meet our Clinical lead & Team Leader support coordinator - Jessica

Hello There!

After the completion of my Cert. IV in Disability in 2019, I have worked in many diverse roles within the disability sector. These include Community Facilitation, Educator, Deputy 2IC for an OSHC program, social media development and design, and Specialist Support Coordination. This experience has led to my current leadership roles as the Clinical and Team Lead here at Sakura Connect!

Through these roles, I have developed a strong passion for early intervention, behaviours of concern, and supporting individuals with complex and intersecting needs. This has allowed me to cultivate a deep and practical understanding of the nuanced challenges faced by participants and their families, and the importance of responsive, person-centred support.

Alongside my professional experience, I have also completed a Bachelor of Criminology and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons). This combined experience in both disability and academia has shaped my approach to Support Coordination, staff training, and quality assurance. This experience has enriched my critical thinking, clinical insight, and systems-based understanding in many areas.

These include but are not limited to:

• The criminal justice system
• Rehabilitation
• Legislation, systems, policies and procedures
• Human rights and ethical practice
• Psychosocial disabilities
• Trauma-informed care
• Cognitive and intellectual disability
• Human development and early intervention
• Social Psychology, society and culture
• Learning and behaviourism
• Health and wellbeing
• Complex disabilities and co-occurring conditions
• Social and medical models of disability

My academic and professional background enables me to confidently navigate the disability sector and the systems that intersect with it. In this way, I endeavour to guide individuals through their journey in overcoming barriers, finding independence and pursuing a greater quality of life. Motivated by this desire to further develop my clinical skills and continue supporting individuals with complex needs, I am currently undertaking my Master of Clinical Psychology, which I am expected to complete in 2027!

“Together, we can navigate the intricacies of the disability sector with empathy, expertise, and a shared vision of a brighter future”