Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, WA: Meet PBS practitioner Giselle Cholkowski

This page is for people seeking Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, Western Australia. We support NDIS participants with person-centred Positive Behaviour Support in Perth, throughout many suburbs North of the River, South of the River, the eastern suburbs and Perth Hills, as well as south through to Rockingham.

If you're ready to get started with Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater or throughout Perth, please feel welcome to make a referral anytime.

Meet Giselle Cholkowski, Behaviour Support Practitioner in Bayswater, WA

Hi Giselle, welcome to our team of behaviour support practitioners in Bayswater, Western Australia. Tell us about you!

With 30 years of experience, I specialise in neurodevelopmental disabilities and trauma-informed practice. I hold a Bachelor of Psychology, post-graduate studies in counselling, education and a Masters in Social Work. My approach is person-centred and I help clients understand what is underneath behaviour. My strength lies in collaborating with families and stakeholders to help build capacity and implement proactive strategies.

What can NDIS participants in Bayswater and Perth expect from you as their behaviour support practitioner?

I am a person-centred, empathic and experienced PBS practitioner and my philosophy of practice is to treat people with dignity, focusing on their goals and involving them and their significant others with planning.

I build a positive relationship so that we have a safe space to understand their needs, with active listening and clear two-way communication to achieve improved well-being in a holistic and collaborative way. This approach is also based on evidence with scientific methods and within the ethical, legal and NDIS guidelines, to ensure that the person is always supported in a safe and rights-based environment.

You completed degrees in social work, psychology, counselling, education and the arts. Why did you choose to study these fields?

I started my career as a journalist but when my children were struggling in school, I became interested in the “why” and “how” to not only help them but also help other people.

Studying psychology provided me with some insight into the theory, and my post-graduate studies in counselling and social work gave me the opportunity to move into the field of Positive Behaviour Support.

What are some key principles from your tertiary education that apply to behaviour support?

A few key principles from my tertiary education that apply to behaviour support are:

• The use of functional behaviour assessments (FBA) to hypothesise the purpose of behaviour, whether it is to gain attention and/or escape a task etc.
• Assessing triggers and consequences to help with managing behaviours of concern or challenges being faced by a client.
• The principles from psychology, counselling and social work along with behaviour support provide an opportunity to share science, theory and practical application to foster positive change and help a client be their own agent of change.

How has your experience in social work influenced your approach to supporting individuals with disability in Bayswater and throughout Perth?

Social work focuses on the person in the environment and the systems affecting a person, families and communities, and behaviour support analyses behaviour as interactions between the person and their environment.

The studies I have completed are based on strengths-based approaches which are in parallel with behaviour support. Behaviour support is an evidence-based, proactive approach to help with quality of life and reduce behaviours of concern, directly aligning with social work values and environmental approaches.

Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, WA

How can Positive Behaviour Support help NDIS participants living in Bayswater and surrounds?

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) provides a framework to work with others to appreciate and understand what is underneath the behaviour to help build new skills and improve quality of life. PBS can provide opportunities to increase independence, improve relationships and reduce stress and challenges through a person-centred approach.

For example a person may consult a PBS practitioner to help them understand why they struggle with managing their emotions and need help to find alternative strategies to help reduce verbal or physical behaviour towards themselves or others.

What does person-centred Positive Behaviour Support look like?

Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, and throughout our practice in Australia, is person-centred — we work with clients to listen to them, to better understand a their goals, strengths, choices and rights.

The approach we have at Ability Consultants is collaborative, and proactive — we involve the person and their significant others, family, carers and professionals to understand their life, and the context of behavioural function.

For example we would speak with a client, their family and support team to understand more about them and their functioning to better understand the “why” behind behaviours of concern and also understand what terms such as “wellbeing” and “quality of life” mean for them. Regular reviews and evaluation of programs is also important to see how the person is feeling, if there is a sense of improvement and goals being met and if any changes need to occur for the program.

Positive Behaviour Support is about improving a person’s quality of life — what does this actually mean?

