Hearth Allied Health “Positive Behaviour Support Practice Masterclass” 16th June 2021
The interest and energy generated in the lead up to our Positive Behaviour Support Practice Masterclass was overwhelming, confirming my feeling for the demand and need for this more broadly in the NDIS sector….it is very significant.
This our “why” for the Zoom Masterclass held last night, to start to create a community to hear from a global expert, Dr Erin Leif, who also shares the Hearth ambition to create workforce capacity over time.
Dr Erin Leif is highly credentialled in Positive Behaviour Practice, being a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and Senior Lecturer (Monash University). One of her primary research interests involves the exploration of strategies for building the capacity of the workforce to better support individuals with additional needs (especially children and young people with behaviours of concern, who are most at risk for exclusion and social isolation).
We are fortunate at Hearth to be partnering with Erin to build our Hearth Positive Behaviour Support Practice, led by Kelly Quirk, within Fiona McAlinden’s Hearth Allied Health Services (Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy).
Erin talked about the importance of recognising positive behaviours, the environment and value of a true interdisciplinary approach, especially highlighting the key role of the Speech Pathologist in working with the Behavioural Practitioners to work through communication strategies and new skill development to better enable their needs to be met. (Download Erin’s power point presentation below)
One of my key takeaways from the session was that although positive behaviour support (PBS) does involve supporting the person to learn new skills, a large component of the work that PBS practitioners do is supporting and educating the team around the person! This team often includes Hearth Support Workers, who invest in building long term relationships and sustainable supports. PBS input has the potential to make a significant difference in both the sustainability and quality of the support provided.
Throughout the Masterclass there was a high deal of engagement through the Zoom chat function. One of the key chat themes was training and education to build the skills over time. This is something Erin is focussed on and is currently running a course through Monash University which some of the Hearth team are currently working through, “Engaging in Positive Behaviour Support Practices” program. This program, comprised of three modules, will provide essential knowledge relating to the tiers of support offered through PBS. Overall, the program will equip participants with essential skills to implement PBS strategies with confidence, and to meet part of the requirements for registration as a Core Behaviour Support Practitioner.
This event was the first in a series, brought to you by Hearth Allied Health. The next will be an intimate Q&A style engagement with Erin at our offices (plus dumplings, of course).
On a final note, Hearth are currently recruiting people who are seeking to be part of our mission to build true interdisciplinary support and seeking a career in Positive Behaviour Support and Allied Health (Speech Pathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy).
Justin Scanlon, I Founder Hearth Support Services
