Monthly Professional Development -Embedding PBS through supervision -Online

Presented by Sharon Paley Online session: 12pm - 1pm AEST

Monthly Professional Development – Lunch & Learn Series (2026)

HandinHand Mental Health & Disability invites you to join our 2026 Lunch & Learn Training Series — a monthly professional development opportunity designed for Allied health professionals, Behaviour Support Practitioners, Team leaders, and Service providers.

These sessions are delivered online (12:00–1:00pm AEST)

Each session features an experienced industry leader and provides practical, implementation-focused insights that support contemporary practice under the NDIS framework.

Presenter 's Description:

Dr Fiona J Davis:

Specialist Behaviour Support Practitioner and Developmental Educator with over 30 years of experience across the disability and mental health sectors.

Sharon Paley is the CEO and Founder of ACRRE.

ACRRE (Australian Centre for Restrictive Practices & Education) is a national organisation focused on reducing and eliminating restrictive practices through training, consultancy, and sector leadership.

Event Details:

• Monthly online professional development session
• 12:00–1:00pm (AEST)
• $25 per session
• Presented by respected leaders in the sector
• Designed for supervisors, practitioners, and service leaders

This series offers an accessible and affordable way to strengthen professional capability, connect with sector expertise, and support ongoing learning across 2026.

Overview

18th March 2026

Embedding PBS through supervision and coaching $25

This one-hour virtual session focuses on embedding Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) through effective supervision and coaching, moving beyond plans and training into sustained, everyday practice.The session will explore why practitioners should embed ongoing reflective supervision and in-the-moment coaching, and how these approaches support consistency, confidence, and fidelity of PBS principles and application. This this session provides practical strategies to integrate PBS into supervision conversations, team learning, and organisational systems, supporting rights-based, safe, and effective behaviour support in everyday practice.

26th March 2026

Engaging families as Partners

Effective behaviour support cannot occur in isolation from the people who know the individual best. This session focuses on building genuine partnerships with families, moving beyond tokenistic consultation to collaborative practice that respects family expertise, acknowledges systemic barriers, and shares power in decision-making. Participants will explore strategies for navigating differing perspectives, addressing family trauma and burnout, managing conflict constructively, and ensuring families are supported as essential members of the support team rather than positioned as service recipients or compliance targets.

30 April 2026 - Details coming soon

28 May 2026 - Details coming soon

25 Jun 2026

Mental Health and Behaviour: Differential Diagnosis

Challenging behaviour in people with disability is often misattributed to the disability itself, overlooking co-occurring mental health conditions that require targeted intervention. This session equips practitioners with frameworks for differential diagnosis, distinguishing between behaviour as communication, symptoms of undiagnosed mental illness, trauma responses, and environmental factors. Participants will develop skills in recognising diagnostic overshadowing, conducting functional behaviour assessment with a mental health lens, and collaborating effectively with psychiatric services to ensure accurate assessment and appropriate support.

30 July 2026

Mental Health and Behaviour: Differential Diagnosis

Dementia presents unique challenges in behaviour support practice, requiring practitioners to adapt assessment and intervention strategies to progressive cognitive and functional decline. This session explores the intersection of positive behaviour support and person-centred dementia care, addressing how to interpret changed behaviour in the context of neurological deterioration, distinguish between pre-existing disability presentations and dementia-related changes, and implement proactive support strategies that maintain dignity and quality of life as needs evolve. Evidence-based approaches to pain assessment, environmental modification, and restrictive practice minimisation in dementia contexts will be examined.

27 August 2026 - Details coming soon

24 September 2026

Cultural Competence in PBS Practice

Behaviour support practice occurs within cultural contexts that shape how behaviour is interpreted, what is considered acceptable intervention, and who holds authority in decision-making. This session examines how practitioners can work effectively across cultural differences, recognising their own cultural assumptions, understanding how disability, family, autonomy, and authority are constructed differently across cultures, and adapting assessment and intervention approaches accordingly. Participants will develop practical skills in culturally responsive practice, working with interpreters, engaging community and cultural advisors, and ensuring PBS practice upholds human rights whilst respecting cultural values.

29 October 2026

Substance Use in People with Disability (ID/DD)

Substance use in people with intellectual and developmental disability is significantly under-recognised and under-addressed in disability services, yet carries substantial risks for health, safety, and behaviour presentation. This session explores prevalence, risk factors, and clinical presentations of substance use in people with disability, the complex interplay between substance use and challenging behaviour, and barriers to accessing appropriate assessment and treatment. Participants will examine evidence-based screening tools, harm minimisation approaches adapted for people with cognitive impairment, and collaborative strategies for supporting individuals with co-occurring disability and substance use concerns.