Dr Kate Barrelle1
1STREAT, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Dr. Kate Barrelle, STREAT’s Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer, is a clinical & forensic psychologist. She developed STREAT’s support and training model, oversees impact tracking, and leads STREAT’s allied health team. Kate is passionate about bridging research and practice. Kate consults in Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), designing tools and training used nationally. With experience in global security and as the co-author of Radar and PIM Tools, Kate advises governments, police, community, research teams, and counter-terrorism agencies. She remains an Adjunct Fellow at VU, focusing on safe, inclusive communities. Her favourite role is being the handler of ‘Magic’, STREAT’s Therapy Dog.
Abstract:
This presentation explores the hidden potential of social enterprises in crime prevention, drawing on STREAT and their work with at-risk youth as a case study, including their justice strategy and Parkville Prison café in Melbourne. Work integration (or job-focussed) social enterprises run genuine businesses to generate social outcomes by offering holistic, supported training and/or employment to priority job-seekers with multiple employment barriers. I will describe how such initiatives can mitigate crime by addressing underlying social determinants.
STREAT, based in Melbourne, exemplifies this approach. Through stable employment and vocational training in hospitality and horticulture, alongside a robust life-skills and work readiness program, STREAT supports and equips marginalised youth with at least 25 transferrable work-readiness skills, reducing their likelihood of criminal involvement. The presentation explores the transformative impact of STREAT's holistic ‘Learning to Earning’ approach, integrating a therapy dog, specialist referrals, and an internal allied health team, followed by employment with nine months of intensive post-placement support.
Key discussion points include scalability challenges, funding sustainability, and measuring long-term crime reduction outcomes. The conclusion emphasises social enterprises as crucial partners in crime prevention, advocating for cross-sector collaboration between governments, social enterprises, cultural community groups, and businesses.
References will draw from scholarly articles on social entrepreneurship, crime prevention strategies, and case studies of successful social enterprises. This presentation aims to inspire action towards leveraging social enterprises to help all young people thrive, now and in the future.