Speech and Language Pathologist

Josephine Gillespie

Speech and language pathologist Sarah Nicholas sees daily on the faces of the children she supports and in their behaviour the difference she makes in their lives.

Ms Nicholas is a member of Disability Services Queensland’s Child Safety Behavioral Support team, which is part of the Child Safety Interagency Therapeutic and Behaviour Support Service.
Ms Nicholas said the support service operated as a collaborative interdepartmental response, to meet the needs of children and young people under the age of 18, who are in care of the department and who have severe psychological and behavioural support needs.

She said the children had complex behavioural and emotional problems. “Severe psychological and behavioural support needs are defined as those needs which significantly impact on daily functioning and developmental needs,” Ms Nicholas said. “Depending on the child’s age, developmental stage, their history of abuse and neglect and whether they have a disability, problems can manifest in a range of ways, including self-harming, violence to others, eating disorders and sexual acting out behaviours,” she said.

Ms Nicholas said that, generally, the service was based on a positive behaviour support approach which helped to improve outcomes for children and young people with a disability who displayed challenging behaviour.

“These outcomes include positive lifestyle changes that enhance quality of life and a reduction in the intensity, frequency and duration of the behaviour of concern,” she said. After having graduated as a speech pathologist, Ms Nicholas worked for Education Queensland before moving to the United Kingdom where she worked in Liverpool and the Shetland Islands.
It was the interagency approach she experienced in the UK which led Ms Nicholas to the role at DSQ.

At DSQ, the specialist service involves four key agencies: the Department of Child Safety, Queensland Health, Disability Services Queensland and Department of Education, Training and the Arts. Ms Nicholas said the interagency approach worked better for some of the complex problems experienced by some of the children.

“Some of these kids are the most marginalised in the community and the service provides positive outcomes for them,” Ms Nicholas said. “It certainly is challenging but it is very rewarding.
“You see small changes in the children but it really makes such of a difference to them.” The Child Safety Behavioral Support team works in partnership with the young person, carers and service providers in areas such as assessment, behaviour support, information, education and training and consultation.

Referrals to the service are made by child safety officers, who have case management responsibility for young people under the care of the DCS. All referrals are presented to the Child Safety Interagency Therapeutic and Behaviour Support Services panel for consideration and prioritisation. The core interagency panels are made up from team leaders from DSQ and QH, senior guidances officers from the DETA and the DCS.

Referrals to the Brisbane service are sent from child safety centres on the northside in Pine Rivers, Caboolture, Redcliffe, Chermside, Alderley and Fortitude Valley with plans to extend the service to Brisbane south next year.

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