About Us
Our Team
We are a team of qualified, experienced and dedicated professionals who have decades of experience in the support of people with disabilities and their communities. We formed Trellis around our shared values and wanting to see good outcomes for people and those around them. The team brings together the expertise and skills of different professionals to assess, plan and manage care jointly. We believe a multidisciplinary approach is a good way for organising and coordinating PBS services to meet the needs of people with complex needs.
Aoife
McCann
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Aoife has over 15 years’ experience in the support of people with disabilities and their families. She is passionate about the human rights aspect of supporting those without a voice to have it heard. Aoife moved to Australia in 2010 having worked as a teacher and then an educational psychologist. She worked with Scope Australia and the University of Melbourne to deliver training in PBS to over 300 behaviour support practitioners. She was also part of a team who worked with Swinburne University to develop virtual reality training in PBS for support workers. Born in Ireland, she is passionate in her support of the Irish rugby union team. She is a mother to three young children and enjoys exploring Victoria and beyond in her family’s camper trailer. She is an avid reader and lover of music.
Dr Nick
Hagiliassis
- Consultant Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Nick is a psychologist with more than 25 years’ experience supporting people with disabilities, their families, and their communities in which they live. Respecting the person and their lived experience is what he sees as important. Nick is a practitioner and researcher with a special interest in intellectual disability mental health. He is a writer of several research papers, chapters, and books, contributes to professional networks, and presents at national and international conferences. He is passionate about supporting the practice of other practitioners through mentoring and supervision and the organisational and workforce development of PBS. Nick loves cooking, all things music, and a stroll through his hometown city of Melbourne.
Mark
Di Marco
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Mark works closely with individuals to bring the PBS ingredients of evidence, values, and teamwork to support someone with behaviours of concern. He believes the voice of every individual needs to be heard and listened to and that voice should guide all supports. Mark has over twenty years’ experience working with people with intellectual disabilities. Mark is a registered psychologist who has co-authored peer reviewed journal papers, practice guidelines and resources, and presented at conferences nationally and internationally in the areas of mental health and disability. On some weekends Mark is also known to play guitar in some of Melbourne’s local bands.
Andrea
Jackson
- Occupational Therapist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Andrea has over 20 years’ experience working with people with disabilities and their teams. She moved to Australia in 2003 having previously practiced in the UK providing support to people with multiple disabilities and complex needs. Andrea is committed to bringing people together to effect real change and improvement in the quality of life for people with disabilities. Her background in Occupational Therapy brings to the team specialist skills in sensory processing, engagement in meaningful activities and environmental change. Recently, Andrea worked with Scope Australia and the University of Melbourne to deliver positive behaviour support training to over 300 practitioners. Home life is busy with two young adults to keep up with. She enjoys exploring nature, walking her dog and gardening.
Susan
Fowler
- Occupational Therapist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Susan is an Occupational Therapist and Behaviour Support Practitioner. She has an interest in sensory processing and how people can be involved in their own sensory assessments. Susan works with the individual and their wider teams to help them understand the importance of connection and the sense of safety. She applies the principles of Polyvagal Theory and interpersonal neurobiology within the Positive Behaviour Support framework. Susan trained in Oxford. She is a consultant with BILD UK and accredited to run the BILD Coaches program to develop practice leaders for organisational PBS. Susan lives in the Grampians and enjoys reading, being in nature and yoga. These sustain her and give her the energy to continue exploring new ideas and perspectives to help everyone live the life they choose.
Alex
Kalff
- Speech Pathologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
- Executive Director
Alex has over 20 years’ experience supporting organisations, disability professionals and people with disability to grow and thrive. With a background in Speech Pathology, she is passionate about all people being heard, understood, and respected. Her approach embodies her deep commitment to empathy, acknowledging people’s inherent dignity and strengths and collaboratively finding creative ways to improve people’s lives. Alex has experience in research, teaching, quality and risk management and governance. She is a consultant for the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD) PBS Coaches Program and was instrumental in designing and delivering one of the first courses for Behaviour Support Practitioners with the University of Melbourne. Her life is enriched by being in nature, teaching mindfulness and meditation, spending time with dogs and making people birthday cakes.
Katie
Newman
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Katie is a Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner. She has a special interest in early childhood development, Neurodiversity, supporting parental wellbeing and child mental health. Katie is a Neurodiversity-affirming clinician and is passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental space for individuals of all diverse backgrounds. She is particularly passionate about using a strengths-based approach to support children and parents to understand and reduce behaviours of concern. She has experience in a range of settings including Positive Behaviour Support, private practice, crisis intervention and university teaching. Katie has worked closely with schools, allied health therapists, parents, families and support workers to assist her clients in a range of settings. She also regularly presents on a range of child development topics in early childhood settings to inform parents and educators. Katie is currently undertaking a PhD in Psychology, her research focussing on parental self-compassion and its impact on behavioural sleep interventions. When she is not working or writing her thesis, Katie enjoys spending time with her two children, being active and getting creative in the kitchen.
