Bailed Man Leaves Residence Due to False Claims

A social worker in New Zealand deceived correctional authorities to allow a man under house arrest with an ankle monitor to join her for mountain walks, a disciplinary tribunal has revealed.

Carrie Anne Matkovich, who worked for the now-defunct charity Families Achieving Balance (Fab), was found to have deliberately misled the Department of Corrections regarding a client who was under electronically monitored bail for family violence charges. The man was legally required to remain at his residence 24 hours a day except for authorized activities.

While the man had legitimate permission to attend a rehabilitation course run by Fab in March and April 2021, Matkovich’s supervisor became concerned about their interactions. According to documents from the Social Workers Disciplinary Tribunal, the supervisor observed that the man appeared to be “emotionally manipulating” Matkovich, focusing his attention on her rather than other facilitators and attempting to speak with her alone outside group settings.

Despite explicit warnings from her manager to avoid one-on-one interactions with the client, Matkovich contacted Corrections using her work email to request additional permissions. She falsely claimed the man had been selected for a “mental wellbeing course” that would run on Mondays—a day she did not work at Fab. The organization later confirmed it had no connection to such a course.

When questioned, Matkovich admitted she had created her own unofficial program where she would “take people up the Mount for a walk, release and talk,” referring to Mount Maunganui, a popular hiking destination. She secured Corrections’ approval on four separate occasions for the man to leave his bail address under false pretenses.

“I made out that it was Fab’s when it was my own—not a project, but my own sort of thing,” Matkovich admitted to investigators.

The misconduct came to light after Matkovich was dismissed from Fab, which then filed a mandatory report with the Social Workers Registration Board. Police initially considered criminal charges against Matkovich for misrepresenting information to Corrections but ultimately took no action.

The professional conduct committee charged her with professional misconduct in January 2025. The charges also included signing a character reference for the man on Fab letterhead without authorization, despite instructions to cease all contact with him.

In her defense, Matkovich claimed her actions stemmed from cultural practice: “As a new social worker at the time I admit my faults, but as Māori we don’t necessarily practice as a tick box… Holistic practice has always been my go-to and it worked for the accused.”

She further stated that she transported the man “with the goodness of my own heart, out of my pocket” and maintained that while she “broke a lot of rules,” she did not cross emotional boundaries “apart from the lying.” Matkovich insisted she did not take advantage of the client’s vulnerability for personal gain.

The tribunal, however, found her actions constituted clear professional boundary violations. Tribunal chairwoman Catherine Garvey noted that if the man was indeed experiencing poor mental health as Matkovich claimed, the proper course would have been to discuss this with her supervisor and arrange appropriate referrals.

“This exemplifies the impact that an erosion of boundaries may have on the exercise of professional judgment,” Garvey stated in the decision.

The tribunal found the professional misconduct charge proven, describing Matkovich’s behavior as “deliberate, dishonest and potentially harmful.” She was formally censured and ordered to pay costs totaling more than $23,000.

Although Matkovich indicated she no longer intends to practice as a social worker, the tribunal canceled her registration to ensure any future attempt to re-register would trigger a review of this case.

The incident highlights the critical importance of maintaining professional boundaries in social work, particularly when working with vulnerable clients or those involved in the criminal justice system.