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  • 2609 026 Walking through Fire: The Evolution of the Practitioner (Max MacKenzie)

    2609 026 Walking through Fire: The Evolution of the Practitioner (Max MacKenzie)
    2026/10/13
    Max MacKenzie, founder of Resilience Enterprises, discusses the unwritten rules, conflicts, survival strategies, and personal growth necessary to build resilience and help shape a long career in behaviour support.

    Max introduces the concept of ‘invisible rules’, the unspoken assumptions within a culture or service that can lead to someone’s behaviour being labelled as concerning when it is really just unfamiliarity with a local norm. Drawing on examples from remote and First Nations communities, this idea extends to behaviour support practitioners, who often carry hidden expectations from their own training, including the assumption that doing accurate, ethical work will always be rewarded by the systems they work within.

    The conversation turns to what happens when practitioners are sidelined, investigated or dismissed for raising uncomfortable truths, and why this is often a system’s survival strategy rather than a personal failing. Being let go as the allocated practitioner, complained about, or investigated for raising accurate, uncomfortable findings is often more a reflection of that system rather than a reflection of poor practice.

    Their discussion takes on the metaphor of walking through fire: how to recognise smoke signals, what elements are essential to surviving it, and how to adapt and grow from it.

    For those managing complex, high stakes support within services under funding pressure, this conversation offers language for recognising organisational dynamics that can otherwise feel personal, and practical ways to build growth, nurture resilience, and build a long, sustainable career in behaviour support.

    About the Guest:

    Max MacKenzie is the founder, director and clinical lead of Resilience Enterprises in Cairns, Queensland, a service specialising in behaviour support and education for people who do not fit neatly into service systems. Max is an accredited mental health, disability and clinical social worker, a specialist behaviour support practitioner and a family therapist, and speaks openly about his lived experience as a neurodivergent and transgender man.

    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    1 時間 3 分
  • 025 Getting started in PBS (Zac Demopoulos)

    025 Getting started in PBS (Zac Demopoulos)
    2026/09/15
    Zac Demopoulos, a specialist behaviour support practitioner and Chief Operating Officer at Step 2 Allied Health, joins the podcast to discuss what new positive behaviour support practitioners need to know when starting out in the NDIS.

    The conversation explores the steep learning curve facing new practitioners, from managing uncertainty and imposter syndrome to understanding that positive behaviour support within the NDIS operates under a specific legislative and regulatory context. Zac reflects on how even highly experienced professionals can feel like beginners again, and why psychological safety within a team is essential for people to raise concerns before they reach crisis point.

    Zac and Jenn discuss what good practice looks like in action, including genuine informed consent, biopsychosocial assessment beyond only ABC data, and working from principled processes. The episode includes advice on maintaining a regular cadence of support, keeping caseloads balanced, and assigning each recommendation to one accountable person.

    For those new to the profession of behaviour support practitioner or considering a change, this episode offers a grounded look at what sustains good practice over time: clear frameworks, honest communication, realistic expectations of uncertainty, and systems of support that prevent burnout and protect the quality of the work being delivered.

    00:00 Introduction
    00:39 Zac's Path into Behaviour Support
    09:46 PBS Within an NDIS Context
    12:51 Imposter Syndrome and Self-Doubt
    21:59 The Power of Informed Consent
    30:34 Building a Clinical Framework
    50:50 Principle Over Prescription
    1:00:24 Cadence of Support and Sustainable Practice
    1:07:05 Closing Thoughts

    About the Guest

    Zac Demopoulos is a social worker and specialist behaviour support practitioner who has spent his career building and leading behaviour support teams across the disability sector. He entered the field via out-of-home care before moving into NDIS behaviour support roughly seven years ago, and is currently Chief Operating Officer at Step 2 Allied Health in Geelong.

