Learn more about Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia (BSPA), the peak body for PBS practitioners

About Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia

Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia (BSPA) is the national peak body for positive behaviour support practitioners in Australia. BSPA represents and supports behaviour support practitioners by creating strong industry partnerships, providing valuable behaviour support resources and supporting practitioners as they pursue excellence in their field.

Over the next twelve months, Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia will offer more academic and practice resources in their membership hub, launch a Supervision Hub and organise professional development events.

Who’s the team behind Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia?

Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia is led by three Directors, Dr Alinka Fisher, Mr Matthew Spicer and Dr Geoff Potter.

Dr Alinka Fisher (BDisRehab, PHD) completed her PhD with a focus on positive behaviour support for adults with brain injury. She has over 18 years experience in positive behaviour support. Dr Fisher lectures in PBS at Flinders University and contributes to the field of PBS research.

Mr Matthew Spicer is a psychologist with 25 years experience providing positive behaviour support for people with disability and complex needs. Mr Spicer contributed to the establishment of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission PBS Capability Framework, a central framework for the PBS sector. He has presented about positive behaviour support and Trauma Informed Practice internationally and in Australia, and has published in peer reviewed journals and textbooks.

Dr Geoff Potter is a Board-Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and completed a PhD in Non-Linear Positive Behaviour Support. He’s the joint founder and Chief Clinical Officer at The Centre for Positive Behaviour Support. Dr Potter has published and presented at conferences around the world.

Membership with Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia

If you’re a behaviour support practitioner, studying, working or interested in the field, you can become a member of Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia. BSPA currently offers memberships from $30 a year and also offers organisation-wide memberships.

All BSPA members receive access to practice updates, the BSPA event calendar, behaviour support networking opportunities, BSPA newsletter, discounted professional development events and the ability to view positive behaviour support job vacancies.

Does BSPA only represent behaviour support practitioners who work with NDIS participants?

No — Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia represents and supports all positive behaviour support practitioners in Australia, regardless of which clients you support and which settings you work in. Behaviour support practitioners work in diverse settings in Australia, from supporting NDIS participants in their homes, to supporting in schools, aged care and supported independent living.

You can view BSPA membership levels and join BSPA here on the Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia website. 

Careers as a Behaviour Support Practitioner

Ability Consultants is a member of Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia. We’re a team of over 100, with behaviour support practitioners based throughout Australia. We are a 100% remote team, offering flexibility and real support, with every team member supported by their own mentor, as well as having access to training, peer support and continued individual learning and development.

To further your career as a behaviour support practitioner, contact us at [email protected] or find more information about Ability Consultants careers on our website.

You can also find FREE behaviour support practitioner training on our website. Our Functions and Formulations course is available now, which covers topics such as Using Behaviour Data to Establish a Baseline , Completing a Functional Assessment Interview, Using the Motivational Assessment Scale (MAS) and Writing a Formulation. Follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook to stay up to date with our latest training courses.