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. For further professional development, in 2024, she is enrolled in 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.
Fiona Fowler is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient). Fiona is Veritable’s Senior Behaviour Support Practitioner, providing clinical supervision and ensuring quality practice.
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.
Tahlia Joy is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient).
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 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.
Tino Encabo is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (Proficient). He completed the WA Behaviour Support Training in 2021. Tino honed his skills in behaviour support in remote communities of the Kimberleys, WA.
Tino has a background as a disability support worker, supporting complex participants with high needs. He has led teams of disability support workers, and has an expertise and passion for helping teams deliver person-centred active support. He is known for his proactive and engaged approach to training teams, and helping staff to implement behaviour support plans.
Tino relocated from WA to join the Veritable crew in July 2023. He joined specifically to be part of Veritable’s innovative remote behaviour support practice.
Clare Scott is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner (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 also completed training in Talking Mats.
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.
Mark Samec is registered as a NDIS Behaviour Support Practitioner. Mark’s professional qualification is social work. He is currently finalising a Masters in Disability Policy and Practice; this further study will qualify him as a developmental educator.
Mark has moved into the field of behaviour support as an extension of his existing social work experience and skills in working with adults with disability living in the community and those engaged with the justice system who have complex behaviours of concern.
Mark has a focus in his practice on providing behaviour support services to adults or youth above 16 years of age. His interests are in supporting participants connected with the justice system, who may be experiencing homelessness, social isolation and/or have complex support needs. Mark is creative, client-centred, and a strong advocate for the rights of people with disability to self-determination and autonomy.
Social Workers
Sophie Staughton is an Accredited Disability Social Worker, who completed her Masters of Social Work in 2012. She was 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.
Mark Samec is an experienced disability social worker. He is currently finalising a Masters in Disability Policy and Practice. Prior to joining Veritable, Mark worked in Melbourne in the homelessness sector and for 4 years providing Specialist COS services to participants with complex support needs and co-occurring disabilities. His work included coordinating specialist interventions for adults with disability living in the community and those engaged with the justice system.
Mark has a particular interest in working with adults or youth (above 16 years of age) who are connected with the justice system and who may be experiencing homelessness, social isolation and/or present with complex support needs. Mark is creative, client-centred, and a strong advocate for the rights of people with disability to self-determination and autonomy.
Hiltrud Kivelitz is an experienced social worker, based in Darwin, who has lived in the Northern Territory since 2009. She has experience providing direct and indirect social work services to people living in the Northern Territory as a respite coordinator, community educator, complaints manager and advocate.
Hiltrud has a wealth of experience in supporting people as they navigate health and social services in remote Australia (whether as consumers, carers or service providers). Hiltrud is a skilled trainer and presenter, social work practitioner and supervisor.
Specialist COS
Mark Samec is an experienced Specialist COS. Mark is a disability social worker and is currently finalising a Masters in Disability Policy and Practice. Prior to joining Veritable, Mark worked in Melbourne in the homelessness sector and for 4 years providing Specialist COS services to participants with complex support needs and co-occurring disabilities. His work included coordinating specialist interventions for adults with disability living in the community and those engaged with the justice system who may have complex behaviours of concern that required intensive multidisciplinary support from NDIS and mainstream services.
Mark has a particular interest in working with adults or youth (above 16 years of age) who are connected with the justice system and who may be experiencing homelessness, social isolation and/or present with complex support needs. Mark is creative, client-centred, and a strong advocate for the rights of people with disability to self-determination and autonomy.
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!
