Our Team

Tracy Matthews

Tracy Matthews

Coordinator / Facilitator

E rere kau mai te awa nui mai i te kāhui maunga

ki Tangaroa

ko au te awa, ko te awa ko au

Tracy is a registered social worker with SWRB (Social Work Registration Board) and member of ANZASW (Aotearoa New Zealand Association Social Workers) for over 20 years. Her drive and passion for social work derives from her obligation and responsibility to serve Māori. Tracy believes it’s her duty to tautoko, guide and empower Māori towards self-determination using innate models of practice that are holistic and centered around the hauora / well-being of family / whānau.

Tracy has been a Resolution Institute accredited facilitator for three years also specialising in family violence / family harm. Tracy affirms that restorative justice is a Māori model that upholds the process of Tapu, Utu, Muru and Ea and innately feels it is a privilege to support victim/s (the harmed) and whānau, and offenders (person/s causing the harm) and their whānau on a journey towards accountability, reciprocity, healing, and liberation through the art of courageous conversation kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face).

Mauri tu, Mauri ora

tracymatthews@rcwt.nz

 

Kristie Matson

Kristie Matson

Office Manager

Kristie is responsible for the required day to day administration tasks. She also works alongside the Coordinator and has regular contact with victims, offenders and other stakeholders. Kristie attends court on a regular basis and is passionate about restorative justice.

kristie.matson@wrjt.co.nz

Jo Hodder

Jo Hodder

Manager / Trainee Facilitator

I am passionate in advocating for equality for all, social change, and community wellbeing. I strive to support people in whatever circumstances and challenges they may be facing.

Throughout my chosen career as a social worker, I have been provided with training and opportunities to develop an in-depth understanding of the characteristics of human behaviour and how the dynamics of violence against others has a lasting psychological consequence on all involved including the person who has caused the harm.

To be able to share what I have learned is one of my objectives in any of the mahi I undertake. One other objective is to strengthen the restorative resolve of the harm done to another and to determine the actions and responses needed to increase the safety of our vulnerable citizens.

Part of my mahi is my commitment as a social worker is to attend to the social commentary needed to implement and promote change around the harm to others that we see and to appeal to people’s sense of justice.

In working across the social services and government organisations I have been able to develop the skill in bringing together a network of likeminded agencies to influence the change promoted.

I have been privileged to work beside people who have supported my professional development but mostly the privilege has been working beside people whose lives have taken an unexpected and often traumatic journey.

johodder@rcwt.nz

Dale Anderson

Dale Anderson

Restorative Justice & Restorative Practice Facilitator

Dale Anderson has been a facilitator for restorative justice for the past eight years, in four different regions and increasingly sees the value facilitating meetings ‘with’ people who have either caused harm or have been harmed.

Dale’s particular approach engages participants in sharing their experience to find their own solutions and understand their experience to affect healing. This is achieved by asking the right questions and gaining a depth of understanding of the particular issues involved to ensure the people directly affected by the offence aren’t treated as outsiders in the system. Dale believes the restorative justice process provides meaningful outcomes that other processes simply cannot achieve.

Honesty and integrity reside within these conversations which include at times tough questioning which are essential to create a restorative space. Difficult conversations are achieved successfully by creating a safe space where people can express themselves without the fear of being judged. Dale ensures people get the opportunity to speak openly and honestly about their experience of the offending.

Specialising in the field of family harm where the strength of the professional relationship with participants are at the heart of her practice is the purpose with every conference facilitated. It is a core belief of Dale’s that all people should be entitled to receive the experience of self-determination and autonomy in their lives, empowering both offenders and victims to determine what their needs are and how these should be met.

daleanderson@rcwt.nz

Sandra Durston

Sandra Durston

Restorative Justice & Restorative Practice Facilitator

Ngāti Apa and Ngāti Tuwharetoa | Curiosity drives me |Tūpuna wāhine anchors me

My heart māhi is supporting others to have a voice and be heard.

My day-to-day māhi finds me coaching and facilitating workshops in the financial services industry.

Evenings I can be found in the paddock with my animals or digging around in my mārakai.

What I should be doing is tackling my textbooks as I am completing my Graduate Diploma in Māori Studies.

sandradurston@rcwt.nz

Shelly Harkness

Shelly Harkness

Restorative Practice Facilitator

I was fortunate to be involved in the early stages of the “Towards a Restorative City” vision in Whanganui from 2013.  The underlying philosophy of restorative approaches is “working with people, rather than to them or for them” and as this aligns with my values the role of Coordinator/Facilitator was a privilege rather than just a job!

As Facilitators we hold the space for people to come together safely and navigate through their difficulties with each other.  This emotional work is hard!  But a restorative approach is an amazing opportunity for people to finally be heard and then together arrive at a place of re-connection and willingness to do what is needed to put things right.

Although currently living in Taranaki, I’m happy to be engaged with the Trust and their vision again.  My BA in Business Psychology, experience in corporate and non-profit organisations as well as a business owner provides valuable insight into organisations and how they function.  I’m also involved with the Rainbow Community exploring relationships in our communities and am developing my private practice of Facilitation, Professional Supervision, Training and Reiki Healing.