    Key Takeaways
    • New practitioners need to become comfortable with uncertainty and not having all the answers, since human behaviour and the systems around it involve too many moving parts for certainty.
    • Imposter syndrome is common even among experienced practitioners, and often shows up as self-doubt that persists despite clear evidence of good work.
    • Genuine informed consent, explaining plainly why someone has been referred, builds trust more effectively than dancing around a difficult topic.
    • Good assessment needs to be biopsychosocial rather than a narrow episodic ABC focus, taking in health, history and broader context.
    • Working from principles rather than a rigid prescriptive process leads to simpler solutions, illustrated by an example where simply asking a person what they wanted resolved a supposed behaviour of concern.
    • A regular cadence of support, consistent touchpoints with every person on a caseload, prevents people falling through the gaps and protects practitioners from becoming purely reactive to crises.
    Resources Mentioned
    • Right Direction
    • Spectrum of Participation
    • PBSP model by Dr Alinka Fisher
    • Ross Greene's collaborative and proactive solutions approach
    • Google Scholar
    • NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission practice guides


    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    1 時間 15 分
  • 024 Where Psychology Meets Positive Behaviour Support (Dr Zoe Perry)

    024 Where Psychology Meets Positive Behaviour Support (Dr Zoe Perry)
    2026/08/03
    Clinical psychologist and specialist behaviour support practitioner Dr Zoe Perry unpacks the often murky distinction between psychology and positive behaviour support, and what genuine interdisciplinary collaboration looks like in practice.The conversation covers the concept of “the missing middle”- people who are too complex for mainstream services, yet not eligible for public mental health or disability supports, and how this gap influences and shapes service delivery.The discussion moves into practical territory, examining where scope of practice and scope of role diverge, whether positive behaviour support should be considered therapy, and how formulation skills can sharpen rather than blur professional boundaries. Real world examples illustrate how psychologists and behaviour support practitioners can work in a genuinely interdisciplinary way, including practical tools like shared formulation and simple memoranda of understanding, and strategies for advocating to the NDIS when clients need both disciplines working together rather than one substituting for the other.Anyone working alongside psychologists and behaviour support practitioners in disability and mental health settings will recognise the tension between staying within scope and responding to genuine unmet need. This conversation offers concrete language and tools for navigating that tension while keeping the person at the centre of a coordinated, evidence-informed interdisciplinary support team.Chapters 00:00 Introduction01:03 A Career in Complex Behaviour06:16 The Missing Middle10:36 Psychology vs Behaviour Support15:21 Is PBS Therapy?22:33 Psychologically Informed PBS36:52 Multidisciplinary vs Interdisciplinary Teams43:06 Practical Strategies for Collaboration53:55 Advocating for NDIS Funding1:01:19 Closing ThoughtsAbout the GuestDr Zoe Perry is a clinical psychologist and advanced specialist behaviour support practitioner. She is the founder and director of Journey Health Solutions, a multidisciplinary practice of behaviour support practitioners, psychologists and occupational therapists based in Melbourne.Key TakeawaysThe missing middle describes clients too complex for public mental health or mainstream disability services yet not eligible for adequate private support, a gap that predates the NDISPositive behaviour support is not therapy, but practitioners can sometimes do short, contained, person led work if they have relevant training, supervision and a clear rationaleAround 30 percent of behaviour support practitioners are psychologists, which further complicates any attempt to draw a hard line between the two disciplinesLearning formulation skills does not expand a practitioner's scope, it clarifies it by helping identify which parts of a presentation belong to behaviour support and which need another disciplineThe NDIS previously suggested clients could only access psychology or behaviour support, not both, which created confusion and led some services to swap one for the other inappropriatelySimple tools such as a shared table outlining each team member's role, or a brief memorandum of understanding, can prevent duplication and scope creep in interdisciplinary teamsResources MentionedNDISImproving Access to Psychological Therapies programmeJourney Health SolutionsBritish Psychological Society formulation guidanceZones of RegulationComplex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBDThursday 26 November 2026. Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. It's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/Questions, comments, feedback?Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    1 時間 3 分
  • 023 PBS in Dementia Care (Dr Alinka Fisher)

    023 PBS in Dementia Care (Dr Alinka Fisher)
    2026/07/05
    This episode explores positive behaviour support (PBS) principles in dementia contexts with Dr Alinka Fisher, Senior Lecturer in Disability and Community Inclusion at Flinders University. Drawing on her research across disability, acquired brain injury and dementia, Alinka discusses why behaviour should be understood as communication rather than a symptom of diagnosis, and how PBS frameworks apply flexibly to support people living with dementia and their families. The conversation unpacks the critical distinction between managing behaviours and understanding the complex interactions, neurological changes, personal history and environmental factors that influence how people communicate their needs. Alinka shares insights from education programmes delivered to families and residential aged care staff, highlighting what foundations of good support actually look like in practice.

