behavioural support

Behavioural Support

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HELP ADDRESSING CHALLENGING OR CONCERNING BEHAVIOUR

Get help managing your emotions, so you can overcome anything life throws at you.

 

As a registered NDIS provider with over 25 years of experience in the community services sector, our behavioural support services are all about understanding why you or a loved one might use inappropriate or challenging behaviour, and what can be done to build capacity in a safe, enjoyable environment. 

When receiving behavioural support, you’ll have 1-on-1 access to one of our friendly and highly qualified behavioural therapists to ensure you’re getting the attention you need. We understand that everyone likes to communicate differently, which is why we like to conduct an initial assessment to understand how you or your loved one like to communicate through behaviour, and how this could be affecting others.

Once we have an idea of communication and behaviour, we then typically conduct an assessment on the person’s environment (i.e. where they live, where/if they work) to determine if this meets their everyday needs and wants, and how this could be influencing their communication or behaviour.

After the initial meeting and assessment has taken place, we then move to implement a positive behaviour support plan or skill development plan to ensure the person has a clear road map towards further building confidence, capacity and general well being.

Please note this services is only available to customers aged 8 years and older.

Background

Why choose breakthru?

 

When you work with breakthru, you can be confident that each and every one of our therapists have your best interests at heart. When it comes to behavioural therapy, you’ll find out therapists are:

Experienced & Qualified

All of our therapists and counsellors hold a relevant tertiary qualification in psychology, psychiatry or counselling.

Trained & Accredited

Each of our behavioural therapists undertake regular professional development each year, ensuring their skills are refined and that their accreditation is maintained.

Professionally Registered

All of our behavioural support staff are required to pass their registration for the relevant industry organisation in their state or territory.

Private & Confidential

When it comes to their patients, our therapists place privacy & confidentiality at the forefront of everything they do. 

Meet The Team

 

Sarah Willoughby

MPH, BPsy 

Sarah completed her Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Psychology) at the Queensland University of Technology before commencing her Master of Public Health at the University of Queensland’s Faculty of Medicine.

Sarah has experience delivering supports to child, adolescent and adult customers, with behaviours of concern ranging from none to severe, and level of intellectual capacity ranging from mild to significant. Sarah has a passion for approaching her work with empathy and creativity, building positive rapport with customers and their stakeholders, and examining circumstances from a holistic and justice-oriented viewpoint.

Outside of her role in positive behaviour support, Sarah occasionally engages in children’s entertainment work at birthday parties and the Starlight Foundation and performs in community-based musical theatre shows.

Kristy Pampling

BPsy 

Kristy has just joined the Fortitude Valley team as a Behaviour Support Practitioner, working alongside Sarah, our Practice Lead. Currently completing her Bachelor of Psychology, Kristy has a background in healthcare, human resources, and recruitment.

Having the core belief that everyone’s voice deserves to be heard, Kristy decided to join the field, helping people live the lives they wanted to live, and not how others assumed they would. Working in the positive behaviour space, Kristy supports our customers to help them achieve their social and communication goals by using positive behaviour plans and strategies.

So, if you are in the Brisbane area and looking to find a personalised strategy to improve your independence, make sure to reach out to Kristy!

Kate Smith

BPsy Hons

Kate has completed a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) at Deakin University. Prior to starting at Breakthru, Kate worked as a behaviour therapist where she worked closely with young children and their support networks to implement positive behaviour support strategies within their home environments.

Kate is a warm and empathetic individual who strives to deliver the best quality of care to her clients. She values the uniqueness of each person and her work mirrors this through the provision of person-centred, tailored interventions which target the specific goals and needs of each individual.

In her spare time, Kate enjoys going to the beach, walking her dog, reading a good book and spending time with friends and family.

Sam Mackay

BHSc

With over ten years experience working with people from all walks of life, Sam can honestly say that getting to know people, their passions and what makes them want to get up in the morning has been the highlight of her life!

With a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Science and years of experience across social skills programs, customised employment and family supports, Sam brings a person-centred, family focused attitude to her work. Sam’s role aims to advocate and support independence in peoples lives, giving them the choice and control they want to take the drivers seat.

Outside of her work at Breakthru, Sam has her own business that supports those accessing Home Care Packages, offering pro bono assistance in getting established in the system. To fill her ‘cup’, Sam enjoys spending time with close friends, family (including her fury family!), and fiancé.

Shea Fleming

BPsy Hons, LLB

Shea completed her Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) and her post-graduate Bachelor of Laws (Academic Recommendation) at James cook University, Cairns. Shea has been working in a dual role as a Behaviour Support Practitioner and Provisional Psychologist for over 3 years and has just passed the National Psychology Exam.

Shea has experience working with complex care participants with varying Intellectual or physical disabilities, mental health conditions and a range of psychosocial disabilities. She has experience in crisis response work, including suicide intervention and prevention roles. Shea enjoys using a person-centred and strengths-based therapy approach to help participants achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.

