Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco, WA: Meet local PBS Practitioner Mia Garland
If you’re looking for Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco, we can help! We support NDIS participants with person-centred Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco and surrounding suburbs in Perth. Make a referral to get started.
We’re excited to introduce Mia Garland, your local behaviour support practitioner in Subiaco. Mia supports NDIS participants of all ages in Subiaco. Her approach to Positive Behaviour Support is influenced by her psychology degree and experience supporting patients at Perth’s women’s hospital and as well as individuals experiencing crisis.
Meet Mia Garland, Behaviour Support Practitioner in Subiaco, Western Australia
Hi Mia, it’s great to have you on our team in Perth! Tell us about you!
There's no place I'd rather be! When I'm not in the kitchen cooking up a (chaotic) storm, reading in the garden, or hosting dinner parties for my friends, you can find me in my local library learning all I can about mental health and wellness — a passion I've carried across the past six years.
You completed a psychology degree at Curtin University. Why did you choose to study psychology?
I was able to take part in the GREaT program leading to a placement in a psychiatric facility in Perth — my first experience of doing something I loved that didn’t feel like work. I have family and friends with a history of mental illness, and so mental health is a matter dear to my heart and one which I wanted to understand on a deeper level.
I have always been a friend first and foremost, and so playing on my practical strengths of listening, excellent communication, patience and understanding, I thought I would be up for the challenge of a psychology degree.
You have experience working on a crisis hotline, providing counselling. What are three key lessons you learnt and how do you apply these in your work as a behaviour support practitioner?
- A phrase I learnt quickly while working on the crisis hotline was, “I wasn't quite able to understand, can you help me understand better?” When I wasn't on the same page, instead of pretending I knew what they had gone through and how that had made them feel, it was infinitely better to say I didn’t know, or to accept I might never have fully understood, or that I had been wrong in my assessment. Genuine connection and understanding were worth the time it took to take a few steps back and re-enter.
- That it was up to the person to decide what was right and wrong for them. The journey they were on was their own — it wasn’t up to me to take control and solve all their problems. It was only going to be effective if I gave them the tools to succeed and the action came from them.
- Even when I felt I didn’t know what to do or how to respond to a behaviour of concern, I focused on the understanding that we were all humans seeking connection and reaching out — and that those behaviours were often not deliberate or unkind, but instead the person asking for help. Remembering that being supported, listened to, and held could make all the difference in someone’s wellbeing.
Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco, WA
In Positive Behaviour Support, what does it mean to be person-centred?
To be person-centred means to see the person before anything else: before diagnosis and before the behaviour. Connecting with the person as a human, making the effort to understand their personality and listen to what makes them happy and unhappy before then working outwards. Allowing the person to make their own decisions based on what is important to them, and aiming to promote quality of life, above all, is paramount in person-centred care.
How would you describe Positive Behaviour Support to an NDIS participant who may not have heard of it before?
Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) Practitioners conduct functional behaviour assessments and develop behaviour support plans in collaboration with the person and their support network, which may include family, friends, and teachers. These plans are based on the person’s goals, needs, and assessment results and aim to look at the reason behind the behaviour, working to build knowledge, increase skills, reduce and eliminate restrictive practices and promote quality of life to reduce the behaviours of concern.
The term “behaviours of concern” can be new to many people, can you explain what it means and provide an example or two?
The old term “challenging behaviour” tries to describe what a behaviour of concern is, but instead alludes to deliberately difficult and unwarranted behaviour and places blame and encourages stereotyping.
The new and improved phrasing“behaviour of concern” focuses on the underlying reason behind the behaviour, placing no blame and avoiding negative connotations about the behaviour. It refers to behaviours with intensity, frequency and duration which put the person and/or others at risk, or limits the persons or other peoples access to resources. This could include verbal and physical aggression, or refusing to follow rules.
How can Positive Behaviour Support help NDIS participants in Subiaco?
Positive behaviour support allows NDIS participants to live their lives to the fullest- it strengthens communication, helps improve social participation and relationships and allows them to make their own choices which benefits self esteem. Removing and eliminating restrictive practices and increasing quality of life with the aid of learned skills helps to make the person happier- which will inevitably reduce the behaviour of concern. This will have a knock on effect to all of those around the person- leading to a healthier community in subiaco!
Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco
Where do you provide Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco?
I personalise my visits by travelling to the person receiving my service which gives them a more natural and relaxed setting in which I conduct assessments — this could be in their home or perhaps for a more relaxed meeting, at their favourite coffee shop over a cappuccino!
I can travel to NDIS participants living within 30 minutes drive of Subiaco including:
- Western suburbs: Subiaco, Daglish, Nedlands, Crawley, Shenton Park, Dalkeith, Claremont, Mount Claremont, Swanbourne, Cottesloe, Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park, Fremantle, City Beach, Floreat, Wembley
- Northern suburbs (NOR): Wembley Downs, Woodlands, Doubleview, Scarborough, Innaloo, Karrinyup, North Beach, Carine, Watermans Bay, Gwelup, Marmion, Sorrento, Duncraig, Hillarys, Padbury, Craigie, Kallaroo, Mullaloo, Beldon, Woodvale, Kingsley, Madeley, Hamersley, Balcatta, Stirling, Mount Hawthorn, North Perth, Leederville, Mount Lawley, Coolbinia, Inglewood, Dianella, Yokine, Highgate, East Perth and more
- South of the river (SOR): South Perth, Como, Kensington, Manning, Salter Point, Applecross, Ardross, Booragoon, Brentwood, Myaree, Attadale
I also offer telePBS, which you can learn more about here.
Do you focus on supporting NDIS participants with specific diagnoses or age groups?
At this stage I work with all ages and diagnoses. In previous roles I supported a wide range of adults aged 18 and over and during my degree I acquired knowledge about diagnoses including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), anxiety, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I would love to specifically work with teenagers with complex family dynamics, individuals with complex communication needs, people with autism diagnoses and women, as I have a love for women's health sparked by providing care in an all-women's hospital.
How to get started with Positive Behaviour Support in Subiaco, Western Australia
If someone is looking for an NDIS Positive Behaviour Support Plan for an adult or child in Subiaco or Perth, how can they get started?
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.
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.
About Ability Consultants
Ability Consultants is a Registered NDIS Provider in Subiaco, Western Australia. We’re a team of over 100 behaviour support practitioners and psychologists, supporting NDIS participants throughout NSW, QLD, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia.
About Positive Behaviour Support
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