Meet the Team.

With over 10 years experience working in the disability sector, Alicia begun her career as a disability support worker whilst finishing her bachelors degree. After graduating she worked at a large well known South Australian not-for-profit organisation as a developmental educator and was later appointed clinical lead developmental educator. During her 4 years there she undertook multiple roles in therapy, behaviour support, support coordination, self advocacy and offered an extensive knowledge of the NDIS. More recently, Alicia worked as the organisational senior practitioner for an independent company in the Adelaide Hills, developing and implementing policy and procedure, organisational practices and oversight of restrictive practices and their implementation.

Along with her Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education, Alicia is also a registered member with the DEAI and is recognised by the NDIS as a proficient behaviour support practitioner. Further to this, Alicia is dedicated to her ongoing professional development and expanding her skill set.

Alicia’s passion for the disability sector comes from her life long personal experiences with multiple family members who have physical and intellectual disabilities. It is through her own experiences that she shares such passion and dedication to achieve disability equality within her community and to ensure each person is presented with a high level of support. Alicia works respectively with families and key support people to employ a multi disciplinary approach.

Throughout her life, Alicia has always participated in sport as part of team and as well as coaching and umpiring. She understands what it means to be part of a team and find common ground with her clients to build rapport and trust. She may also share a story or two of her many travels over the years as she has been to multiple countries and experienced some of what the world has to offer. Her enthusiasm and zest for life is reflected in how she approaches her therapy sessions. Now quite often you’ll find her enjoying the outdoors with her dog Bayli, using the quiet time to reflect on her goals.

If Alicia was stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things, they would be;

• My dog Bayli

• Sunscreen

• Music

With over 15 years working in the Disability Sector, Cathryn finished school and went straight onto studying her Bachelor Degree, it was then that she started working as a Disability Support Worker in order to implement the skills and practices learned. Cathryn found passion in the support work, and paused her study to focus on her newly appointed Team Leader role, which saw her oversee a number of houses and staff, whilst also working collaboratively alongside family members, allied health professionals and Disability SA (replaced by NDIS) funding bodies. This role saw her stay within the same organisation for 10 years, whilst returning to uni to finish her degree in order to become a qualified Developmental Educator and increase her scope of practice.

Upon completing her Bachelors Degree in 2020, Cathryn worked in the specialist team for a large disability provider in SA, as a Developmental Educator and Behaviour Support Practitioner. Cathryn has continued to work in this space as a contractor, as it allows for flexibility and the ability to ensure case numbers are managed in a way that allows for adequate time and resources to go into each individual she supports.

Cathryn has an empathetic, empowering and enthusiastic personality, and finds this mix important in engaging and building rapport and connections with those she supports. Through growing up with family and friends with disability, she knows first hand how important it can be to find ‘the right person’ to work alongside your loved ones. Through past experiences, Cathryn has a diverse tool kit and sees herself as a strong advocate for those whom she supports. Areas of focus due to her extensive experience include, but not limited to; working with individuals with ASD, supporting the transition to moving out of home, emotional regulation and skill development.

In addition to her Bachelor of Disability and Developmental Education, Cathryn also has her Certificate IV in Disability and is a registered member with the DEAI. Professional Development is a key part of evolving as a practitioner, so Cathryn regularly attends conferences and training to maintain her professional registration.

Cathryn believes that it is important to have a work life balance, in order to ensure all aspects of life are enriched and fulfilled. This allows her to be her best self when she is at work, and at home. In her spare time, you will find her spending time with her husband, chasing around their toddler and sausage dog who both keep her on her toes!

If Cathryn was stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things, they would be;

• My daughter

• My husband

• My dog, Murphy

Alycia is a highly experienced and dedicated professional with a double degree in Education (Special Education & Early Childhood) and Disability, which she completed in 2019. Her career began at an Early Learning Centre in 2017, where she was hired after completing her placement and continued working there whilst studying. In this role she followed a key worker model, supporting young children with diverse learning and support needs. Since then, Alycia built her career as a Developmental Educator with a large not-for-profit organisation in SA, beginning in 2019. 

Her experience spans over five years of therapeutic work, including a dual role as a Developmental Educator and Behaviour Support Practitioner. In these positions, Alycia worked in a multidisciplinary therapy team, developing Behaviour Support Plans and providing individualised support to children, young people and adults with disabilities and mental health challenges. Her expertise and leadership skills were further recognised when she transitioned into a Senior Developmental Educator role. In this capacity, Alycia stepped away from Behaviour Support and focused on her passion of delivering therapeutic support while also supervising and mentoring a fellow Developmental Educator in her team.

Alycia’s professional journey also includes experience in a small private practice and a recent transition to contracting work with DE Focus. Her approach is characterised by building respectful and trusting relationships with clients, their families, and their support networks. Known for her calm, empathetic presence and enthusiastic support, Alycia is passionate about empowering individuals to work towards their goals to create independence, choice and control and quality of life. Alycia has also supported families with advocacy, aiming to connect them with suitable services to ensure their support needs are heard and met. She has a keen interest in supporting individuals with school and community engagement and transitions, as well as building social skills, positive self-perception, confidence and emotional regulation strategies. While valuing a collaborative approach, partnering with other therapists, providers and schools to implement strategies for engagement, regulation and inclusion.

Committed to her role, clients and continuous professional growth, Alycia is a registered member of the Developmental Educators Association Incorporated of Australia (DEAI) and is recognised as a Core Behaviour Support Practitioner by the NDIS.

In her spare time she enjoys finding funky new cafes with good coffee and sandos, keeping active, traveling, camping with her partner, Alex and dog, Otis and spending time with family and friends.

If Alycia was stranded on a desert island and could only bring 3 things, they would be:

My dog, Otis

My partner, Alex