Improving a person’s quality of life helps a person meet their life goals, improve their well-being and safety, so that they can live a meaningful and fulfilling life.

For example, a client may have a goal of not using physical aggression. Achieving this goal may involve the following:

• Make adjustments in the environment with opportunities to relax, use of breathing exercises, meditation or music;
• Help a client create a visual board of routine, this/then statements, positive affirmations, positive activities to look forward to; or.
• Check in regularly with the client to see if they are utilising the strategies, how they are progressing and if the program needs to be adjusted.

It is also important that they are at the forefront of the process and we work collaboratively with them and their significant others.

What kind of information do you gather from families and members of a person’s support team to inform a behaviour support plan?

The information used to inform a behaviour support plan is unique for each person, so that we can produce an individualised behaviour support plan. We draw information from interviews, observations and data collection so that we can understand the following:

• What behaviour looks like, frequency, duration and severity;
• What happens before, during and after so that we can understand triggers and antecedents;
• A person’s likes and dislikes, what motivates them and help in identifying positive reinforcements;
• Which strategies work and which strategies have not worked;
• Communication style and sensory needs; and/or
• How to provide inclusive support, participation, equality and strategies to reduce any restrictive practices (RPs), if in place.

Do you support NDIS participants in any specific age groups or with certain disabilities?

I support NDIS participants from early childhood to older adults with a range of physical, intellectual, neurological and psychological impairments and disabilities.

To get started with Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, WA, please feel welcome to make a referral for Positive Behaviour Support on our website.

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Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater: Frequently Asked Questions

What is Positive Behaviour Support?

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) transforms a person’s quality of life by building new support strategies, skills and behaviours to meet their needs and goals. Find out more in our article “What is Positive Behaviour Support?”.

What is a PBS Plan?

A Positive Behaviour Support Plan (PBSP) is a document developed to improve a person’s quality of life. Each person’s behaviour support plan is unique and tailored with consideration of their strengths, goals, wants and needs. Find out more in our article, “What is an NDIS Positive Behaviour Support plan?”.

How do I know if my NDIS Plan includes funding for behaviour support?

Understanding which NDIS funds you can use for behaviour support may feel overwhelming, so we’ve created a couple of useful guides to help you. You can find those here NDIS funding and Positive Behaviour Support.

Where is your office in Bayswater, WA?

Ability Consultants is a Registered NDIS Provider in Bayswater, Western Australia. We travel to you, which means you don’t need to worry about parking, traffic or fuel.

Do you deliver Positive Behaviour Support in all suburbs near Bayswater, WA?

As a Registered NDIS Provider, we support NDIS participants in many suburbs North of the River, South of the River and in Perth’s eastern suburbs, including but not limited to:

• City of Bayswater including Bayswater, Maylands, Bedford, Embleton, Morley, Noranda, Beechboro, Dianella, Mount Lawley;
• Town of Bassendean including Bassendean, Ashfield and Eden Hill;
• City of Swan including Altone, Ballajura, Beechboro, Bennett Springs, Brabham, Caversham, Ellenbrook, Gooseberry Hill, Guildford, Henley Brook, Herne Hill, High Wycombe, Lockridge, Midland, Midvale, Stratton, Swan Valley, The Vines, West Swan; and
• City of Belmont including Belmont, Ascot, Cloverdale, Kewdale, Redcliff and Rivervale.

We can also travel to parts of the City of Stirling, Shire of Mundaring, Town of Vincent, City of Kalamunda, City of Fremantle, City of Cockburn, City of Melville, City of Mandurah and City of Rockingham.

How can I get started with Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, WA?

The first step is to make a referral for Positive Behaviour Support on our website. You can do this anytime and you can make your own referral, or a member of your support team can make a referral on your behalf.

We receive referrals for Positive Behaviour Support from NDIS participants, their families and members of their support team such as support coordinators, psychologists, medical and allied health professionals.

Where can I find more information about NDIS Positive Behaviour Support in Bayswater, WA?

If you have any questions about Positive Behaviour Support, please feel welcome to call our team on 1300 694 625 or send a message using our contact form.