Oriele (Orie)
Diaz
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Oriele is a bilingual psychologist (English/Spanish) with a combined ten years of experience in the disability, family services and quality services improvement in Australia. She has worked with people from all ages and various CALD backgrounds in regional and metropolitan Victoria. She has extensive experience conducting comprehensive assessment, developing, and implementing person-centred behaviour support to children and adults with physical and psychosocial disabilities, and behaviours of concern. Oriele has a special interest in trauma-informed practice and is an avid advocate for those who are most vulnerable. She encourages for their voices to be heard through working collaboratively with the person and others, to identify what’s most important to the person and their subjective quality of life. Oriele works in a holistic and systemic manner. Personally, Oriele loves exploring new restaurants and towns. She loves dancing and outdoor activities, from hiking to water sports. For Orie, the newer and more daring the activity or experience, the better!
Fatima
Salman
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Fatima is a multilingual Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner with over eight years of experience in therapeutic support. She is eager to make a difference in the lives of others and has a special interest in working with culturally and linguistically diverse people. Fatima provides positive behaviour supports focussed on improving the quality life of participants. She also provides focussed psychological supports for which she uses various therapeutic interventions (e.g., Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused therapy) to address issues surrounding trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and other complex presentations. She extends caring, genuine support to the people she supports through strong therapeutic alliances. She brings positive energy to the workplace, enjoys being social, and loves tending to her indoor plants, which she carefully prunes and nurtures to bring joy to her and others.
Natasha
Drozdoff
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Natasha is a Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner, who has supported people with disabilities and their families for over 14 years. She has worked in both NSW and Victoria in providing specialised services to children and adults with psychosocial disabilities and behaviours that challenge. She is a passionate about supporting others to identify ways in which the quality of a person’s life can be strengthened and working together to achieve this. She is also passionate about looking at creative ways to support people to engage in the learning process - such as through working on a project with Scope Australia in partnership with Swinbourne University, which involved the development of virtual reality training in PBS for support workers. When she is not working, Natasha enjoys discovering new cuisines and recipes, and travelling to various destinations to explore all the world has to offer. Natasha is also an avid dog enthusiast and Melbourne advocate.
Giovanni
Giordano
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Giovanni is a Behaviour Support Practitioner. He has thirty years’ experience working with people with disability in Australia, Italy, Central and South America. Giovanni speaks English, Italian and Spanish, he is also a Key Word Sign presenter, and he is genuinely interested in all forms of communication. Giovanni is passionate and experienced in giving a voice to and listening to everyone. He believes that everyone has something valuable to offer, and that everyone deserves to live the life they want. He has a strong ethical, cooperative approach to his work, and he likes to establish trustworthy, meaningful relationships with individuals, families, and their wider support networks. Giovanni lives in the Macedon Ranges, he likes growing food, cooking, baking sourdough bread and pizza, reading, listening to music (Blues!) and being an active and positive contributor to his community.
Kirsten
Everett
- Occupational Therapist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
For more than a decade, Kirsten has supported people with disabilities to achieve their goals. She uses person-centred and strengths-based approaches, with the aim of enhancing quality of life. Kirsten’s background in occupational therapy brings the importance of meaningful activities, capable environments, and capacity building to her behaviour support practice. She values the relationships built with the person and their support networks to enable collaborative approaches to change. Kirsten loves entertaining friends and family at home, taking nature walks with her son, experimenting with décor and caring for her budgies.
Dr Kirsty
Fawns
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Kirsty is a Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner. She loves to work systemically as part of a multi-disciplinary team to support people to live their best lives. She has worked in the UK in the National Health Service as a Clinical Psychologist and Child Psychologist. She has extensive experience conducting comprehensive assessments, formulations and delivering interventions to children, young people and their families in child and adolescent mental health services. Kirsty loves exploring new places, cake, coffee, reading and being outdoors, as well as yoga and swimming.
Caoimhe
O'Sullivan
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Caoimhe is a Behaviour Support Practitioner with a commitment to disability advocacy and a holistic outlook to behaviour support. With a background in health psychology, she considers various factors affecting well-being, ensuring interventions not only address behaviours but also enhance overall health. Caoimhe's passion for health promotion complements her advocacy for people with disabilities, empowering people to thrive and reduce the need for intense behaviour support. She values collaboration, developing personalised approaches with individuals, families, and support networks. Outside work, she enjoys nature through hiking and water sports, reflecting her holistic approach to behaviour support, which integrates various factors to foster positive change and well-being.
