Practitioners
Behaviour Support Practitioners
Sophie Staughton is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Advanced). She is the Practice Lead for Veritable behaviour support practitioners.
Sophie has a Masters in Social Work and in 2019 completed the IABA Longitudinal course for Assessment of Severe and Challenging Behaviours. Sophie is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavioural Analysis (Griffith University).
Sophie has been a behaviour support practitioner since 2019. Prior to this, Sophie provided independent quality oversight on the use of restrictive practice in mental health and forensic disability settings as a statutory Community Visitor.
Sophie is a member of the inaugural Behaviour Support Practitioners Australia’s (BSPA) national Practitioner Representative Group. Sophie’s work has been recognised nationally as exemplary, innovative practice in remote Australia with Aboriginal participants. She is a co-author on a ‘State of the Nation’ article related to positive behaviour support in Australia, published in the International Journal of Positive Behaviour Support (2023).
Tahlia Joy is Veritable’s Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner. She is endorsed with the NDIS Commission at Proficient level and is completing studies and further development for Advanced practitioner endorsement.
Tahlia has a Bachelor of Behavioural Studies from Swinburne University of Technology, and a Certificate IV in Assessment and Training. Tahlia has a Talking Mats accreditation. She is currently studying a Graduate Certificate in Autism Studies at Griffith University.
She has a career in human services spanning more than 18 years. For the past 10 years, Tahlia has worked in the disability field.
Tahlia is passionate about reducing barriers experienced by people with disability and supporting the development of a more accessible and inclusive society. She has a particular expertise in co-design of behaviour support plans with participants, and supporting teams to cease chemical restraint and restricted access.
Tahlia is based in Brisbane. She travels to Alice Springs and/or Darwin every 4-6 weeks for direct work with her clients. Tahlia provides TelePBS services at other times. This enables funding for her clients to be extended for longer periods.
Fiona Fowler is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient level). Fiona provides clinical supervision to Veritable social workers and behaviour support practitioners, and external supervision to other service providers and individuals.
Fiona has a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Masters of Social Work as a Human Rights Practice. In 2022, Fiona completed the IABA Longitudinal course for Assessment of Severe and Challenging Behaviours. She has been working as a behaviour support practitioner in Central Australia since May 2021. Fiona’s approach to behaviour support combines her social work expertise with a robust and thorough analysis of the presenting issues from a client-centred perspective.
Clare Scott is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (endorsed at Proficient). She is based in Brisbane, QLD and supports participants locally and in Central Australia. Clare has an honours degree in psychology, and has completed additional skills training through the Institute for Applied Behavioral Analysis (IABA) and Queensland-based training company ‘Behaviour Support & Training’. Clare has a Talking Mats accreditation.
Clare has a strong interest is in supporting young people transitioning into community-based living, and ensuring her plans and training is pragmatic, realistic and engaging.
Dayna Jory is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (endorsed at Proficient). She is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavioural Analysis at Griffith University. She has a Masters of Counselling and a Bachelor of Psychological Science. Dayna is based in Brisbane and travels regularly to the Northern Territory.
Dayna has a background in early intervention and supporting families in ‘routine-based’ skills acquisition. She is interested in neuroaffirming and person-centred support. Since embarking on her Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) journey, she has expanded her experience across all age groups, and has developed a particular interest in working with adolescents, young adults and culturally diverse participants.
Dayna is an optimistic ‘glass half full’ practitioner, passionate about supporting vulnerable people and achieving results that lead to fulfilled and independent lives.
Social Workers
Sophie Staughton is an experienced Social Worker specialising in rural and remote services. She completed her Masters of Social Work in 2012 with Griffith University. She was nominated and won the 2013 WA Rural and Remote Social Worker of the Year.
Sophie has lived and worked in remote Aboriginal communities since 2006. She returned to Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 2013 for family reasons.
Sophie is a social justice advocate, committed to enabling individuals to live their best lives. She excels in resolving complex individual and system issues with her sound understanding of government matched with her person-centred practice.
Sophie has a Talking Mats accreditation.
Fiona Fowler has been practising as a social worker since 2014 when she graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Social Work. In 2018, Fiona completed a Master of Social Work as a Human Rights Profession while studying In Berlin. Fiona is bilingual, speaking fluent German.
As a social worker in remote Australia, Fiona has a warm, compassionate, thoughtful and conscious approach to her practice. She has experience working cross-culturally in remote communities and works in a safe, strategic and person-centred way to support all her clients identify and achieve their goals.
Hiltrud Kivelitz is an experienced social worker, based in Darwin, who has lived in the Northern Territory since 2009. She has extensive experience in mental health and disabilities, including working with carers. She has provided grass roots services, counselling, advocacy, complaints management and statutory oversight to ensure that the rights of people in closed environments are protected.
Hiltrud has a wealth of experience in supporting people as they navigate health and social services in urban, rural and remote Northern Territory.
Hiltrud is also a skilled supervisor, trainer and presenter with experience educating a wide range of participants; in suicide prevention, holistic wellbeing, mental health, disabilities, and a range of social justice and human rights subjects.
Fiona (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Victoria University. She has worked in disability support, youth homelessness, child protection and domestic and family violence sectors.
Fiona is originally from Naarm (Melbourne) and has relocated to Garramilla (Darwin) with her family. She is a member of the Australian Association of Social Work (AASW) and is seeking registration from the NDIS Commission as a behaviour support practitioner.
Fiona has extensive social work case management knowledge and experience. In her role with Veritable, she has a passion for implementing approaches that are trauma-informed, strengths-based, person-centred and underpinned by social justice advocacy.
Specialist COS
Sophie Staughton is an experienced Specialist COS, who can assist with complex cases in remote communities, and/or where there are challenges between mainstream and NDIS interface. She has a particular expertise in supporting participants who have psychosocial disability and who may have contact with the justice system. Veritable will provide Specialist COS in exceptional cases, working in partnership with a Coordinator of Supports (level 2) from another agency where this service is also funded in a participant’s NDIS plan.
Other 'Veritable Crew' Members
Joel Tibbetts is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Core) with a specialty interest in behaviour data design and analysis.
Joel has designed Veritable’s data survey and reporting dashboards, enabling streamlined and professional data gathering and analysis. Joel is our data expert and offers his services indirectly to Veritable participants to ensure that their behaviour data is robust and tailored to their needs.
Joel has a Bachelor of Psychology and a Masters of Social Work as a Human Rights Profession.
Klara Kelvy works for Veritable as our in-house visual artist.
Klara is the creative force behind Veritable’s innovate pictorial behaviour support plans, our visual resources for clients, and our watercolour images in the branding.
Klara lives in Melbourne with her territorial dog, the inimitable Peach, and brings flair and panache to the Veritable team.
Jenn Nowell is our Operations Manager and the first person you will meet when you come to the office. Jenn has a passion for working with people, treating everyone with respect and dignity, and supporting them to be the best version of themselves.
Jenn has a wide and varied career history, including as a social worker in Victoria working with people experiencing homeless and addiction. Since leaving the social work profession, Jenn has been a business owner, events training manager, ranger and massage therapist. Jenn has lived in the Northern Territory since 2012, most of which was based at Mutitjulu. Jenn and her husband Karl are wildlife carers on their bush block so she considers herself a ‘marlu mum’ first and foremost!
