabout Training
Mark Cartner is the founder and director of Walkabout Training, an indigenous-owned business that offers bespoke outdoor education programs for youth at risk. Mark has spent 25 years as a police officer, working in the child protection unit for from 2003 to 2024. This has given him extensive experience in child protection, working with government and non-government agencies, and ensuring children are safe and are assisted in recovering from traumatic experiences. Mark has also volunteered running youth groups and is kept busy at home with his wife raising their 4 children. This means for his entire adult life, Mark has worked for the protection and betterment of young people.
Mark spent a decade working as a child abuse detective in indigenous communities around Cape York. This also allowed him to indulge in his passion for bush tucker and indigenous knowledge, meeting with traditional owners who were generous with their time sharing knowledge of country. It also allowed him to develop his skills running expeditions safely into remote areas.
Mark is also a qualified outdoor instructor, with a Certificate IV in Outdoor Leadership and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessing.
Mark is proud of his ancestry which is reflective of Australia’s multicultural make up, with German, Anglo Celtic and Indigenous (Bundjalung and Iman) heritage. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge of the outdoors and helping young people develop important life skills.
Paige Parker is a passionate emerging leader in outdoor education and the second-in-charge at Walkabout Training. A finalist in the 2024 Outdoors Queensland Emerging Achiever Award, Paige began her journey with a Certificate II in Outdoor Recreation in Grade 10 and is now completing a Certificate III in Outdoor Leadership through a school-based apprenticeship. Known for her strong operational skills, sand compassionate mentorship of younger students, Paige plays a key role in delivering experiential learning programs that integrate cultural knowledge, nature-based therapy, and vocational training.