Jacinta
Punaro
- Psychologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Jacinta is a Psychologist and Behaviour Support Practitioner, who has supported neurodivergent people and people with disabilities for over 10 years. Jacinta has worked with individuals across the lifespan in a variety of roles, including early intervention and disability support work. Having worked directly with behaviours that challenge in a disability support capacity, Jacinta brings this experience in the development of behaviour support strategies that are practical, implementable, and enhance the person’s quality of life. Jacinta has a particular interest in working with neurodivergence and approaches her support through a neuroaffirming lens, working with a person’s strengths and differences to achieve positive outcomes. When she is not working, Jacinta enjoys spending time with her son and family, going on outings and visiting the local café’s for Sunday brunch.
Phoebe
Wells
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Phoebe has a background in Rehabilitation Counselling and has specialised experience supporting people with deafblindness and unique sensory needs. Her strengths are in combining counselling and case management skills with person-centred, values-driven frameworks to assist people in fulfilling their potential, obtaining meaning and purpose, achieving independence and increasing their quality of life. She is passionate about people doing more of whatever they find most meaningful and engaging. For Phoebe, this looks like dancing, weekend getaways to the beach, and enjoying good food with family and friends.
Cate
Peters
- Speech Pathologist
- Behaviour Support Practitioner
Cate is a speech pathologist and behaviour support practitioner with more than 25 years’ experience supporting people with disabilities and their teams. She has a special interest in supporting people with complex communication needs to communicate for a range of reasons with whomever they wish to, from day-to-day choices to the bigger decisions, to chatting or being together. She also trains communication partners to be attuned and support the person’s understanding and interactions, to form supportive relationships. She values the positive teamwork and connections she forms with people she supports and their support networks, to enable the best quality of life for the person. She is passionate about people with disability having a meaningful, connected and happy life of their choosing, where they feel a sense of belonging, and to be supported in ways that encourage this. She has a strong person- centred and human rights focus. In her spare time, Cate enjoys singing in her local community choir, playing the piano, and sharing the musical experiences Melbourne has to offer with friends. She also loves time at the beach with her family and dog.
Nayanthi
De Saram
- Business Support Manager
Nayanthi is a highly skilled Business Support Manager with more than ten years of experience in improving operations across diverse business environments. With over nine years in the disability sector, she has gained valuable insight into the unique needs of therapy practices. She excels at combining efficient administrative processes with outstanding customer service, ensuring that both clients and practitioners receive the support they need. Nayanthi’s customer- and practitioner-focussed approach helps create a supportive environment and significantly enhances the overall experience for everyone involved. Nayanthi holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and a Graduate Certificate in Business Psychology. Outside of work she loves spending time with her husband, daughter, and fur baby, going for walks, dancing , step aerobics, live theatre, eating chocolate and being a part of a long-standing book club.
Why Choose Us
Trellis is an independent provider of PBS and related services. Our vision is “bringing out the best in people” – the person at the centre, and the people around them. Trellis was set up around its values – our values have a strong meaning to us and inspire the work we share.
As a Specialist Behaviour Support Providers, Trellis is registered with the NDIS Commission for specialist behaviour support. Our behaviour support practitioners need to be considered suitable by the NDIS. For information on what’s required of our practitioners, see the NDIS’s capability framework, see Behaviour Support Introduction Booklet (ndiscommission.gov.au)
The Participant Handbook provides participants and their support people with important information on their rights and responsibilities. It gives you the information you need about using our services such as choice and control, privacy and confidentiality, and making a complaint and giving feedback. The Participants Handbook can be downloaded here.
Integrity
We will always try to do the right thing.
Compassion
We will always try to show feeling and understanding and listen to what people need.
Capability
We will always try to bring out the best in the social, physical, and organisational supports people receive.
Creativity
We will always look for new, better, and preferred ways to deliver the services people want.
Leadership
We will always try to inspire others and set strategic direction for PBS learning, practices and culture.
Feedback and Complaints
Trellis welcomes feedback about our services and takes complaints seriously. You can find plain language information about providing feedback or making a complaint here.
Our Feedback and Complaints Form can be found here.
If you need support to provide feedback or make a complaint, information about how to access independent advocacy can be found at https://askizzy.org.au/disability-advocacy-finder.
You can also complain directly to the NDIS Commission. Information about how to contact the Commission can be found here.
We're Here To Help!
Office
Suite 305, 63 Stead Street, South Melbourne, VIC, 3205
Hours
By Appointment
Call Us
(03) 9059 8032
Email Us
Trellis Australia acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We celebrate the diverse community different individuals cultivate, inclusive of people with disability, people from CALD backgrounds, and the LGBTQI+ community.
ABN 80 296 562 612 | ACN 645 956 752
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