The Queensland Government's Specialist Response Service (SRS) provides specialised therapeutic intervention and support to improve outcomes for people with an intellectual or cognitive disability who exhibit challenging behaviour.
Working with Queensland's disability service providers, the SRS supports adultsto develop positive behaviours and skills to improve their quality of life and enable them to participate actively in their communities. Through the Positive Futures program, the SRS is:
- working and and partnering with disability service providers
- developing and recruiting specialist staff
- building Positive Futures environments - a new way of supporting behaviour change
- providing for the ongoing development of expertise through the Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Support.
This model is providing adults the best opportunity to have a positive future and greater involvement in their community.
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Specialist staff
The SRS has multi-disciplinary teams located across the state. SRS teams provide specialist clinical support and expert advice to disability service providers in developing positive behaviour support plans and where possible, reducing or eliminating the use of restrictive practices.
The teams comprise psychologists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists and learning disability nurses who work with teams of specialist care officers, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists and general practitioners.
This collaborative approach integrates disability and mental health service responses.
Who to contact
If you are a disability service provider needing further assistance or information contact a regional SRS team.
If you are a family member, you should first talk to the relevant service provider. They will be able to explain the law relating to the use of restrictive practices and how it might apply to your adult family member.
Positive Futures careers
The department needs specialist and professional people who are committed to working in this important area.
Find out about current vacancies:
Providing support in positive environments
Responding to Mr Carter's recommendations, the Queensland Government's Positive Futures program is building a range of environments to meet the needs of adults who require a specialist response.
The environments are designed to provide opportunities for individuals to learn new skills and positive behaviours.
Service providers use a range of individualised approaches to support adults in Positive Futures environments including:
- active support - to encourage and enable adults to participate in everyday activities
- person centred approaches - to support adults to be active members of their community and live a good life
- positive behaviour support - to understand the reasons for behaviours and promote positive behavioural responses
The Positive Futures initiative is also supported by a capital works program that is creating more positive built environments for adults with an intellectual or cognitive disability who exhibit severely challenging behaviours.
A range of accommodation has been refurbished or purpose designed and built, including:
- sixteen refurbished accommodation units at Wacol
- two purpose-built duplexes at Wacol for emergency and crisis care
- the Forensic Disability Service - a secure purpose-built facility for people with an intellectual disability who are on a forensic order.
Capital grants are also available to non-government organisations to assist Positive Futures clients in existing community-based housing.
A range of accommodation options are being implemented to provide a positive living environment for adults with an intellectual disability, improve their quality of life and help them participate in the community.
Access to the Positive Futures environments is arranged through a regional SRS team.
The Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Support
The Centre of Excellence for Behaviour Support (the Centre) provides the evidence base for delivery and ongoing development of staff from the SRS and the disability services sector.
The Centre is leading research and providing specialist knowledge and expertise to:
- inform policies and develop resources for best practice in positive behaviour support
- train non-government sector and Queensland Government specialist and support staff. Find out more
- conduct research to inform the effectiveness of practices
- create and promote tertiary education pathways that help develop the skills required for positive behaviour support in disability services.
Through the Centre, Queensland will be at the forefront of research and innovation in this complex area - making Positive Futures' vision to promote stronger human rights for Queensland's most vulnerable people a reality.
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