About Us
Carly Stanley
CEO and founder
Carly Stanley is the CEO and founder of Deadly Connections, a proud Wiradjuri woman, and a respected leader with over 20 years of experience in the government and community sector. With an extensive educational background—including five TAFE Diplomas, an undergraduate degree in Social Sciences majoring in Criminology, and a Master’s in Criminology—Carly combines academic excellence with lived experience and professional acumen to drive transformative change within systems and Aboriginal communities.
Carly’s journey is deeply personal. As a survivor, she draws on her lived experience to advocate passionately for women and children at risk of harm. This dedication has fuelled her work in breaking cycles of systemic racism, disadvantage, trauma, and incarceration, particularly through culturally responsive support services.
Carly’s leadership and innovation have been widely recognized. She is the recipient of a prestigious Churchill Fellowship, which has allowed her to explore best practices internationally and bring back valuable insights to her work. She is also an AMP Tomorrow Maker awardee, celebrated for her commitment to creating lasting social impact.
In addition to her leadership, Carly is an accomplished educator, writer and counsellor, with specialist skills across many social service areas. Carly delivers training in areas such as trauma-informed practice, cultural safety, capacity building and community development, empowering others to create individual and collective lasting impact. Her counselling expertise spans complex trauma, alcohol and other drugs, domestic violence, justice involved and impacted people, family dynamics, and supporting mob.
Under Carly’s leadership, Deadly Connections has become a pioneering community-led organisation, recognized for its innovative justice work, family support, community events and reintegration programs. Her work has earned widespread recognition including Absec Aboriginal Organisation of the Year for 2020 and multiple awards, strengthening community resilience and promoting self-determination.
Carly has published a number of book chapters in criminological texts both internationally and locally, Carly is also a sought-after speaker and mentor, known for her insights on leadership, survivor led initiatives and challenges, neurodivergence, cultural safety, and intergenerational trauma. Her unique combination of professional expertise and lived experience makes her a trusted and influential voice within the sector.
Outside of her professional achievements, Carly is a devoted mother/grandmother and role model, embodying the strength, compassion, and spirit she champions within her work.
OUR TRUTH
First Nations people of Australia are grossly over represented in the child protection and justice systems. This involvement perpetuates a cycle of inter generational grief, loss, trauma and disadvantage.
True lived experience, culture, healing, self-determination and a deep community connection must be the heart and soul of all work with First Nations people and communities.
OUR PURPOSE
Deadly Connections positively disrupts intergenerational disadvantage, grief, loss and trauma by providing holistic, culturally responsive interventions and services to First Nations people and communities, particularly those who have been impacted by the child protection and/or justice systems.
OUR VISION
To break cycles of disadvantage, trauma, child protection and justice involvement so First Nations people of Australia can thrive not just survive.
OUR WORK
We place culture, healing, true lived experience, deep community connections and self- determination at the centre of all we do.
We embody and embed holistic, community- based, decolonising approaches to connecting First Nations people to their cultural, inner and community strength.
We advocate and collaborate to improve justice and child protection systems.
OUR APPROACH
Life Course – we recognise the connections across all stages and domains in life, intervention and change can occur at any stage of a person’s life span.
Decolonising – we challenge the dominance, values and methods of imposed colonial systems, practices and beliefs.
Self-Determination – Aboriginal people, families and communities are experts of their own lives, with solutions to the challenges we face and their own agents for change.
Healing Centred Engagement – a holistic healing model that adopts culture, spirituality, community action and collective healing.
- Disrupting Disadvantage and Trauma, Developing Deadly Futures
- Built by the Community for the Community
- Building Stronger and Safer Communities, Reimagining Justice
- Breaking the Cycle, Developing Positive Pathways and Opportunities for Change
- Developing a Deadly Future
