NDIS support in Illawarra

Specialist Positive Behaviour Support in the Illawarra

Supporting Communities Australia delivers Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) across the Illawarra: Wollongong, Shellharbour, and Kiama LGAs. PBS is led personally by Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas, an NDIS behaviour support practitioner who works only with young people aged 12 to 20.

Every plan is written by the practitioner who delivers the sessions. No handoffs, no delegation to less-qualified staff, no restrictive practice recommendations that don’t actually reduce restrictive practice.

Why families in Wollongong choose SCA for PBS

The Illawarra has one of the highest NDIS participant densities per capita in New South Wales, but a persistent shortage of specialist PBS practitioners, especially for young people aged 12 to 20. Most local providers focus on adult participants. Sydney-based providers often list Wollongong as a “service area” without any Illawarra-based practitioner.

What we deliver:

• Comprehensive functional behaviour assessments written by the practitioner who will implement the plan
• Behaviour support plans aligned to the NDIS Commission’s PBS Capability Framework
• Restrictive practice reduction: real reduction targets, not lip service
• Neuroaffirming practice: behaviour is treated as communication, not a problem to eliminate
• Trauma-informed formulation: because most complex behaviour in young people has trauma underneath

Who we work with in the Illawarra

Ages: 12 to 20 exclusively

Presentations we’re experienced with:

• Autism with behaviours of concern
• ADHD with regulation difficulties
• Complex trauma with externalising behaviours
• Young people in OOHC (foster, kinship, residential care)
• Young people transitioning out of restrictive placements
• Young people at risk of eviction from placement due to behaviour

Referral sources:

• Support coordinators across the Illawarra district
• DCJ caseworkers in Wollongong and Shellharbour
• Parents, carers, and self-referrals
• Schools flagging safety concerns
• Other NDIS providers looking for specialist behaviour support for a young person

How PBS is funded in an NDIS plan

Positive Behaviour Support is paid from the Behaviour Support budget in an NDIS plan (called Improved Relationships on older plans). If your NDIS plan has Behaviour Support funding, PBS is fundable. If it does not, we can help you make a case for it at plan review.

Suburbs we cover in the Illawarra

Northern Illawarra: Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona, Corrimal, Fairy Meadow, Fernhill

Central Wollongong: Wollongong CBD, Figtree, Unanderra, Berkeley, Cringila

Southern Illawarra: Warrawong, Port Kembla, Windang, Warilla, Oak Flats

Shellharbour LGA: Shellharbour Village, Albion Park, Blackbutt, Flinders

Kiama LGA: Kiama, Gerringong (on referral basis)

Dapto and Lake Illawarra corridor: Dapto, Kanahooka, Koonawarra, Primbee

How referrals work

Submit a referral through the form on this website, call us on 0480 800 521, or email info@supportingcommunitiesaustralia.com. We typically respond within one business day with a free 15-minute chat.