    Understanding behaviour as communication opens up fundamentally different possibilities for supporting people with dementia and their families. Whether you're a behaviour support practitioner, aged care worker or allied health professional, this episode offers practical perspective on how PBS principles translate into real-world practice, the importance of collaborative, family-centred approaches, and how to build workforce capability when time and resources feel stretched. Alinka's work demonstrates that person-centred, evidence-informed practice isn't reserved for ideal circumstances but can be flexibly applied in every situation.

    Resources:
    • Fisher et al. (2022). Positive behaviour support for people with dementia. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.5844
    • Fisher et al. (2023). The acceptability and usefulness of positive behaviour support education sessions for frontotemporal dementia families. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1177/08919887221090214
    • Fisher et al. (2024). "It's opened my eyes to a whole new world": PBS training for staff and families in aged care. American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease & Other Dementias. https://doi.org/10.1177/15333175241241168
    • Fisher et al. (2024). PBS-P Framework for flexible, rights-based practice. Disability and Rehabilitation.https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2024.2402079


    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    59 分
  • 022 Cultural Reflexivity in Positive Behaviour Support (Anika Tabassum)

    022 Cultural Reflexivity in Positive Behaviour Support (Anika Tabassum)
    2026/05/31
    This episode explores cultural reflexivity in behaviour support practice with Anika Tabassum, a specialist behaviour support practitioner with over a decade of experience supporting culturally and linguistically diverse children and families.
    Anika examines what cultural reflexivity is- including the critical distinction between cultural awareness and cultural reflexivity, and explains why many well-intentioned practitioners and teams recognise culture as an important factor in behaviour support, but may find challenges in integrating true culturally reflexive practice.

    The conversation covers practical strategies for approaching cultural reflexivity by replacing assumptions with curiosity, and provides concrete examples of how practitioners can reframe goals and strategies to align with collectivist family values without compromising outcomes or NDIS accountability.

    This episode offers essential insight into how practitioner’s and service system’s own cultural lenses shape the way behaviour is interpreted, priorities are set, and therapeutic relationships are established.
    Cultural reflexivity isn’t an additional training box to tick- it’s an active, ongoing commitment to understanding the cultural context of the people and families receiving support, and recognises that the pathway to meaningful, positive outcomes requires humility and collaboration.

    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    58 分
  • 021 Co-design in Behaviour Support (with Tarnya Bruinier)

    021 Co-design in Behaviour Support (with Tarnya Bruinier)
    2026/05/03
    Co-design in behaviour support means working alongside people to develop plans and supports rather than creating them solely from the professional’s perspective and presenting them as finished products.
    Tarnya Bruinier discusses how involving people in understanding their own triggers, strengths, and needs leads to greater buy-in, ownership, and sustainable outcomes.
    Tarnya is a Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner, AuDHD woman, mother of neurodivergent children and the Director of Wildfire Wellbeing. She shares practical examples, from a woman who created her own de-escalation plan to a young person who identified a safe space to regulate at school, demonstrating how curiosity and person-centred collaboration fundamentally reshape behaviour support practice. The conversation also explores how traditional assessments can incorporate co-design, how tools like Vista trigger cards build self-awareness, and the importance of shifting mindsets from managing behaviour to addressing unmet needs.
    Co-design is particularly valuable when supporting people with behaviours of concern. It honours autonomy, builds agency, and recognises that people are the experts in their own lives. By slowing down, asking questions, and genuinely listening, practitioners create plans that reflect what actually matters to the person, often leading to better outcomes.

