National Positive Behaviour Support

Get to know National Positive Behaviour Support

From National Positive Behaviour Support's website.

• Our approach

  Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) aims to create individualised strategies responsive to each person's needs, working with all relevant stakeholders to gain a holistic understanding of the situation and what causes behaviours of concern. The approach respects human rights and improves quality of life by identifying NDIS goals, conducting assessments, developing a Behaviour Support Plan, reducing restrictive practices, building skills, and making environmental changes. Sessions involve gathering information from all stakeholders, conducting observations and assessments (in person or via telehealth), and then implementing recommendations collaboratively. The Behaviour Support Specialist's role is to decipher the function of behaviour and create a map for other allied health professionals to follow, rather than providing direct crisis support or therapy themselves.

• Working with families

  The provider works closely with families and all relevant stakeholders from the outset, with the Behaviour Support Specialist reaching out to the key carer to communicate when work is beginning. Families are involved in the information-gathering process and are considered stakeholders whose input shapes understanding of the situation. The provider encourages participants and families to continue seeing or start seeing a psychologist or therapist alongside a Behaviour Support Specialist, and the BSP recommendations are reviewed with key stakeholders so necessary changes can be implemented collaboratively.

• Meet the team

  The team comprises registered psychologists, provisional psychologists, and behaviour support therapists committed to collaborating effectively to deliver personalised treatment and support plans. All Behaviour Support Specialists are either provisional or registered psychologists. Leadership includes Director Anthony De Fazio (Advanced Behaviour Support Practitioner with a Master of Community Psychology), managers including registered psychologists Colby Bryce and Steffanie Giuliani, and a general manager, operations manager, and finance team. Practitioners are supported through regular QA supervision and internal supervision programs where they discuss and collaborate on participants' cases, benefiting from collective experience and knowledge.

• Your first visit

  Once referred, a Behaviour Support Specialist is allocated to the participant with no wait time, and will reach out to the key carer to communicate that work is beginning. The Specialist then gathers information from all possible stakeholders and, depending on risk factors, conducts an observation either in person or via telehealth. Over the following visits, the Specialist conducts numerous assessments to gain a broader understanding of the situation and how they can help, before beginning to write the Behaviour Support Plan (BSP).