Shea loves spending time with her friends and family, having dinner parties and playing board games.

Jacob Ducat

BPsych (Hons)

Jacob completed his Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) at the University of Southern Queensland and is currently completing his Master of Clinical Psychology at James Cook University.

Jacob has experience working as a support worker, including with people with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability. Jacob has experience working with people across the lifespan, including doing both therapy and assessment.

Jacob is a keen reader, with a special interest in science fiction of all kinds.

Sarah Mclean

Grad Dip Psych

Sarah studied psychology up to a Graduate Diploma level at Monash University and Australian Catholic University. She now works as a Behaviour Support Practitioner.

Sarah has experience providing care and behaviour support to children with a range of diagnoses, including ASD, ADHD, and intellectual disability. She has worked with clients in home and community settings, 1:1 and in a group. Sarah specialises in providing ABA therapy, to help clients learn skills such as functional communication and everyday living skills. Sarah enjoys seeing individuals achieve their goals and strives to help them by finding strategies suitable to their skills, physical and mental abilities.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys knitting/embroidery, reading and hanging out with her dogs.

Stephanie Armour

BHSc (Therapeutic Recreation), BSc (Psych)

Stephanie started working with Breakthru in November 2021 as a Behaviour Support Practitioner, having worked as a behavioural therapist for the past 5 years. She has been working in the disability sector for the past 6 years across all ages. With a Bachelor in Health Science (Therapeutic Recreation) from Western Sydney University and a Bachelor in Psychological Sciences from Swinburne University, Stephanie aims to apply her knowledge to help customers reach both their behavioural goals and mental health goals and improve the quality of life in a client-centred approach.

Outside of work hours, Stephanie enjoys painting, crocheting, and spending time with her family.

Ada

Ada Gurewicz

BS

Ada has joined the Breakthru team in March 2022. Ada has completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioural Psychology in 2019.  Ada has gained experience working with clients from various backgrounds and embraces cultural diversity. Using her experience in behaviour support and behaviours of concern, Ada applies a person-centered, strengths based approach in her work. Ada has established meaningful connections with her clients and enjoys assisting her them to identify their goals and reach their full potential.

In her spare time, Ada enjoys baking, watching TV shows, and taking her dog for walks in the park along with her daughter.

Background

Our Behavioural Supports

 

If you have an existing NDIS plan, then you may be eligible to access our behavioural supports under Improved Relationships.

If you don’t have a plan, we also offer fee for service and payment plan options to ensure you can get the help you need when you need it.

Behavioural Assessments

When you or a loved one are on the receiving end of a complex or seemingly negative behaviour, it can be hard to know where to even begin approaching the issue.

At breakthru, our friendly staff will work closely with you to conduct a behavioural assessment, which is one of the first steps we take toward creating a behavioural support plan. Once the assessment is completed, we’ll have a better idea of the behaviour, the causes and the effects on the surrounding environment so we can put together an effective action plan.

Positive Support Planning

Once we’ve gained some insight into a person’s behaviour, the next step is to develop strategies to encourage appropriate behaviour through a positive, person-centered approach.

When developing a Positive Behaviour Support Plan, we aim to observe any known behaviour, identify what causes or contributes to this behaviour and then devise a range of possible approaches and strategies for change that can be used by both therapists, family members and/or carers.

Skill Development Planning

Depending on the person and their individual needs, we can devise a range of Skill Development strategies to help the invdividual cope with different situations both at home, work or in the community.

With a Skills Development Plan, we’ll help to provide training to ensure a person no longer needs to use behaviour that could have adverse affects on the environment around them. We’ll also help to develop skills and coping mechanisms to ensure any behavioural response is safe and respectful.

Peer Support & Counselling

Sometimes the best form of therapy or support comes from your peers, or those that have lived through a similar experience. To ensure our customers have access to a full range of supports, breakthru host regular group therapy sessions and peer support groups to ensure there is an adequate support network available.

Each of our support groups are very inclusive and built around the shared personal experience and empathy of each individual attending. Our support groups are focused on positive reinforcement – focused on strengths rather than weaknesses, and working towards building capacity.

Education & Training

In most cases it’s extremely beneficial for not only the individual to undergo education & training, but also for family members and carers to develop an understanding of the behaviour and its related causes as well.

As an experienced disability services provider, breakthru can help educate family, friends and carers on how to implement our recommended behavioural strategies, and can help to ensure that everyone understands the behaviour to ensure the plan is effective.

Background

Our Locations

We offer Behavioural Supports in the following locations

Brisbane (QLD)
Melton (VIC)
Paramatta (NSW)
Liverpool (NSW)
St Albans (VIC)
Melbourne City & Inner South East Suburbs (VIC)
Penrith (NSW)
Maroubra (NSW)
Glenroy (VIC)
Bankstown (NSW)
Campbelltown (NSW)

Talk to one of our friendly counsellors

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