    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    52 分
  • 020 Behavioural Self-Care: Preventing Practitioner Burnout with Micaela Rafferty

    020 Behavioural Self-Care: Preventing Practitioner Burnout with Micaela Rafferty
    2026/04/07
    In this episode, Micaela Rafferty — Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst, special educator, and nationally recognised nutritionist — joins the podcast to explore the science of burnout and how behaviour analysts and allied health professionals can apply their own expertise to protect their health and wellbeing. Micaela unpacks the official definition of burnout as a predictable response to chronic, unresolved workplace stress and explains why those working in the NDIS space face a particularly layered set of stressors — from shifting government policy and funding constraints through to compassion fatigue and the emotional demands of caring work. The conversation covers practical, evidence-based self-care strategies grounded in behavioural science: designing supportive environments, reducing response effort, building in rest and recovery across physical, mental, emotional, and sensory dimensions, and creating systems of accountability and reinforcement to sustain behaviour change over time.

    This episode reframes self-care not as an indulgence but as an ethical and professional responsibility. The very skills practitioners apply daily with clients and participants — functional assessment, environment design, shaping small consistent behaviours, and frequent reinforcement — are exactly the tools needed to protect clinical capacity and prevent burnout. Whether you’re already feeling the weight of an unsustainable workload, or you want to get ahead of the warning signs, Micaela’s insights offer a genuinely practical starting point. Small, meaningful steps, taken consistently and without self-judgement, are what create lasting change — and that applies as much to practitioners as it does to the people they support.

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. It’s all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback? Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com

    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    1 時間 4 分
  • 019 PBS Implementation Intricacies (Dr. Fiona Davis)

    019 PBS Implementation Intricacies (Dr. Fiona Davis)
    2026/03/01
    Jenn Colechin is joined by Dr Fiona J. Davis to unpack what actually makes Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) implementation work in real-world disability contexts. Fiona is a specialist developmental educator and specialist behaviour support practitioner with more than 35 years’ experience across Australia, and she brings a strongly rights-based, practical lens to the “doing” part of PBS.
    Together, they explore why implementation often becomes an afterthought (especially for novice practitioners under compliance pressure), and what it looks like to start implementation from “day dot” by building trust, working with context, and focusing on micro-changes that families and support teams can realistically sustain.

    Takeaways:
    • Implementation isn’t the optional second half of PBS. It’s the core work that turns assessment and plans into meaningful quality-of-life change.
    • Many PBS practitioners have been trained for compliance (reports, timelines, restrictive practice identification), but not supported to build strong implementation skills.
    • Start implementation from the first contact: the way you listen, communicate, and build trust sets up everything that follows.
    • “Good implementation” is always contextual. Your approach shifts depending on the person, setting, safety risks, and stakeholder capacity.
    • Micro-changes matter: small, doable shifts can create momentum, reduce overwhelm, and help stakeholders see that change is possible.
    • Data collection needs to fit the family’s real life. Creative, low-burden options (like simple dots on a calendar) can still give useful insight.
    • Strong therapeutic relationships make it easier to collaborate, problem-solve, and respectfully challenge when things don’t go to plan.
    • Understanding disability (including history, rights, and lived impact) is essential. Behaviour support doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
    • Clear, concrete communication supports predictability (for example, reducing language during escalation and using specific times rather than vague “later”).
    • Implementation is iterative: expect adjustments as you learn more, circumstances change, and you refine strategies, often by simplifying rather than adding more.
    • Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS goals) offers a practical way to define success, capture progress on a spectrum, and make outcomes visible and measurable.
    • Organisation supports implementation: simple structure, checklists, and consistent communication reduce “floating in the wind” for both practitioners and teams.
    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?
    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. It’s all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.
    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com


    Complex FBA & BSP Workshop - Melbourne CBD
    Thursday 26 November 2026.

    Six interactive hours building confidence with complex presentations: real de-identified cases, functional hypotheses, planning, risk and restrictive practices.
    Templates you will use, plus a certificate mapped to the NDIS Behaviour Support Capability Framework.
    Register now at https://specialistbehaviour.com/event/complex-functional-behaviour-assessment-fba-behaviour-support-planning-bsp-workshop/

    Looking for practical, flexible learning that goes beyond the podcast?

    The All Access Pass gives you unlimited entry to all of our self-paced online courses, early access to new content, exclusive member discounts, and our ever-growing library of downloadable resources, templates, and clinical tools. I
    t's all grounded in evidence-based, person-centred practice, designed to support you at your own pace, in real-world ways.

    Visit https://specialistbehaviour.com/all-access-pass/

    Questions, comments, feedback?
    Email us at info@specialistbehaviour.com
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    57 分