Senior Constable Mark Cartner is a police officer of more than 20 years. Most of that experience was dedicated as a child abuse detective of a major investigations unit before transitioning to school-based policing. Upon doing so, Mark put in the grassroots efforts to develop a highly recognized adventure therapy program for disengaged, traumatized youth. Daniel and Will talk with Mark about connection to country, how trauma impacts the brain, the metaphors he brings to his adventure therapy work from his many years as a detective, the importance of collaboration, and his Walk of Life program’s recent trip to an Indigenous dance festival in Cape York. Throughout the episode, Mark breaks many stereotypes about safe and effective policing, making many inferences on how adventure therapy practitioners can base their practice on the best available evidence. Mark is current the co-deputy chair of the Australian Association for Bush Adventure Therapy.

Links

Interview on ABC Radio about Mark’s work